S.O.S Magazine by Nati Duarte

ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE

THE TRUTH BEHIND MONCLER LEAVING NO TRACE: THE NEW PATH OF DOWN INDUSTRIES

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FASHION AFTER FOUR YEARS OF DETOX

JULY 2015 // NO 00 €10,00

Photo of the month: Pollution of textile factories in China. Photo by PETA.

SOS - Environmental Culture JULY 2015 No 00 Editorial Board Design Design and layout: Carolina Camargo Camila Borrero Vanessa Cervini Natalia Duarte Pictures and text contained in this publication are for academic purposes only. This is a student project and there’s no commercial intent regarding the content. Collaborators: WWF, James Ravilious, Masha Reva, Patagonia, Undp, Socialthoughts, Ting-yan, The Guardian, environmentallead, marketline, emeraldinsight, business.vic.gov.au, Lina María Ceballos, Laura Parker, Fashion beans, wrap. org.uk, theprintful, H&M, Greenpeace, Raw for the oceans, How stuff works, The solar bag, Stella McCartney, PETA, Ogilvy Paris. Project for: Laboratorio di artefatti e sistemi complessi - Corso di Comunicazione Visiva AA. 2014 – 2015 Politecnico di Milano Docenti: Pier Antonio Zanini Mauro Panzeri Curatore della materia Marco Moro

Politecnico di Milano Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32 20133 (MI) P.IVA 04376620151

C.F. 80057930150

Photo: Masha Reva

With every day that goes by we become more aware of the damage that the fashion industry is doing to the world. Environmental campaigns, shocking videos and a general feeling of discomfort have been slowly smudging the beatiful face of fashion. Long gone are the days when the only actions towards a more sustainable and eco friendly apparel were including one or two items made of organic cotton in a designer’s collection; it is well known that if we don’t start taking action, valuable resources such as drinkable water, arable land -not to mention the fauna and flora- will be gone. As a reaction to this dystopic prospect, those who care hace gone far beyond in order to make an effort: sustainable sources, low carbon emission and toxin control are becoming the standard to which the industry respond to, just to mention some; and

the bar is getting higher and higher with initiatives coming from brands that involve recycling and reusing disposable materials in order to create new fabrics and technologies. Not only have designers and brands taken action, but fashion lovers and buyers want to get their hands on more eco-friendly apparel, sadly the biggest trouble is finding it. This is just another sign that the time has come to take a stand against the shallow and inconsiderate sense over which that the industry has long stood on. No, we’re not into forcing people out of the industry; we’re extending a trail that shows a different approach towards fashion, a path that we’ve come to believe it’s healthier and much more conscious. Join the movement and change the history of fashion. -Vanessa Cervini

Designers & Brands The first lady of Eco Fashion Stella McCartney

People Clean oceans producing new clothes Pharrel

Looking good should do good H&M Conscious

The new WWF Global Ambassador Jared Leto

Ruffling the feathers The truth behind Moncler

Take action After four years Greenpeace and the Detox program

Directory

Behind the clothes Leaving no trace The new path of down industry

On the soft side Getting to know Organic cotton

Trends Print me bold Fun and funk all aroud

Red hot summer Head to toe on fire

Inspiration Mother Nature

Accessories Get off the couch with style Recycled fabric sneakers

Charge your life Solar panel bags

See the world through different eyes Wood glasses

On the cover: Ruffling the feathers Composition by Carolina Camargo.

BRANDS & DESIGNERS

Photo: Stella McCartney.com

Collection adidas by Stella McCartney produced without dangerous chemicals.

STELLA MCCARTNEY

THE FIRST LADY OF ECO FASHION

STELLA McCARTNEY

The Stella McCartney brand is now synonymous with eco fashion. It was the first anti leather and furluxury fashion brand, and the first to design fashion that is both effortlessly chic and environmentally friendly. Prior to the launch of the brand, the only environmentally sustainable and ethical clothing on the market was not aesthetically pleasing to the fashion crowd. McCartney was one of the first designers in the fashion business to embrace a sustainable attitude in her business model – from the production to the final collection. Her company is always looking for new ways to be more sustainable as it feels responsible for the resources it uses and the impact its activities have on the planet. This sense of responsibility and forward thinking is present when they design their collections, when they manufacture the clothes and even when they open new stores. All the designer’s stores, offices and studios in the UK are powered by wind energy and abroad, they use renewable energy to power their stores and offices not to mention that 45 percent of their operations are run on 100 percent renewable, green energy. Equally interesting, all her collections use as much organic cotton as possible and continue to do research to find new materials and ecological processes. Recycling is one of the key points of this company’s philosophy, other than having all locations furnished with recycling systems; in 2012, 34.3 metric tons of waste was diverted from landfill and recycled or reused they recycle all textiles that could be used.

Photo: Stella McCartney.com

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And when it comes to getting involved in green projects, Stella McCartney did not hesitate to take part on the Natural Resource Defense Council NRDC Clean by Design Programme, becoming the first company of luxury goods to contribute to such initiatives. Clean by Design, focuses on improving process efficiency to reduce waste and emissions and protect the environment.

“I’m an eco-warrior” Stella McCartney talks about her work fashion and sustainability. Are any of your products tested on animals? No, Stella McCartney products are ever tested on animals. I’ve heard about the practice of mulesing sheep, and I don’t like the sound of it. Stella McCartney fragrances aren’t tested on animals. As many as possible of our ingredients are of natural origin, and none are of animal origin. What’s your position on the subject? Well, for example all our wool suppliers are required to show documentation stating that our wool comes from sheep that do not undergo inhumane mulesing practices. This means that if they are going to remove excess skin from the sheep’s hindquarters in order to prevent infection and death from fly strike, they must prove to us that that they are using aesthesia during the procedure. We are very careful to only work with suppliers that treat their sheep humanely.

Collection Winter 2014 by Stella McCartney, make with a renewable natural resources.

Do you really use NO leather? We do not use leather, skins (i.e. python, crocodile and other exotics), or furs in any our products or licensed products. We also make sure that none of the glues contain animal products.What about PVC? In 2008 we began to phase out PVC from our products and since 2010 all Stella McCartney products have been PVC free. In addition to our own products we also assure that all adidas by Stella McCartney products are PVC free. Does avoiding leather cause a lot of difficulties in production? When it comes to shoes, because synthetic or woven materials are thinner and less elastic than leather, the main difficulty is achieving a uniform product. This is because many of the industrial techniques and machines used in leather shops are not appropriate for non-leather shoe manufacturing. We combine different blends of organic and synthetic fibres until they find a fabric that looks stunning. This means most of the steps in the production of both bags and shoes are executed solely by hand by skilled artisans – our bags, for example, can only be produced in a couple of factories in Italy that specialize in non-leather production. About 70 percent of the work is done by hand, and depending on the style, it can cost us up to 70 percent more to make a pair of shoes than any other brand – yet we don’t mark them up for the customer.

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It’s really the job of fashion designers now to turn things on their head in a different way, and not just try to turn a dress on its head every season. Try and ask questions about how you make that dress, where you make that dress, what materials you are using. I think that is far more interesting, actually.

Your non-leather shoes and bags still look luxurious – how do you do it? It can be a difficult task for our design team, sourcing, studying and testing a range of textiles that combine different blends of organic and synthetic fibres until they find a fabric that looks stunning, yet is versatile enough to undergo a variety of production techniques. Because of the scientific research that goes into creating these blended fibres and subsequently, their scarcity, innovative materials could be considered a true luxury, rather than leather, which has become a commodity.

I think that the way to create sustainable fashion is to keep asking these questions while making sure to make desirable, luxurious, beautiful clothing and accessories that women want to buy.

