S9 E10 Jo Ingham & Jo Ward: How Fashion can be more sustainable and still be profitable?

This week, we're joined by Jo Ingham and Jo Ward - two buyers who have pretty much seen it all.

The pair first met at New Look (where they were so often mistaken for each other that they ended up answering each other's phone calls) before going on to build impressive careers across some of the UK's biggest retailers, including River Island, Debenhams, Boohoo, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Arcadia and Jane Norman.

Between them, they've bought everything from childrenswear and accessories to womenswear, worked across stores and online, managed huge teams, and navigated decades of change in the retail industry.

But what we loved about this conversation wasn't just where they've worked- it was hearing what really mattered to them as buyers.

From the excitement of spotting a trend before anyone else, to building products customers genuinely loved, both Jo and Jo share how their roles evolved over the years and why they started questioning whether the industry they'd spent their careers in was still working in the way it should.

After years spent balancing commercial targets with growing concerns about overproduction, waste and sustainability, they both found themselves asking the same question:

Can fashion work differently?

That question ultimately led them to create Our Fashion Fix - a business helping brands and retailers make better decisions by connecting sustainability with commercial performance, rather than treating them as separate conversations.

In this episode, we chat about how buying has changed over the years, why buyers are under more pressure than ever, what brands can learn from the rise of resale, and how Jo and Jo are using some surprisingly high-tech tools (including partnerships with the European Space Agency!) to bring more transparency into fashion supply chains.

It's a fascinating conversation with two buyers who care deeply about the industry and are actively working to help shape what comes next.

Key Takeaways

1) The buying role has changed dramatically: Jo and Jo reflect on how buying has evolved throughout their careers  from smaller ranges, simpler processes and closer supplier relationships to today's fast-moving, multi-channel retail environment.They share why buyers are being asked to do more than ever before, often with fewer resources, and how that pressure can make it harder to focus on what originally drew many people into the role: understanding customers, building great product and making thoughtful buying decisions.

2) Sustainability only works if it works commercially: One thing Jo and Jo are passionate about is helping businesses move sustainability out of a separate "nice to have" conversation and into everyday decision-making. Through Our Fashion Fix's Impact Margin Calculator, they're helping brands understand the financial impact of their buying decisions alongside the environmental one making it easier for teams to have conversations that resonate across the business.

3) Resale isn't a trend - it's part of the future of retail: The rise of platforms like Vinted has changed the way customers shop, discover products and think about value. Jo and Jo explain why resale should be on every buyer's radar, what brands can learn from how their products perform in the second-hand market, and why the future belongs to retailers with a clear point of difference, strong product and a loyal customer base.

To find out more about Jo and Jo's work and explore the Impact Margin Calculator, visit:

Our Fashion Fix | Discover Sustainable Solutions

For Carbon Literacy information ;

Carbon Literacy Training — Our Fashion Fix

For Carbon Literacy Eventbrite tickets ; 

Carbon Literacy for the Fashion Industry Training Tickets, Multiple dates | Eventbrite

And to learn more about Ask Miranda® and become a design partner - deadline for 80% funded pilots is beginning July; 

Ask Miranda — Brand Conscience

And if you'd like more buying insights, trend analysis and conversations like this, join us at:

💌 The Buyers Club

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