A Social and Sustainable Approach to Raw Material Innovation: Himalayan Wild Fibers

Executive Summary

• An environmentally sustainable supply chain is becoming increasingly more important for the fashion industry, as apparel manufacturers make extensive use of resources, chemicals and energy, and often operate a global supply chain, all of which can have a big impact on the environment.
• An important focus for sustainable fashion is to source and use more eco-friendly raw materials such as sustainably-grown cotton, wood-based fibers and recycled synthetic materials.
• Himalayan Wild Fibers (HWF) is a socially-driven US enterprise with operations in Nepal that produces wild-harvested Himalayan nettle textile fiber and sells it into global textile supply chains as a raw material input for the manufacture of high-end apparel and furnishings.