Stella McCartney: English fashion designer. She is the daughter of Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney and American photographer and animal rights activist Linda McCartney.

Photo: Stella McCartney.com

Both bags and shoes require the use of glue and this too is diligently tested to ensure the high ethical standards for which Stella McCartney is known. No fish glue, or any other glues derived from animal parts, are used in the production of our shoes and bags.

These are just a portion of all the activities and initiatives undertaken by Stella McCartney. Undoubtedly, this is a very good example for the fashion industry, which unfortunately doesn’t always comply with such ethical practices. We hope that many other designers and established companies will follow her example in the years to come.

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Fashion is about change, but you can have that and still be conscious. The important thing is that Stella McCartney is doing something to make a difference.

Friendly products “I design clothes that are meant to last. I believe in creating pieces that are not going to get burnt, that are not going to landfills and that are not going to damage the environment. For every piece in every collection, I am always asking what have we done to make this garment more sustainable and what else can we do. It is a constant effort to improve” THE NOEMI TOTE The range of beautiful Noemi totes made in Nairobi, Kenya are produced with the International Trade Center’s Ethical Fashion Program (ITC). The Program goes beyond charity by providing work to support sustainable livelihoods in disadvantaged communities in Africa. This a project that Stella McCartney passionately supports.

FRIENDLY EYEWEAR The sustainable eyewear collection is the result of extensive research into the use of raw materials from natural origins such as castor-oil seeds and citric acid. The collection is made from over 50 percent natural and renewable resources. STELLA LINGERIE Who says sustainable fashion can’t be beautiful, innovative and sexy? The Stella lingerie line uses recycled metal for hardware and organic cotton for the gussets, and is crafted using cutting edge technology for the smoothest, slimmest and most supportive styles possible.

BIODEGRADABLE SOLES Used in the collections since Autumn 2010, a biodegradable soles are made from a bioplastic called APINAT. This means they will degrade when placed in mature compost.

All of the wood used in the accessories is sustainability certified. They also use sustainability certified wood in stores with features such and signature herringbone floors.

STELLA MCCARTNEY 13

DALLAS STORE Dallas is now officially LEED certified. LEED or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design is one of the most recognised international standards for measuring building sustainability. It addresses the whole lifecycle of a building by analysing five key areas: sustainable site development, water saving, energy efficiency, material selection and indoor environmental quality. To achieve LEED certification, the Dallas store was created with features such as solar panels, FSC wood and energy efficient lighting. - Carolina Camargo

ADIDAS BY STELLA The collection is part of the adidas Better Place program. To make the grade, the materials must come from a sustainable source, be produced without dangerous chemicals, and be manufactured under the highest workplace standards with waste and energy management systems. All adidas by Stella McCartney products are PVC free.

Photos: Stella McCartney .com

ALTER NAPPA They have launched a new faux leather for Autumn 2013. This innovative material has a coating created with over 50 percent vegetable oil which is a renewable natural resource. This enables us to use less petroleum in our products.

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LOOKING GOOD SHOULD DO GOOD ABOUT H&M CONSCIOUS

The fast fashion brand has shipped the boat of eco fashion defenders for a better future- one where fashion both looks good and does good. Today, the fashion industry uses a lot of resources, this is bad news for the environment, and for millions of people around the world. Fashion for the brand is all about conscious customers and about offering you the products you love – at the prices you expect – with a much smaller impact.

Photo: Vanessa Paradis for H&M

They are doing this by always looking out for new materials and better ways of making the things they sell. Their new collection, Conscious, is their plan for making this future come true. According to the brands statements, it’s built on seven commitments, each with hundreds of Conscious Actions. Through these actions - big and small, short and long term – they will create a better fashion future for all. Through these actions they’ve set the challenge of ultimately making fashion sustainable and sustainability fashionable. They want to help people express their personality and feel proud with fair play, where respect and integrity are fundamental for this business. Being ethical also means protecting human rights and providing an inclusive business environment. Not only to take responsibility for their colleagues, but also to serve as a good example for millions of people around the world. When it comes to making ethical business decisions, H&M is committed to respecting human rights, taking a clear stand against any form of corruption and embracing diversity

Photo: Shonda Rhimes

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and inclusion. They see diversity as an asset that makes us better and we want to set a good example wherever we operate, every single interaction should be guided by mutual respect, integrity, transparency and honesty. This applies for everyone, whether you are a customer, colleague, business partner or any other stakeholder. Talking about quality, it’s so much more than the fabric you can feel between your fingertips. It’s also about the planet and the people around us; and it’s about offering you the very best of fashion and sustainability, not one or the other. Your personal style says a lot about who you are, this is a world where your fashion choices mean you look good, feel good and do good.

H&M Commitments From the hottest trends to the very best in basics. The design team creates sustainable fashion for all, always at the best price. Women: H&M’s fashion for women is the largest of the collections. It comprises everything from the latest must-haves to updated fashion classics. From casual daywear to amazing party dresses, via relaxed leisure separates, high performance sportswear and contemporary maternity apparel – it’s all here. Men: They are looking to create contemporary, flexible wardrobes should always find what they need at H&M. The collection offers smart suits and shirts for work and festive occasions, easy everyday favourites, sports clothing, shoes and accessories. The collection includes the latest trends, tailored classics and comfortable leisurewear.

Cotton crops in India, where working became an eco-responsability with the environment. It also helps the development aid for the region.

Kids: H&M offers children everything from supercool jeans to pretty dresses, in sizes from baby to 14 years. H&M children’s clothing should be fashionable and comfortable and is always carefully tesquality, function, safety and sustainability. Kids’ fashions must be soft on the skin, yet designed to withstand lively play and rigorous washing. These are some of the most important commitments of H&M Sustainable program: Provide fashion for conscious customers: They want to make conscious fashion choices fun and easy. It’s not only about looking great, it’s also about feeling good. By making conscious choices throughout the life of a garment, we can make a huge difference to our planet. Of the thousands of tonnes of textiles thrown away every year, 95 percentage could be re-worn or recycled. Their goal is to increase the share of more sustainable fabrics and materials every year. We are constantly on the lookout for innovative materials and processes that can make our products more sustainable. Choose and reward responsible partners: It is not a matter of having suppliers in emerging markets with high standards that reward sustainability performance with better business. The brand

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Be climate smart: Tackling climate change is one of the major challenges, its consequences are as likely to affect everyone else on this planet, including suppliers, colleagues and customers. So it is essential to do everything to reduce climate impact. Prosperous and stable markets where human rights are respected, skills training are readily available and the eco-systems are healthy benefit their business. Through shared value investments and strategic partnerships they work to drive lasting change and ensure that everyone benefits from having them.

The Program The punctual actions involve investing in children’s future prospects by delivering water, sanitation and hygiene education in schools to improve health and education and thereby transforming children’s futures. The ambition is to transform systems so that all schools will have clean water and separate toilets for girls and boys in the future, enabling children to stay in school and get the most out of their education.

SOME CONSCIOUS ACTIONS OF 2014

We are the number one user of certified organic cotton in the world.

21% 21 percent of H&M’s cotton is either certified organic, recycled or grown under the Better Cotton Initiative. Their goal is 100 percent by 2020.

78% 78 percent of their colleagues are women. So are percentage of them are managers.

Photo: Shonda Rhimes

works hard to ensure better livelihood and positive development in the communities where they operate. Many of these challenges can’t be solved by one organization alone, so they work with several partners to ensure lasting and systemic change.

