Each year, the month of April serves as a reminder to live with intention and be conscious of sustainable lifestyle choices to make the Earth a better place. At the forefront
of sustainability in the fashion industry is Saskia van Gendt, an environmental scientist and head of sustainability at Rothy's. As the head of sustainability, van Gendt works to develop strategies that minimize the environmental impact of the company's supply chain through innovations in materials, production, fulfillment, and beyond. Rothy's, a direct-to-consumer fashion brand that transforms environmentally friendly materials into machine-washable shoes and bags for everyday wear, is a company dedicated to the circular model of product life.
Van Gendt is at the helm of the company's ethos and is leading the brand toward a more impactful future. In fact, in March of 2021, she led an initiative committed to achieving circular production by 2023, pioneering a closed-loop footwear system, and by the end of 2021 alone, the company had already recycled over 20,000 pairs of shoes. The company's forward-thinking production in a rather wasteful industry has garnered the attention of celebrities such as Meghan Markle and Emma Roberts.