#43 Well, that didn't go as planned.
Takeaways from NY Tech Week and our Future of Fashion event.
Earlier this month, we co-hosted a Future of Fashion event during NY Tech Week with other leaders pushing our industry forward, and it didn’t exactly go according to plan…
We were originally expecting ~250 attendees, but we ended up having over 400 people come to learn about where fashion is headed!
From AI-powered personal styling platforms like Arete, to enhanced operating systems for circular fashion services like Alternew, the event showcased how technology is revolutionizing the fashion industry.
And, while we learned A LOT in speaking with and listening to all the smart and innovative people working to solve problems across fashion, sustainability and AI, our biggest takeaway from the week confirmed: people aren’t motivated by sustainability.
We know what you’re thinking — isn’t sustainability at the core of what Beni does?
Well, yes and no.
Our mission at Beni is and always will be to transform the norms of consumption. But the way we incentivize shoppers to use Beni must align our mission with more personally compelling values like convenience, cost-effectiveness and style.
In essence, it needs to make sense to the consumer.
This reframe of what it means to be a sustainability-focused business is at the core of what Beni does. By intercepting shoppers with resale deals while they shop, the Beni extension makes it easier than ever for users to find exactly what they want, in a way that’s good for their budget (and the planet).
Or, to echo the way one person so eloquently put it: “We’re giving consumers what they want, and sustainability is the gift with purchase.”
Want to help us on our mission? Forward this email to invite others to learn about Beni and follow us on our journey to build the future of fashion.
#benifinds for Summer
Community Spotlight: Brittany Sierra
Who she is: The Founder and CEO of Sustainable Fashion Forum.
What she does: Brittany not only brings a deep commitment to sustainable fashion but also possesses a unique talent for building communities and igniting enthusiasm around sustainability. Her innate ability to connect people and foster meaningful conversations has created a vibrant community of like-minded individuals who share her passion.
Why we’re talking about her: She recently launched the Green Behavior podcast, which explores the intersection of fashion, psychology, consumer behavior, and sustainability. The ethos of the podcast is rooted in the motto: “in order to break the rules, you have to understand the rules.”
She recently hosted our friend, Danielle Vermeer, the Co-founder and CEO of Teleport (aka “TikTok for thrifting”) to discuss much of what we mention above.
Here’s our favorite excerpt, but you should listen to the episode (on Spotify or Apple Podcasts) if you want to dive deeper into how the industry plans to get consumers to make more sustainable choices:
Why we do what we do (Reason #134)
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