H&M 17

This includes hand washing facilities, separate child friendly toilets for girls and boys and promotion programs for improved hygiene practices including menstrual hygiene. Further, the program will work to advocate, influence and support relevant national institutions for policy development within water and sanitation in schools which will be critical for long term success, indirectly reaching thousands of students. At global level, the Flagship Program will advocate for water, sanitation and hygiene in all schools to be one of the targets of the new UN Sustainable Development Goals, as part of a wider goal of achieving universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. According to the brand’s plan, by 2017 more than 250 000 students will have access to clean water and toilets in school and have been educated in hygiene practices. National policies in five countries will have water, sanitation and hygiene in schools integrated into the educational policy supported with concrete plans and resources for implementation. Globally influencing the Post2015 framework and UN Sustainable Development Goals to include a goal on water and sanitation, with one of the targets being for all schools to have safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Ensuring that both girls and boys have an equal chance to stay in school and learn in a safe, healthy environment will allow them to fulfil their potential and provide a promising future for their contries and for a better world.

Today Alek’s influence extends far beyond the fashion world. She is behind the Bracelet of Life campaign in conjunction with Médecins Sans Frontières, Doctors without Borders. She works closely with AIDS awareness organizations, children’s charities, and non-profits dedicated to breast cancer research. She spoke at the International Black Caucus Foreign Affairs as a member of a panel that included Hilary Clinton and others.

Photo: H&M Consious Collection

Water, sanitation and hygiene education in schools are founding blocks for children’s rights, and is vital to increase their possibilities for a better future. The program will implement water, sanitation and hygiene education in schools through local partner organizations and showcase these approaches for national and local governments to replicate and scale up at district or national levels.

“It is with a sense of pride that I lend my voice to the H&M Conscious Foundation”. -Alek Wek, Ambassador H&M Conscious Foundation Since 2002, Wek has been an advisor to the U.S. Committee for Refugees Advisory Council, which helps to raise awareness about the situation in Sudan, as well as the plight of refugees worldwide. Alek was introduced to H&M Conscious Foundation when she was asked to give her opinion on which global challenges she found most immediate and relevant for the Foundation to support. The model recognizes H&M as a company that gives back in such an impactful way.

The ambassadors

The collaboration with the model started in April 2014 and will initially run for a three year period. “The three focus areas have all affected my home country”.

The star-studded brand chose the world known Sudanese model Alek Wek as the ambassador for the H&M Conscious Foundation. Alek Wek was born in Southern Sudan and raised in the Dinka tribe. At fourteen, she was forced to flee to London to escape civil war. Soon there after, Alek was discovered at a London street fair.

Despite their greater eco-awareness, shoppers aren’t always willing to switch to more sustainable products, or pay more for them, even if they do say they want greener goods; now with initiatives that come easily in the fast fashion market, this may change and the eco fashion initiatives will be the rule, not the exception. -Camila Borrero

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THE ISSUE

RUFFLING THE FEATHERS

THE TRUTH BEHIND MONCLER What could be better than being wrapped up in a fluffy jacket during a cold day? Maybe nothing, this is the main reason Moncler’s apparel has become the most wanted pieces for winter season, but sadly there’s so much more to their down padded jackets. Down is ideal for jackets, whereas feathers are more suited for pillows and other types of bedding. Down is soft, fine, and plush, and is found closer to a bird’s skin. Down is very particular: traps air, preventing it from reaching the bird’s body, which helps keep the bird (and you) insulated. The anatomy of the feather is very different feathers are just that; the whole feather, including its prickly stem, barb, and barbules. Because of these characteristics, feathers are less likely to be used in jackets, where a barb or stem could easily poke through a seam. But the stem acts as a spring when tightly packed, making feathers well suited for items that need to bounce back after use, like a mattress or cushion. Regardless of whether the product is made from down or feathers, the sourcing is the same. Down is harvested as a byproduct of the meat industry, and there are a number of ways that animals can suffer. Geese and ducks raised for slaughter go from a parent farm where they are laid to a hatchery, then a raising farm, and finally the slaughterhouse when they are 12 to 16 weeks old. Ducks and geese that stay in the parent farm to produce eggs live four to five years. When they molt, farmers collect their down; but since they live for so long, there’s an economic temptation to live-pluck the birds which is, needless to say, incredibly painful and distressing to them so that they repeatedly grow new feathers and can contribute down throughout their lives. Historically, feathers were sourced from wildfowl such as ducks and seagulls, but these days, the majority of down that’s used for consumer goods comes from domesticated geese, which also produce the infamous delicacy foie gras. Thus many manufactures obtain their down from the same farms that produce foie, which has been denounced for decades by animal welfare groups due to the foie production practice known as force-feeding.

Photo: Carolina Camargo Collage

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Most European countries (excluding France and Hungary) have banned force-feeding. Conditions at the farm and through the entire chain of production are permanently evaluated and that way they make sure no one is skiping the rules.

Fashion and animal rights

sometimes more attuned to seasonal musts than animal welfare. Despite the company’s swift response to the allegations, Moncler shares immediately dropped 4.88 percent on the Milan stock market. The Report program also slammed Moncler and other luxury labels for shifting production out of Italy to lower-paid workers in Eastern Europe in order to cut costs while keeping high retail prices.

Ethical fashion has become a hot issue in Italy after allegations were made of animal cruelty involving top Italian down-filled jacket producer Moncler

The company denied last Monday that it used goose-down suppliers that employ cruel methods to pluck geese following footage broadcast by RAI3’s Report program showing geese in Hungary plucked in a way that left many severely injured.

The allegation prompted Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) Senator Loredana De Petris, who leads the so-called “Mixed Group” of independents and tiny political parties, to propose last Friday the creation of a parliamentary investigation committee to prove Italian luxury firms moving production abroad.

Photo: Moncler Report

Though the firm said that its down suppliers were currently located only in Italy, France and the United States and were bound by contract to comply with principles outlined by the European Down and Feathers Association, ethical fashion is suddenly key for firms producing clothing and accessories

On Monday, November 3, Moncler was subject of a report broadcast the day before on the public TV channel RAI 3 as part of the investigative show ”Report”. The broadcast titled “Siamo tutti oche”, italian for “We are all geese” exposed the

The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. A percentage of the world’s supply of down feathers has been plucked from live birds, a practice which is condemned as cruel by animal welfare groups.

MONCLER 21

inhumane practices of a Hungarian company that plucks geese live. The report went on to accuse Moncler of having moved production abroad (primarily to Eastern Europe) in order to increase its margins. The show also interviewed small businesses in southern Italy, which said they had laid off workers after losing contracts to supply Moncler. For the first time a public television succeeded in providing documentary evidence of the illegal liveplucking practiced on live geese in Hungary. The program reports this criminal, cruel practice which is common in the European Union. The UE is considered as the first responsible for the lack of supervision and for having a set of regulations which enables the easy “recycle” of illegal dawn.

“The plucking usually harvest around 150 grams of down per goose enough to fill an average-sized pillow, three or four birds are needed to fill a Moncler’s coat like this. So it is true that the overall percentage of all birds is not live-plucked”. - Sabrina Giannini

Sabrina Giannini’s inquiry starts with the filling of the trendy down jackets, Moncler, analyzing every passage: from the fazone (the term implies the artisan and sartorial phases: from the fabrics’ cutting, to the sewing of all the item parts, including the filling of the dawn’s bags) to the outsourcing, especially in East Europe (but even in Armenia). She highlights the large saving margins which are incomprehensible for a product defined as “luxury” and that got rid of the Southern Italy artisans to save just a dozen Euros on the tailoring. The entire process has a value of about 50 euros while the final price starts from 600 euros to reach even1500 euros.

