United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network

The Crescala Collective is a New York-based fashion development agency and community of emerging and advancing luxury fashion designers, creative professionals and leading industry service providers. Based on Founder and CEO Jodi Sandman's three decades of leadership and business success in luxury fashion, Crescala identifies extraordinarily talented high-potential designers (many from underrepresented communities) with a commitment to responsible fashion, edits and curates their collections for market, articulates their brand value and presents them to select retailers. We aspire to be a participating global driver of responsibility in luxury fashion -- transforming our industry into a force for social responsibility, environmental stewardship, international cooperation and goodwill throughout the world.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

We engage on sustainable development with every point on the luxury fashion value chain through our Collective events, social media, professional networking and connection building, client and partner referrals and traditional media.

Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer

 As a small footprint, big impact international fashion development agency focused on sustainable development, we don't own or implement manufacturing technology. What we aim to do is promote their adoption, balancing environmental and economic success across our outsized fashion network. Information is power -- we aim to be a conduit of information -- best practices, technologies, innovations -- that will lead to meaningful change in luxury fashion. By virtue of our smaller runs and higher price points, we believe that it is up to the high end of the industry to serve as proof of concept for the environmental and social innovations we'd like to see adopted industrywide.

Coordination Mechanisms

Crescala's sister and brother team, Founder and CEO Jodi Sandman and VP Communications and Operations Scott Sandman are responsible for shaping and realizing the Crescala Collective's vision and direction. Together, our leadership team, in conjunction with our staff and Collective partners, are on continuous lookout for opportunities to make connections, share resources and discuss challenges and solutions.

Evaluation

Each Crescala Collective designer has their own individualized sales and growth targets. In addition, we work with them to identify and capitalize on opportunities for heightened sustainability performance. We require our designers to make a demonstrable commitment to social responsibility -- ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions and opportunity equity. We further require a commitment to environmentally responsible production. Through the use of responsibly produced high-quality natural fibers, low-water cotton technology, innovative vegetable-based materials, responsibly produced and sourced leather, upcycling and repurposing, and the tenets of slow fashion, we hope to advance sustainability in our part of the international fashion community. As our emerging brands grow, we look for opportunities to commensurately raise their sustainability profile.

Sustainable Development Goals