When Mara Hoffman started her business over 20 years ago, sustainability was far from a buzzword in fashion. Hoffman was among one of the first in the industry to make a change towards a responsible business. It wasn’t an easy change – Hoffman had already built a successful company, particularly within the swimwear category. She pressed reset and started from scratch to build a new type of company, one that prioritized innovation and sustainability. With the help of her VP of Sustainability, Dana Davis, Hoffman has become a pioneer in the space for successfully scaling an eco-friendly company. Her work has earned her this year’s CFDA Award for Environmental Sustainability, which she will accept during the ceremony on November 6th.

Below, Hoffman shared some of her top tips for building a sustainable fashion business.

Material Assessment

What are the materials that I am using in my collection and how can I start to prioritize preferred fibers? Find out if there are sustainable substitutions for what I am using.

For example, consider using recycled or organic cotton versus conventional. Phase out fossil fuel fibers and replace them with natural alternatives such as linen, hemp or Lyocell.

Get to Know Your Supply Chain

Take transparency in your supply chain seriously. Go beyond asking who is making your product, and create relationships deep into your supply chain. This starts with asking more questions. Travel to your supply chain partners if you can – and if you can’t, send them surveys so you have a good understanding of who it is that they are working with.

Build a Strong Network

There are many brands in this space and it’s important to collaborate. Connect with like minded individuals and support one another. Educate yourself on who is doing good work in this space and how you can learn from them.

Support Local Organizations

How can you support those in your community?  We have partnered with Custom Collaborative through the years. Provide your support to the students in training so they understand what it looks like inside your organization. You can also become a pipeline for the students through their apprenticeship programs. Always donate fabrics and trims.

Create a Strategy

Ask what is important in your organization? For us we tried to break this down into three pillars: environmental impact, social Justice, and community. Once you understand how you will focus on what to prioritize on then you can create a strategy.

This strategy is just a guide. It’s a forever changing document. Next, you need to break it down into short term, medium term and long term goals. Start with low hanging fruit.  This will help build momentum in your organization.

Reduce

How can you use less? This can be in your packaging, in the way you make your garments, how you design, lay out a print, etc. Look inside your office and create recycling systems

Build a Green Team

You need to get company buy-in. This work requires everyone in the company to support.