Sustainability marketplace Thr3efold launches Propel event to forge renewed progress

Thr3efold, the sustainability marketplace which aims to equip apparel teams with the expertise and connections they need to build an ethical sustainable strategy for their business, is poised to launch a new sustainable fashion event entitled Propel on October 19th in the Arlo Hotel in Manhattan’s Soho. A panel discussion around the up-to-the-minute challenges facing brands will be followed by an opportunity for sustainability advocates and professionals to truly reconnect over drinks and light bites after the pandemic caused an absence of such occasions. FashionUnited speaks to Thr3efold founder and CEO Jessica Kelly, who has spent over a decade helping hundreds of NYC's fashion and lifestyle brands grow their business through marketing, sales, and PR, to find out how she hopes to move the needle forward with Propel.

“Our last in-person event was February 2020 before everything shut down," she says. "Our events have always hosted a practical panel conversation followed by very engaging networking. We maintained our discussions over the last two years in virtual formats and had quite a lot of fun--there was even a sponsored cocktail evening by Absolut Vodka! But nothing replaces in person relationships and community building so we are ecstatic to be returning in-person again.”

Past Thr3efold events have included the CFDA, Eileen Fisher, Studio 189, Fabscrap, and Global Fashion Exchange and have been sponsored by Google, Good On You, among others. According to Th3efold, attendees at past events have expressed surprise at how easy it was to understand the conversations compared to their experience at other sustainability events and were impressed by the caliber of connections they forged which helped further their sustainability goals exponentially.

Sustainability leaders to speak candidly at NYC October event

It is expected that Propel's conversation will have a new or different urgency given the events of the past few years. Kelly points to a life-changing trip to India over a decade ago during which she saw first- hand the issues with the supply chain and fashion industry, for setting her on her mission to facilitate change. “We are at a tipping point in fashion today where governments worldwide are finally putting into place legislation that will require brands to be responsible for their standards and how they communicate it. This means sustainability will go from a nice-to-have to a must-have,” she says. “So the panel conversation will largely revolve around how these leaders have grown to where they are today, what worked, what didn't, and where they see the industry going. They will share candidly failures and practical tools that helped them succeed in their efforts and inspire the audience to do the same."

Kelly who signs off her all her emails "With passion and perseverance" understands the power of togetherness and the importance of a long-term view. The industry has experienced unprecedented change as a result of the pandemic and brands are still finding their footing, now with the added pressure of an uncertain economy. She says, “We believe it’s now more important than ever to make it easier for brands to equip their teams with the training, suppliers, and solutions they need to meet their sustainability goals and the new regulations coming globally.”

Propel will run from 6:30-9:30pm and tickets can be purchased on the Thr3efold website. Announced panelists so far include Armando Cabral, top model and footwear designer, and Carmen Gama, Director of Circular Design at Eileen Fisher, with more to be announced soon.