California Apparel News

Over the course of her nearly 30-year career, apparel-industry veteran Tricia Carey has become a trusted textile and denim expert, and sustainability advocate. Carey’s passion for circularity and advocating for traceability along supply chains in the apparel industry recently led her to become a strategic adviser with textile-verification technology provider FibreTrace.

California Apparel News spoke with Carey regarding her work with FibreTrace in addition to the necessary steps forward that are crucial for creating change and making greater traceability progress in the apparel industry.

California Apparel News: How did your experience and values lead you to FibreTrace?

Tricia Carey: I started to see these missing pieces of the industry. It seems every 20 years we go through major changes. The last major change was when trade with China opened up around 2005. Now, traceability and transparency are essential. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act very quickly went into effect, and it’s being monitored and enforced. Customs and Border Patrol has a dashboard to track everything. That is the big difference.

This is putting traceability and transparency—because they go hand in hand—at the top of the list of concerns, especially for U.S. brands. European brands are looking at it more from the Digital Product Passport to collect information.

CAN: What is the greatest challenge the traceability-technology segment faces in the apparel industry?

TC: Greenwashing and false claims. Some brands have been making sustainability claims that are unverified. Without having robust data of their traceability efforts, they cannot be making those statements.

The other challenge is that we see some traceability technology is very siloed. In order for the industry to move forward, the tide has to raise all the boats. We have to integrate and exchange with all systems.

CAN: Are there any specific solutions that you are currently focused on at FibreTrace?

TC: FibreTrace has the physical luminescent pigment and handheld scanner. It can, in real time, verify, and it also has the digital platform that can also harmonize with other platforms using the physical pigment and work with Retraced, TrusTrace and Textile Genesis. It works across and plugs into other PLM platforms.

The luminescent pigment is embedded at the fiber source and can be used whether it is a natural fiber or man-made synthetic fiber. It can be added into the solution stage before extrusion or, if it’s a natural fiber, it can be added at the ginning stage. It’s a unique signature, which is able to show whether it’s U.S.A. cotton versus cotton from Brazil.

There is research and development underway for responsible leather and natural-rubber fibers. Currently, the first target is to work with cotton because of all its challenges.

There is traceability through and through. They would be able to work with recycled fibers as well.

CAN: What emerging traceability-technology innovations are you looking forward to seeing implemented over the next five years?

TC: There needs to be greater education around what is needed for traceability and transparency. It would be really helpful to have an industry report to review the technologies. It would be much easier if there was a common education.

There is going to be a need for a combination of technologies: traceability, plus a life-cycle assessment and developing a fabric PLM tool. Overall, this will have to connect back to DPP and any type of legislation that is being developed.

CAN: What types of jobs are these innovations going to create?

TC: There needs to be more advocacy around how the industry is evolving and the type of talent that will be needed in the future. In companies like FibreTrace, and looking at traceability and transparency, there is a lot of tech development. You need someone to make sure it’s being applied properly, so you need your IT person but you also need a textile technologist. Tech people don’t always think of the textile industry as an area [for job opportunities].

CAN: How do you remain hopeful regarding the future of a more-sustainable apparel industry?

TC: I get to work with amazing people who are dedicating so much of their time and energy toward change for the industry. There is a strong role that multi-stakeholder initiatives have as well.

This is a big systems change that the industry is going through, and it’s about the investments that we make now for the future.