Recently, Michael Colarossi, vice president, innovation, product line management and sustainability at Avery Dennison Apparel Solutions, presented to a group of graduate students at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in Manhattan, NY, about the apparel industry and the increased focus on sustainability. The students were comprised of industry professionals enrolled in FIT's Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Global Fashion Management, which prepares emerging fashion executives for top managerial positions in the burgeoning international fashion industry. Offered by FIT in collaboration with Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong and Institut Français de la Mode in Paris, the program draws upon an international faculty and the facilities and industry contacts of three major institutions on three continents.
The discussion, held at FIT’s annual symposium, focused on how the “humble label” is poised to drive change in the apparel industry, with a specific focus on sustainability, personalization/customization, and digitization. A label, while seemingly simple, provides a larger opportunity to tell a story and engage a consumer on a garment’s journey.