Stealth Day 2022: technological innovation and digitalization for an ESG-oriented, transparent, traceable, extended supply chain

Trento, May 26, 2022 – The 9th edition of Stealth Day, the event dedicated to the fashion industry, has just ended. The event is organized annually by Dedagroup Stealth, a subsidiary of Dedagroup that has been supporting the growth of the foremost brands in fashion and luxury with its expertise and software platform for 30 years.

Italian and international guests, iconic fashion brands, and Dedagroup Stealth professionals discussed how technological innovation and digitalization are becoming increasingly central to the fashion world to improve transparency and traceability in favor of a more comprehensive supply chain management, including from the standpoint of sustainability and in response to the new ESG approach.

“Today's fashion companies are at the forefront of adopting policies increasingly compliant with the new sustainable fashion paradigm. In this scenario, in which precise control over the entire supply chain is a key element, digitalization and technology play — now and even more so in the future — a fundamental role because they make it possible to trace, monitor, and measure the impacts of all players involved in the fashion industry value chain,” stated Cosimo Solida, CEO of Dedagroup Stealth. “Dedagroup Stealth stands with the most important companies in the sector with 30 years of experience and partnerships and solutions capable of supporting them effectively during this change process. The new relationships and partnerships we are building focus on Dedagroup Stealth’s more extensive development, which aims to provide an ever more calibrated response to the different needs of the various fashion players. It also aims to offer an overview of the entire supply chain to companies that manage all end-to-end processes, from production to distribution and retail, and support an increasingly ethical, sustainable fashion.”

End-to-end coverage of processes is an increasingly fundamental element for fashion companies, as also underscored by Luca Malacarne, CIO of Stella McCartney. He reiterated that extended value chain management enables greater business flexibility and reactivity in response to emerging market needs. Stella McCartney — a true pioneer in sustainable fashion and committing to a reduced environmental impact — selected Dedagroup Stealth and its platform to increase the governance, traceability, and transparency of the entire extended chain, from production to management of the supply chain and retail.

Sinead Bovell spoke about technology and the future. A futurist, model, Youth Tech Leader, and founder of WAYE, an organization that prepares young people to use advanced technologies, Sinead emphasized the profound influence that cutting-edge innovations such as AI, avatars, and the metaverse will have in the years to come on the fashion industry, which will undergo a change that can currently only be imagined.

Finally, two eminent representatives of the Italian leather goods and luxury sector, Franco Zanellato, CEO of Zanellato, and Marco Campomaggi, CEO of Campomaggi & Caterina Lucchi S.p.A., along with Danny D’Alessandro, Managing Director of MIPEL, discussed the new challenges facing the sector, with an eye to the current events that are significantly impacting the fashion and luxury segments. Today, in an increasingly digitally connected world, the fashion industry is confronted with several challenges: from digital transformation to an omnichannel approach, from internationalization to extended supply chain management, and, once again, the clear need for a more ethical production approach. 

The day's proceedings concluded with Marco Podini, Dedagroup's Executive Chairman: “Digitalization and sustainability are two aspects on which Dedagroup Stealth has long been working and on which we have focused closely with the entrepreneurial spirit that is typical of our Group. Today they are the key points of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to be pursued for the recovery. A structure designed to lay the foundations for stable development of Italy and its industries, above all, once the resources of the NRRP are no longer available. These are areas in which Dedagroup, a technology company specializing in various vertical sectors, in addition to the transversal cloud and cybersecurity segments, is a player with a natural calling to be a partner to private and public companies. This is particularly true in the crucial process of implementing the NRRP, thus facilitating inclusive access to the opportunities it is opening up. The fashion industry is a great asset thanks to its ability to represent Italian excellence to the world, whether in the case of major brands or supply chain participants, and its ability to provide a constant flow of talent at the international level. We are extremely proud to support the sector in the technology transition, which is increasingly widespread and varied, build efficiency in the most consolidated activities, generate added value, seize new opportunities and meet new transparency and sustainability needs.”

Stealth Day 2022 also saw the participation of Adam King, Head of Marketing at Zedonk, Francesca Rinaldi, SDA Bocconi, Erlinda Lee, Senior Manager Global Membership Development at SAC, Stefano Spiniello, Partner of PwC, and Jordana Guimaraes, Co-Founder of Fashinnovation NYC.

The initiative was sponsored by PwC, RTT a Quistor Company, wTrendy Team, MCG, Deep Fashion consulting, Deda Cloud, Zedonk, ThoughtWorks, ORS Group, BSamply, EY, TNP, Temera, Lectra, GOC Retail, Sysdat.it, Highstreet.io, SedApta Group, Efashion Software. The event was held under the aegis of the SAC, the Monitor for Circular Fashion promoted by SDA Bocconi and Elite.