Shows
Manufactured107. The Curious Case of Leicester Part 5: Can We Regulate Fashion Without Causing Harm?Jennifer Wascak, co-founder of Justice In Fashion, joins co-hosts Kim van der Weerd and Dr. Divya Jyoti to wrap up our deep dive into the Leicester conundrum. Throughout our discussion, we focus on the recurring theme of inequity within the value chain. We explore the role of inequity, questioning whether it stems from the business […]
2024-09-031h 04
Manufactured102. Concluding Crossover Moments: Intention, Inequity, and the Implicit Beliefs Blocking Systemic TransformationIn the final episode of the Crossover Moments mini series, Kim reflects on the key themes that emerged throughout the series. What were the beliefs guests held prior to their “crossover moment”? Why did they decide to let go of these beliefs? What did they replace them with? Her personal experience, and the one […]
2024-03-0516 min
Manufactured101. Crossover Moments : Ebru DebbagIn this episode, Kim and Jessie are in conversation with Ebru Debbag, the Executive Director of Global Sales and Marketing at Soorty Enterprises Pvt.Ltd. As the daughter of a cotton farmer, Ebru spent most of her childhood running around fields. From a small atelier making doll dresses to a successful career spanning 27 years at […]
2024-02-2041 min
Manufactured100. Crossover Moments : Bergson WangIn celebration of Manufactured’s 100th episode, hosts Kim and Jessie sit down with Bergson Wang, a social and environmental compliance auditor (among many other roles) from China. As someone with a diverse career spanning over two decades, Bergson shares his journey and aspirations in sustainable fashion. He discusses how and why he began to question […]
2024-02-0633 min
Manufactured99. Crossover Moments: Kim van der Weerd on Her Complex Relationship with Factory Floor StaffIn this episode, Kim reflects on the complexity of her relationship with production staff during her time as a garment factory manager. She addresses how integral the prevailing narrative of good workers versus bad factory managers was in shaping the way she engaged with her staff, and how it fails to capture the real, multi-dimensional […]
2024-01-2323 min
Manufactured98. Crossover Moments : Ken PuckerIn this episode, Dr. Divya Jyoti and Kim sit down with Ken Pucker, former Timberland COO turned sustainable fashion critic, who now works as a Professor of Practice at the Fletcher School. Fun fact: Ken’s career began in manufacturing, and at the time he joined Timberland, they were still producing much of their footwear. Though […]
2024-01-0955 min
Manufactured97. Crossover Moments : Saqib SohailIn this episode of the Crossover Moments mini-series, Kim and her co-host, Dr. Divya Jyoti, are in conversation with Saqib Sohail, a mill leader in Responsible Business Projects from Pakistan. Saqib, who has an academic background, discusses his journey from perceiving sustainability as a global positive to raising questions about its actual beneficiaries. An encounter […]
2023-12-1944 min
Manufactured96. Crossover Moments: Kim van der Weerd on How Racism Shapes Sustainable FashionIn this episode, Kim reads an article she wrote and published in July 2020 titled, ‘How Racism Shapes Fashion’s Approach to Sustainability’ where she talks about her personal relationship with the title ‘Garment Factory Manager.’ From feeling the need to qualify her role to a straightforward self-introduction, Kim’s transformation emerges from the shadows of racism […]
2023-12-0517 min
Manufactured95. Crossover Moments : Dr.Divya JyotiIn this episode, Kim and her co-founder, Jessie Li, talk to researcher Dr. Divya Jyoti about her crossover moments. Divya is currently a lecturer at Lancaster University, but once envisioned a path in factory management. As a close collaborator of Manufactured for several years, Divya once saw supply chain challenges as mere technical puzzles—codes of […]
2023-11-2129 min
Manufactured94. Crossover Moments : Jessie LiIn this episode, Kim and her guest co-host, Dr.Divya Jyoti, talk to Manufactured co-founder Jessie Li about her crossover moment. She reflects on her time working for a buying office in China, and on realising that so much of the work she and her team were doing was invisible – their stresses and challenges overlooked and ignored. She shares how this realisation made her rethink everything - including how she understands the term “sustainable fashion.”
