Simon Platts set up Simon Platts Consulting  in March 2023, an independent consultancy focused on supporting retailers, educators, and the fashion industry at large to deliver better ways of buying and sourcing to improve quality, profitability, agility, and proposition, reduce negative impacts on people and planet, and deliver on environmental, social, and legal commitments.

Up until March 2023 Simon was with ASOS.com the on line fashion retailer for over 10 years. In his role as Responsible Sourcing and Commercial ESG Director, Simon oversaw the company’s own-brand sourcing, packaging, ethical trade, product sustainability programme and 3rd-party branded engagement functions. Delivering reduced impact, improved supply base and speed to market through his regional sourcing strategy. And driving overall profit improvements.

He also led the team which developed, and delivered, Asos’s ‘Fashion with Integrity’ initiative. A program and directive focused on reducing the impact of Asos by improving conditions for people and Planet, while delivering equitable profit through its purpose.

In late 2023 Simon took on a role as CEO Co-Founder of Recomme, a startup company focused on supplying tools and support to retailers and brands that enable the recovery of old items of clothing and footwear. And then send off for upcycle, recycle and turn them into new products.  

Later staying involved as a fractional consultant.

Simon is also active as a NED of several businesses operating in the space of manufacturing and tech solutions to aid the fashion and textiles industry.

Simon is very active as a speaker, moderator and Podcaster most recently featuring in a BBC Radio 4 episode of Rare Earth.

Most recently Simon had been working with more startups, helping them with their strategies and taking the ideas to market through direct engagement with Simons wide retail and brand network. Across innovative new fibres, circular design tools and rental and resale business.

Simon is now acting CIO ( Fractional ) for a Circular tool solution provider called CircKit.

Delivering brands, retailers and suppliers Circularity knowledge empowerment through their toolkit.

Simon started out in fashion as a teenager, and has been working in the industry for four decades. His journey has taken him from shop-floor sales staff at Next Retail in the mid-1980s, moving through the ranks at Next, into visual merchandising, buying , buying management, and finally sourcing, where he was responsible for setting up the UK arm of Next’s global sourcing operation.

Prior to joining Asos, Simon was Head of Branded and Own Brand Buying for the Outdoor specialist retailers  Blacks and Millets. Before that, he spent 10 years as Director/Partner at Lazzati UK , a multi-regional supplier of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and footwear to UK high street retailers and brands, where he led the product development and sourcing teams.

Outside of work, Sheffield-born Simon lives with his family in Leicestershire, and pursues his passions for outdoor activities, the environment, nature, and conservation.