Sustainability at Dawn: Interview with Dawn CSR Manager Florence

What does Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) actually mean, how can sustainability be defined, and what is a typical workday like at our factory in Saigon, Vietnam? We interviewed Dawn's new CSR Manager, Florence, and asked her exactly these questions. 

Hello Florence, could you please describe your role at Dawn?

Hi, I'd love to! I am Dawn's new Sustainability Manager and work at the Dawn Evolution factory in Saigon, Vietnam. My role is also referred to as CSR Manager, where CSR stands for Corporate Social (and Environmental) Responsibility.

What exactly does a CSR Manager do? What are your responsibilities?

CSR is intended to ensure that sustainability is embedded in the company's core activities. Greenwashing is a major issue in the fashion industry today, partly because the fashion industry is a very complex industry. This means that not everything is black or white when we address an issue such as the choice of materials, the reduction of overtime for factory workers, etc. Instead, many things need to be examined more closely, the respective context plays a major role, and above all, we need accurate data that we can analyze. Furthermore, a good CSR approach should ideally involve all stakeholders of a company: employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, NGOs, and even competitors!

What does a typical workday look like for you?

The projects in my job are very diverse, so there is no typical workday. Currently, most of my work is focused on meeting the requirements of Dawn's membership in the Fair Wear Foundation and familiarizing myself with Retraced, a tool for tracking our supply chain. Three times a week, I work at the Evolution factory office, which means I can take a short nap during my lunch break 😊. This is very common in Vietnam, and I love – and need – it.

What is your favorite place at the Evolution factory?

I love the balcony! It is not very big, but I can relax perfectly there and have a view of a beautiful flame tree that always puts a smile on my face.

How would you describe the terms sustainability and fairness?

In my opinion, sustainability should describe the way everyone does business. For us, sustainability is so important precisely because there are numerous negative impacts that many companies do not consider before starting their business operations. This means that we have to try to repair a “broken” system, and that is where sustainability comes in. It is the same with fairness: Why do we need strictly defined “fair purchasing practices,” “fair trade,” etc.? My counter-question is: Why is trade not fair to all business partners and involved parties from the outset?

What inspired you to choose this job?

At this point in my life and career, it is not about motivation: sustainability is simply part of my life. I simply could not work outside the field of sustainability - there is still far too much to do! 

Why did you decide to work for Dawn at the Evolution factory?

Although I do not believe in fate, I almost feel that it was fate to get the opportunity to work at Dawn. I previously worked at the Fair Wear Foundation and introduced Dawn to the organization so that Dawn could apply as a member back then! I also attended the open house at the Evolution factory, and we have many friends in common in the sustainability family. The teams at Dawn and Evolution are truly committed to inspiring the fashion industry and changing it for the better, and I am happy to be part of this journey!

What is your vision, what motivates you, and what goals do you have?

Over time, I have learned that change takes time and patience. But I am not a very patient person, so I try to push things forward and achieve some results. I just know that we can only really make a difference if we tackle things step by step and on a very solid foundation. My goal is to make sustainability a shared goal for Dawn and the factory and for the employees to see it as an improvement in their own performance and way of working. We should also improve social dialogue and the inclusion of a gender perspective in our work at Evolution, as most people working in production and in the office are women.

What do you think is Dawn's strength, and what else can we improve in terms of sustainability?

Sustainability is in Dawn's DNA. The clothing of our brand is manufactured in only one factory, which belongs to the same company. For many customers, this may sound normal, but in reality, it is a very special way of working and producing. It allows us to be much closer to the production and the needs of the workers and to achieve the highest score in our Fair Wear Brand Performance Check. Dawn's upcycling project Art on Broken Pieces is also unique and very cool!  

We still have many challenges ahead of us, such as the circularity of our products and our business model. Furthermore, just like the founders of Dawn, I believe that we can always keep improving!If you have an idea of how we can continue to improve, or if you have further questions for us, feel free to write us an email at hello@dawndenim.pro. We are always happy to have exciting conversations, interesting visions for the future, and inspiring ideas! 

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