David Connolly, Founder and CEO, Sustainable Fashion Ventures Limited
Background
A highly accomplished international executive, with a wealth of experience in leading and growing companies to achieve ongoing success. Proven track record in managing change, driving growth and shareholder returns, winning large scale projects and leading high performing teams. A high energy, focused, innovative, and strategic leader, passionate about delivering results. David is a technology Trade Delegate to China (康诺利). WeChat ID: DaveConnolly. David holds a Masters of Business Administration specialized in Entrepreneurial Management. David is a 5th generation Australian. David is currently Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Fashion Ventures Limited, a Series A company commercializing the worlds most sustainable denim through the worlds most efficient distribution models. Sustainable Fashion Ventures is a Cotton Incorporated partner and its GREEN TAB denim is approved for Australian Export Finance. Sustainable Fashion Ventures completed early stage works in partnership with Commonwealth Government Export Market Development.
Green TAB Jacket
To provide insights into how a technology company is focusing on sustainable fashion, Tim Langdon, publisher of Eco Voice, had the pleasure of facilitating a Q & A with David Connolly, Founder and CEO, Sustainable Fashion Ventures Limited.
Q1. What is Sustainable Fashion?
This is a broad topic. I took a narrow view and looked at the denim supply chain, as every day 50% the worlds population wears denim. Denim in its most sustainable form is 100% cotton, and within the cotton industry there are tangible measures of sustainability – water consumption, yield per hectare, removal of insecticides and pesticides. Australia is world class in all these measures; cotton farmers here have increased yield to 11 bales a hectare against a peer effort of 2 whilst dropping water usage per bail by > 70%. CSIRO has worked with Australian Cotton Farmers to remove insecticides and pesticides entirely. The cotton story in Australia needs a Salesman, I am offering my services.
At the factory there are also tangible measures of performance in sustainability, these typically revolve around the employee and waste. In the ventures supply chain I have audited the factory, the employee’s receive a living wage and work in excellent conditions, the water in the factory is recycled at a level of around 97%, the 3% that leaves the system is audited by instruments which are monitored by the local Government – I have included this audit in the Wholesale Investor CapitalHQ Dealroom with photos of the factory to emphasise its superiority in these sustainability measures.
When you combine the supply chain and the factory through to consumer there are sustainability development goals that can be used as a yardstick to compare the strategy with peers. Beyond the ventures control is consumer waste, to date in the United States I have made available recycling services through the Blue Jeans Go Green initiative which issues a pre-paid shipping label to consumers and recycles the garment into construction materials.
Q2. What is GREEN TAB?
This is really the output of my Masters Project completed with the Australian Institute of Business during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Under this portfolio is Trademarks which are registered for Cotton Performance Technologies when bonded with Cotton; as these technologies are invisible to the human eye a TAB needs to be affixed to the garment to identify the material type. The independently audited materials achieved break through results in key sustainability measures; TOUGH showed extreme durability, STRETCH showed 100% cotton materials could be used in the creation of skinny jeans which typically use 3-10% elastane, STORM achieved 93% water repellency on 100% cotton evidencing denim’s ability to replace plastic and inorganic materials for adverse conditions.
The GREEN TAB talks to the earlier mentioned supply chain of cotton and factories which exceed current industry sustainability measures, and also is a clue to where the cotton comes from as Cotton Incorporated expressly prohibits the identification of cotton growing jurisdiction in conjunction with performance technologies.
Q3. Why is sustainability important in the fashion industry?
The key issue I am trying to solve is the removal of plastics and inorganics from the Denim supply chain. When denim containing plastics abraids it releases plastic microfibres into the air and water, these have been found in the polar ice caps, breast milk and protein sources which when ingested can lead to cancer and respiratory failure.
Q4. What is a good example of how GREEN TAB considers ESG in its manufacturing process?
Take a look at the factory audit. Then look into child labour in cotton farming and factories in emerging economies. My mother is Scottish, she had me working at Macca’s from the minimum age and labouring for her brothers in construction before that, but that’s got nothing on a 12 hour shift in a cotton farm under the sun on a diet with less calories per day than a Cafe made Chai Latte with Honey.
Q5. What are some of the barriers holding back more widespread use of GREEN TAB?
I need a balance sheet to scale the venture up, I am working with Wholesale Investor Capital HQ and DSG Exchange to progress the venture. The approach to sourcing equity has been constructed to facilitate broad participation, with several tiers and generous perks. I want to ensure shareholders in the venture are part of the momentum and can share in our achievements.
Q6.What measures can be taken to get more customers wearing GREEN TAB?
With the successful completion of the capital raise I am going to roll out digital assets globally and begin a process of both communication and education in conjunction with selling efforts. This isn’t just about English speaking economies – the ventures operational head quarters will be the distance of Melbourne to Brisbane from just under half the worlds population and none of these people speak English in their home. A critical phase in year 2 is the development of production facilities that produce multi lingual content to ensure no matter which community or culture people live in, they can understand the importance of a shift away from inorganic materials.
Q7. How can publications, such as Eco Voice, play their part in promoting sustainable fashion?
I need people to help me tell the story. Eco Voice has built credibility with its audience over 20 years, passionately advocating sustainability and its executive have participated in The Banksia Awards and other efforts. If Eco Voice can help me spread the message, that’s all the support I need.
ABOUT ECO VOICE
First published in 2003, Eco Voice is your go-to publication for sustainability news in Australia. Eco Voice prides itself as an independent news platform with a clear focus on sustainability, with articles coming from a diverse range of contributors – all levels of government, corporations, not-for-profits, community groups, small to medium sized businesses, universities, research organisations, together with input from international sources. Eco Voice values community, conservation and commerce. Eco Voice is a media partner of the prestigious Australian Banksia Sustainability Awards – The Peak Sustainability Awards.
ABOUT GREEN TAB CLOTHING
GREEN TAB CLOTHING is a technology company dedicated to the pursuit of sustainability and excellence.
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