The Sustainable Apparel Coalition Rebrands as Cascale

Cascale emerges as the new identity for the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, focusing on enhanced sustainability and collective action across various sectors.

Photo: Former Sustainable Apparel Coalition CEO Amina Razvi at the 2023 Sustainable Fashion Forum, Candace Molatore

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition has rebranded as Cascale, a move meant to signify its commitment to fostering collective action and scaling up its ambitions for a more sustainable future. Its new name is derived from "SAC" reversed, with "CA" representing collective action and "scale" referencing scaled ambitions.

The decision to rebrand follows the aftermath of a controversy that led to a critical review of its Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI). This tool, intended to rate the sustainability of materials used in fashion, was scrutinized for potentially misleading consumers due to its reliance on self-regulated, corporate-funded standards. The controversy was fueled by a ruling from Norway's consumer watchdog, which deemed the product labels backed by Higg's material impact data as misleading. This ruling spotlighted the longstanding criticisms of the MSI, including issues with the integrity and quality of its underlying data and the validity of its metrics.

In response, the SAC commissioned a third-party review by KPMG, which concluded that the MSI should not be used in isolation for sustainability ratings. It highlighted the risk of misinterpretation and stressed the need for integration into broader product assessments, which also require refinement. The review criticized the MSI for relying on third-party lifecycle assessments, a methodology that can be skewed by manufacturers interested in presenting their materials in the best possible light. It also pointed out the dated, inconsistent, and inadequate nature of the datasets used, along with a failure to account for the environmental costs of disposing of materials.

The KPMG report recommended several improvements, including providing clearer guidance to prevent inappropriate comparisons, expanding the coverage of environmental impact categories, and enhancing data integrity through better standardization and the use of primary data.

However, not all the recommendations have straightforward solutions, underscoring broader debates over sustainability definitions, measurements, and the fashion industry's struggle with credible sustainability metrics.

Despite these challenges, Cascale's Vice President, Andrew Martin, stating the rebranding and ongoing improvements to the Higg Index, are not attempts to detract from past controversies but rather to confront and learn from them. Martin emphasizes the organization's dedication to the Higg Index, viewing it as a central element of their mission. He insists that the rebranding reflects a commitment to improving and refining the Higg Index rather than distancing the organization from the previous controversies. Instead, Cascale aims to enhance the tool's credibility and effectiveness, addressing the feedback and challenges it has encountered.

“I want to reassure people very strongly that we are not rebranding to [hide] there was a bit of controversy about the SAC and the Higg Index. No, the Higg Index will remain core and central,” Martin told WWD.

“The rebrand has nothing to do with the controversy because we are doubling down on the Higg Index. We believe it is a good suite of tools. It’s well established, it’s well used, it’s been developed by the industry. We’ve had a lot of challenges and questions, and I think some of the things we did need to reflect on and review, and that’s part of what we’ve done in the last couple of years.”

Expanding its scope, Cascale is setting its vision beyond the fashion industry. The organization has opened its doors to members from adjacent sectors, including home furnishings, sports, outdoor goods, and luggage.

Cascale’s rebranding follows the decision by Higg Inc., the exclusive licensee of the Higg Index, a sustainability analytics platform and a subsidiary of Cascale, to rebrand as Worldly.