Roland Mouret on why he invested in CO
Roland Mouret has been a founding investor in Common Objective since its inception. Find out what motivated him to invest and what he believes the future holds for the fashion industry.
Roland Mouret at a Common Objective Sourcing Breakfast speaking with CO Non-Exec Director, Sally O’Rourke and Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, Caroline Rush - October 2019
Why did you invest in CO?
CO is a solution that allows anyone working in fashion to get answers - to know how to integrate sustainability, and where to start. We invested because every fashion professional and business needs this - CO is the best solution to help change the industry, and has huge potential for growth.
What do you think is the potential for CO in the future?
CO needs to become the platform on which all fashion businesses operate. Sustainability is urgent and everyone is looking for answers, and CO is filling that gap. Fashion and Textiles is a huge industry and market and CO is the leader in offering an all round solution for businesses. There is the potential for CO to expand into other industries as it grows.
Why do you think the CO Crowdfund is a great idea?
This campaign allows anyone anywhere to become a shareholder in CO, help shape the platform to meet the needs of industry, and benefit from its growth. The future is about all of us, however small making a contribution to change. It is about the willingness to see that there is another way of doing business, and in the long term the only viable solution to the crisis facing us all.
Why does sustainability matter to Roland Mouret and to the fashion industry? Why is this a difficult challenge for companies like Roland Mouret?
Why wouldn’t it matter to any company? With the reality of climate change, it is urgent that fashion businesses integrate more sustainable practices. We need to integrate sustainability whilst maintaining sales and margins, and it is hard to find the right information, suppliers, and fabrics, it is even harder to know where to start.
How can Common Objective help change fashion?
Because it is a platform that supports the whole industry to do fashion better, gives more sustainable suppliers more profile, rewarding best practice, turning sustainability from a cost, to an opportunity, information and training.
How has CO helped Roland Mouret?
In many ways - access to information, supplier recommendations, workshops and training – the online masterclasses are indispensable.
Become a CO shareholder
The global CO community is catalysing a new way of doing business. We’re crowdfunding to accelerate our growth and we would like to give you the chance to become a co-owner of CO, and share in our success.
Our crowdfunding campaign is now in overfunding and closes on Friday 22nd May - visit our pitch on Crowdcube.
Capital at risk.