We’re speaking about Transnistria, the Republic founded on the Soviet and self proclaimed independent from Moldova. Here, according to observers’ reports, human and workers’ rights are not respected. The entire process has a value of about 50 euros while the final price starts from €600 to reach even €1500. Behind this scenario, which is well away from the luxury idea conveyed by commercials, there is an obvious hypocrisy of the European Commission that allows to put the label “Made in Moldova” on an item even if it has been produced in a Republic that ironically, the same organism, European Union, doesn’t even recognize.

Photo: Moncler Collection 2014

It is a long range inquiry (even geographical) on the choices of some fashion brands that move the production in countries not even recognized by the UN in order to save a handful of euros on products sold at very high prices in the boutiques.

Industrial process which is used to know the quality of feathers by their weight.

Women making the artisan process to extract a gooseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feather causing skin wounds in the animals. The wounded animals are used to make foie gras.

Photo: Archive New York Times

Photo: James Ravilious ÂŠ Beaford Arts

22 BRANDS & DESIGNERS

MONCLER 23

The tailoring phase is the most significant work in the production cycle of a fashion item like this: the entire process has a value of about €50 while the final price starts from €600 to reach even €1500.

Chained reaction As a result of this awful truth protest was unleashed on social networks and the effects were devastating specially in Moncler’s official Facebook page, where many customers expressed their shock. The brand released a statement late in the day, stating, “All the feathers used by the company come from highly qualified suppliers, (...) who are contractually obliged to ensure compliance with the principles of animal welfare.” Twitter remains the strongest and most viral channel of reputational crisis with about 3,000 tweets pitted against the brand, with insults and fierce criticism. Most of these users was probably not the target audience of Moncler and it is not the interlocutor that Moncler has to deal with, as someone said. But is this true? The role of marketing has changed and one of its main objectives is to create value not only for potential customers, but for society in general. It is on the relationship you build with it that you can maintain strong economic performance. The three issues raised and analyzed carefully in the service of “Report” were as thorns in the side and have caused many problems for the company, and undermined its brand reputation, recording a significant drop in equities and demonstrating how even a luxury brand with a solid background can ignore the virtuous circle of values triggered by these changes.

Brand’s statement A day after the show, Moncler took to social media and its Web site, issuing a statement to combat allegations of wrongdoing. The brand stated that they hadn’t shifted production to the region as it had always operated there. In Italy we’ve kept some efficient collaborations with the best garment makers,” It said. Moncler also said in statement it only used goose down from suppliers who were bound by contract to protect the welfare of animals. The company’s comment followed footage broadcast on Italian television on Sunday night that showed geese in Hungary being plucked in a way that left many of them badly injured. Moncler said its down suppliers were currently located in Italy, France and

North America.“There is no link whatsoever with the strong images broadcast relating to breeders, suppliers and farms that act in an improper and illegal way” it said, adding it has given its lawyers a mandate to protect its rights. Moncler kept its communications to Italian, due to the local nature of the show. A series of posts on Facebook and other social media platforms share the complete statement in parts, and link to the entire release on the brands Web site. In the post, the brand states that its suppliers are only located in Italy, France and North America, denying a connection to the Hungarian vendor shown in the report (tv show). Reputation Manager, an Italian firm that measures brands’ online standing, said the show, had triggered 4,300 tweets on Moncler between Sunday night and Monday morning, 88 percent of which were negative. “Crucial aspects for the reputation of a company such as social responsibility, sustainability and quality have received a hard blow all at once” Reputation Manager CEO Andrea Barchiesi said in a note. Report criticised Moncler and other luxury brands for shifting production out of Italy to lower-paid workers in eastern Europe despite the high profit margins on their goods. The company also denied allegations that retail prices for its jackets were too high compared to production costs. It said the cost of its products rose by around 2.5 times by the time they reached shopkeepers who would then mark them up further based on prices prevailing in that market.

Economy and numbers According to some, the dust of controversy raised up after the airing of the report is destined to be forgotten in a hurry. Others, however, consider the possibility that, for their own survival and for the foresight of their business, today companies must be able to cope with the constant changes in the economy and the market. They must become familiar with issues as sustainable production, environmental protection, economic, geographical imbalances and ethical development. Consumption is increasingly driven by values and ideological choices that put attention to the ethical aspects, which can be translated into a heavy penalty for misbehavior of the company by the market. Without necessarily to refering to catastrophic mass boycotts, the risk of permanently losing perhaps a small but real slice of consumers is high. -Vanessa Cervini.

Photo: Patagonia

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THE SOLUTION

LEAVING NO TRACE THE NEW PATH OF DOWN INDUSTRY

Winter came and went leaving sporadic bursts of frigid air and snow all over the world. But with the slow retreat of cold temperatures, the white season also left a permanent scar on the conscience of millions of people. With a great scandal that developed into many smaller scandals- the fashion industry was caught in a polar vortex of disgrace regarding one on the most popular pieces found in most of the winter closets. We’re talking about the winter down jacket . It’s a clothing item most people take for granted because it gives us an impressive amount of warmth at a relatively reasonable price. But the cost is far greater for the birds whose feathers provide winter coats with their puffiness and cozy comforters with their fluffiness. The down feather industry means billions of dollars a year for suppliers. China provides 80 percent of the world’s supply for down feathers, with the other 20 percent coming from Hungary, Poland, and North America. The large percentage of down feathers coming from China, a country that as of 2012 had not one animal cruelty law, raised alarms among animal advocates. Even more troublesome is the process of live plucking, which, as of early 2009, accounted for at least half (possibly as much as 80 percent) of the global down supply. Live plucking, in which down is harvested while the bird is still alive, is painful to watch and even worse to hear. Feathers are ripped from the bird’s body, often leaving it with open wounds that are then sewn up to prevent infection. Once the birds are plucked, the feathers grow back in about a month. The average goose yields enough down to fill a standard pillow. Depending on the size, a winter coat takes three to four geese. Down taken from birds that are liveplucked is supposedly more desirable and therefore more profitable. A bird can typically withstand three or four live pluckings a year. Long before the television turned ethics into a hot fashion commodity, protecting the welfare of animals has been a concern for a number of brands that have used synthetic fabrics and faux fur and leather to produce ethically-sound and highly desirable clothes and accessories.

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Photo: Patagonia

Despite the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swift response to the allegations, Moncler shares immediately dropped 4.88 percent on the Milan stock market. The Report program also slammed Moncler and other luxury labels for shifting production out of Italy to lower-paid workers in Eastern Europe in order to cut costs while keeping high retail prices. The allegation prompted Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) Senator Loredana

De Petris, who leads the so-called Mixed Group of independents and tiny political parties, to propose last Friday the creation of a parliamentary investigation committee to probe Italian luxury firms moving production abroad. The Senator also called on Italian Premier Matteo Renzi to use the semester of Italian EU presidency to prompt the European Commission to issue directives aimed at explicitly banning the plucking of live geese and ducks across the eurozone.

The solution The only way out of these vicious cycle is to implement a system-wide and zero-tolerance policy, assuring that all future down came only from suppliers who met strict guidelines, including that all birds be humanely raised and slaughtered, and without any force-feeding or live-plucking. This is when the Traceable Down Standard (TDS) come in. The standard ensures that down in garments and other household and commercial products comes from a responsible source that respects animal welfare and can be transparently traced.Â It certifies every step of the down supply chain with strict traceability requirements for verification.

Photo: Patagonia

Ethical fashion has become a hot issue in Italy after allegations were made of animal cruelty involving top Italian down-filled jacket producer Moncler in a recent report aired by State broadcaster RAI. The company denied that it used goose-down suppliers that employ cruel methods to pluck geese following footage broadcast by the program showing geese in Hungary plucked in a way that left many severely injured.

