If I had to rank the most sustainable luxury brands, I do not think I would have put Gucci in the first places, but I have to change my mind. Because the news, given by Toronto-based media and investment advisory firm Corporate Knights during the Davos World Economic Forum, ended on January 25th, is that the Italian fashion house, which is part of the global luxury group Kering, is the second most sustainable corporation in the world, the first in the ‘fashion’ industry.
The Corporate Knights’ Global 100 Index is a ranking of the world’s most sustainable corporations, so it not only affects the fashion industry but all the industrial groups of the world, so much so that the Danish food company Chr. Hansen Holding won first place.
But Gucci, would you have ever said that? Actually, it is the whole Kering group that has been working sustainably many years, with environmental and social initiatives concerning investments in startups, use of eco-friendly textiles and the study of new fibers. And Gucci, who is one of the holding company’s flagships, reflects the same philosophy, with its president and CEO Marco Bizzarri, who said: “We have been working on sustainability for so long and we realized at one point that our actions needed to be better understood within and outside the company” .
For this purpose, ‘Gucci Equilibrium‘ was born last summer, a portal dedicated to explaining and providing updates on the social and environmental practices of the brand with direct links to the company and group policies as a whole.
‘Equilibrium’ because it represents the union between ethics and aesthetics, a sort of balance in which principles, intuitions and ambitions are as ‘culture of purpose’.
Actually on the site there is really everything, from the choices made so far by Gucci to the programs for the future: in the field of environmental policy are listed for example performance, raw materials, waste and packaging management and the ‘fur-free’ issue that is very close to our hearts. The brand has banned natural furs starting from the 2018 collections and collaborates with Panthera, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of tigers.
‘Equilibrium’ makes also room for aspects linked to the workers involved in the entire supply chain, to the value of craftsmanship and to the future with projects like Gucci ArtLab, a sort of laboratory where new ideas are sought and created for a better future.
That’s right, Gucci has convinced us but we continue to keep an eye on it, like all the luxury brands that are taking sustainable paths. That they keep the right path!