This episode is part of the "Crossover Moments” miniseries, where we explore key moments of personal transformation that led people to question and ultimately reject conventi...
2023-11-0739 min
ManufacturedIntroducing: Crossover MomentsAfter quietly challenging the status quo and peeling away the invisible assumptions that cloak mainstream sustainable fashion, we are now delving into personal stories. In this series, our host and former garment factory manager Kim van der Weerd shares her personal journey and, along with her co-hosts Divya Jyoti and Jessie Li, talks to industry experts about the key pivotal moments that led to them questioning and ultimately rejecting conventional approaches to sustainable fashion. This mini-series, called Crossover Moments, explores an awakening that goes behind the story, reveals more choices beyond the defaults, and explores how we can break habits...
2023-10-2410 min
Manufactured93. Perspectives on Fashion’s Decarbonization: Exploring Areas of Consensus and DissensusThis episode is an audio version of a keynote that host of this podcast, Kim van der Weerd delivered at Planet Textiles, which was hosted by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition as part of ITMA - a machinery expo for the apparel sector in Milan in June 2023. She reflects on her work in various decabonization projects – from a forthcoming research report from Transformers Foundation to discussions from the Asia Garment Hub, and beyond – and shares her own views and opinions on where the industry seems to agree, where it doesn’t, and how we might understand each other better. She tells us how...
2023-09-2642 min
Manufactured92. How it’s made: On Cotton with Rajeev BaruahOn this episode we’re taking a look at cotton value chains in the Indian context with Rajeev Baruah, who has worked in cotton for decades. Though his background is originally in agriculture and tea, his cotton journey started with a spinning facility back in the 90s on a mission to work with organic cotton farmers - something that, at the time, was unheard of. In the years since, he’s gone on to work in a number of different roles with different stakeholders across the value chain. Rajeev gives Kim an in-depth look at the steps that go into grow...
2023-07-2538 min
Manufactured90. How it’s made: On Silk with Hilmond HuiTo understand the process, benefits and barriers within regenerative sericulture, we go back to Kim’s conversation from November 2021 with Hilmond Hui, Vice President of international clothing enterprise PFG and its subset Bombyx. Hilmond tells us more about Bombyx, which was formed in 2018 with a focus on regenerative silk production and transforming the way silk is produced, traded and consumed. Their Nanchong Ka Fung (NCKF) facility is located in the northeast of China’s Sichuan province, and they’re on a mission to do everything from dirt to fabric and beyond.
2023-06-2725 min
Manufactured88. How it’s made: On Leather with Vijay SuvarnaWe’re going back to our conversation from May 2021 with Vijay Suvarna, who takes us through the production process of leather from inspection to grading and pricing. Vijay spent many years as the CSR and Sustainability Manager for Asiatan, a tannery that manufactures leathers including cowhide, sheep, goat, and suedes. He takes Kim and Jessie through the different kinds of leather and the relationships between farmers, tanneries, shoe manufacturers and brands.
2023-05-3035 min
Manufactured86. How it’s made: On Virgin & Recycled Polyester with Sharon ChenOn this week’s episode, we discuss the production process of a pretty infamous material – polyester, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and recycled PET, to be precise. Kim is joined by Sharon Chen, the Director Of Business Development at Baichuan Resources Recycling, a leading manufacturer of recycled textiles in China, who speaks about how virgin and recycled PET are manufactured. Sharon tells us about the types of raw materials needed in the process, who they buy these inputs from, and how they’re processed to ultimately become a yarn. She takes us through the spinning, weaving, and dyeing processes and shares a bit...
2023-05-0250 min
Manufactured85. Everyday Essentialism: On Differentiating “Brands” from “Suppliers”We all know that there’s a kind of essentialism that happens in conversations about sustainable fashion (and beyond). It’s shorthand that artificially groups together very diverse groups of people and lumps them according to a single or several defining features. This episode is an open discussion of two such terms: “brand” and “supplier.”