Patagonia workers building a good place for the geese, to maintain their natural environment.

Photo: Allied

Selection process for the certificated feathers and packing.

Photo: Patagonia

TRACEABLES FEATHERS 27

The certification starts with the hatchlings in order to confirm that those birds are not harmed in any way throughout their entire life. This robust certification process means that by the time you end up with a finished product, every part of the process has already been thoroughly audited.

How does it work? Every lot of down that arrives in Alliedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s processing facilities is assigned a number. This number is unique to that lot and designates the exact origin of the down. Once a lot number is assigned, a computer follows the down clusters through processing, washing, and drying. After the product has been cleaned, down from multiple shipments and farms are blended together to improve warmth, weight, and quality. The final down blend is assigned a production lot number. Each bag of blended down (labeled with that production lot number) is shipped out and ready to become part of a down jacket or duvet.The system is used by Allied to provide partners with peace of mind that their down is of the highest quality and

Photos: Patagonia

28 BEHIND THE CLOTHES

ethically sourced. Now, Allied is bringing an unprecedented level of transparency to the down industry by using this tracking database and developing a consumer-facing tool. For the first time, a consumer can log in to TrackMyDown.com and trace the down in their purchase from the store all the way back to the farm’s region. It also draws from the independent reports acquired for every lot of down to provide the user information on the verified actual fill power, cleanliness and content analysis. Now the consumer can know EXACTLY what is inside their jacket, sleeping bag or down comforter. It costs nothing for brands to add “Track My Down” to their products. All brands need to do is include the down lot number somewhere on their products. Some brands have always printed the down lot number on products’ tags. Allied is helping design branded hang tags, labels, and packaging that incorporate the lot number. Scannable QR codes can even bring consumers directly to the lot page. Now the consumer can know exactly what is inside their jacket or sleeping bag. Every “Track My Down” lot page can be customized to include information on the partner brand and even the final product itself. This customization provides a precious opportunity for Allied’s partners to educate customers on their business, product line

Build the best product, cause no necessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

and commitment to ethical down sourcing. When you see a Track My Down lot number on a garment, it brings a level of transparency that adds value and enables those products to stand out from the rest. TrackMyDown.com is currently in beta as more brands sign up for this exciting new project.

Winners and losers One alternative to plucking feathers, though not as profitable, is “gathering” them following the birds’ natural molting cycle, according to the European Food Safety Authority. However, on large farms, not all birds molt at exactly the same time and even with gathering, there is a chance some feathers may be live-plucked. Consequently, according to Patagonia, its suppliers do not gather down until after the birds are slaughtered. Patagonia isn’t down with cruelly harvested down. The outdoor-apparel firm announced a decision Wednesday to switch to 100 percent traceable down across its entire collection of down-insulated products, starting with the Fall/Winter 2014 season. The process of extracting duck or goose feathers, however, isn’t always humane. Undercover footage from animal-rights groups reveals workers who yank feathers from pinned-down birds, sometimes so

TRACEABLES FEATHERS 29

violently they rip open the skins. Plus, buying down can support the production of foie-gras by farmers who sell feathers as a product of their force-fed geese. But in the crowded market for cold-weather outerwear, a socially responsible agenda could distinguish a brand and boost sales. “Down, for Patagonia, is a significant part of our business” Patagonia’s spokeswoman, Jess Clayton, tells Quartz, “Traceable will only help.” Patagonia isn’t the only down coat company working to reduce cruelty in the down production processes. In January 2014 another famous outwear brand, The North Face, announced its own model, the Responsible Down Standard (RDS). Partnering with Control Union Certification and Textile Exchange, an accredited third-party certification body, the North Face has said that its RDS clothing will go on sale in the fall of 2015. The Vancouverbased outerwear brand Westcomb sources its down from Canadian Hutterites, a religious group with a tradition of ethically raised and slaughtered geese. And Coleman, working with the animal rights group PETA, completely stopped using natural down in its jackets and sleeping bags, choosing synthetics instead. It’s unlikely that most companies using down will switch to synthetics. Down has a greater warmthto-weight ratio than synthetic materials such as Polarguard, Primaloft, and Thinsulate, and brands such as UNIQLO, whose much-loved down jackets and vests are ubiquitous in cities around the world, depend on it.

Collection by Patagonia with traceable Down (goose down that can be traced back to birds that were never force-fed, never live-plucked).

Photo: Patagonia

And once that ethical bar is raised, companies that don’t meet the new standards can suffer. For example, the French-Italian luxury brand Moncler recently saw a drop in its share price after a TV show alleged bad treatment of the geese used for its 1,000 euros-plus coats, setting off a storm of critical social media attention. -Vanessa Cervini

Photos: Vogue Japan

30 BEHIND THE CLOTHES

ON THE SOFT SIDE ORGANIC COTTON IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Cotton is often referred to as “the fabric of our lives” and for good reason. We come in contact with items made from this fibre every day. The clothes you wear, the sheets you sleep on, the diapers you put on your baby and even some of the food you eat have been made with cotton. Today, manufacturers incorporate cotton into a great number of applications, including apparel, home furnishings and industrial products. This fibre goes a long way back, it has been used to create clothing for at least 7,000 years, and still is the world’s most commonly used natural fibre. Since the beginning of the 21st century, cotton has been used in about 39 percent of the world’s fibres. While about 58 percent of fibres use synthetic materials, cotton is still the most used fibre among naturally produced, non-synthetic materials. Today, cotton is grown in 85 countries around the world and uses 2.5 percent of the world’s arable land. People are used to buy economical cotton clothing in a range of distinct textures and looks for all seasons and any occasion. Regarding women’s clothing items, 75 percent of summer wear items contain cotton, while only 60 percent of winter wear does, proving that cotton’s light and breathable feel are what make it so essential for dressing during summer and for hot weather. Among specific clothing items, 30 percent of women’s dress pants contain cotton, 38 percent of women’s dresses contain cotton, 45 percent of women’s skirts contain cotton, and 48 percent of women’s knit blouses contain cotton. 60 percent of women’s clothing items contain cotton fibres, and 40 percent are made from all cotton. Cotton fabric is breathable and transmits moisture away from the body and is absorbent and removes liquid from the skin, like a towel, according to Cotton Incorporated can take up to one-fifth of its weight in water before feeling damp. breathes It is also better than oil-based synthetic fabrics like polyester, so it’s the perfect thing to wear when you’re working out. But because it is a natural fibre, it risks damage from mildew. Help keep colours looking bright by turning them inside out before laundering and using the shortest cycle possible for the soil level and fabric. Still, don’t wash it too much, it doesn’t hold a lot of dirt, and not doing laundry is awesome, of course. Plus you’ll save money, water and energy, and help your clothes last even longer. China is the largest producer of cotton, but uses most of the product grown in the country. The second-largest cotton producer is the United States, where between 40 and 60 percent of the cotton produced is shipped abroad. Of the cotton produced, an estimated 60 percent is used turned into fabric for clothing items, such as t-shirts, shirts, jeans, coats, and jackets. But growing conventional cotton requires the use of enormous amounts of pesticides.

Photos: FairTrade Living

32 BEHIND THE CLOTHES

Photo: FairTrade Living

Together developing world farmers are responsible for producing 75 percent of global cotton production.

ORGANIC COTTON 33

These toxic substances which have a huge environmental impact and present health risks; the health risks of pesticide exposure include birth defects, reproductive disorders and weaker immune systems. In fact, the EPA considers 7 of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton as “likely” or “known” human carcinogens.

