DBW Sets Sights on Sustainability Leadership Via Textile Production in VietnamThomas Hebestreit, the chief executive officer of Royal Spirit Group, discusses.

[Collection]In a move aimed at creating a more sustainable facility, Royal Spirt Group, a Hong Kong-based firm that specializes in the design, production and export of fashion apparel and accessories for global brands, strategically selected Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam as the new manufacturing base for its Deutsche Bekleidungswerke arm. Its five-story, 18,000-square-meter facility opened its doors in 2016 and is the first LEED-accredited factory in Vietnam granted platinum status from launch. It also achieved platinum Lotus status from the Vietnamese accreditation system. DBW represents a $25 million investment for Royal Spirit Group, with its clients including U.S. brand Carlisle Etcetera, Italian brands Patrizia Pepe and Versace Jeans, Korean brand LF Fashion and German brands Toni Dress and S&B. Vietnam saw a 6.8 percent increase in gross domestic product during the year, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam. And, in 2017 there was a spike in Vietnamese manufacturing production, which rose 14.4 percent over the year. Here, Thomas Hebestreit, the chief executive officer of Royal Spirit Group, talks to WWD about the growth of manufacturing in Vietnam, fashion sustainability and industry disruption. WWD: Why is DBW considered a disruptor in the manufacturing space? Thomas Hebestreit: I would rather call Deutsche Bekleidungswerke an “inspiration” in the fashion space,

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