Text reading 'WEAR' with smaller text below saying 'WORLD ETHICAL APPAREL ROUNDTABLE' on a black background.

About WEAR

From 2014 to 2023, Fashion Takes Action brought industry stakeholders together at WEAR, to address key priorities in the fashion industry, drive meaningful transformation, and accelerate our collective efforts toward a more sustainable and conscious fashion future.


In order to reduce duplication of efforts, FTA partnered with Circular Economy Leadership Canada and Circular Innovation Council, to host the Textiles & Apparel Track at the 2025 Canadian Circular Economy Summit, allowing us to engage a broader group of stakeholders from across industries, and bring about impactful change.

Speakers

Over the years, FTA has convened hundreds of expert speakers, thought leaders, and industry stakeholders from across Canada and around the globe. Below are just a few examples.

  • Close-up photo of a woman with long dark hair, light skin with freckles, wearing a light blue blouse with a ruffled collar, standing against a plain white background.

    Liz Ricketts

    The Or Foundation

  • Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length wavy hair, wearing a sleeveless dress with thin straps, standing against a plain light-colored background.

    Alden Wicker

    EcoCult | To Dye For

  • A smiling man with gray hair and stubble, wearing a brown vest, white shirt, and bow tie, standing indoors near a mirror.

    Steven Bethel

    Bank & Vogue

  • A smiling man with glasses wearing a light blue button-up shirt, standing in a store aisle with blurred shelves and products in the background.

    Tony Shumpert

    Value Village

  • A man with curly brown hair, blue eyes, and light skin, dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and black tie, smiling slightly against a plain background.

    Andrew Morgan

    The True Cost

  • Close-up of a woman with short dark hair, wearing a black shirt, smiling softly, standing against a plain light-colored wall.

    Crispin Wong

    Lululemon

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling, wearing a navy blue polka dot top, standing against a white paneled wall.

    Georgia Parker

    Fashion For Good

  • A man with facial hair, wearing a green shirt and jacket, standing outdoors in front of greenery.

    George Harding-Rolls

    Changing Markets

  • A man with short, dark hair and blue eyes, wearing a gray button-up shirt, standing in front of a gray, horizontal slat wall.

    Luke Haverhals

    Natural Fibre Welding

  • A man with long blond hair wearing a white shirt and navy blazer standing indoors near a container with plush toys and art supplies.

    Nicolaj Reffstrup

    Ganni

  • Smiling woman with short, curly black hair standing in front of a colorful abstract mural.

    Michelle Cliff

    Canopy

  • Professional woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling, wearing a dark blazer and patterned blouse against a blue background.

    Wren Montgomery

    Ivey Business School

  • A woman with blonde hair, smiling, wearing a white blazer over a dark blue top, standing against a plain, light gray background.

    Linda Wegelin

    Testex

  • A young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a black shirt and a black leather jacket, looking directly at the camera in front of a white background.

    Hendrik Alpen

    H&M Group

  • A smiling woman with blonde, curly hair wearing a denim jacket, standing outdoors near a wooden railing.

    Stacy Flynn

    Evrnu

Event Testimonials

  • “There were a lot of people – NGOs, academics, entrepreneurs – committed to speaking honestly about the shortcomings of the sustainable fashion movement and finding actual solutions. We got down and dirty in the breakout sessions…”

    Alden Wicker, Author, To Dye For

  • “WEAR is a must attend event for sustainable fashion. The conference attracts a who’s who of people involved in the transformation of the fashion industry.”

    Attendee

  • “I recently attended the WEAR Conference in Toronto by Fashion Takes Action and was invigorated with new energy! The room was filled with businesspeople, analysts, designers, entrepreneurs, marketers, scientists, academics, and regulators sharing up the fashion industry.”

    Amanda Boersma, Conscious Clothing

  • “I was able to get a glimpse on the next level of thinking about apparel & sustainability and the best part was that it came from so many different corners of the industry - so refreshing!”

    Attendee

  • “I think it is incredible that the quality of this event exceeds my expectations every year. The substantive subject matter covered was exceptional. I literally never want to miss this.”