The safe alternative

Ironically, it is estimated that less than 10 percent of the chemicals applied to cotton accomplish their task, the rest are absorbed into the plant, air, soil, water and our bodies.

Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides or fertilizers, therefore helping to improve the quality of the land, prevent water contamination, and conserve biodiversity.

The excessive use of chemicals in conventional cotton production has led to a great deal of pollution. Not everyone knows this, but even though it is a natural fibre, it uses more pesticide per plant than almost any other crop in the world.

A field must be pesticide-free for at least three years to be certified organic, and the cotton must be processed according to the international organic standards.

Being grown in poor countries where chemical handling equipment and training is non-existant, it ends up causing illness and even death amongst cotton farmers who are exposed to this dangerous substances every day. Conventionally-grown cotton occupies only 3 percent of the world’s farmland, but uses 25 percent of the world’s chemical pesticides. An estimated 1 to 5 million cases of pesticide poisoning occur every year, and that’s only taking in account the official cases, most of the intoxication cases are not reported, resulting in 20,000 reported deaths among agricultural workers and at least 1 million requiring hospitalisation. To produce just one tonne it takes one tonne of oil, seven tonnes of Co2 and one hundred tonnes of wáter. Sprayed from the air, these highly toxic chemicals can drift into surrounding neighborhoods, poison farm workers, contaminate air, ground and surface water and cause major eco-system problems and imbalances.

An example of an environmental catastrophe due to the misuse of pesticides is the case of Uzbekistan, second largest cotton exporter in the world also reveal the drawbacks of these chemicals.

This ‘organic’ attribute for cotton clothing is often, but not necessarily, accompanied by a ‘fair trade’ certification. There are dozens of organizations related to these issues, the most dominant in the UK are Pesticide Action Network (PAN UK) (Pesticide Action Network 2006), The Soil Association (About us 2006) that provides organic cotton certification, and the Fairtrade Foundation. Other methods used such as beneficial insect releases, strip cutting of alfalfa and new weeding machinery help reduce the environmental impact of cotton crops. The Organic Certification means less chemicals, increases biodiversity, a higher cotton price and a more sustainable farming business for those involved. In 2004, more than 6,800 bales of organic cotton were harvested in the United States, which is about 3.2 million pounds. That is compared to this year’s estimate of total U.S. cotton production of 19.2 million bales — over 9 trillion pounds. By eliminating other synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, organic cotton keeps waterways and

COTTON STATISTICS

20,000

+80 300 million Countries are cotton producers.

People working in the cotton industry.

Litres of water are required to grow one kg of cotton.

1 tonne Of nitrogen fertilizer creates 2 tonnes of CO2.

Photo: FairTrade Living

34 BEHIND THE CLOTHES

drinking water safe and clean. The water pollution impact of organic cotton has been shown to be 98 percent less than non-organic cotton production. And in a moment where it’s already hard to do things right and still get a profit when dealing with big companies, organic cotton farmers are doing their bit to combat climate change. By eliminating the use of manufactured fertilisers and pesticides and reducing nitrogen inputs, organic cotton growing produces up to 94 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. Not only they mantain their health, organic practices also turn soils into a carbon ‘sink’, removing CO2 from the earth’s atmosphere.

People who care Some of the reasons that impulse people to buy organic cotton clothing include the enhancement of quality of life: Softness and higher quality of cotton and supporting the protection of the environment. These traits have become very important for the new generation of fashion lovers. The two main barriers for buying organic clothing are ‘not stylish’, ‘too rural’ and ‘expensive’ garments.

Up to 99 percent of the world’s cotton farmers live and work in the developing world, where cotton is predominantly a smallholder crop grown by the rural poor.

Regarding price and the importance given by people to the organic cotton clothing premium price; after knowing about the harm of pesticides, the percentage of costumers willing to buy organic became sensitive and increased to 60 percent and the price was not a concern anymore. There is no evidence of a direct relation between consuming organic products and the willingness to purchase organic clothing. Cotton is the most popular organic material used in clothing according to the sustainability study EcoLabels: Their Impact on Domestic Markets and International Trade Flows. Research findings reveal that apparel made with organic cotton may be taken as a signal by consumers that the product is more environmentally friendly than similar products.

Healthy clothes Low-cost imports, many from China, have led to a fashion trend many call “fast fashion”. Americans buy about 1 billion garments from China annually, and throw away in excess of 68 pounds of textiles per person per year, according to “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry.” Since 1990, meanwhile, fashion designers, including Armani, Stella McCartney, Rogan Gregory

Photo: FairTrade Living

ORGANIC COTTON 35

and Katharine Hamnett, have been attuned to sustainability using repurposed, organic, vegan, lowimpact and other green fabrics and ideas. In 2008, the New York runway show FashionFuture enlisted McCartney, Versace, Givenchy, Calvin Klein and Saint Laurent to showcase green fashion. The dicoveries made in the field of fashion regarding the use and waste of cotton fabrics was surprising: The reuse of a ton of cotton clothing only used 2.6 percent of the energy needed to manufacture brand new pieces of clothing from new materials. There’s more to organic cotton than just a health kick, on the long run chemicals respiratory problems and at the source they can be deadly. No wonder that parents are increasingly purchasing organic cotton baby clothes. Many companies, including fast fashin brands now have organic cotton products. The Gap has introduced a baby Gap organic collection and in 2007 released a new line of men’s shirts. There’s a variety of jeans and skirts made with organic cotton from Levi’s Eco. Besides the benefits regarding better health for consumers and farmers; environmental conservation, and cost savings for farmers become more and more important every day.

Organic farming practices expect not only to offer a healthier and cleaner product, but also to command a higher, more stable price. Raising of these benefits increases its demand and thus, lowers its cost. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. “While organic farming is more difficult, it saves lives from not using pesticides. We no longer have debt problems. Income is all profit at the end of season. Land and soil are preserved.” – Farmer Gera Paul. By producing organic cotton products, we’re not only helping the environment; we’re creating a better working environment for those on farms save money by not having to buy large amounts of pesticides. Projects have already started around the world, since 2012 nearly 30,000 low-income cotton farmers in India improved health and increased incomes by switching to organic cotton production, following a commitment made by two Japanese companies to the Business Call to Action (BCtA). In this project, companies pledged to improve the income of Indian farmers, their health and the environment, by scaling up production of organically produced cotton, which is free of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers and has an approximately 30 percent higher market price. - Vanessa Cervini

36 TRENDS

PRINT ME BOLD

FUN AND FUNK ALL AROUND Are you ready for a unique summer full of emotion and colour? The world of fashion certainly is!

Prints are no loger something to be afraid of; in fact, the more, the better. Dare to wear them and experiment with more than one at the same time, and more importantly: have fun! Printed pants add a pop of colour to neutral outfits and can inject some energy, colour and vibrancy to dull pieces. You can choose the print that represents your style and personality, from structured patterns to abstract designs.

They’re cheery. They’re interesting. They’re lively. Anyone who dares to wear them instantly becomes the center of attention.

Photo: Vogue Magazine

TIP: Floral prints, big and small are the main characters and stand centric to this season.

