Innovation

Asket provides almost full transparency and traceability of garments. It all starts with breaking down each garment into its raw components and then tracing them upstream in the whole supply chain. Tracing means gathering information about the origin of each part of the garment (e.g., fabric, thread, buttons), processes and manufacturing facilities involved in the production, and data on the impact created in the process in terms of CO2, water, and energy. To tell the full story and hidden price tag of garments the information gathered is provided on the label and impact receipt that comes with the garment.

By tracing and revealing all parts and impacts of the supply chain to the customers, Asket contributes to solving several global problems. Most importantly, in today’s consumerism-fuelled society people are disconnected from the impact they are creating with their purchases. Thus, Asket aspires people to consume less, make educated choices, and wear garments for longer, that way living in harmony with nature perh SDG target 12.2 and 12.4). Secondly, it is widely known that the fashion industry significantly contributes to social unsustainability and inequalities in the supply chain. Through tracing, Asket makes it a point to only create partnerships with factories or other ‘makers’ of the garments that are ethically aligned with the company’s values of quality, the well-being of people, and fair labor conditions (SDG target 8.8). Finally, the fashion industry is one of the main contributors to chemical and CO2 pollution of water, landfills, and air that create adverse impacts on health and the environment. The traced supply chain for Asket is the first step to implementing meaningful practices to reduce all harmful impacts (SDG 13, targes 12.4, 6.3, 6.4). Overall, the innovation creates a net-positive footprint on the world and shows that it is possible to be responsible for the environment and humanity while creating economic prosperity.

Inspiration

Asket´s founders, Jakob Dworsky and August Bard Bringéus met while studying business school in Stockholm, Sweden. During their studies, they came up with a business plan to solve an apparent gap in the apparel industry – the lack of simple durable t-shirt brands that focus on simple design instead of chasing fashion trends. After a while, the founders decided to quit their current jobs to pursue their business idea and in turn created Asket. However, soon the simple idea uncovered a much larger problem:

“They had no idea of the fashion industry; they had no background in it at all. They just went for it and whilst trying to find suppliers they realized how bad the fashion industry is.”

Subsequently, they understood that just focusing on inclusive sizes, design, and durability is not enough – you must care about the supply chain as well. That is how they started pursuing the goal of providing full traceability and transparency to their customers. Yet, the process proved to be complex and frustrating as a lack of honesty within the industry was revealed:

“We had a sweatshirt that came out in 2017, and the mail told them that: ‘the cotton is from there, it is all fine <…> And when they dug deeper, they found out it wasn't true, and it wasn't coming from where they claimed it was.“

This realization spurred the founders to dig deeper to ensure full transparency in their supply chain based on facts instead of relying on promises. They traveled and investigated where each material used came from, and how the raw material was produced to the last thread. The idea grew and evolved over time to what it is today and will continue to improve.

Overall impact

Asket’s innovation already has had a positive impact on the business, society, and the environment. On the business side of things, Asket has already attracted countless employees and customers into their community that is passionate about the personal responsibility that is displayed by the innovation. This has manifested in team and customer growth, as well as sustained profitability. At the same time, Asket already observes a reassuring impact on consumer behavior, as in customer surveys some report making more conscious choices after encountering Asket. While acting more responsibly – buying less, buying educated, wearing garments for longer – consumers also impact the environment by minimizing their footprint on the world.

However, in the long term, the impacts are expected to be even higher. Asket considers traceability and impact measurement as the first step in the creation of plans to effectively minimize their environmental footprint – which step-by-step will be done in the future. The additional impact will be created with further expansion of the business and customer base. Asket believes that growing the business and spreading the message can initiate sizable change in both consumer behavior and the fashion industry. They want to set a standard of what it means to be a responsible fashion company and show consumers, as well as other colleagues, that it is possible to be fully traceable and responsible for your actions. If customers start to demand more from companies and they begin to change, the effect in solving global problems of overconsumption, as well as social and environmental degradation caused by it can be immense.

Business benefit

Due to government and customer pressure, sustainability in recent years has become a new growing trend in companies. However, increasingly people become aware of the negative aspects of sustainability communication – greenwashing is as relevant as ever. On the other hand, unlike most contemporary businesses, Asket was founded with the foundation of responsibility and transparency. Meaning that the aspects of sustainability were embedded in the core beliefs of the company before it became a trend. Asket does not have external investors, thus, the founders are able to make the right decisions without external influence. Because of transparent communication, the customers are confident that Asket is making a difference. This has resulted in the company´s growth, with profitable operations for the past two years. Asket's success was reached without pushing sales or trying to maximize the profits:

“We do not push people to buy, so there will never be any sales. There will never be any discounts. So, it is not like we want people to buy more but be more considerate.”

Asket has observed the number of employees doubling in the last year. Their innovative approach to business has attracted a variety of skillful talent, as individuals are often chasing meaning and ethical fulfillment in their occupation rather than the highest pay. For example, Magdalena Freidl, the interviewee, shares her own experience:

“Now Asket kind of seems to me like a company that gives me the opportunity to work in fashion but also not be part of the problem or contributes more to the problem. It feels a bit like not saving the world, but you try your best.”

Social and environmental benefit

Asket´s transparency and traceability innovation have both social and environmental benefits. Firstly, the calculated and comprehensively presented impacts of every garment allow customers to connect with the bought clothing and make informed decisions. Seeing the calculated environmental impact of every purchase, customers become aware of the damage that is being done and then consciously adjusts their consumption behavior to be more environmentally friendly. That is, they report buying less, especially from fast fashion brands, and gain awareness of what it means to consume responsibly:

“The whole thing of the transparency is also that people don't appreciate garments anymore <…>. We try to restore the appreciation in the people once again so that they see what went into it and that they want to keep it for longer, mend it if it's broken, and have it for as long as possible.”

In addition, while making more informed buying choices, consumers can voice their values and invest their money into a cause they truly believe in – that fulfills their sense of purpose. The same goes for employees who can find ethical fulfillment in their work. While society gets rewarded by reduced waste, overconsumption, and the nurture of scarce resources.

Further, tracing the supply chain and all environmental impacts of the production allows Asket to evaluate the damage done to the natural world and eventually implement practices in order to reduce it. Further, tracing the places where the materials are extracted from, and the product assembled allows Asket to ensure a high ethical standard on working conditions and wages in the whole supply chain.

Interview

Magdalena Freidl, PR Coordinator