    Attendee

  • “From the opening keynote by Elizabeth (Liz) Ricketts on Kantamanto Market, to the inclusion of NGOs on stage and all the thought-provoking conversations in between, I am optimistic that the Canadian fashion & apparel industry is doing what it can to move beyond sustainability and onto circularity.”

    Jocelyn Chan, Trustrace

Past attendees

Photos

People at a registration or check-in table at an event, with a woman bending over to examine items on the table, others standing behind the table, and a man in a suit standing nearby. Background includes a banner and colorful artwork on the wall.

People at a registration or check-in table at an event, with a woman bending over to examine items on the table, others standing behind the table, and a man in a suit standing nearby. Background includes a banner and colorful artwork on the wall.

People at a networking event shaking hands and engaging in conversation in a brightly lit venue with brick walls and large windows.

People at a networking event shaking hands and engaging in conversation in a brightly lit venue with brick walls and large windows.

Two men are sitting at a round table engaged in conversation, with one showing something on his phone and the other holding a glass of beverage, in a busy conference or workshop setting.

Two men are sitting at a round table engaged in conversation, with one showing something on his phone and the other holding a glass of beverage, in a busy conference or workshop setting.

Conference room filled with attendees seated at tables, facing a large screen that displays information about WEAR 2023, with a speaker at a podium in front of the screen.

Conference room filled with attendees seated at tables, facing a large screen that displays information about WEAR 2023, with a speaker at a podium in front of the screen.

A woman giving a presentation on stage with a large screen behind her displaying messages about waste reduction, including a zero percent symbol and the hashtag #STOPWASTE. She stands at a transparent podium, and another person sits to the side watch

A woman giving a presentation on stage with a large screen behind her displaying messages about waste reduction, including a zero percent symbol and the hashtag #STOPWASTE. She stands at a transparent podium, and another person sits to the side watching.

People seated at round tables in a conference room, listening to a speaker at a podium with a large screen behind them displaying an image of a beach and the text "What Would We Do If This Were Your Favourite Beach?" The room has industrial-style dec

People seated at round tables in a conference room, listening to a speaker at a podium with a large screen behind them displaying an image of a beach and the text "What Would We Do If This Were Your Favourite Beach?" The room has industrial-style decor with exposed ceiling beams and ductwork.

Three women standing together at an indoor conference, smiling and holding blue tote bags, with other attendees in the background.

Three women standing together at an indoor conference, smiling and holding blue tote bags, with other attendees in the background.

People sitting at a round table engaged in conversation during a conference or networking event.

People sitting at a round table engaged in conversation during a conference or networking event.

People sitting around a table engaged in conversation at a conference or meeting, with water bottles, glasses, pens, and notepads on the table.

People sitting around a table engaged in conversation at a conference or meeting, with water bottles, glasses, pens, and notepads on the table.

Two women standing in front of a conference signage board, smiling at the camera, with a crowd seated at tables in the background.

Two women standing in front of a conference signage board, smiling at the camera, with a crowd seated at tables in the background.

Two men with beards sitting on a panel, one speaking into a microphone, in an indoor conference setting.

Two men with beards sitting on a panel, one speaking into a microphone, in an indoor conference setting.

Pink and yellow sticky notes with handwritten notes on a black table, surrounded by pens, markers, a white tumbler, and a smartphone.

Pink and yellow sticky notes with handwritten notes on a black table, surrounded by pens, markers, a white tumbler, and a smartphone.

A woman with curly blonde hair is speaking into a microphone during a discussion or conference, with several attentive people seated around her.

A woman with curly blonde hair is speaking into a microphone during a discussion or conference, with several attentive people seated around her.

A panel discussion with four people seated on stage, three women and one man, talking into microphones at an event with an audience.

A panel discussion with four people seated on stage, three women and one man, talking into microphones at an event with an audience.

Four women standing together, smiling, at an indoor event. They are wearing event badges and lanyards, and one woman is holding a brochure or flyer.

Four women standing together, smiling, at an indoor event. They are wearing event badges and lanyards, and one woman is holding a brochure or flyer.

A man in a navy suit and glasses holding a microphone, sitting in a clear plastic chair during a panel discussion or conference.

