- The PCIAW® team is growing.
- PCIAW® met with EURATEX and ETSA to collaborate.
- PCIAW® is consulting on circularity for the Ministry of Defence Strategic Command.
- PCIAW® is contributing to the National Fire Chief Council (NFCC) PPE and Workwear Committee.
- PCIAW® is working with Business in the Community (BITC) to create a Joint Statement of Demand for professional clothing buyers.
- PCIAW® is partnering with Frost & Sullivan on a new sustainability report.
- PCIAW® Chaired the Institute of Government & Public Policy’s (IGPP) Energy and Sustainability Show.
- PCIAW® was a guest speaker at Lectra’s event for on-demand manufacturing.
- PCIAW® facilitates nearshore manufacturing partnerships.
The PCIAW® is dedicated to serving the needs and interests of our members, and over the past 12 months we’ve worked tirelessly to give a voice to the industry, representing our members at events and expanding our international network into the public and private sectors.
We are tremendously proud of what we have accomplished for our industry, so we have created a list of highlights showcasing what we’ve been up to.
The PCIAW® team is growing
Adam Fellowes has now joined the growing PCIAW® team as the new Business Development Manager to help grow the membership of the professional clothing association and to add value to the industry.
The new Business Development Manager is bringing a wealth of experience to the team; Adam has worked broadly across diverse functions within his previous business, where he worked his way up to the General Manager leadership position after 20 years of service.
Adam’s time as General Manager saw him contributing to the business strategy and product procurement to drive sales and revenue. He was also heavily involved in the training and supervision of employees and will bring a multi-faceted approach to PCIAW®.
Also joining the team to work alongside Adam is Phoebe Brown, the new Business Development Executive who will help to communicate and engage with PCIAW® member companies and be the key point of contact to help with their every need.
Phoebe recently graduated from the University of Law Business School in Birmingham with a degree in Business Management with Marketing. She will work alongside Adam to help represent the professional clothing industry and communicate with members to learn more about the innovations, challenges and opportunities.
PCIAW® met with EURATEX and ETSA to collaborate
The PCIAW® CEO, Yvette Ashby and Editor, Declan Osborn travelled to Brussels to meet with Dirk Vantyghem, Director-General of the European Apparel and Textile Industry (EURATEX) and Elena Lai, Secretary-General of the European Textile Services Association (ETSA) to discuss future collaboration.
PCIAW® invited Elena Lai to Chair the PCIAW® Summit in Porto, Portugal on 7-9 November 2023 to better connect textile services and the professional clothing ecosystem following her well-received participation in an industry panel in the 2022 event.
We chose Elena due to her expertise in the textile services industry, which aligns with the interests of the uniform, workwear and PPE markets due to her focus on laundries, garment rental, fabric producers and more.
Alongside Elena, PCIAW® met with Dirk Vantyghem to represent the professional clothing niche within the wider apparel and textile industry. Dirk will be a keynote speaker at the PCIAW® Summit 2023, discussing the EU policy agenda surrounding due diligence, ecodesign and transparency.
PCIAW® is consulting on circularity for the Ministry of Defence Strategic Command
In partnership with our Trusted Member, Uplift360, PCIAW® hosted the Textiles for Defence round table series with industry experts on defence and sustainability from the PCIAW® membership to explore the challenges and opportunities of circularity.
The meetings with the MoD stakeholders also explored supply chain resilience and nearshoring; modular design and repairability to meet climate goals, achieving greater operational effectiveness. Following the consultation, the MoD has since published the Sustainable Support Strategy which includes six strategic initiatives to help meet its goals.
PCIAW® will continue its collaboration with Defence Support (Strategic Command) to guide the conversation of resilience, sustainability and circularity in relation to uniform and PPE procurement.
PCIAW® is contributing to the National Fire Chief Council (NFCC) PPE and Workwear Committee
Taking part in the NFCC’s committee for PPE and workwear, PCIAW® is contributing its expertise to the National Fire Commercial Transformation Programme, which incorporates PPE, Workwear and Specialist Fire Fighting PPE.
PCIAW® is inviting its members to participate in the NFCC Supplier Day on 18th May 2023, including industry figures to discuss the complexity of the supply chain, product specification and the tender process, alongside cleaning, maintenance and end-of-life solutions. The NFCC will also give updates on its Future Firefighter Project.
PCIAW® is working with Business in the Community (BITC) to create a Joint Statement of Demand for professional clothing buyers
For the last two years, PCIAW® has been collaborating with BITC to explore how buyers of uniforms, workwear and PPE can procure more environmentally friendly solutions.
PCIAW® and its members consulted with BITC and its members in a round table series on circular solutions, which led to a set of sustainable procurement principles in the report, ‘A Uniform Approach’.
On 27th April 2023, the next round table will be hosted by BITC. PCIAW® is inviting its uniform buyer members to join and contribute to the set of commitments for best practice in future tenders. The PCIAW® CEO, Yvette Ashby will be presenting on the environmental impact of uniforms and how buyers have the power to enact change.
PCIAW® is partnering with Frost & Sullivan on a new sustainability report
Frost & Sullivan approached PCIAW® as the voice of the professional clothing industry to partner and help to inform on its upcoming sustainability report. The publication will explore how sustainability can be embedded into every stage of the PPE value chain and how this can benefit the companies adopting the practices in the long run.
PCIAW® Chaired the Institute of Government Public Policy’s (IGPP) Energy and Sustainability Show
The PCIAW® CEO, Yvette Ashby was invited by the IGPP to Chair its Energy and Sustainability Show in London on 28th February, alongside 14 industry leaders and government officials including Baroness Bennet, the former Green Party leader, and Professor Paul Monks, the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (DBEIS).
The event discussed the real benefits of improving sustainability and energy efficiency in public sector supply chains whilst PCIAW® highlighted the impact that PPE has on the environment and the circular solutions to mitigate it.
PCIAW® guest presented at the Lectra’s event for on-demand manufacturing
On 30-31st March 2023, PCIAW® visited Lectra HQ in Bordeaux, France, to guest speak at their important event, ‘Pushing the Boundaries of On-Demand Manufacturing’ on circularity and the upcoming EU ecodesign regulations.
The Lectra team presented the system change that its Fashion on Demand solution can bring as the apparel market evolves from the old ‘push model’ to the new ‘pull model’ that on-demand manufacturing facilitates.
You can read the interview the PCIAW® conducted with Lectra here.
PCIAW® facilitates nearshore manufacturing partnerships
At the PCIAW® Summit, Exhibition & Awards 2023, the PCIAW® will be partnering with ANIVEC, the Portuguese apparel association to arrange factory tours for delegates to visit and create nearshore manufacturing relationships. The Premier Sponsor of the 2023 event, Carrington Textiles will also be opening its factory for attendees to experience.
In 2022, PCIAW® hosted a trade delegation of Trusted Members to visit professional clothing factories in Tunisia, in partnership with the Tunisian Embassy, CEPEX and FIPA. The successful trip was met with a return delegation of manufacturers who exhibited at the PCIAW® Summit, Exhibition & Awards 2022, and are set to return in 2023 following the successful nearshoring project.
It’s clear that PCIAW® is growing in size and reputation, and as we move into 2023 the association hopes to provide a platform to more members, help members seek more opportunities, and cultivate responsibility and sustainability within the professional clothing industry.
We would like to thank all our members for their continued support, and the association looks forward to representing our members and the industry in the years ahead.
