Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference USA

3rd - 4th June 2026

New York City, USA

Liz Alessi

Founder

The Crisis of Stuff

Liz Alessi is a leading voice in circular fashion systems and sustainable supply-chain innovation. With more than 20 years in product development and materials sourcing, she has held senior roles at Limited Brands, Coach, Marc Jacobs, and Tapestry, where she served as VP of Sourcing.  At Coach, she oversaw global materials strategy from concept through production and helped launch the Coach ReLoved program, a pioneering model that turned repairs and obsolete inventory into revenue and set a new standard for brand-owned circularity. She was a founding leader of Coachtopia, guiding material selection and closed-loop strategies.

In 2021, Liz founded her consultancy dedicated to advancing circular design, innovative materials, and future-ready supply chains. She advises brands, startups, and investors on designing for longevity, building scalable recovery systems, and commercializing sustainable technologies. Her work spans R&D, business development, and cross-border manufacturing strategy, with current projects including the relaunch of Gap Inc.’s accessories division and multiple circularity pilots across North America.

A sought-after speaker, Liz is also an advocate for regenerative land management. She studied bassoon performance at the Eastman School of Music with continued study at Cambridge University.

Liz Alessi's sessionsView full agenda

Day 0

Time
Session title
Session type
Day 1

Time
Session title
Session type
10:00 - 10:40
Plenary
10:40 - 11:20
11:20 - 12:00
Collapsing the E and S in ESG: Protecting workers’ rights in the push to net-zero 
Sourcing Journal | Global Labor Institute, Cornell University ILR School | Fair Labor Association
Case study
12:30 - 13:30
13:30 - 14:15
14:15 - 15:00
15:00 - 15:45
16:15 - 17:00
17:00 - 18:00
Day 2

Time
Session title
Session type
10:00 - 10:45
The reality of resale, repair, rental: Can circular business models actually scale to compete with the linear system? 
Nuuly | Tersus Solutions | GUESS inc. | Yale University | Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Plenary
10:45 - 11:15
11:15 - 12:00
Plenary
12:00 - 12:30
Regenerative cotton: If it really is a win-win for all, why is it not more widespread? 
Spruell Farms | Victoria's Secret & Co | COTTON USA™ and U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
Case study
12:30 - 13:30
13:30 - 15:00
15:00 - 15:30
Key takeaways and closing remarks 
Parsons School of Design