The CanopyStyle Summit: Canopy and Brand Partners Share Lessons Learned, Strategize on Supply Chain Transformation, and Celebrate a Milestone Anniversary

Last week, Canopy hosted its annual CanopyStyle Summit in Pasadena, California, with representatives of over 60 brands joining to discuss the transformation of MMCF and paper packaging supply chains for the fashion industry. Canopy team members also attended the Textile Exchange Conference, where visionaries from the fashion, textile, and apparel industries united to take on the climate crisis under the theme, “The Case for Change.” 

As always, our team worked hard to create a memorable event, make important connections, and ensure that the world’s Ancient and Endangered Forests, and their preservation, were a vital part of the discussion.

Celebrating 25 Years of Canopy at the CanopyStyle Summit 

This year, the CanopyStyle Summit was held at the beautiful Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. The gathering provided an opportunity to explore MMCF supply chain innovations, sustainable paper packaging options, and strategies for scaling Next Gen Solutions. Sessions kicked off with a discussion on integrating sustainable packaging, featuring rousing stories from Columbia Sports and Patagonia about their work to reduce packaging materials. Following a deep dive into the state of Next Gen materials, we heard fromEverlane, Faherty Brand, and IKEA on the challenges and opportunities in adopting these innovative materials — setting the stage for group discussions and strategizing on the industry's transformation at large. Conversations led by Canopy and brand partners focused on the urgent industry shifts needed to ensure Ancient and Endangered Forests remain standing and Next Generation Solutions are able to scale. The day concluded with “Cocktails and Canopals — A Toast to 25 Years!” celebrating Canopy’s anniversary and ongoing commitment to a circular, climate-resilient future. 

Canopy’s 25th-anniversary event emphasized the power of collective action, reinforcing its vision for a forest-friendly, Next Gen-enabled industry. Attendees enjoyed drinks, captured moments at the photo booth, and tested their knowledge of the Leuser Ecosystem (the winner took home a Canopy t-shirt made from recycled cotton). It was an inspiring night of connection and commitment to conservation.

The Demand/Supply Paradigm for Preferred Materials Panel

On October 29, Canopy's Executive Director Nicole Rycroft participated in a panel discussion titled "The Demand/Supply Paradigm for Preferred Materials," moderated by Ashley Gill, Chief Strategy Officer of Textile Exchange. Joined by industry leaders, Bart Vollaard (Executive Director at Organic Cotton Accelerator), and Logan Duran (VP of ESG & Sustainability at Tapestry, Inc.), the panel explored how supply chain stakeholders can make commitments that help drive demand and increase the supply of materials with improved environmental and social outcomes — like Next Gen alternatives — laying out critical strategies to scale sustainable materials across the textile industry ranging from creative budgeting, policy advocacy, and supply chain simplification projects to reduce upfront costs to storytelling and impact measurement to ensure strong returns.

Nicole highlighted the importance of ambitious targets and bold action from brands, emphasizing that “courage and investment in innovation are essential to driving real change.” She called on companies to send strong market signals, underscoring how dedicated investments can propel the shift towards preferred materials while supporting the climate agenda and safeguarding ecosystems.

Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Sharing amongst Canopy Brand Partners 

During the week, Canopy also hosted and facilitated an informal, roundtable-style peer knowledge-sharing session for a small group of brand partners, providing a space for open discussion and idea-sharing about traceability in MMCF supply chains. Brand partners engaged in valuable exchanges about both internal traceability systems and external providers, discussing which approaches have proven most effective. 

Deepening Partner Relationships: Old and New

Making the most of being in person together, the team met with several existing partners, including fashion brands, fibre producers, and innovators, as well as brands that we hope to welcome into the Canopy family soon. 

Canopy joined a breakfast event with Circulose, where we heard about their exciting re-launch and plans for their commercial-scale, textile-to-textile recycling mill in Sweden to come back online. Reformation and Faherty Brand shared their experiences with integrating CIRCULOSE® into their collections. Meanwhile, we also co-hosted an event alongside our partners at Circ to preview their latest supply chain optimization project, Fiber Club. Co-developed by Circ, Fashion for Good, and Canopy, Fiber Club is a new project to make next-gen materials available to smaller brands at competitive prices —  sourcing sustainable next-gen materials in bulk and achieving pricing usually accessible only to larger brands. We’re excited to carry this project and similar ones forward as we push companies to the forefront of pioneering sustainable innovations.

With both pulp and fibre available now from Circ and Circulose, Canopy is looking forward to continuing to support our innovator partners to scale.

Moving Forward: Envisioning a Forest-Positive Future

As the fashion and textile sectors strive to create a forest-positive future in their industry, Canopy will continue to collaborate with visionary brands, producers, innovators, and investors to scale these solutions. Together, we can build a low-carbon, circular economy that benefits both people and the planet.

Join Canopy in Protecting Forests and Accelerating Climate Action

With collective courage, we can drive positive change. Learn more about how we work to conserve the world’s forests and transition global industries toward sustainable practices at canopyplanet.org.