Claire Bergkamp is the chief executive of Textile Exchange, a global non-profit that champions climate action within fashion’s material supply chain. Under her leadership, the organisation has pioneered efforts to develop a better understanding and improve the environmental footprint of raw materials.
Growing up in Montana, Bergkamp absorbed the values of conservation from an early age. But it was her experience in the fashion industry, particularly during her time in LA working on TV and film sets that truly opened her eyes to the scale of consumption and waste in the sector. This realisation led her to pursue further studies in sustainability and upcycling at the London College of Fashion . Bergkamp went on to work at Stella McCartney , crafting a sustainability strategy for the brand that solidified her reputation as a trailblazer in the space.
Bergkamp joined Textile Exchange in 2020 and became CEO at the start of 2023. The organisation supports a community of over 800 brands, manufacturers, farmers and retailers, including industry giants like Adidas, Acne Studios and Alexander McQueen . Its goal is to reduce emissions from raw material production by 45 percent by 2030.
"The biggest thing for me with our industry is this ever elusive idea of redefining value,” she told The Business of Fashion in 2022. “We need to think beyond just value for shareholders."
