The Rise of Sustainability in Modern Luxury Brands

By the end of 2021 Prada met its ambitious transition process to Re-Nylon

Have you ever had an experience in which many clothes in your closet were bought for a low price but you have abandoned them after only wearing them a few times? This trap is set by fast fashion based on people's consumption habits. Fast fashion is a very prevalent industry trend nowadays. In the era of fast fashion, products are inexpensive and produced and renewed very quickly, thus generating high demands and a vast consumer base.

Following the introduction of sustainable fashion, many brands have recognized its impact on society and are committed to developing and investigating matching ideas. An example is Prada's collaboration with Aquafil, an Italian textile yarn producer, on recycled nylon. The re-nylon collection is made from ECONYL, a yarn that can be recycled unlimited times without compromising the quality of the material. It is made from recycled waste plastics collected from landfills and oceans worldwide. The re-nylon collection demonstrates Prada's commitment to the environment and the brand's awareness of social responsibility. The collection also has a positive impact on Prada's brand image and attracts a large number of potential customers who have a strong interest in sustainability.

CHANEL MISSION 1.5° IS OUR CLIMATE PLAN TO 2030

Through research, most of these luxury brands will achieve sustainable fashion in many other ways and Chanel is one of these brands. In Chanel’s official website, they publish their climate plan which aims at decreasing 50% of their own emission (scope 1 and 2) by 2030, decreasing 40% emission from their value chain(scope 3) by 2030, and shifting to renewable electricity in their own operations by 2025. On other aspects, Chanel also works in collaboration with organizations such as as the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), the Centre Scientifique de Monaco, RE100 and The Fashion Pact to advance progress. Based on both Prada and Chanel’s plan on sustainable fashion, it is clear that sustainability is one of the most significant factors that will impact future fashion industrial.

VIVIDYE

Sustainable fashion has also provided opportunities and inspiration for many startups. Vividye, a Gothenburg, Sweden-based startup that received seed capital for $478K, is dedicated to the development of sustainable technologies in printing. Through their innovations, textiles can be reused to decrease waste. Hurr Collective is also a startup that is related with sustainable fashion. This startup is located in London and received seed funding for $4.2 Million. Hurr Collective founders Victoria Prew and Matthew Geleta have launched a startup aimed at simplifying peer-to-peer wardrobe rental. Their company has created a secure and efficient fashion platform that utilizes real-time geo-tagging, AI-powered fashion stylists, and ID verification. This platform not only makes renting outfits hassle-free but also promotes sustainability and ethical fashion. It caters to both fashion enthusiasts and emerging designers, allowing them to earn extra income from their wardrobe or showcase their designs.

Sustainable fashion may sound like it requires customers to spend more money, but it's about more than just guiding customers to consume clothes made from eco-friendly materials. Still, it's also about the active concepts in our habits, such as preserving and donating clothes instead of throwing them away. These small actions can go a long way in realizing sustainable fashion and environmental protection.

Resources

“8 Best Sustainable Clothing Startups to Watch in 2023.” Startupsavant, 16 Mar. 2023, startupsavant.com/startups-to-watch/sustainable-clothing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Prada Group. “Prada Re-Nylon.” PradaGroup, 2019, www.pradagroup.com/en/sustainability/environment-csr/prada-re-nylon.html.

“Technology.” Vividye, www.vividye.com/technology. Accessed 28 Sept. 2023.

https://www.chanel.com/us/sustainability/