Çalık Denim, known as a pioneering innovator throughout the denim sector, had already hosted the first “Ever Evolving Talks by Çalık Denim” event in 2018. In the short time of two years, the event turned into a platform hosting leading names in fashion, pioneering experiences, future insights, and impressive speakers from different disciplines and sectors around the world. The second “Ever Evolving Talks by Çalık Denim” event took place in Amsterdam on October 22 this year and shed light on the future of the denim sector. The event will be held every October in Amsterdam’s, one day before the Kingpins Show.
This year’s event, held at the Theater Amsterdam, featured Gen-Z and millennial expert Matt Britton, who explained the consumption habits and trends of the next generation. Jessi Baker, the founding partner and CEO of Provenance, told what must be done to set up a transparent supply line with blockchain technology. Leland Devon Melvin, ex-NFL player and NASA astronaut; joined Dio Karazawa, the founding partner of the Bear Scouts and the WGSN Denim & Sustainability Director, for a talk on “The Landscape of the Future: Overcoming Climate Change”. Another talk; titled “How can BCorp unite goodwill and business life?” brought Bert Van Son, the founding partner and CEO of Mud Jeans; together with Nathan Gilbert, the director of B Lab Europe. A separate talk, titled “The Future Belongs to Women: Talks with Responsible and Creative Women”, brought together Tamsin Blanchard, the special events curator for Fashion Revolution; with Bethany Williams, the creative director and founder of the Bethany Williams brand; Priya Ahluwalia, the creative director of Ahluwalia Studio; and Wright Imogen, the founding partner of Wright Le Chapelain. In this talk, the women shared their views on the ad-vantages and challenges on being a woman in the fashion world, as well as their roles in the creative process.
“Access over ownership”
Mark Britton spoke about the consumers of tomorrow, and how Gen Z preferred an active urban life with access to many amenities instead of suburbs. By saying “access over ownership”, Britton stated that Gen Z focused on accessibility and renting for many product types, including cars, houses as well as clothes. He concluded by saying that “companies must now rent out their products and services instead of selling them”.
“Trust is evolving with technology”
Jessi Baker, the founder and CEO of Provenance, stated that a new consumer profile had developed with emerging new technologies, and that trust in brands was evolving through technology. She stated that Gen-Z knew a lot about the backgrounds of their favourite brands, and that Blockchain technology supported information transparency through networked verification.
“The business world is at the junction of a historical culture shift…”
Nathan Gilbert, the director of B Lab Europe, stated that the global business community stood at the brink of a historic culture shift where it must consider the difficulties faced by society and create a more inclusive economy. According to Edelman’s “2019 Trust Barometer” research, 76% of people expected CEOS to lead the process of change. In the talk he held with, Bert Van Son, the founding partner and CEO of Mud Jeans; they spoke about “slow fashion”, “eco chain” and the rent-based business model of the Mud Jeans company.
Inspiring future generations…
Leland Devon Melvin, ex-NFL player and NASA astronaut told how he was able to accom-plish what he did thanks to those who inspired him and underlined the importance of inspiring future generations. He told of his first space experience, where he realised how small humanity was. He concluded by stating his belief in working together to overcome climate change.
“The Ever-Evolving Talks will become a trend-setting series of events.”
Fatih Doğan, the managing director of Çalık Denim, stated how the company’s “Ever-Evolving Talks by Çalık Denim” initiative was now hosting influential talks that illuminated the way forward for the Denim industry. Doğan said the following:
“This event, of which we are hosting the second edition this year, quickly grew into a platform where we presented new visions and experiences to an international audience from the denim industry and beyond. We touch on many important issues including the future, our planet, innovation, new technologies and sustainability. We focus on upcoming generations, new consumption habits, global trends and collaborations. We are open to brands, clothing manufacturers, suppliers, members of the press, academicians and students… Everyone who is a part of the fashion world, or who is in contact with it, can join our event. We thus believe that this event is an important milestone that will carry the entire Denim industry forward.
As Çalık Denim, a leading global producer with over 32 years of experience in premium denim production, we place vital importance in carrying our brand into a sustainable future. We believe that with our history as a leading innovator in the sector, the “Ever Evolving Talks by Çalık Denim” meetings will in time grow into a trend-setting series of events.