2022-12-1330 min
Manufactured84. Decarbonization – Three Manufacturers on Whether They Have Mapped Pathways for Achieving their Decarbonization TargetsDo apparel manufacturers have mapped pathways for achieving their decarbonization targets, or not? This episode features responses to this question from three different manufacturers: Mustafa Ahmad the General Manager of Sustainability for US Apparel & Textiles in Pakistan, Krishna Manda the Vice President of Corporate Sustainability for Lenzing, and Matthew Guenther, the Director of Environmental Sustainability for TAL Apparel.
2022-11-1526 min
Manufactured83. Manufactured x Asia Garment Hub: Decarbonization – Practical Tips for Talking to Manufacturers About DecarbonizationThis is an audio version of a piece I wrote for the Asia Garment Hub called “Practical Tips for Talking to Manufacturers About Decarbonization.”
2022-10-2512 min
Manufactured082. Manufactured x Transformers Foundation: Decarbonization – Perspectives from the Denim Supply ChainThis conversation brings together representatives from different levels of the denim supply chain: brand (Boysih Jeans), mill (Candiani), and farm (the Sourcery). We talk about which part(s) of making a pair of jeans has the biggest impact on carbon emissions? Do we know? We talk about the possibilities: what role can companies operating in different parts of the denim supply chain can take towards reducing carbon emissions. And we also talk about the limits: what challenges do companies face when it comes to reducing carbon emissions? The conversation is an edited version of a webinar Kim moderated for Transformers...
2022-10-1149 min
Manufactured081. Decarbonization – Sid Amalean on MAS’s Decarbonization Opportunities and ChallengesWhy did MAS sign-up for science-based targets? What are their challenges? What kind of support is needed from brands and retailers?
2022-09-2751 min
ManufacturedSpecial Edition: Support Flood Relief for Pakistani Cotton GrowersThis is a short message from Crispin Argento, Co-founder and MD of Sourcery, about a fundraiser they’re doing to support Pakistani cotton growers adversely impacted by current flooding.
2022-09-2008 min
Manufactured080. Manufactured x Transformers Foundation: The Higg Data Debate Part 2 – Re-Imagining Consumers as Conversation ChangersWill empowering consumers to shop differently really drive fashion’s transformation?
2022-08-1612 min
Manufactured079. Manufactured x Transformers Foundation: The Higg Data Debate – No Room For Context, Imagination, or Co-CreationI've been thinking a lot about the controversy surrounding the Higg Material Sustainability Index. It's taken me some time to put together my thoughts, and I'm not sure I'm totally there yet. But here it goes...
2022-07-1213 min
Manufactured078. Manufactured x Asia Garment Hub: Wellbeing – Do Social Compliance Audits Make Factories Better Places to Work?What do two manufacturers, one brand, and one ex-social compliance auditor think: do social compliance audits make factories better places to work? What’s the intention behind social audits? Are audits about assurance? Or should they be a tool for collaboration and conversation? Or both?
2022-06-2844 min
Manufactured077. Wellbeing – On Subcontracting: Does More Visibility Equal More Wellbeing?Is visibility a sensible way of approaching wellbeing in fashion supply chains? Is the fact that subcontractors are invisible really what causes adverse human rights outcomes? Or are adverse human rights outcomes in fashion supply chains a symptom of how we distribute financial risk?
2022-06-1325 min
Manufactured076. Wellbeing – A Cambodian Perspective on What Drives Factory Management BehaviorWe can’t talk about wellbeing on the production floor without also talking about factory management. What drives the behavior of factory management? What are their incentives? And how does this translate on the production floor?
2022-05-3125 min
Manufactured075. Manufactured x Asia Garment Hub: Wellbeing – Dr. Divya Jyoti & Dr. Achyuta Adhvaryu Debate Definitions & MetricsDr. Divya Jyoti and Dr. Achyuta Adhvaryu debate: how should worker wellbeing be defined and measured?
2022-05-1734 min
Manufactured074. Manufactured x Transformers Foundation: Marzia Lanfranchi & Elizabeth Cline on Misinformation, Cotton, and the Need for Nuanced Stories (Part 2)This is part two of a conversation with Marzia Lanfranchi and Elizabeth Cline, co-authors of the new report: Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation. The chat is co-hosted by Sarah Mock.
