The latest in the fashion industry’s attempt to reduce its impact on the environment is a new deal that gleaned plenty of buzz late last month, as an initial set of heavy hitters signed on to do their part.
The question? Whether this latest attempt to get green, spearheaded by some of the retail and apparel industries’ biggest names, might help turn a collective tide on a sector that’s been dogged in its determination in more recent years to get environmentally smart.
The latest pitch came from Kering (former parent to Costa Mesa-based Volcom LLC) Chairman and Chief Executive Francois-Henri Pinault, who was charged with the task of creating what has been named the Fashion Pact by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Fashion Pact was revealed to the market with 32 signatories—a mix of fashion labels ranging from fast fashion to luxury—promising to make good on changes related to climate, biodiversity and the oceans. The end goal by 2050, the group said, is getting to zero greenhouse gas emissions.
The seven-page document was presented during the G7 meeting.
Chanel, Burberry, Karl Lagerfeld, Adidas, Galeries Lafayette and Kering are part of the pact.
Sustainability has become an apparel category in its own right with many of the industry’s most notable upstarts breaking through the noise of the competitive landscape to claim their share of consumers’ wallets, including Reformation and Atelier & Repairs of Los Angeles.
The two, for example, tout the use of repurposing deadstock fabrics and garments. Ventura-based Patagonia Inc. and Eileen Fisher of New York have long been pointed to within the industry as models of sustainable apparel companies.
OC’s Sole, Surf Proponents
Within Orange County, the surf industry has historically been mindful of the oceans and beaches. Aliso Viejo-based Surf Industry Manufacturers Association’s latest move last month pushed for companies to convert from print to digital catalogues.
Lake Forest-based Sole Technology Inc. founder and Chief Executive Pierre-André Senizergues has been a longtime proponent of rallying the broader action sports industry to get more environmentally mindful. For the company’s part, it’s installed solar panels and recycling programs among other efforts.
The plethora of industrywide programs reflects a patchwork of green initiatives with no real unified front.
Whether the Fashion Pact changes that remains to be seen.
