Gucci and LVMH Advance Sustainable Streetwear
Major luxury conglomerates are pushing sustainable practices within the streetwear market. Gucci's "Equilibrium" initiative highlights its commitment to animal-free materials, eco-packaging, and circular design. This reflects a broader trend within the LVMH ecosystem toward responsible production, blurring the lines between high fashion and sustainable, casual apparel.
- LVMH's sustainability program, LIFE 360, aims to reduce the company's Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2026 and cut Scope 3 emissions per unit of added value by 55% by 2030. Scope 3 emissions, which come from raw materials and transport, account for over 90% of the company's environmental footprint. - In February 2023, Gucci launched the first "Circular Hub" in Italy, an open innovation platform for designing and manufacturing circular products. This initiative focuses on research and development, logistics, and industrial partnerships to accelerate the circular transformation of the Italian fashion industry's production model. - LVMH's Nona Source is an online resale platform launched in 2021 that makes deadstock fabrics from LVMH's Fashion & Leather Goods Maisons available to emerging designers at competitive prices. This "re-sourcing" initiative is part of the creative circularity pillar of LVMH's LIFE 360 program. - Gucci has been a strategic partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation since July 2022 to advance its commitment to the circular economy and regenerative agriculture. The partnership builds on Gucci's existing circular economy strategy, which is guided by the principles of reducing waste, circulating products and materials, and regenerating nature. - Stella McCartney serves as a sustainability advisor to LVMH and its CEO, Bernard Arnault. Though she has bought back LVMH's minority stake in her brand, she continues to advocate for sustainable practices within the luxury conglomerate. - Gucci's "Scrap-less" program, initiated in 2018, has significantly reduced the environmental impact of its leather manufacturing by cutting hides to size before tanning, which saves water, energy, and chemicals. In 2024 alone, the program reduced leather scraps by 26 tons and saved over 1.4 million liters of water. - LVMH's LIFE Academy, launched in 2024, is an initiative to provide environmental training to all employees by 2026. The program focuses on sustainable product design, responsible sourcing, and preventing climate change. - Gucci introduced Demetra in 2021, an animal-free material made from sustainable, renewable, and bio-based sources. This innovative material is used in some of Gucci's sneaker lines, including the Gucci Basket, Gucci New Ace, and Gucci Rhyton.
