Posted July 3, 2017

 

SYDNEY, Australia – Global luxury fashion house HUGO BOSS is the latest of more than 460 partners from across the global supply chain to join the Cotton LEADS™ program – in a show of support for the sustainability credentials of Australian and U.S. cotton.

 

The Cotton LEADS™ program aims to influence cotton supply chain strategies by raising awareness of characteristics common to the Australian and U.S. cotton industries: responsible production practices; strict regulations that protect the environment and people; the ability to affect positive change nationally; nationwide cotton research and development programs; and sustainability benchmarking.

 

The German-headquartered HUGO BOSS group includes the BOSS and HUGO brands. In welcoming HUGO BOSS to the Cotton LEADS™ program, Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said that increasingly, “brands and retailers are demonstrating a genuine desire to deliver products made from responsibly-produced raw materials.”

 

“The interest in sustainable cotton in the world textile market continues to grow at an ever-increasing pace, and theCotton LEADS™ program is one of many great programs delivering assurances to brands about their use of responsible cotton,” Kay said. “HUGO BOSS joins a growing number of Cotton LEADS™ partners that recognize cotton growers in Australia and the U.S. have a strong track record of positive continuous improvement, operate in robust regulatory environments that set rigorous social and environmental standards, and have national plans for ongoing gains.”

 

“Just as HUGO BOSS is a leading global fashion brand, the Cotton LEADS™ program leads the way in both responsible cotton production and the sharing of best practices and other educational resources with the global cotton community,” said Cotton Incorporated Senior Vice President & Global Supply Chain Marketing Mark Messura.

 

HUGO BOSS Head of Sustainability and Logistics Heinz Zeller added: “Cotton is one of the most important raw materials for the high-quality products of HUGO BOSS. The Cotton LEADS™ program enables HUGO BOSS to source sustainable cotton matching high quality standards with a guaranteed availability.”

 

The Cotton LEADS™ program is a joint effort of the Australian and U.S. cotton industries. Its founding members are Cotton Australia, the Australian Cotton Shippers Association, the Cotton Foundation, the National Cotton Council of America, Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated. The program is designed to raise awareness of the responsible growing practices and commitment to continuous improvement among cotton producers in the member countries.

 

More information on the Cotton LEADS™ program is at www.cottonleads.org.

 

Source: Cotton LEADS