Turkish denim mill Isko has shared its message of sustainability at three significant global conferences this month.
It was the only fashion-manufacturer representative at the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt and took part in the focus talk “Circular Systems for a Net Positive Fashion Industry” organized by the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) on Nov. 12.
Elena Faleschini, senior manager of brand partnerships at Isko, agreed with her fellow speakers Federica Marchionni, Lily Cole, Miranda Schnitger, Samata Pattinson, Holly Syrett and Tarek Alkhoury that harmonization and transparency in goals are critical, vertical and horizontal partnerships are key and investment in innovation is vital to a circular business model in fashion.
Six days later, Faleschini again served as a panelist during a talk at Saudi Arabia’s Fashion Futures in Riyadh. The discussion was titled “Designing in the New Age of Sustainability–How can independent brands evolve to serve a new consumer mindset?” and also featured Sara Sozzani Maino of Vogue Italia and Milan Fashion Week, the Saudi designer Shahd Al Shehail and journalist Jessica Michault as moderator.
The company also served as a supporting partner of the 2022 Textile Exchange Conference held Nov. 14-18 in Colorado Springs, Colo. where global players of the textile industry explored tools, resources and initiatives to foster collaborations and drive sustainable practices.
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The mill has stated in its 2022 Sustainability Impact Report that it is aiming to no longer use new, conventional raw materials and instead plans to use recycled cotton, recycled polyester and regenerated fibers to produce its denim. “We are committed to eliminating the use of virgin fibers and are already developing products that no longer contain virgin cotton. By the third quarter of 2022—several months ahead of our 2023 target—we managed to produce 85 percent of our goods from recycled materials with an emphasis on durability,” CEO Fatih Konukoglu said in it.
Isko boasts several third-party certifications and partnerships such as Bluesign Partnership, Step by Oeko-Tex, Textile Exchange, SAC, ZDHC and EU Ecolabel.