Danielle Statham makes the RIVET 50 2021

Danielle Statham, Co-founder and owner of FibreTrace® is recognised as one of the most influential figures in denim for 2021.

October 11th, 2021

Written by FibreTrace®

Danielle Statham, Co-founder and owner of FibreTrace® and the world’s first carbon-positive cotton, Good Earth Cotton®, receives recognition in the Rivet 50 for 2021 as one of the most influential executives in denim.

Rivet 50 is an annual index of the most influential leaders advancing the business of making and marketing denim, presented by Rivet, the global media authority serving the international denim industry. The index is compiled by nominations and votes submitted by peers across the industry. 

In its fourth year, Rivet 50 serves as a barometer for the denim industry, benchmarking the sector’s ongoing evolution in innovation, sustainability and creativity.

With 25+ years of experience in the fashion and retail industry, Danielle Statham is leading the industry towards a more sustainable, transparent future through carbon positive solutions backed by traceability.

Danielle’s career in fashion began as a couture milliner before expanding with her own wholesale fashion showroom in Sydney and owning and designing her own denim label. These experiences were a catalyst in Danielle becoming acutely aware of the social, environmental, and ethical issues that the fashion industry still faces today.

Danielle’s vision for sustainable textiles, and in particular, climate-friendly, regenerative and traceable cotton is now having an impact on the global supply chain in pushing meaningful solutions rooted in scientific, primary data and end-to-end traceability.

What is the biggest misconception that consumers have about sustainable denim?

I’m not sure it’s a misconception but rather, consumers have a high amount of confusion over what is good and what is bad or what the word sustainable even means.

Best practice and advancements have been made in the production of a denim article, although the staple fiber of cotton which makes our denim the versatile product it is known for after centuries still remains a mystery to many.

Denim has historically inspired opinions and storytelling in its weave, with cotton doing the heavy lifting in some respects, so sustainable denim must contain sustainable raw fibers from the beginning. As an industry, if we can educate the customer honestly about the raw fiber chosen and provide honest information of how it was grown and where it was grown for your favorite pair of denim, we have solved another part of the future where hopefully denim can pave its way to stories of aiding in positive environmental and social change.

What can the denim industry do to ensure a positive post-pandemic rebound?

During the pandemic I think all industries were given an unintentional makeover with the customer demanding more from purchases and the clothing we wear.

We should take this as a message of opportunity to think long term on how to remain relevant and be proactive on how we honestly wish to demonstrate our intentions.

Skinny jeans: Over or a new staple?

Straight or wide-leg jeans for me!

I am very fussy about the length and prefer my denim to be cut at the ankle. I love my denim to be slightly rigid, it must be cotton and must be able to move with me, so when it does, I live in it.

How can denim retail improve?

The pressure is on for the supply chain and retailers to work together to tackle the challenges of a future to compete, survive and reproduce.

Macro thinking across the entire supply chain ecosystem will require collaboration of industry standards—and at the forefront of the conversation should be the public sentiment that is driving the need for companies to step up and demonstrate an ethics-driven role in their supply chain that provides honesty and well-being messages.

In order for this to be expedited retailers will require the adoption of systems that enable companies with the agility to tailor experiences, services and products. They will also require technologies which provide expertise to gather data to enable retailers to communicate positive messages that answer consumer expectations of environmental, political and ethical vulnerabilities.

Businesses that bring innovation, sustainability and environmental commitments in their product offering will have a powerful influence and position in the marketplace with the ability to cater to changing consumers.

Organizations must connect, predict and adapt at speed, placing data at their core and be one that can expand and contract with change.

How many pairs of jeans do you own?

I have about five pairs I rotate in my wardrobe currently.

But I also have approximately 20 pairs in a box I cannot say goodbye too as they have too many good memories woven into them, including my favourites 30-year-old 501’s.

Which jeans do you wear the most, and why?

Often the ones I was wearing yesterday…denim is that garment, if made well with great fabric it works daily for you and makes the “what to wear” question so easy when you are busy.

Source: https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/rivet-50/danielle-statham-2021/