Trust is a firm belief and confidence in the reliability, truth or ability of a person or an organization.(1) Yet, as a direct result of the long history of unsustainable social and environmental practices, the fashion sector is confronted with an increasing deficit in trust.(2) Customers now better understand how the current business model compromises the well-being of people and the planet and this makes them more alert to greenwashing. They also increasingly question products and services that do not demonstrate integrity between claims and actions. While building trust is a long-term responsibility, relationship of trust can be lost in an instant. This is why small, value-driven companies are gaining advantage over large players who are still reluctant to act on the call for “radical transparency”.(2,3) Strong relationships with suppliers, collaborators and customers, that can clearly evidence personal investment and care of whole teams in both the production and the consumption of their products and services, seem increasingly more effective for trust building than reliance on certifications, memberships, or pledges, which tend to be accompanied by legal disclaimers and small print caveats.(3-4)
TRUST
