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Paris – In the gardens of the Domaine de Chaalis, about an hour outside of Paris, Paris Good Fashion organized his first midsummer camp for sustainability and brought together a diverse mix of industry leaders.
Representatives of large luxury houses such as LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Ami Paris; Premium brands like Lacoste; Mass market players such as Kiabi and young, independent designers such as Stephane Ashpool and Jeanne Friot spent the day with scientists and economic analysts. The aim of the day was to build new framework conditions for sustainable fashion.
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The event was the introduction of Paris Good Fashion’s first decarbonization report for the fashion sector. The study analyzed the product mix and outlined a roadmap for brands in luxury, premium and mass market segments in order to reduce emissions in accordance with the 1.5-degree Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement.
The organizers emphasized the cooperation and the study was an exercise to work. It is the first of its kind to bundle data from the entire industry. 25 brands that correspond to 46 billion euros in sales and contribute anonymously. Companies such as Kering and Richemont took part in brands such as Chloé, Christian Louboutin, Agnès B., Balzac, Célio and Etam.
The methodology made up the production volume, which was historically played down in the industry, which is preferable to concentrate on the promise of future tech and efficiency solutions. The report made it clear that the sector, even under the most optimistic scenario, in which quick shifts are shifted to materials with a low impact and renewable energies, will exceed its CO2 budget.
Overall, the study showed that a reduction in production volume of 20 percent around 2022 was required as the baseline around 2030. Improvements in materials, energy efficiency, logistics and circularity alone are not sufficient to reduce the CO2 footprint of the industry to the target level.
As a result, brands have to develop new business models such as rent, repair, reuse and resale in order to give the existing products more value.
Another important finding is the material mix. Leather is an important emission factor for the luxury segment, while the polyester dominates the mass market on fossil fuels. Production is the leading emission source in all categories, but in luxury emissions are also in marketing, sales and retail. In contrast, mass market emissions are more influenced by product supply.
Andrée-Anne Lemieux, sustainability director at the Institut Français de la Mode, emphasized the urgency of decoupling the financial growth of emissions. She admitted that economic headwind, which faces the fashion industry, slowed down the implementation of new business models, but emphasized the need for collective measures.
“For decoupling we see that there are some [actions] This is individual, and some others have to be addressed at a collective level, ”she told WWD. The next step for the team is to define concrete measures for brands.
Hélène Valade, director of the environmental development of LVMH, spoke openly to the audience and recognized the broader global situation. “We live a moment that feels dizzying because it feels as if everything we thought was safe, actually fragile and can be undone,” she said and asked the collective action of the industry.
The fact that the event took place on the same day on which the European Commission announced that the law was again according to minimum standards, and the misleading demands of Greenwashing in misleading confirmation of Valade’s point of view was a further confirmation.
She also noticed how luxury goods were once classified as essential during pandemic. Today, the municipalities in the event of water shortage throughout France prioritize the drinking water before industrial use for a segment previously considered a “essential” segment. “So we face real dangers and real risks, and so we have to approach this topic,” she said.
All data within the report were carefully recorded taking into account the antitrust laws. Valade encouraged the audience to appeal the French competition authority, to review their rules and to tackle the topic differently.
“Because if we don’t want to talk about volume among ourselves – if we do not share numbers – we will remain insignificant as a business sector.
Isabelle Lefort, co -founder and executive director of Paris Good Fashion, admitted that answering the volume question had been avoided for a long time, but said brands are now ready to confront the problem.
“If we only talk about intensity, we will do another greenwashing,” said Lefort. “The brands know that if they do not act, they do not survive. We are really at a turning point. Before [sustainability] Was more for the communication department, but that’s done. Now [sustainability] Takes place in the financial department – how profitability improves, the effects on the environment reduce and the value solvers can be aligned. “
Communication, she added, was also only critical to demonstrate the value of circular models, but also to reduce consumers to reduce the dependence on quickly changing trend cycles.
The afternoon included workshops on biological diversity, textile recycling and tensions between AI and sustainability in luxurious fashion.
In addition to Ashpool and Fruot, Andam founder Nathalie Dufour led a panel with young designers Burc Akyol and Sarah Levy.
Akyol shared a concrete example of sustainability in action: Switching of its shipping materials to corn-based alternative change, which led to three-week delivery delays. “These are the real problems with which we are confronted. They are not bad intentions, it is an attempt and error. And for small brands like ours it is extremely expensive,” he said.
He asked large French groups to support independent designers and proposed joint logistics systems as a solution.
“I am deeply concerned, especially over water … water could have disappeared in 50 years. Think about it instead of designing another dress,” he told the audience. “We are the heirs of what these large groups leave behind, not only the luxury. Some companies hide behind Amazing PR, they are not design studios, but only buyers.”
This first midsummer camp is the first step of Paris Good Fashion to build a long -term assembly for industry experts with plans to expand the event. A second day of activation in Chateau included public discussions and workshops about sustainable fashion.
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