Gabriela Hearst grew up on an Uruguayan ranch of thousands of hectares, surrounded by horses and sheep. Inspired by her father’s ranch and the animals, Gabriela produces her own merino wool there, which is certified by the Responsible Wool Standard, and is mainly used in winter collections.
From there, a sensibility towards sustainable luxury was born, where the origin is more important than the end. Her brand has been named by Vogue USA as the American Hermès, for combining sustainably-sourced materials, exclusivity, and her love for horses. The most popular bag is the Nina, which has already a long waiting list to get it.
Her first runway show in 2017 had a clear message about sustainability. Everything was recycled, including the decor. She brought her own chairs to be used in the runway show; none of the materials used were plastic.
Sustainable Style Inspired by Animals and Nature
Hearst grew up in a rural environment with her family, and since they didn't live near other industries, they were all ranchers. Having lived in a remote place, two and a half hours from the nearest town, they had a sustainable way of living simply because their lifestyle was more practical, and products had to last us.
Having worked in fashion since 2002, the Gabriela Hearst brand was launched in 2015 and its values have always revolved around sustainability. In her family’s work, it would sometimes take up to a generation to create a good quality product. Farmers are the ones who push the economy from the bottom up, and they learn to only have a certain number of animals that they can take care of.
Using these same principles as the brand’s ethos, it works with the best Italian artisans and we don't use polyester, only natural fibers. It avoids water absorption processes of cotton and uses a specific method to understand how it can use its products with the least impact on the planet, as well as we use organic Forest Stewardship Council-approved packaging. Consumers can track the journey of every product available on the brand’s website.
In terms of sustainable materials, Gabriela Hearst’s cotton is certified GOTS organic as well certified by the Better Cotton Initiative. Its recycled materials meet the requirements of Global Recycled Standard and the Recycled Claim Standard, owned by Textile Exchange.
Chloé’s New Creator Director
The Uruguayan fashion designer wants to offset her carbon footprint and has committed to presenting her next collections in Paris to reduce the impact derived from transporting prototypes.
Always with a focus on quality and constant work with noble raw materials, Gabriela Hearst has produced textile garments in Uruguay and has highlighted in her collections, signs of Uruguayan identity, a nod to her homeland. Gabriela Hearst produces her creations in Italy and China, and considers third party accreditations such as SA8000® and REACH when choosing her manufacturing partners.
Now, she is looking to future generations and her commitment is even stronger as she organized the first carbon-neutral fashion show at the renowned New York Fashion Week. She worked with the climate change advisory firm EcoAct to determine the offset amounts needed to balance her carbon footprint.
At the end of 2020, a year marked by the pandemic, Gabriela Hearst took over the creative direction of Chloé after the departure of Natacha Ramsay-Levi. The designer herself quickly showed her enthusiasm and confirmed that she would continue at the helm of her eponymous brand, as she has done in these two years.
Chloé’s management also plans to accelerate sustainability goals by 2025 by choosing less aggressive materials, eliminating synthetic fabrics, using recycled ones, working with organically farmed silk, using recycled cashmere, and using linen instead of cotton in handbags, among other projects.