Manny Chirico, chairman and chief executive officer of PVH Corp said the company is well-positioned to face the future. The company prides itself on its inclusivity and views its more than 40,000 associates as its PVH family. It does everything it can to drive the connectivity of its associate base, especially in a backdrop like this that can feel so isolating.

He explained that the purpose of the corporation is to drive fashion forward for good, and one of the best ways to do that to fight for racial equality within the walls of the company, throughout the industry and in society at large.

For the last several months, PVH has felt the devastating effects of the coronavirus across its business, in every region of the world, said Chirico. The company immediately responded with an action plan that prioritized the health, safety and well-being of its associates across its offices, stores and warehouses. It also implemented measures to protect the health and financial wherewithal of the company, from securing new financing to cutting every expense possible, proactively managing its inventory levels and re-directing resources to its digital channels.

Supima, the non-profit trade association that owns the Supima trademark and promotes 100 percent U.S.-grown American Pima cotton, has become an implementing partner with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) for the upcoming 2020/2021 harvest season.

In partnership with BCI, Supima will help to establish a greater footprint in the market for BCI-licensed Supima cotton, with the goal of attaining BCI licensing for all Supima cotton growers. This initiative will also act as a bridge for the American Pima industry to meet the demand from brands and retailers for Supima cotton with a verified third-party sustainability license.

Supima and BCI both support the U.S. cotton industry’s development of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol program and look forward to an alignment of programs for a unified sustainability platform based on data, impact and authenticity.

Supima president and CEO Marc Lewkowitz said the company continues to strive to lead in the premium natural fibers segment through responsible and authentic efforts such as origin verification for all Supima cotton utilizing forensic sciences with Oritain and support of sustainability efforts through the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and the Better Cotton Initiative.