prAna's Nicole Bassett Will Speak at the OEKO-TEX "The Next 20" Event
The International OEKO-TEX Association has announced that Nicole Bassett, director of sustainability at prAna, will speak at its “The Next 20” textile industry event on November 14.
The afternoon seminar will feature sustainability experts who will share their ideas about the opportunities and challenges the textile industry faces in the next 20 years. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the award-winning environmental advocate and author, will deliver the keynote address at the November 14 event which will be hosted at The Glass Houses, 545 W. 25th Street in New York City from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
“We are very happy that Nicole Bassett will be joining our slate of ‘The Next 20’ sustainability experts,” said Jean-Pierre Haug, secretary general for the International OEKO-TEX Association. “Textile and apparel companies will be impressed by the strategic and holistic perspective with which prAna approaches sustainability and the skill with which they leverage their programs to build a very loyal consumer base.”
prAna has been a sustainability trailblazer since its founding by Pam and Beaver Theodosakis in 1992. The company’s environmental and corporate responsibility initiatives span every aspect of its business including product design, supply chain processes, employee programs, and retail and online store operations. The company is active in wildlife and land conservation efforts and with outdoor athletics as well as in industry organizations that support the development and use of sustainable textiles.
As director of sustainability for prAna, Bassett’s work focuses on sustainability planning, corporate and supply chain operations, transparency and environmental analysis. She has managed many of prAna's sustainability initiatives including bringing Fair Trade Certified Apparel to market, reducing waste and packaging, and implementing environmental health and safety guidelines for prAna’s supply chain.
The International OEKO-TEX Association is presenting “The Next 20” event to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Founded in 1992 in response to consumer concerns about hazardous substances in textile products, the International OEKO-TEX Association is a collaboration of 15 highly regarded textile testing and research institutes with 60 offices in 65 countries. The association created and administers the global OEKO-TEX Standard 100 which certifies that textile products are tested to be free from harmful levels of more than 300 dangerous chemicals like pesticides, carcinogenic dyestuffs, lead, formaldehyde and residual surfactants. More than 11,000 certificates are issued globally each year as manufacturers, brands and retailers work to make textiles and the industry’s supply chain safer and cleaner. The association also offers the OEKO-TEX Standard 1000 certification for environmentally and socially responsible textile manufacturing facilities.
For more information about OEKO-TEX, visit www.OEKO-TEX.com.
For a list of prAna specialty retailers, visit www.prana.com/dealer-locator.html.