Meet Marianne Hughes, whose factory platform Kno is humanising the fashion supply chain

The founder and CEO of Kno talks to us about the spark behind her game-changing factory platform

The platform Kno works in three ways: garment workers use it to rate and compare factories, and report workplace issues; a factory using the platform is rewarded with better retention and productivity; and global brands gain transparency and the assurance that suppliers are operating ethically. It was the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed more than 1,100 in the deadliest garment industry disaster in history, that would lead to Marianne Hughes dedicating her career to ensuring that the workers who make the products most people take for granted are never forgotten or imperilled again. Here, she explains why humanising the supply chain and driving profits are not mutually exclusive.

Our vision is to humanise the supply chain. Kno started by me wanting to figure out who makes our products, whether they are [working] in safe conditions, and what their lives are like. We collect data continuously and build a relationship based on trust with workers and factories.

Kno drives a cultural shift, which is the hardest change to make. I’m always trying to get away from the perspective that we’re doing something charitable, and try to communicate that this is a big moneymaker. It’s a big problemsolver. It avoids risk. The majority of our supply chain is made up of humans. And if we’re not appreciating what motivates them, we’re not getting productivity. When I came to Hong Kong as an exchange student, I became more aware of consumption and the scary direction it was heading in. I interned for the NGO Redress. The founder Christina Dean inspired me—she was this bold female figure who came out with a totally different perspective. I realised there was nobody really tackling the social aspect of fashion: we are still one of the only startups in this space. There were people who said it wouldn’t work or that I shouldn’t do it or that it shouldn’t be me to do it. The toughest part was believing in myself.

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I started by interviewing people who work in the field. I met a factory owner who gave me enough cash to get started full-time. He sent me to his factory in China. I thought I’d be there for two weeks; I ended up being there for two years. I was sewing waistbands into sweatpants. It taught me how similar it is to every workplace in the world. The top reason any of us leave or stay in our job is because of the people: either we don’t like the boss, we don’t get on with the colleagues, we feel alone or we want to work where our friends work. I wanted to use that to make the workplace even more efficient. Our first client was Target in the US. I set up this business to create something scalable. Our model focuses on selling to the factory so they buy into it before brands sign up. Then the factory will go to the brand and say, “We’re using this. Why aren’t you guys using it?” Brands are slower than the factories. The only way to scale it is to get factories to drive it. Part of my mission is building a business model that can inspire others.

My childhood wasn’t easy. I experienced a lot of challenges and pain growing up that taught me that I didn’t want to live like that. Kno is about appreciating how human the factory workers are. Things are getting better, and there has already been a lot of progress in factories. When I speak to factories, I find hope.

See more honourees from the Social Entrepreneurship category of the Gen.T List 2022.

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Topics

Marianne Hughes Kno Supply chain Ethical factory platform Ethical practices in fashion Gen.T List Hong Kong Sustainability

Tatler Asia

Meet Marianne Hughes, whose factory platform Kno is humanising the fashion supply chain