The Good Fashion Fund Backed By The C&A Foundation To Invest $60m In Supply Chain Innovation
Image Courtesy of Fashion for Good
The Good Fashion Fund launches today, spearheading systemic change in the apparel and footwear supply chain by investing in the implementation of innovative technologies in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Initiated by Fashion for Good, the Fund is a collaboration between C&A Foundation, Hong Kong based The Mills Fabrica and FOUNT. The Good Fashion Fund will be officially announced at the Hong Kong Fashion Summit by C&A Foundation Board Director Mr. Albert Brenninkmeijer and Fund Director Bob Assenberg on the 5th of September.
With a target size of USD 60m, the Good Fashion Fund is the first investment fund focused solely on driving the implementation of innovative solutions in the fashion industry. Currently, apparel supply chains are plagued by their negative environmental and social impacts.
But while sustainable solutions do exist today, there is a lack of capital available to scale these technologies within the supply chain. The Fund was created to address this gap – connecting the most promising technologies to the industry to collaboratively tackle its challenges.
The new fund provides impact lending tools to finance investments in supply chain innovations specifically in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam as well as other areas throughout Asia.
The fund’s blended structure combines risk-tolerant capital with private sector investment, that allows for flexibility and tailored financing to best fit each individual’s situation.
The vision for the Good Fashion Fund is for manufacturers in the apparel supply chain to invest and reinvest in innovations that deliver both economic growth and good fashion practice, mobilising the use of safe and recyclable materials, clean and efficient energy, closed-loop manufacturing and the creation of fair jobs and growth, in line with the FIVE GOODS: Good Energy, Good Water, Good Materials, Good Economy and Good Lives.
Small to medium manufacturers whose products or services are in line with these criteria looking to implement best-in-class technology and equipment, will be eligible for funding.
The Fund is also mandated to support larger manufacturers committed to investing in highly disruptive technologies.
The Good Fashion Fund is the result of unique collaboration. It is initiated by Fashion for Good, with C&A Foundation and The Mills Fabrica as launching investors and managed by impact investment firm FOUNT. Fashion for Good provides an unrivalled industry network and strong deal pipeline, as well as access to innovations and technical knowledge, while FOUNT provides ample investment and fund management expertise in emerging countries.
About Fashion for Good
Fashion for Good is the global initiative that is here to make all fashion good. It’s a global platform for innovation, made possible through collaboration and community.
At the core of Fashion for Good is our innovation platform.
Through our Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator we give promising start-up innovators the expertise and access to funding they need to grow.
Our Scaling Programme supports innovations that have passed the proof-of-concept phase, offering bespoke support and access to expertise, customers and capital.
Our Good Fashion Fund catalyses access to finance to shift at scale towards more sustainable production methods.
Fashion for Good’s programmes are supported by founding partner C&A Foundation and corporate partners adidas, C&A, BESTSELLER, Galeries Lafayette Group, Kering, Otto Group, PVH Corp., Stella McCartney, Target and Zalando and affiliate partners Arvind and Norrøna.