Katherine Bonnick

HEAD OF ETHICAL SOURCING AND SUSTAINABILITY

Katherine joined OB as Head of Ethical Sourcing and Sustainability in 2021 with a firm focus on people and planet, as well as product. She oversees our sustainability strategy, building relationships with our suppliers to assess risk and drive continuous improvement in working conditions and exploring how we can reduce our shared impact on the planet.

Working at OB gives Katherine lots of opportunities to see where the retail industry can improve by thinking more circular, for instance, keeping things in use for longer, designing out waste and switching to lower impact materials. Sustainability impacts every area of a business, and she enjoys collaborating internally, across the supply chain and with industry peers, to explore new ideas and inspire change.

Having spent lots of time visiting suppliers over the years, Katherine is mindful that so much goes into making each item of clothing. It comes as no surprise that she alternates new purchases with pre-loved and takes the effort to care for her clothes, repairing them if they get damaged and passing them on when she no longer uses them.

I try to look through my wardrobe a couple of times a year and take out the items I no longer wear, passing them on for someone else to enjoy. The OB x Reskinned takeback partnership is a way to return unwanted clothing to be reconditioned and sold or responsibly recycled, ensuring less unwanted textiles end up in landfill.

Katherine’s care and repair tips: