The Zoe Report Investigates How Luxury Brands Implement Sustainability

A recently published article by The Zoe Report explored how the luxury fashion market has begun to expeditiously alter the ways in which it conducts production. In efforts to tailor to an ever-growing sustainable consumer, luxury brands have begun the process of researching and implementing strategies that allow for a more closed-loop system. Following in the footsteps of pioneers such as Stella McCartney, the industry, for once, seems to have a promising future ahead. Step 1: Adopting Sustainable Fabrics  For too long, luxury brands have relied on the promise and allure of “investment pieces” as a way of offering a renewable solution. It is true that nearly 88 percent of handbag owners say they hold onto their bags for a long time, with 33 percent anticipating over ten years of ownership (as according to Fashionphiles 2021 Sustainability Report). Yet is this enough? Consumers, especially with the push of the COVID-19 pandemic, are instead looking to build capsule wardrobes, which offer a minimal amount of pieces that you can style in a myriad of ways.   “The climate crisis has forced the fashion industry to reckon with the vast environmental toll it’s responsible for,” stylist, brand consultant, and sustainability advocate Rachel Wang tells TZR. “As consumers become more vocal about demanding fashion with a lower environmental impact and a greater social impact, brands have become motivated to audit their practices. The luxury sector is no exception.” One such way luxury brands have begun to turn their efforts around is through the implementation of innovative sustainable fabrics. Such innovations include textiles made from rose petal fibers and other fabrics sourced from hemp, bamboo, and bananas.  Labels like Gucci and Prada have used ECONYL® — a regenerated nylon fabric made from waste, including discarded fishing nets and carpets. Alessandro Michele first used the fabric in his Off The Grid collection, which launched in June of last year and offered a range of unisex pieces that promoted circularity above all else. The collection was featured as part of a greater initiative Gucci has been working on, known as Gucci Circular Lines. The undertaking focuses on reducing the use of new raw materials and instead exploring and utilizing the wide range of available regenerated textiles.  Piñatex and Mylo™ are two new textile alternatives to leather and offer a sustainable and cruelty-free solution to obtaining a textile often associated with inhumane methods. Piñatex is a natural fiber made from pineapple leaf fiber and Mylo™ is a renewable vegan material made from the mycelium of mushrooms. Already we have seen these two types of leather utilized by the likes of Stella McCartney, who first started using Mylo™ in 2018 to create accessories. Since then, she has applied the fabric to make the first-ever Mylo™ garments, including a bustier top and trousers, which were released in March of this year. Hermès also announced in March that it will be using mycelium to produce the newest edition of its Victoria bag.  “I believe the Stella community should never have to compromise luxury desirability for sustainability, and Mylo™ allows us to make that a reality,” McCartney revealed in a press release. “These rare, exclusive pieces embody our shared commitment with Bolt Threads to innovate a kinder fashion industry — one that sees the birth of beautiful, luxurious materials as opposed to the deaths of our fellow creatures and planet.” Step 2: Upcycling in Support of Circularity  As the second-hand market continues to flourish (with predictions that growth will continue as the decade advances) and e-commerce consignment shops such as TheRealReal rapidly developing, luxury brands turn their attention towards circularity.  Already we have seen the launch of several programs by luxury brands that speak to the consumer’s desire to purchase products that have been both sustainably made and will last a lifetime. Spanish luxury fashion house, Loewe, launched in March their Surplus Project, in which it will source scraps of leather to recreate their trademark Woven basket bag.  New York-based brand, Altuzarra, has similarly launched their new Re-Crafted program as a part of its ongoing commitment towards becoming more sustainable. The project will feature a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces which were designed and made using archival collections and fabrics from previous seasons.  Wang has described such recent developments amongst luxury brands as a result of the growing second-hand luxury market as well as sites like The RealReal partnering up with brands in efforts to extend the life cycle of a garment.  “Upcycling has been one of the most noticeable rising trends in the industry and a practice we’ve supported more and moreover the years,” James Rogers, director of sustainability at The RealReal, tells TZR. Recent partnerships with brands including Gucci, Stella McCartney, and Collina Strada have all seemed to deeply resonate with consumers. Such triumphs, notes Rogers, may also help boost The RealReal’s most recent project: ReCollection initiative. The program looks to give new life to pieces that may be otherwise discarded due to tears and other damages. Already, in the first iteration, brands including Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, and Jacquemus have all signed on as partners.  Step 3: A Focus on Human Rights  The 2013 Rana Plaza Collapse made it impossible to further ignore the inhumane working conditions many in the textile industry were subjected to. A recently released Conscious Luxury Trends Report by online luxury retailer Farfetch, states that the ethical treatment of workers has become the second most important consideration amongst shoppers, after the quality f a product. As a result, a focus on human rights is yet another factor that the industry has had to restructure in order to progress towards an ethically and environmentally sustainable future.  One such luxury label that has made progress in the way of human rights is Chloé. As the new creative director, designer Gabriela Hearst has chosen to partner with the World Fair Trade Organization to release the world's first-ever fair trade-verified luxury bag collection. Each of the four Woody panier styles in the collection will be hand-woven by women in Kenya and will be made using natural, environmentally responsible fibers. The collaboration will also work in partnership with Mifuko, a company that works to empower Kenyan artisans through fair pay and less dependence of income on unpredictable farming.  Through its Burberry Foundation, British luxury brand Burberry has also begun to focus on how it can support its artisans. Its first steps have been geared towards focusing on the improvement of herders working within the cashmere industry in Afghanistan.   Step 4: Discovering + Promoting Diverse Ethical Brands Fashion is an industry which should continuously support and welcome new players onto the stage (or in this case, runway).   “Almost all of us now know that the fashion industry can have a negative impact on communities, people, animals, and the natural world” Hearst mentions in her interview for TZR “The challenge I keep hearing is: ‘I want to shop better, but I don’t know how’. That statement is exactly why I started Maison de Mode. I wanted people to have a one-stop-shop where they could shop chic, luxurious products that are also responsibly made.” The shop features a curated selection of ethical and sustainable designers, allowing shoppers to choose the style that best speaks to them.   Cover picture from Stella McCartney's website