A man in a navy suit and glasses holding a microphone, sitting in a clear plastic chair during a panel discussion or conference.

A man with glasses and a man bun, wearing a white shirt with a black lanyard, is holding a microphone and speaking. A woman with curly blonde hair, wearing a teal patterned dress and a smartwatch, is standing beside him, listening.

A man with glasses and a man bun, wearing a white shirt with a black lanyard, is holding a microphone and speaking. A woman with curly blonde hair, wearing a teal patterned dress and a smartwatch, is standing beside him, listening.

Group of six people taking a selfie outdoors near a pond with trees and blue sky in the background

Group of six people taking a selfie outdoors near a pond with trees and blue sky in the background

Three women sitting on a white couch and a white chair on stage, engaging in a panel discussion, with a gray curtain backdrop and green lighting. Two women are holding microphones, and there is a table with potted plants and glasses in front of them.

Three women sitting on a white couch and a white chair on stage, engaging in a panel discussion, with a gray curtain backdrop and green lighting. Two women are holding microphones, and there is a table with potted plants and glasses in front of them.

Woman sitting on a white chair, holding a black bag and a microphone, with glasses on her head, in front of a green and black curtain, and some green plants nearby.

Woman sitting on a white chair, holding a black bag and a microphone, with glasses on her head, in front of a green and black curtain, and some green plants nearby.

Four women sitting on a white couch participating in a panel discussion at a conference, with a tablet, microphone, and plants on the table in front of them, set against a backdrop of green and grey curtains.

Four women sitting on a white couch participating in a panel discussion at a conference, with a tablet, microphone, and plants on the table in front of them, set against a backdrop of green and grey curtains.

Conference room with a group of people sitting at a round table, engaging in a discussion. A woman in a cream blazer is speaking to a man with short gray hair holding a water bottle. In the background, a large screen displays the text 'WEAR Conferenc

Conference room with a group of people sitting at a round table, engaging in a discussion. A woman in a cream blazer is speaking to a man with short gray hair holding a water bottle. In the background, a large screen displays the text 'WEAR Conference 2022'.

Two women in a panel discussion, sitting on white couches on a stage with a grey curtain and green lighting in the background, holding microphones and engaging in conversation.

Two women in a panel discussion, sitting on white couches on a stage with a grey curtain and green lighting in the background, holding microphones and engaging in conversation.

Woman speaking into microphone during a conference or meeting, with attendees sitting at tables in the background.

Woman speaking into microphone during a conference or meeting, with attendees sitting at tables in the background.

Two women sitting at a conference table, one smiling and the other with arms crossed, surrounded by other attendees.

Two women sitting at a conference table, one smiling and the other with arms crossed, surrounded by other attendees.

People sitting at tables in a conference room, engaged in discussions. A man in glasses and a dark blazer is talking to a young woman with purple hair and a black shirt, who appears stressed or upset.

People sitting at tables in a conference room, engaged in discussions. A man in glasses and a dark blazer is talking to a young woman with purple hair and a black shirt, who appears stressed or upset.

A woman at a podium giving a presentation at the Blue Bite conference, with audience members seated at round tables, two large screens displaying the slide, and a photographer capturing the event.

A woman at a podium giving a presentation at the Blue Bite conference, with audience members seated at round tables, two large screens displaying the slide, and a photographer capturing the event.

A panel discussion with five women, one standing at a podium labeled 'WEAR' and four seated on stage in chairs. One woman is speaking into a microphone, and the audience members are watching.

A panel discussion with five women, one standing at a podium labeled 'WEAR' and four seated on stage in chairs. One woman is speaking into a microphone, and the audience members are watching.

Three mannequins dressed in colorful, patterned outfits inside a room with a large window and yellow walls.

Three mannequins dressed in colorful, patterned outfits inside a room with a large window and yellow walls.

Three people on a stage during a panel discussion, with a yellow wall and large windows in the background. The woman on the left is speaking into a microphone while the other two are listening. There is a sign that says "WEAR" on a podium to the left

Three people on a stage during a panel discussion, with a yellow wall and large windows in the background. The woman on the left is speaking into a microphone while the other two are listening. There is a sign that says "WEAR" on a podium to the left.