BOLD PRINTS 37

Repeating print colours is to choose two prints with the same dominant colour. or those that are similar in scale but come in slightly different colours can layer beautifully. For a slightly bolder look, choose a less dominant colour from one print and match that colour with your second print; the colours donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to match exactly, but they should be close enough to be recognized. -Vanessa Cervini

Dresses: Peter Pilotto - H&M Shoes: Stella McCartney for Adidas Skirt and top: H&M Bag and Bangles: Stradivarius

**All items are ECO-FRIENDLY

38 TRENDS

RED HOT SUMMER HEAD TO TOE ON FIRE

For such an unabashedly upfront tone, red can be deceptively difficult to wear. On the one hand, it’s bold and uncomplicated, and true reds will suit almost every skin tone. On the other side of the coin, the raw power of the hue can make potential wearers feel a little squeamish. After all, red is the colour of passion and overt sensuality; of emotions worn literally and figuratively on the sleeve. It’s also a key colour trend for summer 2015. But that doesn’t mean red should only be worn by the brave. In fact, it’s relatively easy to harness the full potential of such a high impact colour.

It is also the undisputed protagonist of this season. The colour sums up so many states of mind, so much of what is happening in the world.

Photo: Vogue Magazine

TIP: Vibrant tomatolike tones are threaded through many of this season’s key collections.

RED HOT SUMMER 39

Dark blonde or brown hair and soft-coloured eyed women are advised to pick soft and muted reds. Blondes should go for pale red tones with a blue undertone. Women with black or dark brown hair should choose dark and strong shades of red with a blue undertone. Redhead ladies will look amazing in orangey reds. and stay away from blue-based reds. -Vanessa Cervini

Dresses: Armani - H&M Shoes: Todâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s - H&M Skirt and top: Gap Bangles: Stradivarius Scarf: Tiana Purse: Stella McCartney

**All items are ECO-FRIENDLY

40 INSPIRATION

Loving fashion and loving nature doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be unsustainable, both can go hand by hand in every wardrobe. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to pay tribute to mother nature and acknowldege that when collides with the power of style the results are wonderful. Photography: Kuba Zhoka, Art direction: Carolina Camargo, Model : Aga Nowak

Mini purse Dolce and Gabbana made with organic wood.

THE MOTHER NATURE 41

Dress: Stella McCartney with organic cotton, headpiece made by hair stylist.

42 INSPIRATION

Dress: H&M Detox campaign. Headpiece made by hair stylist.

THE MOTHER NATURE 43

Mini purse: Valentino made with organic fibres.

44 INSPIRATION

Dress: Puma Detox campaign. Headpiece made by hair stylist.

THE MOTHER NATURE 45

Shirt: Stella McCartney with organic silk. Headpiece made by hair stylist.

46 ACCESORIES

CONVERT YOUR SOFA INTO SNEAKERS GET OFF THE COUCH WITH STYLE

Some people are scared of the recycling and reusing side of fashion, and because of that more and more fabric materials are going to waste and end up contributing with the excessive amount of pollution on earth. As a matter of fact, most clothing and household fabrics are discarded without giving a second thought to the effects they have on the environment. According to the sustainability company WRAP, in 2010, only in the UK, 700,000 tonnes of clothing were thrown away - enough to fill 459 Olympic-size swimming pools. Finding a solution to this problem, or at least part of it, turned out to be easier than expected when one of the biggest agencies in France tied it up with a much more obvious issue that affects society now a day: sedentarism. This way people were pushed to change their lifestyles while thinking in one of our most beloved house pieces.

Photo Ogilvy & Mather Paris

In 2013 the French spent an average of 4.5 days on their couch doing not much at all. That’s where

Founded in 1990 the “Spring Water Company” has a large portfolio and a true passion for fine bottled water. Vittel is a still natural mineral water with low mineral level that provides a well-balanced supply of minerals and trace elements for your body.

“The Couch Converter” came in with the idea of bringing something new to people’s life and creating a healthier lifestyle. Although the main objective of the project is to make people drink more Vittel water, one of the most recognized brands of water in Europe, there’s a strong focus on promoting an active lifestyle. In April of 2014 the brand contact the famous agency Ogilvy París and decided to solve the problem at its source: The couch! On November of 2014 “The Couch Converter” was introduced as the first online service that turns couches into running shoes. It works in a very simple way; they’ve created an online interaction in which people were invited to donate their old couches to the brand’s headquarters, or even just a tiny piece of it. Then, Vittel took care of the rest; with the help of designers and their amazing taste they created an exclusive shoe design. A team of professional shoemakers gave each couch a new life as a unique pair of costume trainers; each shoe left a motivational message.

SOFA SNEAKERS 47

After a few weeks people were back on track, having a more active daily life, drinking more water and exercising like a pro with a lot of style; everything while reusing the fabrics of their old sofas. Somehow the project grew more than expected and Ogilvy Paris decided to broadcast a dedicated campaign, turning a short-term initiative into an on going project. Vittel couch converter, reshaping your couch and get a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the exclusive sneakers designs that emerged from the old fashion couches where very trendy and innovative. The fabrics of old sofa designs was complemented by the fact that people wanted to have unique pieces of emotional workout accessories. Therefore, the campaign had total success and more French people leave their sedentary life to be very trendy and with a new life style that was totally healthy. With this great initiative the recycling movement got an amazing twist to it, making it fun and smple for people to get involved in it. About the interactive tool created for the campaign: The convertor shows a fun way to change the sofa into a new pair of sneakers. As a user you can see the transformation of different types of couches, this way you can imagine how yours could be and give it a try. - Camila Borrero

STEPS TO

Donate your old couch to Vittel for use the parts.

They created an exclusive shoe design for you.

Each couch have a new life as a unique pair of costume trainers.

Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. The company is composed of industry leading units in the following disciplines: Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations.

48 ACCESORIES

CHARGE YOUR LIFE

Photo: Voltaic System

SOLAR POWER CHARGING SYSTEM TO GIVE YOU POWER ON THE GO

Solar bags were created for the army and marines, now they are available for everyone.

SOLAR BAGS 49

The world moves pretty quickly these days, and as a result, the modern human is constantly on the go from one place to another. The advent of the cell phone, laptop and the personal digital assistant has made us even more mobile. Technology has advanced so much that people can now take their work with them, unchained from their cubicles. More and more public areas are hooked to the World Wide Web via wireless Internet, allowing people to connect in parks, coffee shops and plazas.

STEPS FOR CONVERT YOUR SNEAKERS

You can’t walk 3 meters in a major city these days without seeing someone closing a deal on a cell phone, searching the Internet with a PDA or checking e-mail on a laptop. Since 2003 brands like Voltaic Systems are making an array of solarpowered bags that can charge your electronics.

Hours in the sun to charge smartphone.

Each bag comes with a battery (that stores the solar power) and an extensive set of adaptors that allow you to connect your device to the bag. Voltaic Systems is aiming to create a “green” product from the inside out. The Taiwan factory that spins the bags’ PET fabric from discarded plastic soda bottles now also supplies fabric to Nike. And you won’t be frustrated by wasteful, hard-to-crack packaging; recycled paper makes up both the backpack’s shipping container and adapter box.

The thought of carrying a solar panel around with you may sound quite frightening; do not fear as solar energy has vastly developed over recent years, enabling us to fit our solar bags with small, thin and durable solar panels. For one to understand how a solar bag works, we must first run through the basics of solar energy. A number of photovoltaic cells are grouped together as a panel. Photovoltaic cells are able to produce electricity from direct sunlight. In order for these cells to work they must be accompanied by something called a semiconductor. As daylight hits the solar panel the photovoltaic cells absorb the daylight and its energy, as a result of this electrons become loose and are left to flow freely. The electric fields in the photovoltaic cells force the electrons to flow in one direction. Therefore creating an electrical current, which is harnessed by attaching metal contact cells at the top and bottom of the photovoltaic cell. Once the electrical current is created it is then directed to flow into the battery pack, which can be found within the solar bags. Once the electricity has been collected you are free to either use the electricity immediately or store it in the battery pack for later use. You just need is a little sunshine and time, and you’ll never be short on battery life again. Solar-powered backpacks are the latest travel gadgets in the tech world to make

10w

Solar laptop charger.

sure you stay connected even if you are out of the house for more than you expected. All you have to then do is plug in your USB device in to the battery pack and begin charging. Alternatively if you are expecting to be outdoors at a time of limited daylight hours there is the option to charge the battery pack through your computer prior to leaving the house. -Natalia Duarte

Photo: www.solarcooking.org

How does it work?