2021-12-1429 min
Manufactured073. Manufactured x Transformers Foundation: Marzia Lanfranchi & Elizabeth Cline on Misinformation, Cotton, and the Need for Nuanced Stories (Part 1)This is part one of a conversation with Marzia Lanfranchi and Elizabeth Cline, co-authors of the new report: Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation. The chat is co-hosted by Sarah Mock.
2021-12-1446 min
Manufactured072. Flip the Script: Two Suppliers Talk to an Impact Investment Strategist (Part 2)This is part two of an episode that brings together people from opposite ends of the fashion supply chain – two suppliers and an impact investment strategist.
2021-11-3034 min
Manufactured071. Flip the Script: Two Suppliers Talk to an Impact Investment Strategist (Part 1)This is part one of an episode that brings together people from opposite ends of the fashion supply chain – two suppliers and an impact investment strategist.
2021-11-3022 min
Manufactured070. Hilmond Hui: How Bombyx is Transforming the Way Silk is Produced, Traded and Consumed (Part 2)In part 2 of this chat Hilmond Hui, VP of Bombyx and VP of PFG, talks barriers: if regenerative silk is so great, why doesn’t everyone do it?
2021-11-1625 min
Manufactured069. Hilmond Hui: How Bombyx is Transforming the Way Silk is Produced, Traded & Consumed (Part 1)In this episode, Hilmond shares a bit about the evolution of PFG (a longtime Eileen Fisher producer), and how this ultimately led to Bombyx. We then dive into the details: what does regenerative silk production mean? How does Bombyx approach it?
2021-11-1629 min
Manufactured068. Matthew Wallace on DXM: An On-Shore, On-Demand Manufacturer Co-Owned by Shahi Exports, Brandix, MAS Holdings, Busana Group, and Carhartt (Part 2)This is part two of a conversation with Matthew Wallace, CEO of DXM & guest co-hosted by Gauri Sharma. DXM is a local, on-demand manufacturing company that’s co-owned by one brand and four suppliers.
2021-11-0237 min
Manufactured067. Matthew Wallace on DXM: An On-Shore, On-Demand Manufacturer Co-Owned by Shahi Exports, Brandix, MAS Holdings, Busana Group, and Carhartt (Part 1)This is part one of a conversation with Matthew Wallace, CEO of DXM & guest co-hosted by Gauri Sharma. DXM is a local, on-demand manufacturing company that’s co-owned by one brand and four suppliers.
2021-11-0226 min
Manufactured066. Flip the Script: Three Manufacturers Talk to an Activist (Part 2)This is part two of a conversation between three manufacturers and an activist. How would Suzanne, Amrin, and Jay like Kate to engage in conversations about overproduction? What do Jay, Amrin, and Suzanne think about activists and educators calling out brands?
2021-10-1927 min
Manufactured065. Flip the Script: Three Manufacturers Talk to an Activist (Part 1)This is part one of a conversation between three manufacturers and an activist. We cover a big question: what kind of information would Suzanne, Jay, and Amrin like to see Kate looking at when educating the public about the fashion industry?
2021-10-1930 min
Manufactured064. Dr. Vidhura Ralapanawe on the Need for Equal but Differentiated Science-Based Targets (Part 2)This is part two of our conversation with Dr. Vidhura Ralapanawe, Executive Vice President for Innovation & Sustainability at Epic Group and a Member of the Board of Directors at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. We shift to the firm level: given the importance of context to environmental target setting, how does he approach his work at EPIC?
2021-10-0520 min
Manufactured063. Dr. Vidhura Ralapanawe on the Need for Equal but Differentiated Science-Based Targets (Part 1)This is part one of our conversation with Dr. Vidhura Ralapanawe, Executive Vice President for Innovation & Sustainability at Epic Group and a Member of the Board of Directors at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. We chat about science-based targets: why do they make Vidhura uncomfortable?
2021-10-0536 min
ManufacturedDr. Divya Jyoti on How Workers Experience Supplier Codes of Conduct Part 2This is part two of our conversation with Dr. Divya Jyoti. She shares the results of her research: how do codes of conduct create hidden work for workers on the factory floor?
