A presentation given by Sybil Goldfiner, CEO of comme il faut, leading Israeli fashion house, on Corporate Responsibility in the fashion industry, at an Ethical Fashion conference in Milan in May 2009

1. responsibility in fashion
ethical fashion
sybil goldfiner
founder and ceo
comme il faut

3. the
beginnings
a new way of doing
business
bi
profit people
planet

4. definitions
responsibility in
fashion achieving business success
g
whilst generating greater
positive impacts on society,
the environment and all
the environment and all
stakeholders

5. definitions
social
responsibility
a report which describes the
t hi h d ib th
report
t
material impacts of the business
on society, environment and all
stakeholders and is accessible to
all

6. definitions
in summer 2008, we published our
in summer 2008 we published our
social first social responsibility report
responsibility
as a privately‐owned business, not
i l db i
report
t
traded on the stock market, not
required by law to disclose data
about the business, and not under
the constant scrutiny of analysts
and investors, we see reporting as
, p g
an expression of our commitment
to responsibility, transparency and
leadership

7. definitions
stakeholders
all those who have an impact on
our business and who are
impacted by our business
impacted by our business

8. customers
30 000 customers
30,000
definitions employees
169 employees
l
stakeholders suppliers
pp
590 suppliers in Israel
48 suppliers abroad
community
700 media items per year
2 joint community projects
2j i i j
4 art exhibitions per year
environment
1420.7tons – carbon footprint
shareholders

9. increasing
i i
positive impacts
customers
we bear responsibility for our part in
p y p
negative effects of the fashion
industry on women

10. good eye – evil eye –
marketing campaign
addressing women s self
addressing women’s self‐
increasing
i i image
positive impacts
customers

11. being a girl ‐ marketing
campaign addressing the
beauty and position of
beauty and position of
increasing
i i older women in our
positive impacts society
customers

12. increasing
i i
positive impacts
customers
15 photographers ‐ campaign photographed by 15
photographers with free creative expression

13. increasing
i i
positive impacts
customers
bon appetit, baby ‐
marketing campaign
addressing the legitimacy
of women to decide what
they eat!

14. increasing
i i
positive impacts Eleven sections of our Code of Ethics:
1. We act in accordance with the law
2. We respect the rights of all
employees
py 3. We act with respect and integrity towards all
We act with respect and integrity towards all
individuals
4. We are committed to health, safety and the quality of
the environment
5. We avoid conflict of interest
6. We act to promote social justice
7. We protect privacy of information
8. We maintain records and documentation related to all
our business activities
9. We protect Company assets
10. We encourage feedback and questions related to our
ethical behavior
11. We ensure the assimilation of this code by all our
employees

15. increasing
i i
positive impacts
employees
py
fashion shows ‐ modeling fashion accessories made by
employees

16. increasing
i i
working with
positive impacts Ethiopian
seamstresses
suppliers
pp

17. increasing
i i
positive impacts
suppliers
pp
Shalom Girls joint collection with Palestinian designers and
Shalom Girls – joint collection with Palestinian designers and
seamstresses

18. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
fashion show – promoting social
and environmental awareness

19. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
transparent work – marketing campaign promoting the
value of work done by women in the home

20. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
pass‐it‐on project – 2,000 garments from prior
pass‐it‐on project – 2 000 garments from prior
seasons were donated by customers and resold for
the benefit of courses for women’s economic
empowerment ‐ 30 women benefited

21. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
women buy from women –campaign promoting women‐
owned small businesses with an internet buying guide

22. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
15 photographers ‐ campaign photographed by 15 photographers
with free creative expression – this one says “End the Occupation”
– a political statement

23. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
crossing borders marketing campaign filmed at the Israeli
crossing borders –marketing campaign filmed at the Israeli –
Palestinian boundary wall

24. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
poster calling for action against the plea bargain for the
Israel President accused of rape

25. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
letters sent with a gift to all women appointed to key
positions in business and public life in Israel

26. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
“Don’t burn bras” social campaign – customers brought in
unwanted bras and comme il faut funded medical aid for
prostitutes for each of the 4,000 bras received

27. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
“sexy” marketing campaign – addressing the positioning of
women as sex objects

28. increasing
i i
positive impacts
community
y
“buy less” marketing campaign – promoting ethical
buy less marketing campaign promoting ethical
consumerism and environmental awareness – modeled by a
comme il faut saleswoman

29. increasing
positive impacts
environment
garbage bank internal recycling and re‐use program

30. increasing
positive impacts
environment
in‐house fashion shows for customers – employees model
comme il faut garments

31. increasing
positive impacts
environment
“buy less” marketing campaign – promoting ethical consumerism and
environmental awareness – what footprint are you leaving behind ?

32. increasing
positive impacts
shareholders
milton friedman – we think he got it wrong !

33. increasing
positive impacts
feminist awareness
f i it
results
34% of women in the general public
70% of customers and employees
define themselves as feminist
define themselves as feminist

34. increasing
positive impacts
community contribution 2007
i
results
5% employee volunteering hours
(of our total work‐hours)
0.7% of income invested in
0 7%
community projects
yp j

35. increasing
positive impacts
results
stakeholder panel dialog
with women representing business,
with women representing business
social and environmental interests

36. increasing
positive impacts
profit ‐ sharing
fi hi
results
20% of company profits
distributed annually to employees in
accordance with their contribution
10:1 – the ratio of highest to
the lowest salary in the Company

37. 20 years
closing remarks
20 years of comme il faut – 2007 ‐ a special year
20 years of comme il faut 2007 a special year
for us
the age for taking a look around, and reviewing
th f t ki lk d d ii
new horizons

38. 20 years
closing remarks
we believe that everything is political
whilst we are designing, creating, advertizing
g g, g, g
and selling, we are taking a stand

39. 20 years
closing remarks
whilst we are seeking, reacting, selecting and
buying, we are also taking a stand
y g, g

40. thank you for your kind attention !
we look forward to seeing you in Israel
and welcoming you to comme il faut
download our social responsibility report at:
p yp
http://www.comme-il-faut.com/user_files/english/Agenda/social/CIF_Eng_report.pdf
for
f queries, please contact comme il faut’s
i l tt f t’
corporate responsibility advisor:
elaine cohen
elainec@b-yond.biz
www.b-yond.biz