Luxury brands' green transition efforts

Millennials and Generation Z consumers are driving 85% of the growth in luxury sales globally. They are actively making lifestyle changes to help the environment, and carefully assessing the social impact of each purchase they make. This means they base their purchasing decisions on buying from brands that align with their values ​​and beliefs.

And it’s not just Millennials and Generation Z consumers who want this. According to a study by Bain & Co., 89% of consumers overall expect brands to publicly disclose their sustainability practices, especially in the luxury fashion sector.

Luxury companies that want to maintain their position in the high-end market cannot ignore these calls to action. If they want to remain relevant, they should take the threat of the climate crisis seriously and shift to making luxury products that are sustainable and ethical.

Luxury retailers like LVMH and Gucci have launched numerous campaigns and initiatives to demonstrate their commitment to the environment, and a growing number of designers, such as Armani, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy and Versace, have announced that they will no longer use fur in their collections.

Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney is a designer who is synonymous with the term “ethical fashion”. Since launching her first collection, Stella McCartney has reshaped the fashion world by creating modern, high-end, cruelty-free garments. The brand does not use leather or fur, they mainly use materials from wool, organic cotton and recycled textiles from nylon, polyester...

As a member of the Ethical Trade Initiative, the Stella McCartney brand also takes care of the suppliers they work with. They work hard to support small businesses and artisans in Europe.

Vivienne Westwood

As a designer who has been committed to environmental and sustainable fashion for many years, Vivienne Westwood has always promoted the slogan “Buy less, choose well and use it long”. This famous slogan promotes balanced consumption, both in fashion and other aspects of life. The Vivienne Westwood brand uses recycled or eco-friendly fabrics such as linen, organic cotton, bamboo fiber and natural colorful rayon. With environmentally friendly and sustainable methods in the production process, Vivienne Westwood has launched a number of sustainable product lines that benefit the community.

LVMH

In 2012, the LVMH Group, which owns luxury fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Céline, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs, launched the LIFE (LVMH Initiative For the Environment) program. LVMH reinforced this commitment in 2016 and set four goals for 2020 - improving the environmental performance of all its products. They apply the highest standards of sourcing, reducing CO₂and improve key environmental indicators for all locations.

In addition to these commitments, LVMH is exploring initiatives to support Amazon conservation. Last year, LVMH acquired a minority stake in Stella McCartney and appointed the designer as a special sustainability advisor.

Gucci

Gucci also announced plans to become carbon neutral last year, as part of a 10-year sustainability plan that focuses on three pillars: environment, people, and innovation. The brand is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its business, focusing on reducing energy and water use, reducing waste and hazardous materials, and improving the quality and sustainability of its materials. Gucci encourages its employees to volunteer 1% of their time in local communities.

Chanel

The iconic French fashion house has launched its Chanel Mission 1.5 plan to tackle climate change, aiming to reduce carbon emissions across all its operations. Chanel will switch to 100% renewable electricity by 2025.

Burberry

Burberry has made environmental commitments including becoming a core partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Make Fashion Circular initiative alongside Gap, H&M, HSBC, Nike and Stella McCartney. In addition, the brand no longer uses real fur in its collections and has promised to phase out existing fur products.

The list of luxury brands that have committed to being more sustainable in one way or another continues to grow. It all paints an optimistic picture of how the fashion industry is evolving. No brand has achieved true sustainability, but the fact that companies are becoming more agile proves that a change is underway.

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