In fashion, everyone seems to agree that transparency matters, yet it is still far from the norm. During our first panel talk at O My Bag HQ, we explored the question: Who really drives change? Together with voices from brand, tech, and sustainable fashion, we discussed why transparency remains so challenging, how it connects with consumers today, and what it really takes to move the industry forward.
The panel featured Paulien Wesselink, founder and CEO of O My Bag, Sara Ongaro from Digital Product Passport provider Renoon, and sustainable fashion influencer Sara Dubbeldam. What followed was not a conversation about having all the answers, but about asking better questions. Below are a few of our key takeaways.
TRANSPARENCY STARTS BEFORE EVERYTHING IS PERFECT
Transparency is not a finished project. It is a work in progress. It means looking closely at your supply chain, understanding what you know, being honest about what you still do not know, and sharing both progress and uncertainty. It also means opening the door to questions, criticism, and accountability, and that takes courage.
THE CHALLENGE OF SAYING IT SIMPLY
Consumers are increasingly questioning vague or overly polished sustainability claims. At the same time, sustainability is complex, technical, and not always easy to explain. especially when short, simple communication is preferred. This puts brands in a difficult position: how to keep their message short, clear, and accessible without oversimplifying the reality behind it?
Honest Stories Build Stronger Trust
Sharing challenges, limitations, and work in progress can make sustainability communication more credible, not less. It shows that a brand is actively engaging with the complexity behind it. People do not need perfect stories, but honest ones.
Data Matters, But People Make It Meaningful
Behind every credible sustainability claim, there needs to be reliable data. Digital Product Passports can help by keeping product information organized, improving transparency, and making supply chain details easier for consumers to understand.
They can also make this information feel more human by connecting it to the makers, partners, and communities behind our bags. Knowing where something was made is important, but knowing who made it makes transparency clearer, more personal, and easier to relate to.
Change in fashion cannot depend on one actor alone. Brands should be more open and take action. Consumers should keep asking questions. Innovators should create better tools. Content creators should tell more honest stories. Regulations should help set clearer standards. And real change happens when all of these voices work together.
That is why evenings like this matter. They create space for dialogue, difficult questions, and the reminder that sustainability is a collective effort.
Big ambitions can feel challenging, but real progress is built through small steps, and the willingness to keep showing up, especially when the work is complex or imperfect.
Love,
Elisa xx
