HOW WE
COLLABORATE
To achieve the necessary level of engagement for the sustainability transition in the fashion sector, while tackling its intricate challenges, we are consistently enhancing our theoretical and methodological foundations. Our approach is grounded in three pillars: Collaboration, Systemic View, and Experimentation.
COLLABORATION
This is how we operate amidst a diversity of perspectives. By exchanging ideas and practices, we reinforce relationships and foster trust among participants, establishing a pre-competitive setting where individuals, companies, and institutions with diverse and occasionally conflicting profiles and interests coexist. At its core lies the concept of Stretch Collaboration, as put forth by Adam Kahane. According to him, the conventional view of collaboration as harmonious teamwork is limited and constraining. Instead of this viewpoint, he proposes embracing conflict, experimentation, and authentic co-creation, offering tools to initiate change from within ourselves, in the way we perceive, listen, and engage with others.
SYSTEMIC VIEW
It’s an approach to reality that seeks to understand the whole and the interconnection between its parts, embracing complexity. This form of thinking acknowledges power dynamics between parts, seeks to understand the underlying causes of issues, even if not immediately evident, to intervene at key system points with significant potential for change. Through a systemic view, we developed the four potential Future Scenarios for Fashion in Brazil by 2035. We scrutinized the Brazilian fashion industry and identified the 6 transformative axes of sustainable fashion – the areas where we can bring about changes within the fashion supply chain in the upcoming years: Employment and Equity | Environment | Business Model | Culture and Consumption | Education, Science and Technology | Public Policies.
EXPERIMENTATION
The transformative axes led to the formation of the initial working groups within Colabora Moda Sustentavel, guiding the most concrete phase of our work: the prototyping of multi-sector initiatives. Through co-creation and support of initiatives connected to the Brazilian fashion supply chain, we learn by doing, gaining insights into the process of transformation, and expanding the sector’s positive impact. We assess ideas that hold the potential for scalability.
NEWS
“O legado alça voo, enquanto o Colabora repousa” – Um Novo Capítulo do Colabora Moda Sustentável
Equidade em Foco: Oficina Elabora inspira uma moda sustentável e inclusiva para trabalhadoras e trabalhadores do setor
Cartilha de Recomendações para a Moda Sustentável, direcionada a pequenas empresas, é lançada pelo Colabora Moda Sustentável.
Maior evento ativista de moda do mundo, o Fashion Revolution lança seu manifesto.
COMO A MODA PODE AGIR PARA REDUZIR OS EFEITOS DAS MUDANÇAS CLIMÁTICAS?
ECOSSISTEMA DO SISTEMA DE MODA: UM PAINEL SOBRE COLABORAÇÃO NO FÓRUM DA OCDE
INNOVATION
ECOSYSTEM
Colabora Moda Sustentavel is designed to serve as a fertile ground for innovative and sustainable technological solutions. We gather a variety of stakeholders (individuals, businesses, and institutions) who interact with each other, creating a space of thriving connections where knowledge is disseminated.
The interactions within the ecosystem are nourishing for Colabora Moda Sustentavel, while also being actively fostered by us. For instance, to ensure diversity, we intentionally create a space that brings together individuals with different roles and expertise
Moreover, we offer different forms of support for Collaborators, whether they are carried out in sequence or not:
- Collective prototyping
- Connection between mentors and entrepreneurs
- Search for financial solutions to leverage initiatives
- Conducting thematic meet-ups for Collaborators
- Promotion of our and partners’ events and publications
- Building leadership skills with a systemic view
COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS
These are multi-sector initiatives co-created in partnership with individuals and organizations, which put into practice the change they want to see in fashion. From 2018 to 2020, Colabora Moda Sustentavel prototyped and supported a total of 29 of these initiatives. Initially, they were generated within our meet-ups; however, as time went on, we expanded our support to include initiatives created by our members in other contexts, as long as they aligned with the themes we were working on. Every initiative comes with its unique story and operational approach. To learn more, we suggest exploring the dedicated page on our website.
OPEN CALLS, MAPPING INITIATIVES, CALLS FOR PROPOSALS
We believe that innovative solutions need a conducive environment to flourish and be encouraged to achieve even greater results. In addition to promoting initiatives created by Collaborators, we aim to deepen our understanding of what has been developed for the fashion supply chain in Brazil through open calls, mappings initiatives, and calls for proposals.
MEET-UPS AND TRAINING SESSIONS
We believe in the power of relationships and the development of skills as drivers of change. Throughout the year, we organize exclusive online meet-ups for Collaborators, as well as sessions open to the public. These events serve as spaces for fostering connections among individuals and projects that share common goals and dimensions – and often work together.
In 2021, these meet-ups delved into sustainability and regeneration concepts, innovation for regenerative fashion, and other topics, including a study by the Technology Center for the Chemical and Textile Industries of SENAI (SENAI CETIQT) on sustainable fashion businesses in Brazil. To complement these initiatives, we also offer training sessions based on the needs of our ecosystem, empowering Collaborators to take effective action. Furthermore, we held the first edition of the Colabora Moda Sustentavel Meet-up with public sessions. More insights into these topics are available on our blog and YouTube channel.
RESEARCH AND STUDIES
The more information and knowledge we have about the reality of the Brazilian fashion system, the greater our potential to transform it. We believe that connecting with academia is an essential part of innovation within the Brazilian fashion sector – studies provide theoretical foundations, conceptual depth, and updated data. Therefore, we support projects from partners and members of Colabora Moda Sustentavel across a range of funding domains. In this way, we examine the value chain and share insights (both ours and from Collaborators) with the sector.