2021-09-2132 min
ManufacturedDr. Divya Jyoti on How Workers Experience Supplier Codes of Conduct Part 1This is part one of our conversation with Dr. Divya Jyoti. Divya shares why she began to question the industry’s approach to social compliance, and her realization that she didn't actually know how workers experience supplier codes of conduct... a question that ultimately lead to her Phd.
2021-09-2127 min
ManufacturedSeason Four Opener: Important Updates & A Message From JessieTune in for this season's updates, including a thoughtful message from Jessie explaining her decision to take a step back from her co-hosting responsibilities (though she will continue to be involved in the show!).
2021-09-2017 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Matthijs Crietee on How to Achieve Supply Chain PartnershipThis is part two of our conversation with Matthijs Crietee, Secretary General of the International Apparel Federation (IAF).
2021-06-2227 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Matthijs Crietee on Enforcing Commercial ComplianceThis is part one of our conversation with Matthijs Crietee, Secretary General of the International Apparel Federation (IAF).
2021-06-2240 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Gladys Tang on How Brands Can Support Supply Chain DialogueIn this episode, part two of our conversation with Gladys Tang, we talk about why Gladys thinks dialogue is the key to a more sustainable future, and how brands can support it.
2021-06-1521 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Gladys Tang on Why Working as a Social Auditor Left Her Convinced of Their InadequacyIn this episode, part one of our conversation with Gladys Tang, we start with Glady’s time as a social compliance auditor. She shares why her experience left her feeling that conventional approaches to sustainability were inadequate, and ultimately, led her to Tchibo.
2021-06-1526 min
ManufacturedManufactured x Transformers Foundation: Marzia Lanfranchi and Andrew Olah on a Constitution for the Fashion IndustryWhat is Transformers Foundation? What are the Eight Ethical Principles? And how, exactly, will they serve as a “Constitution” for the Ethical Denim Council?
2021-06-0836 min
ManufacturedManufactured x Transformers Foundation: Marzia Lanfranchi and Andrew Olah on Putting Supplier Voices at the Center of the Sustainable Fashion StoryIn this episode, Andrew Olah and Marzia Lanfranchi of Transformers Foundation, share what they think is missing from the sustainable fashion story, and why they think supplier voices should be at its center.
2021-06-0834 min
ManufacturedManufactured x Transformers Foundation: Three Suppliers on Why They’ve Vertically Integrated & How it Shapes Sustainability StrategyBack in April we teamed up with Transformers Foundation and three vertically integrated suppliers from Pakistan, India, and Turkey respectively for a live panel discussion about how vertical integration has shaped their journeys – both from a general business perspective and a sustainability perspective.
2021-06-0144 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Dr. Stephen Frost on What’s Missing in the Sustainable Fashion ConversationIn this episode, part two of our conversation, Stephen reflects on the gaps he perceives in the sustainable fashion conversation and what he wishes different stakeholders at the sustainable fashion table understood about one another.
2021-05-2530 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Dr. Stephen Frost on Fashion Evolving Approach to CSRIn this episode, part one of our conversation, Stephen reflects on how CSR within the fashion industry has evolved and shares his views on how his manufacturing clients have perceived CSR over the years.
2021-05-2535 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Professor Raymond Robertson on Why Social Compliance Data is a Necessary but Insufficient Metric for Worker Well-BeingThis is part two of our conversation with Professor Raymond Robertson. Is data from social compliance audits a reasonable proxy for improved worker well-being? And if we agree that social audits are a necessary but not sufficient condition, what’s next?
2021-05-1837 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Professor Raymond Robertson on Social Compliance & Factory Closure RatesThis is part one of our conversation with Professor Raymond Robertson. Are socially compliant factories more or less likely to go out of business? What can we make of his findings?
2021-05-1840 min
ManufacturedMarsha Dickson on the Possibilities and Limits of Supplier VoiceIn this episode, part two of our conversation with Marsha, we get into what it would take to get suppliers to open up and share their perspectives more freely.
2021-05-1131 min
ManufacturedMarsha Dickson on the Importance of Data to Supplier-Led Sustainability NarrativesIn this episode, part one of our conversation, we ask Marsha about why she started Better Buying and how she became an advocate of purchasing practices in the first place.
