Sustainable Transformation

I took this class because I consider myself a “hands-on” learner. I like to dive into a challenge or problem, learn about it, and then come up with ideas or solutions that are outside the box. I feel that the more experience you have with something, the easier it is to get stuck in the way it’s always been done. But to find solutions that add real value, you have to look at the connections between what you know and what you still need to learn. That’s been my experience in this class so far—digging into concepts and processes I’m already familiar with, but also staying curious about industries I knew nothing about.

It has felt like climbing a mountain, with the way up full of steep learning curves and discoveries. I never hike alone, and in the same way, I’m not doing this project alone either. Working as part of a team has been its own challenge and achievement. At the beginning, I was nervous about who I’d end up working with—would they be as involved as I was? Would they dedicate the time and effort the project deserves? Later on, my worry was whether they were as passionate as I was, because that passion translates to time and commitment. As it turns out, we’re all dedicated and enjoying the project. We’re happy with the client and the industry we’re focused on. We’ve learned to lean on one another, but what’s been most successful is our ability to delegate and divide up the work. At first, we all wanted to work on everything, but it didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t productive. Naturally, we each took on what we were most comfortable with, and I think it shows in the results.

Our research explored sustainability practices in the fashion industry, where we compared six competitor brands. We used both quantitative and qualitative methods, looking at impact reports, social media, and customer feedback. What we found was that while there have been strides in areas like climate action and supply chain management, there’s still plenty of room to grow. One big opportunity is to speed up the implementation of circular economy strategies and improve transparency by providing more detailed, data-driven metrics. We also saw the potential for aligning with frameworks like ISSB and GRI to boost trust with investors and stakeholders. 

Overall, our recommendations focus on integrating sustainability into the core of the business, rather than seeing it as a separate effort, and using storytelling to show how these practices can drive growth. However, sustainability is complex, especially when trying to make it a core part of a business. The challenge is not to silo sustainability into just a department, but to integrate it into the company’s mission. I’ve been excited to learn about companies doing this well and to study their approaches and how they communicate their efforts. Sustainability is no longer a luxury or a philanthropic effort; it’s a necessity. I love learning the data behind it. But summarizing all that research and presenting it in a way that will convince a client to make foundational changes isn’t easy. I’m not sure how perfectly we’ll nail it this time, but with the help of my team and advisors, I’m confident we’ll present a strong case.

The best part of all this is that it’s opened up a new career path for me. I never thought corporate consulting was my thing, but I’ve found that I’m fascinated by the sustainability challenges in the fashion industry. It’s something I’m eager to explore further, and what’s most exciting is that, before this class, I never would’ve imagined a career in fashion. I love being surprised and transformed by my own work.