Objective 1: Sustainability
Transition 100% of materials to certified sustainable or recycled sources.
Silk Threads - Mission Headquarters
Mission Overview
Operation Silk Threads drops your team into the high-stakes world of preparing the EcoLux collection for a Paris Fashion Week runway debut. What begins as a glamorous product launch quickly spirals into a web of complications: global events disrupt logistics, outside scrutiny intensifies, and questions emerge about the integrity of your supply chain. Activists, investors, and buyers are watching.
Your challenge is to steer Silk Threads Global (STG) through this storm, balancing speed with sustainability, profit with principle, and style with substance. The impact of your decisions will stretch from Paris catwalks to Bangladeshi mills. Succeed, and you redefine ethical luxury. Fail, and your trust unravels.
Your Team
You are the newly appointed management team of STG, a collective voice spanning design, production, finance, sustainability, and marketing. From Milan to Da Nang, your team must weave STG’s European-South Asian identity into every choice.
Silk Threads: Origins to Present Day
STG began as a whisper of an idea in 1995. Its founder, Alessandra Bianchi, grew up wandering between Renaissance frescoes and the hum of her grandmother’s sewing machine in Florence. Known for avant‑garde aesthetics and devotion to heritage craftsmanship, Bianchi built her early collections around locally woven silk and haute couture techniques, fusing century‑old handwork with daring silhouettes. The fashion press fell in love with this alchemy of old and new, and soon her designs shimmered not just on runways but in the imaginations of a generation.
In the early 2000s, the brand outgrew the narrow streets of Florence. It stretched towards Milan and Paris, establishing design studios and partnering with ateliers across Europe. As the appetite for luxury goods ballooned, STG diversified into ready‑to‑wear, accessories and fragrances, seeking to capture every facet of a woman’s wardrobe. By 2010, however, the company found itself competing not just with fellow maisons but with fast‑fashion giants that churned out trends by the minute. Critics pointed to opaque supply chains and asked where the silk really came from. Bianchi listened. She realised that the future of luxury depended as much on ethics as on embellishment. She redirected the company towards ethical sourcing and long‑term environmental stewardship, choosing to slow down where others were speeding up.
In 2014, STG crossed continents and opened a modern facility in Gazipur, Bangladesh, drawn by local craftsmanship and textiles as rich as any Italian brocade. This move allowed the brand to maintain competitive pricing while investing in fair wages and safe working conditions, a gamble that blended commerce with conscience. By 2020, the company rebranded as Silk Threads Global (STG), signalling its desire to weave together European design with global collaboration. The forthcoming EcoLux collection is the latest thread in this tapestry, a flagship line intended to show that sustainability and luxury can be cut from the same cloth.
Ownership & Organizational Structure
In 2022, the founders realised that art alone could not finance ambition. STG sold 55 % of its equity to Moda Capital, a European private‑equity fund that claims to specialise in sustainable luxury. Alessandra Bianchi retained 35% and continues to lead creative direction, while the remaining 10 % rests in the hands of employees through stock ownership plans. This ownership mosaic – creative, corporate and communal – shapes every decision.
The company is organised into four main divisions:
- Design & Innovation Division: responsible for concept development, trend forecasting and prototype creation. This division remains anchored in Milan and Paris, where STG collaborates with artisans and young designers.
- Production & Supply Division: oversees manufacturing, quality control and supply‑chain logistics. Its flagship plant is in Gazipur, Bangladesh, is supported by partner workshops in Vietnam and Turkey.
- Sustainability & Community Engagement Division: ensures compliance with environmental standards, oversees ethical labour programmes and leads community investment initiatives.
- Marketing & Distribution Division: manages brand communications, digital platforms, retail partnerships and global distribution networks.
These divisions do not operate in isolation; they intersect like warp and weft on a loom. Designers in Milan rely on supply‑chain feedback from Gazipur to know whether their sketches can be realised. Sustainability officers pour over spreadsheets with finance directors to justify investments in community programmes. Marketers translate the language of ateliers into narratives that resonate from Paris to Dhaka. The structure itself is a reflection of STG’s philosophy: beauty and business must be woven together intentionally, even when the threads pull in different directions.
Governance
Following the investment by Moda Capital, STG adopted a co‑chair governance model to ensure that creative vision and operational realities are both represented at the highest level. The board of directors is co‑chaired by Alessandra Bianchi and Rahim Ahmed. Bianchi brings a European design perspective and an uncompromising focus on artistry. Ahmed, a Bangladeshi entrepreneur and advocate for workers’ rights, has decades of experience leading textile cooperatives in Dhaka. His appointment ensures that manufacturing and community perspectives are integrated into strategic decisions. This dual leadership model balances ambition with accountability but also introduces tensions as the co‑chairs often hold divergent views on issues such as speed‑to‑market versus worker welfare.
Market Competition
The global fashion industry is intensely competitive, with companies vying for consumers’ attention across luxury, premium and fast‑fashion segments. The top competitors include established luxury houses like LVMH, Kering and Hermès, as well as disruptive newcomers that emphasise digital‑first strategies and sustainability. In the premium segment, Stella McCartney, Patagonia and Eileen Fisher have carved niches by integrating environmental and social consciousness into their brands.
Fast‑fashion giants such as Zara, H&M and Shein leverage massive production capabilities and short design‑to‑retail cycles, but they often face criticism for overproduction and labour abuses. STG’s competitive positioning sits between luxury and premium segments: it seeks to deliver high‑quality garments with a story of craftsmanship and sustainability. The EcoLux line is meant to differentiate STG by demonstrating that luxury can align with fair wages, safe factories and low‑impact materials.
