A tool that will help brands measure their performance on issues like equality, diversity and inclusion is due soon
Developed in France and open sources, it aims to be adopted by fashion ecosystems worldwide
The news comes from France, where a world reknown fashion brand, working with the Institut Français de la Mode and Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers has develop a tool that will help brands measure their performance on issues like gender equality, living wages and diversity and inclusion. The tool, used to visualize, measure, and evaluate their social impact, can be used industry-wide.
Social impact: a growing momentum
The initiative points to growing momentum in the fashion industry to seek more sustainable ways of operating. As scrutiny from investors, regulators and consumers grows, companies are setting increasingly ambitious targets and looking for ways to measure and demonstrate progress.
“To improve yourself in sustainability, you need figures, measurements, KPIs,” said Aude Vergne, Chloé’s (the brand behind the tool) CSR director. When it comes to measuring environmental impact, there are a number of established methodologies, “but to measure your social impact on people’s [lives], on suppliers, it’s more difficult.”
The SP&L tool
The Social Performance and Leverage (SP&L) tool allows brands to ensure the quality of their working conditions, arranged into six categories: wages, job quality, well-being, diversity and inclusion, gender equality, and training.
The SP&L gives companies the ability to visualize the impact that they have on those that are directly linked and are necessary to create their products. This ranges from material sourcing, boutique deliveries, and those that are also employed by the Maison’s suppliers. The SP&L will finish its development and share its methodology in 2023.
The Social Performance and Leverage (SP&L) tool has been in development for 18 months. Its name is a nod to the well-established Environmental Profit and Loss, or EP&L, methodology used by rival luxury group Kering, and points to Chloé’s ambitions to develop a tool that is used industry-wide (though, unlike the EP&L, the SP&L will not put a financial value on social impact).
Test ongoing
In January, Chloé road-tested the tool on its Spring 2022 ready-to-wear collection The results enabled the brand to move away from a conversation focused on compliance to a more constructive dialogue with suppliers.
Later this year, the company plans to launch an industry-wide consultation process to further test the methodology before providing it as an open-source tool in 2023. The tool was developed for the fashion industry, rather than hard luxury where many of brands focus, but Chloé is discussing with the other fashion maisons about adopting the tool more widely.
Maker Faire Rome and sustainable fashion
Maker Faire Rome collaborates since its very beginning with Altaroma – fashion promotion company it shares some stakeholder with – right on sustainabilty and circular economy.
At Maker Faire Rome, Italy has proved to exceed expectations also on such topics and has displayed many projects in which fashion, design and social impact converge.
Take a look at was presented; surely a tool like the one developed by the french colleagues from the fashion industry could be adopted in Italy, too.
cover image: Hannah Morgan via Unsplash
Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition has been committed since nine editions to make innovation accessible and usable to all, with the aim of not leaving anyone behind. This blog is always updated and full of opportunities and inspiration for makers, makers, startups, SMEs and all the curious ones who wish to enrich their knowledge and expand their business, in Italy and abroad.
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