2021-05-1138 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Vijay Suvarna on How a Leather Manufacturer Approaches SustainabilityGiven the relationships upstream and downstream, and the complexity of sustainability issues facing the leather industry, how did Asiatan decide where to start its sustainability journey? And what’s Vijay’s take on the role of government regulation?
2021-05-0419 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Vijay Suvarna on Leather TraceabilityThis episode is all about inputs: what types of inputs does Asiatan need to make its leather? Where do these come from? What’s their relationship like with their suppliers? And how does this impact the traceability of leather?
2021-05-0423 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Vijay Suvarna on How Leather is MadeAlways wanted to know how leather is made? Vijay Suvarna, formerly the CSR and Sustainability Manager for Asiatan, gives an overview of the leather production process. What’s their relationship with shoe factories? And what’s their relationship with brands?
2021-05-0436 min
ManufacturedCrispin Argento on Cotton TraceabilityThis is part two of our conversation with Crispin Argento, Managing Director at the Sourcery, about cotton traceability.
2021-04-2737 min
ManufacturedCrispin Argento on Direct-to-Grower Cotton SourcingThis is part one of our conversation with Crispin Argento, Managing Director at the Sourcery, about direct-to-grower cotton sourcing.
2021-04-2738 min
ManufacturedManufactured x Transformers Foundation: Bonus – Cannon Michael Celebrates Brand Best PracticeCannon shares a bit about a regenerative agriculture project he’s working on with a brand, and the way it’s been structured to ensure a fair distribution of risk and reward.
2021-04-2006 min
ManufacturedManufactured x Transformers Foundation: Cannon Michael on Cotton TraceabilityIn this episode Cannon shares why he thinks existing cotton accreditation options fall short, how traceability could and should be done when it comes to cotton, & why he sees traceability as the key to being able to tell his own story.
2021-04-2041 min
ManufacturedManufactured x Transformers Foundation: Cannon Michael on Growing Cotton in CaliforniaIn this episode we talk to Cannon Michael, a California cotton grower. What is Extra Long Staple cotton (also known as Pima cotton)? What drives Cannon’s costs? How are these impacted by California’s regulatory environment? What drives the prices he’s able to get for his cotton? And why has he decided to do the ginning himself?
2021-04-2040 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Kong Athit and Dr. Mark Anner on Workers and Factory Management Collaborating to Advocate a Bigger Piece of the Pie Part 2This is part two of our conversation with Dr. Mark Anner and union leader Kong Athit. What blocks worker trust in management? And vice versa?
2021-04-1347 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Kong Athit and Dr. Mark Anner on Workers and Factory Management Collaborating to Advocate a Bigger Piece of the Pie Part 1This is part one of our conversation with Dr. Mark Anner and union leader Kong Athit. What would it take for workers and factory management to work together to advocate for a bigger piece of the pie, so to speak?
2021-04-1330 min
ManufacturedManufactured x Transformers Foundation: Sanjeev Bahl on REKUT & InclusionIn this episode we talk about REKUT, a manufacturing facility providing equal opportunities to people who are differently abled. How is production set up? Who buys the products? What would it take to see more projects like REKUT coming out of the apparel manufacturing world?
2021-04-0627 min
ManufacturedManufactured x Transformers Foundation: Sanjeev Bahl on Saitex, Intersectional Environmentalism & InclusivityThis week we talk to Sanjeev Bahl, founder and CEO of Saitex. We talk about Sanjeev’s personal journey, what Saitex is, and introduce its latest offshoot: REKUT, a movement to create jobs and equal opportunities for people with different abilities.
2021-04-0628 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Anne Patricia Sutanto on Why She Values Openness Over SalesIn this episode, Anne gets into what’s positioned Pan Brothers to be able to pick and choose the brands it works with and why she values openness over sales.
2021-03-3031 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Anne Patricia Sutanto on Pan Brothers Tbk & Apparel Production in IndonesiaPan Brothers is a apparel manufacturing company based in Indonesia, and their story is pretty remarkable. When Anne started working for the company back in 1997 they had 2000 workers. Fast forward to the present and Pan Brothers employs over 35,000 workers.