Strategic Plan
STG commits to €450 million in investments over the next decade to achieve four objectives:
Objective 2: Digital Design
Develop digital design and virtual-try-on platforms to reduce sampling waste.
Objective 3: Supply Chain
Implement supply-chain transparency tools such as blockchain and real-time labour monitoring.
Objective 4: Social Impact
Expand community programmes that empower workers, particularly women, in production hubs.
Social, Economic & Environmental Considerations
The textile and apparel sector is the beating heart of Bangladesh’s economy, employing over 4.5 million people—most of them women who leave home before sunrise to earn wages that ripple through villages. Garment exports account for roughly 80 % of the country’s export earnings and have helped lift families out of poverty. Yet this success story is stitched with frayed edges: low wages, excessive working hours, cramped dormitories and reliance on fossil‑fuel‑based materials. In Italy and France, luxury fashion houses are entwined with cultural heritage and artisanal pride, but they too face growing scrutiny over their carbon footprints and resource consumption.
STG understands that sustainability is not just about what fabrics you choose but how you honour the hands that weave them. The company invests in on‑site healthcare, education programmes for workers’ children and micro‑finance initiatives that allow families to save and build. It collaborates with local NGOs to offer leadership training for female line supervisors, recognising that empowerment begins on the shop floor. The EcoLux collection uses organic cotton, peace silk and low‑impact dyes; these decisions are as much about storytelling as supply chains. They also introduce unpredictability and cost pressures—reminders that doing the right thing often comes at a price. In this simulation you will feel those trade‑offs intensely, and you will see how social, economic and environmental factors cannot be unstitched from one another.
Operations Summary
STG’s operations span three continents, humming like a symphony. Design & Innovation is anchored in Milan and Paris, where designers pin fabric onto dress forms under skylights and consult with pattern‑makers who speak in millimetres. The primary production facility in Gazipur, Bangladesh employs approximately 3,200 workers and runs around the clock. Women and men sit at long tables under fluorescent lights, stitching pieces together with practiced speed.
Secondary production occurs in Da Nang, Vietnam, where artisans focus on accessory items and act as a contingency when floods or strikes halt the main plant. A small artisanal workshop in Prato, Italy produces limited‑edition garments, preserving techniques that have been passed down through generations and giving STG garments their signature hand.
Once garments are completed, they travel through the arteries of global trade. Bolts of silk and finished gowns leave Bangladesh via the Chittagong Port, bound for European distribution centres. STG’s logistics strategy favours sea freight to minimise emissions, but a handful of reserved air‑freight slots stand ready for emergencies—an expensive but sometimes necessary heartbeat.
Operational Locations
| Region | Role in Operations | Key Challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Gazipur, Bangladesh | Primary cut-and-sew facility; responsible for 70% of production | Vulnerable to cyclones and flooding; depends on stable electricity and safe working conditions |
| Chittagong Port, Bangladesh | Major shipping hub for export to Europe | Subject to weather disruptions and port congestion |
| Da Nang, Vietnam | Secondary facility handling accessories and contingency production | Limited capacity; higher costs than Bangladesh; subject to regional trade policies |
| Prato, Italy | Artisanal workshop for couture pieces | Small capacity; high labour costs; essential for brand heritage |
| Paris, France | Design studio; host of final runway show | High media exposure; risk of protests during Fashion Week |
STG Threat & Risk Landscape
STG faces multiple threats and risks that could jeopardise its mission.
Environmental Threats
Bangladesh’s low-lying geography makes the Gazipur facility vulnerable to flooding and cyclones. Climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, threatening the safety of workers and infrastructure.
Social Risks
Despite STG’s investments in worker welfare, the garment sector is prone to labour-rights abuses. A scandal involving child labour or unsafe conditions could severely damage brand reputation.
Supply-Chain Disruptions
Dependency on a single shipping route through Chittagong Port exposes STG to logistical bottlenecks, political unrest and natural disasters.
Regulatory & Geopolitical Risks
Changes in trade policies, import tariffs or labour laws in Bangladesh, Vietnam or the European Union can affect costs and timelines.
Security Threats
Industrial espionage, cyber-attacks on supply-chain monitoring systems, or theft of proprietary designs could harm STG’s competitive position.
Reputational Risks
Social-media activism and evolving consumer expectations mean that any perceived misstep in sustainability or ethics can lead to boycotts and cancelled orders. These pressures necessitate a balanced approach centred on sustainable practices, community engagement and disciplined risk management.
Reality check: These risks are not theoretical; they’re the everyday weather that STG sails through. A cyclone can shut down a port just as easily as a leaked factory photo can ignite a social-media firestorm.
Recent Industry Scandal
Two years ago, a global documentary titled “Stitched Lives: The Hidden Seams of Fashion” exposed labour abuses in several garment factories across South Asia. Although STG’s facility was not directly implicated, one of its tier‑three subcontractors in Narayanganj was shown to have violated overtime regulations and falsified worker age documents.
The film sparked worldwide outrage and renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability in supply chains. In response, STG undertook emergency audits, terminated relationships with the offending subcontractor and doubled down on its worker empowerment programmes. However, the incident dented consumer trust and highlighted the fragility of reputational capital in the fashion industry.
Technical Setup
Confirm your technical setup requirements here for virtual, hybrid, or in-person settings.
Mission Briefing
Before you advance to the Mission Briefing please ensure:
- everyone has read the information above
- your Facilitator and all Team Members share a good video connection