Schijvens Corporate Fashion is a leader in sustainability and has taken a pioneering role in preparing for the CSRD. Although the reporting requirement is not yet in effect for SMEs, the Brabant-based family business, which falls into this category, has already provided sustainability information with its latest annual financial statement (fiscal year 2023/24).

In November, these efforts were recognized and rewarded with the first-ever CSRD awards. Schijvens was declared the winner in the SME category.

FashionUnited interviews Shirley Rijnsdorp-Schijvens.

1. What do you think of the CSRD? Why did Schijvens decide to comply with the CSRD already?

"I think it's good that the CSRD legislation is coming," says Rijnsdorp-Schijvens. "In the current economy, the focus is mainly on companies' profits and too little on other important aspects such as environmental and social impact. The CSRD forces decision-makers - investors, banks, and others who distribute the money - to also pay attention to what companies do for the world."

Complying with the CSRD reporting is an extension of what Schijvens already does and also fits our company, as transparency is a core value, explains the Commercial Director.

“Schijvens has been creating a sustainability plan for at least ten years, with insights into the supply chain, what has been improved, and what we still need to do, which we publish on our website,” says the executive. “We know who we work with, how much living wage we pay, and what percentage of our products are organic or recycled. We also measure our CO2 emissions, although that last part still needs to be added to the CSRD report.”

“Our sustainability reporting is not yet one hundred percent perfect, but I think our openness was a major reason for winning the award. After all, you could freely translate the CSRD as a transparency report,” she continues.

“I encourage everyone to be transparent, because openness is the way forward.”

2. Why is transparency so important?

"In my view, transparency is essential because it builds trust and strengthens collaboration with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders," answers Rijnsdorp-Schijvens.

“In many sectors, such as textiles, companies keep their cards close to their chest. I think that's an outdated way of doing business: I personally get annoyed by 'haggling'," she says cheerfully. “I want to know exactly what a product costs so that I can also explain this to my customers.”

“I remember deciding to take our profit and loss statement to clients and telling them that I wanted to make a few percent net profit,” she recalls. “My father found this terrifying at first (it was quite unconventional to be so open, ed.).” "What I mean is: our customers know what they are paying and why. We call that True Pricing.”

Companies that don't pursue excessive profits can easily be transparent, emphasizes the executive. “Every company is entitled to earn something, of course, that's what you work hard for every day, but it doesn't have to be at the expense of others in the supply chain. That's how I envision the future/new economy.”

3. About the CSRD: How easy or difficult is it to provide the required sustainability information?

“The CSRD reporting is less complicated than it seems,” underscores the Commercial Director. “We are a small company with a turnover of 35 million euros, and there are many comparable players in the industry. An SME is perfectly capable of delivering such a report if you stay calm and think about what the CSRD actually means. It's nothing more or less than having insight into who you work with, why you work with them, and how you work with them. And then asking questions in your supply chain to make things measurable.”

“Ask a factory for its water bill and the number of products made,” she gives a simple example. “Suppose 1,000 liters of water were used and 1,000 units were produced, then the water consumption is 1 liter per item. Then you can calculate how much your production cost: if you purchased 200 units, your water consumption is 200 liters.”

The executive mentions that it is detrimental that many complicated terms are used in the CSRD. “The consultants are profiting from that.” She warns against losing sight of what's important. “It's not about writing policy, but about people and the environment in the supply chain. Therefore, I would rather see companies spend their money on a living wage for the garment workers, the people behind the sewing machines, instead of on expensive consultants.”

4. What are your tips and advice for other SMEs to get started with the CSRD?

“The CSRD is all about insight,” reiterates Rijnsdorp-Schijvens. “If you don’t have insight into your supply chain, you can’t report.

“That’s the reason why many companies with long supply chains and perhaps hundreds of manufacturers are hesitant to start with the CSRD,” she explains.

