In March, FTA had the chance to go visit KenDor Textiles and hang out with Paul King IRL! Paul is such an incredible resource and champion of sustainability in the textile industry – we are so lucky to have him on speed dial! We loved visiting the facility and hearing about the many innovative fabrics KenDor has in their inventory.
The incredible thing about KenDor Textiles is that they are one of the few distributors who supply to small, and medium sized apparel businesses in Canada. Most textile suppliers have huge minimums, making it hard for smaller brands to source a) locally and b) more sustainable options.
Over the years, Paul has made it a priority for KenDor to increase the ratio of ‘sustainable’ fabrics he carries. Under his leadership KenDor’s sustainable offering now represents more than 70% of global sales and it will only continue to grow in coming years.
Check out KenDor’s amazing resource guide, ‘Sustainability & Innovation in Textiles’ which KenDor produced for our SHIFT: Responsible Fashion Series participants. This incredible resource does a deep dive into the many innovative fabrics that KenDor sources globally, and distributes throughout Canada including recycled, renewable, organic and natural options. The resource also provides details for the many commonly sought after certification options.
We love that Paul, like FTA, is passionate about helping to accelerate the industry toward ethics, sustainability and circularity. But transforming the industry is not all we have in common as we share a commitment to educating the next generation.
Together, our goal is to raise awareness amongst young people about how the industry can be more sustainable, including highlighting the many jobs – and not just the glamorous “designer” jobs – that are involved across the supply chain, and empowering them to build a resilient and sustainable future.
