NEW YORK – The latest version of an ambitious textile sector-specific online transparency tool is now live. The launch of the Open Apparel Registry (OAR) comes after months of consultation and alterations following the digital platform’s beta release back in in October 2018.
Based on data from multiple sources, including brand and retailer supplier lists, the final incarnation of the OAR is powered by a database that uses Google’s Geo-coding to identify the locations of yarn and fabric mills, textile dye-houses and finishers as well as garment manufacturing facilities worldwide.
Prior to today’s launch, Natalie Grillon, Project Director, Open Apparel Registry, told Ecotextile News, “There are currently over 8,000 facilities in the database, although this number is increasing day on day as more brands upload to the tool, and we continue to upload publicly available supplier lists.”
The digital platform is easily accessible – operating similarly to Google Maps – and offers consumers free-of-charge information on the supply chains of the brands and retailers where they buy their clothes.