2021-03-3028 min
ManufacturedRachel Faller and Sokpriya Yan on Co-CreationIn this episode, we look at how tonlé’s ownership structure shapes and enables a collaborative design process, and true co-creation between the sales side of the business and the production side of the business.
2021-03-2328 min
ManufacturedRachel Faller on Finding Investors Willing to Invest in ManufacturingIn this episode we chat to Rachel Faller about why tonlé does its own manufacturing, and what that’s meant for the company as they’ve grown… Particularly when it came to finding investors.
2021-03-2338 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ: Herman Leung on Taking the Long-Term ViewHerman Leung is Head of Operations for Dakota Group. Dakota Group is a manufacturing company headquartered in Hong Kong and producing across China, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
2021-03-1533 min
ManufacturedSierra Brodleit and Arjen Laan: A Candid Conversation Between Brand and SupplierThis week we are doing something we’ve never done before: talking to a supplier, and the brand they produce for, together. Our guests this week prove that relationships between brands and suppliers don’t have to be contentious, and that there’s a better way.
2021-03-0933 min
ManufacturedBonus – Miran Ali on Creative Ways of Generating Returns on Sustainability InvestmentsIn this short bonus episode, Miran shares bit about the innovative sustainability projects Bitopi is leading, and how he’s overcome obstacles like access to financing and weak returns on sustainability investment.
2021-03-0217 min
ManufacturedMiran Ali on STAR Network’s Joint Call for Better Purchasing PracticesIn part two of our conversation with Miran Ali we get into the STAR Network’s groundbreaking joint call for better purchasing practices.
2021-03-0231 min
ManufacturedMiran Ali on Regional Supplier Collaboration & the STAR NetworkIn part one of our conversation with Miran Ali we get into the origins of the STAR Network. How did it come about? How did they address supplier fears regarding collaboration?
2021-03-0227 min
ManufacturedGauri Sharma & Anant Ahuja: On Vertical Integration and Sourcing Indian CottonThis is part two of our conversation with Anant Ahuja and Gauri Sharma of Shahi exports, one of India’s largest garment manufacturers. We get Shahi’s decision to become vertically integrated as well as their cotton sourcing strategy, and why they’re supporting Indian cotton growers to improve their yield and quality.
2021-02-2336 min
ManufacturedGauri Sharma & Anant Ahuja: On the Past, Present & Future of Shahi ExportsThis episode is a conversation with Anant Ahuja and Gauri Sharma of Shahi exports, one of India’s largest garment manufacturers. We cover their unique origin story, their growth trajectory, their take on supplier leadership within the sustainability agenda, and the innovative social programs the company runs in partnership with Good Business Lab.
2021-02-2340 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Edwin Keh on Getting Beyond Transactional Buyer-Supplier Relationships (Part 2)If forecasts are moving away from past-oriented regression models, and if a rapidly changing world is making it harder and harder for brands to accurately forecast, what comes next?
2021-02-1638 min
ManufacturedManufactured x GIZ FABRIC: Edwin Keh on Data Supply Chains, Outdated Forecasting Models, and Disrupting the Fashion Industry (Part 1)Which data will disrupt the fashion industry? Where will it come from? How will different supply chain actors use it? What potential does it have for shaking up brand-supplier roles and relationships?
2021-02-1640 min
ManufacturedBonus: Matthew Rendall on Winding Up in CambodiaBonus episode! Hear Matthew Rendall tell the extraordinary story that landed him in Cambodia. It was too long to include in the main episode and doesn’t really have anything to do with the sustainable fashion agenda. But it was too fascinating not to share 😊
2020-12-0810 min
ManufacturedOn Local Legal Contexts, Trust, & Worker-Management Relations with Matthew RendallIn this episode we’re joined by Matthew Rendall, a specialist in Cambodian labor law. We look at the particularities of the Cambodian labor law, and how trust in a legal system affects relationships between factory managers and workers.
2020-12-0847 min
ManufacturedTales of Fashion Consumption in Changing ChinaIn this episode Jessie takes us on a personal journey: how has the task of acquiring clothes evolved throughout her lifetime, in a rapidly changing China? Though a single personal story will never give us all the answers, we hope that Jessie’s memories can be a tiny note of a reference for imagining the possibilities of a more sustainable future.