Schijvens has been collaborating with the Fair Wear Foundation since 2010, she says. “That forced us to map our suppliers, the sewing factories.” Because the Fair Wear Foundation conducts factory audits where it checks working conditions in Tier 1, a term for the direct suppliers of the final product.

"That insight immediately led to strategic decisions," says Schijvens. “We reduced the number of production locations from three hundred to less than fifty.”

“Are you still competitive then? Yes. If you choose fewer manufacturers, you become an important customer for them. And the bigger you are, the more influence you have, which is useful when implementing changes.”

“So if you haven't mapped your manufacturers yet, start doing that immediately.” According to her, this can easily be done in an Excel file. “Purchasing software can always come later.”

Rijnsdorp-Schijvens adds that it is wise to look beyond Tier 1. “Don't just investigate the sewing factories, but also look at other links in the chain.” In Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4, which include the dye houses, spinners, and weaving mills, everything must ultimately be or be brought in order.

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Image: Schijvens Corporate Fashion Credits: owned by Schijvens Corporate Fashion

Also calculate the ecological footprint of products, continues Rijnsdorp-Schijvens. According to her, this can be more complex "because a fashion company can have as many as 20,000 items and at least 10 product groups."

“Start with bestsellers,” is her advice. “Take a polo shirt, for example, and compare the LCA (short for life cycle assessment) of one from Turkey and one from China. We use Modint’s bAwear Score tool for this.”

Rijnsdorp-Schijvens tips other SMEs to watch the practical CSRD workshop videos from the SER (Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands).

She also mentions that Schijvens is working with Avans University of Applied Sciences on a CSRD blueprint "in plain language" to help other companies get started more easily.

5. How do you view other sustainability legislation that is coming?

“The CSRD and Due Diligence (CSDDD) are closely intertwined,” Rijnsdorp-Schijvens emphasizes. Due diligence, the process of identifying human rights and environmental risks in the supply chain, forms the basis: it must be in order before companies can deliver their reports as required by the CSRD. “It therefore feels strange that the CSDDD regulations will only have consequences for companies and organizations after the CSRD.”

Yet she is optimistic. “Looking at where we were in 2010 and how the industry has changed since then, I see that many steps have been taken - and are still being taken. Twenty years ago, everyone looked the other way, but that time is over. I hope that we therefore do not see the CSRD and other sustainability regulations as a burden but as an opportunity to further improve the sector and make a real impact.”

6. How do you look back on the past year, and what is on the agenda for 2025?

“One of the most important achievements of 2024 is the opening of three women's factories in Pakistan and one in India,” says Rijnsdorp-Schijvens. These factories offer women in countries where working is not a given the opportunity to participate in the labor process. "I am happy that we were able to achieve this through perseverance and intensive collaboration."

In 2025, Schijvens will launch an online platform. "With this, we want to connect makers and wearers and increase the appreciation for garments by making the human effort visible. It's exciting, but I'm looking forward to it."

During the holiday season, the executive is in Hong Kong for Schijvens' annual supplier meeting. “We get together with the entire team from the Netherlands and manufacturers from countries like Turkey, India, Pakistan, and China. Entire families are now involved,” she shares enthusiastically. “It's a moment of reflection: we celebrate successes, discuss what can be improved, and have fun. It's wonderful to see how visible the people are and how they feel the purpose (the higher purpose of the organization, ed.).”

“Sustainability is just really fun. It's such a shame that people experience it as an issue or a cost item. If I ever look back on my life, I won't think about the salary I received every month, but it will be these things that have brought me happiness and fulfillment.”

Photo: Shirley-Schijvens Rijnsdorp Credits: owned by Schijvens Corporate Fashion

Sources:
- Interview Shirley Schijvens, executive/co-owner/Commercial Director Schijvens Corporate Fashion, December 11, 2024.
- The AI tool ChatGPT 4o was used as a writing tool.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.NL, translated and edited to English.

It was translated using AI. .