Fashion for Good launches partnership with Otto Group, Otto and Bonprix

By

Shomara Roosblad

Published
Nov 29, 2018

Amsterdam-based sustainable fashion platform Fashion for Good announced today that it has welcomed German e-commerce giant Otto Group and its companies Otto and Bonprix as its partners.

Fashion for Good said with the addition of Otto Group, Otto and Bonprix to its network it “gains committed partners and an experienced retail and services group.” The group consists of 123 companies and has a presence in more than 30 countries across Europe, North and South America and Asia.

As a result of the partnership, the group and its companies will be part of Fashion for Good’s selection process in finding new innovators and will provide selected start-ups with expertise and mentorship. Furthermore, the German retail group will have the opportunity to gain specialized scouting and screening support, as well as access to the latest industry innovations via Fashion for Good’s network, which includes start-ups participating in Fashion for Good’s programs.

Katrin Ley, managing director at Fashion for Good, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Otto Group and its companies Otto and Bonprix to the Fashion for Good Innovation Platform. Fashion for Good pioneers pre-competitive collaboration for innovation. And we now come to a large group of corporate partners across a broad range of market segments, all deeply committed to drive the scale up of innovative technologies together.”

Alexander Birken, chairman of the Otto Group Executive Board, added: “In the age of digitization, we are convinced that an innovation-driven sustainability approach in particular will help us to solve the major environmental and social problems of our time. By becoming a partner of Fashion for Good, we want to work towards this goal together with others and search for solutions. We want to continue to push the limits in the field of sustainability, because responsible action has been an integral part of our DNA for decades.”

Fashion for Good aims to make the entire apparel industry more sustainable and brings together brands, producers, retailers, suppliers, non-profit organizations, innovators and funders in their quest to do so. The company was founded in 2017 by founding partner C&A foundation. Corporate partners include Adidas, Bonprix, C&A, Galeries Lafayette Group, Kering, Otto, Otto Group, PVH Corp., Stella McCartney, Target and Zalando.

Germany's Otto Group, founded in 1949, is a globally operational retail and services group employing about 51,800 people. In the 2017/18 financial year, the group generated a turnover of €13.7 billion. Sustainable management has been a fundamental principle of the Otto Group and its companies for more than 30 years. With its Sustainability Strategy 2020, the group focuses on conserving resources when extracting and processing raw materials like cotton, ensuring compliance with social standards at suppliers and improving its carbon footprint.