2020-12-0135 min
ManufacturedLOOSE THREADS 005This week we look at two questions. The first one is: what do suppliers think consumers can/should do to shop more responsibly? And the second one is: if life as a garment factory owner is so tough, do people remain in the business? Why not quit?
2020-11-2508 min
ManufacturedNurul Muktadir Bappy on Why Garment Manufacturers Don’t Quit the BusinessThis week we turn to a question that, in many ways, is a subtle undercurrent running through many of our episodes: if life as a factory owner is so difficult, why do they remain in the business? Why not quit the business?
2020-11-2429 min
ManufacturedNurul Muktadir Bappy on Being a Garment Manufacturer in BangladeshThis week we have the good fortune of sharing a very open and candid conversation with Nurul Muktadir Bappy. Bappy is from Bangladesh and has been working in the garment industry there since 2011. Though he is now Head of Operations for a sourcing office, he spent much of his career to date working for a manufacturer.
2020-11-1734 min
ManufacturedLOOSE THREADS 004What are things like for suppliers now 6 months after all the order cancellations? Have things gotten better, or worse?
2020-11-1106 min
ManufacturedTara St. James on How the Offshoring of Production Reshaped the Role of BrandsWhich parts of the product development and production processes were brands responsible before the offshoring of production versus afterwards? How did this impact skill-sets and knowledge of production processes within brands? And how has this shift in knowledge and skill-sets affected price negotiations with suppliers?
2020-11-1039 min
ManufacturedOn Demand Garment Manufacturing with Kirby BestKirby Best is the CEO of OnPoint Manufacturing, a garment manufacturer based in the United States. OnPoint is a cut and sew company specialized in customization, and they accept orders for as little as one piece.
2020-11-0333 min
2020-10-2807 min
ManufacturedOn Subcontracting With Mr. LinThis episode is based on a conversation Jessie had with Mr. Lin, a Chinese garment subcontractor in Phnom Penh. How did he end up in Cambodia doing subcontracting? What kind of products does he make? How has Covid-19 impacted his business? And how does he see the future?
2020-10-2732 min
ManufacturedDanielle Arzaga on Candiani: The Little Denim Mill That CouldImagine a shop with jeans from all different brands, where the only thing tying it all together is that they’re made of denim from the same mill? Sounds pretty revolutionary, doesn’t it? But Candiani denim has done just that.
2020-10-2028 min
ManufacturedLOOSE THREADS 002How have payment terms evolved over the years and what do suppliers consider as "favorable/good" payment terms, i.e. that give them financial security.?
2020-10-1411 min
ManufacturedDanielle Arzaga on Italian-made Denim, Biodegradability, and Direct to Grower Cotton SourcingIn this week’s episode Danielle shares Candiani’s rich history as a family owned and operated denim mill, still operating in the same Italian town they started in back in 1938.
2020-10-1336 min
ManufacturedMartin Su & Ariel Muller on Building Networks & TrustThis week we share part 2 of our conversation with Ariel Muller and Martin Su about their collaboration on Circular Leap Asia, a project exploring what it would take for manufacturers to take the lead on circularity.
2020-10-0632 min
ManufacturedLOOSE THREADS 001If social compliance audits don't work, why do brands keep finding compliance issues and what else should they do?
2020-09-3006 min
ManufacturedMartin Su & Ariel Muller on Supplier Leadership in a Circular EconomyThis week we talk to Ariel Muller and Martin Su about their collaboration on Circular Leap Asia, a project exploring what it would take for manufacturers to take the lead on circularity.
2020-09-2936 min
ManufacturedChronicles x Jessie: Tales of Rebellion, Freedom, and the “Wild West”For our first foray into Chronicles, Jessie takes us to Hubei province around the turn of the 21st century. She tells us tales of a rebellious student on a quest for freedom which ultimately landed her in the garment industry.
2020-09-2240 min
ManufacturedHansika Singh on Systems ChangeThis week we turn to Hansika’s conviction that sustainability in the fashion world requires a systems lens.
2020-09-1526 min