This episode features Elisabeth de Gramont, Chief Brand Officer at Frank and Oak, detailing their journey in quantifying and communicating sustainability efforts. It provides a practical look at how an apparel brand moves beyond aspirational sustainability to concrete reporting and measurable impact. Learn how Frank and Oak developed a comprehensive sustainability report, fostered cross-departmental collaboration, and is investing in initiatives like electric vehicle delivery to align operations with environmental goals.
Key takeaways
Develop a formal sustainability report to quantify environmental impact and progress, fostering transparency and accountability across your organization.
Implement cross-functional collaboration strategies when developing sustainability initiatives, as demonstrated by Frank and Oak's report requiring participation from nearly every team.
Actively communicate your sustainability objectives and progress to customers, utilizing both detailed reports and easily digestible messaging.
Invest in sustainable logistics and operations, such as electric vehicle fleets for deliveries, to tangibly reduce your environmental footprint.
Shift from qualitative assurance to quantitative measurement of sustainable practices to demonstrate genuine commitment and guide future improvements.
Elisabeth de Gramont has been chief brand officer at the Canadian sustainable apparel brand Frank and Oak for more than two years. In that time, under her leadership, the brand's become more transparent and more communicative about its sustainable efforts than ever.
Just this year, Frank and Oak launched its first sustainability progress report, a 17-page document granting an inside look at the material impact of the brand’s production and the concrete steps it's taking to reduce that impact. The report was spearheaded by de Gramont herself, but it required the participation of almost every team at the company.
“We felt confident about how our factories and how we were doing things,” de Gramont said. “But it’s important for us to then say, 'OK, can we actually quantify what we’re doing and what we’re working toward?' We talk a lot about material science, so this was our chance to actually show what percentage of our clothing is using those sustainable fibers and what we’d like it to be.”
De Gramont joined the Glossy Podcast to talk more about how Frank and Oak communicates its sustainability goals to its audience and what related investments it's making now. For example, all of the brand's deliveries in Canada are currently being completed by electric vehicles.
Develop a formal sustainability report to quantify environmental impact and progress, fostering transparency and accountability across your organization.
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Implement cross-functional collaboration strategies when developing sustainability initiatives, as demonstrated by Frank and Oak's report requiring participation from nearly every team.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Actively communicate your sustainability objectives and progress to customers, utilizing both detailed reports and easily digestible messaging.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Invest in sustainable logistics and operations, such as electric vehicle fleets for deliveries, to tangibly reduce your environmental footprint.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Shift from qualitative assurance to quantitative measurement of sustainable practices to demonstrate genuine commitment and guide future improvements.
