Sustainable and important.
What do you think of what apparel brands in general are doing to address the SDGs?
Ishikawa:For example, there are those that collect clothes in stores and donate the remaining stock to less developed countries, but that could destroy the textile industry in those countries. It is not uncommon for such countries to have many textile industry workers. Some African countries have even banned the import of used clothing.
You are doing something good, but in fact you are not contributing.
Ishikawa:Yes, it is. Also, the scale of the business is important, and our current size is too small. We want to make it a little bigger. When you are small, you can't ask a farm or factory to change to a more sustainable way of doing business, but the bigger the contribution we make to their sales, the more they will listen to us. But the bigger our contribution to the factory's sales, the more they will listen to us. That is why it is important that the actual products sell well, and the scale of the business must be large enough to make the economy work. A company of our size can make a profit, but it cannot have a social impact. However, if we become too large, like a global industry, we will fail. It is a matter of finding the right balance.
Last year, the awareness of the SDGs has become more prominent due to global movements.
Ishikawa:I think it is a very good thing. But we have to be careful, because some of the stories are false. They may be saying nice things, but they are missing the economy, energy, and national defense, or they are just trying to use the economy as a priority.
I think it's important to research and try to know.
Ishikawa:The same is true of dyeing methods. When one hears the word "grass dyeing," one gets the impression that it is good for the environment, but this is not entirely true. Rather, it may be better to dye using scientific technology, which is less prone to color fading and can be worn for a long time. I think that the most important thing for sustainability is to make clothes that can be worn for a long time.
