CFDA Associate Director of Program Strategies Cal McNeil spoke with Nicks Ericsson, Director of Product Marketing at UGG®, as a kickoff fireside chat for the webinar series “Navigating Material Sourcing & Innovation in Fashion.” The series is in celebration of the CFDA.com Materials Hub, slated to be released by October 13, 2021.

Leading the conversation’s agenda were the ways that UGG as a company is tackling its journey within sustainability and innovation. The chat was structured to help show the successes and challenges a brand will face as it explore ways to integrate and grow responsible design practices across the supply chain in a hope of ensuring that other brands can best prepare for their own explorations into these areas.

Ericsson noted the various areas of focus, alliances needed, organizational goals, priorities, and more that come together to create their overarching sustainable strategies.

Additionally, Ericsson noted how young designers should begin for responsible design practices in smaller supply chains. Ericsson offered advice on the importance of seeing supply chains first-hand, showing transparency, and recognizing that the sustainability journey may be never-ending and always evolving and should be focused on “progress not perfection.”

Join us for our upcoming webinars throughout the month of October as we talk with brand, fiber/material, and packaging leaders on what they have learned on sourcing and material innovation to help other designers expand their efforts. Register via the links below.

Session 2: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P3u_VO-lTiC1mRq0UrikNQ

Session 3: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_si6wEx5YT5ORPbHkB9FHLg

Session 4: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_J9-4gW8oTzimE2dP-NpbFg

For more information on UGG® and their FEEL GOOD platform dedicated to outlining their goals and initiatives related to sustainability and responsible design please visit: https://feelgoodfuture.ugg.com/