By Davia Pasia and Sahra Sancar
Lauretta Roberts is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheIndustry.fashion, which is an insight and intelligence destination for brands and retailers shaping the future of fashion.
After acquiring the business with her friend – they had “always harboured a desire to launch a business together” – she was thrilled when her former boss decided to invest. Their company was launched and it claims to be a “small fashion industry networking business”.
Her career as the Director of Brand and Propositions at WGSN and editor for Drapers, has transformed her into a fashion maven with the purpose of assisting young professionals. She’s best known for founding the WGSN Global Fashion Awards which celebrates designers from all over the world in ready-to-wear and accessories to sports and swimwear.
“The forced closure of stores has been a nightmare for many businesses and I don’t think we’ve even begun to see the true fallout from that yet.” says Lauretta about the impact the pandemic has had on retail.
There is, however, a silver lining: “I firmly believe we will see a new generation of brands come out of this and I’m looking forward to seeing them.”
As the head editor of a fashion trend authority, Lauretta longs for the time when people will ditch their loungewear! “While I understand it, I’m a little depressed by seeing people shuffling ‘round in sweatpants and leggings all the time.” To Lauretta, fashion is all about self-expression: “I love to see that and I miss it.”
At the panel for Covid and Me: Do We Still Care What We Wear?, Lauretta voiced the industry’s need to adapt to the challenges of fast fashion and sustainability.
“A different economic consumption model has to happen so people don’t think they are buying into a [fashion] system built on waste.”
She called out the underhanded tactics of retailers who have “warehouses filled with fashion […] containers of stuff they have no way of selling […] they overbuy things they have no intention of selling. That has to change.”
Leave a Reply