1.5

Solar energy has become a way of life. An example of this are the women in Gorom-Gorom, Burkina Faso with their CooKits, powered by the sun.

Photos: Armadillo Bogota, Colombia

50 ACCESORIES

DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF OUR LIVES

NEW CONCEPT, NEW LIFE

Armadilloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first collection for spring-summer 2015 using certified wood 100 percent environmentally friendly.

SUNGLASSES 51

Shapes, sizes, colours, sports or just fashion. Men and women of all ages, for many reasons, use accessory glasses. Vanity? health? maybe; but do you ever wonder if the glasses you use are sustainable? Well they exist and you can look stylish while helping the environment. In the actual fashion industry, technology advances by leaps. The colombian brand Armadillo is a perfect example of this; their process is centered in working with different designs for you to make a difference and put your mark on sustainable fashion. Wood products have always been linked to sustainability, but working with any type of wood doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always guarantee a sustainable outcome. In Armadillo they strive to make the whole process as environmentally friendly as possible, making recycling an obsession and caring about important details such as the sustainability of wood and avoiding the use of toxic and aggressive substances that may harm the environment during the manufacturing process.

The wood used in this case is known as Pine Pallets. Every design, piece of wood, colour and finishing touch is permanently under close scrutiny during the manufacturing process to achieve not only the highest quality, but the perfect combination of design, style and sustainability. The resulting product is a beautiful pair of sunglasses handmade with 100 percent organic wood, with high quality lenses. A different concept, a non traditional way of doing things with style and passion, a way of life. - Natalia Duarte â&#x20AC;&#x153;All machining operations are carried out with absolute precision and the use of the single hand â&#x20AC;?. - Armadillo

Armadillo packaging is 100 percent manufactured with recycled wood waste material. What are production processes like, so they can manage to be friendly with the enviroment? In order to be considered sustainable, the wood must first meet specifically production processes, the most important being the re plantation of trees to compensate and generate the natural process of wood growth, avoiding deforestation and creating environmental damage. After this first step, producers can continue seeking certification showing that the process is sustainable and thus able to sell certified wood to customers. Armadillo uses this type of guarantee so they have the highest quality and resistance as well as being a product made entirely by hand combining precision technology and design. Finally, to complete the production cycle, the brand makes use of the waste wood to produce the packaging.

Armadillo also makes prescribed glasses for useful fashionable style.

Photo: Campaing Launching

52 PEOPLE

THE HAPPY WORLD OF PHARREL CLEAN OCEANS WITH NEW CLOTHES

PHARREL 53

It has long been an industry joke that the 41-year-old singer may be an alien due to his seeming inability to age, but even if he is not an extra-terrestrial it seems the singer is on his way to world domination.

survive.” All the pestilence, all the war, all the disease, the pollution and the sickness we allow our earth to incur, based on our own greed, and us taking our eye off the ball “I think that’s going to change”.

He’s known for his music, Hip Hop and Rap ; he was also a judge on seventh season of the hit American reality talent show The Voice. While the list of music an media accomplishments goes on and on, Pharrell is hitting the news for another reason. He feels like a spokesman for the eco fashion movement. Slow fashion, sustainable fashion, eco-friendly recycled plastic, and ocean conservation are amongst the list of things that he happily talks about.

Williams is very smart in terms of using his celebrity to refresh pop culture and do something good at the same time, like helping the oceans without being a tree-hugger or preachy. He is universal and special.

Currently Pharrel is the creative director of Bionic Yarn, a company that recycles ocean trash into denim and makes fabric from recycled plastic bottles. Bionic Yarn can be woven into a tough, water-repellant material that looks like traditional cotton canvas but dries quicker and is twice as abrasion-resistant. It is a highly durable fiber composed of organic cotton wrapped around a core of recycled PET, a plastic commonly used for the production of soda bottles. So you might wear a bottle of Coca-Cola or mineral water you drank 5 years ago, both cool and at the same time a little weird. G-Star, Moncler, Burton and Timberland have all created products from this potent material.

RAW, fun and trendy RAW for the Oceans is a collaborative project retrieving plastic from our oceans and transforming it into denim. This amazing brand manufactures premium yarns and fabrics made from plastic waste collected from oceans that have been recycled and enhanced and G-Star’s mastery of denim to create

“Let’s do something fun for the planet” Name of the photoshoot of the new collection of Raw.

He has in mind concearns the unlikely coupling of ocean conservation with fashion deep subjects, both. Elemental forces, you might say. Water and clothing, two things the human race cannot live without. “If our oceans die, we die,” as Paul Watson from Sea Shepherd puts it.

There is so much panic, people are worried, people don’t know whether they are going to survive tomorrow, there is disease, there is war. “The thing that encourages me is when I see other people be so strong, and remember their resilience, their ability to

Photos: RAW-Oceans Collection

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which agitates for marine life protection, is relevant here because Watson, the salty old sea dog who leads it, has been sharing stage time with Williams recently. To the question what drives him, he says:“I don’t know, I’m just trying to play my part in this giant movie we call life. We are living in a different time right now.”

54 PEOPLE

the first denim collection made from recycled plastics found in the ocean. Pharrell Williams will serve as the collection’s codesigner. The partnership will also result in G-Star integrating Bionic Yarn material into its existing product lines. “G-Star has always been driven by innovation, and by integrating Bionic Yarn into our collection we’re taking the next step in creating denim for the future. The long-term goals of this collaboration seems to be something special and having Bionic as business partner would improve it, says G-Star’s Creative Marketing Officer, Thecla Schaeffer of the innovative collaboration. The RAW for the Oceans collection was available at select G-Star Raw stores and online since 2014. They are creating denim for the future, it all started a little less than a year ago in Berlin, Germany. With a meeting between Parley for the Oceans, Bionic Yarn and Pharrell Williams. They talked about the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. They proposed an idea that seemed both amazing and completely unfeasible at the same time. They decided to take on the challenge and to go on a creative journey together. Pharrell said this is only “one part” of the Earth that this partnership will focus on. Their plans to expand beyond just using recycled materials retrieved from the oceans has been pioneering sustainable denim since 2008. Currently the sustainable styles in their collection includes Hydrite Denim that is made using innovative dyeing and finishing processes that generate a big reduction in water (up to 95 percent), energy, and chemical usage in comparison to conventional processes. It is great to see Pharrell creating the limelight for this project and to have him as our business partner and co-designer for this collaboration. He does not only help to create awareness for the cause, he is also a huge inspiration in the design of the collection.

Literally every department in G-Star and all of their stakeholders – from their yarn spinners, to yarn dyers, to fabric weavers, to chemical experts, to fabric experts, to the environmental specialists, to their designers – are involved. To have all G-Star products be made solely out of recycled or sustainable materials would be the ultimate goal. They say they are always looking for new and interesting ways to collaborate with like-minded and creative people who are passionate about creating new and unique pieces of art. It’s not just with music artists, but also with photographers such as Anton Corbijn and designers such as Marc Newson, who

The Bionic Yarn process consists of four very simple but revolutionary steps using state of the art tecnology in order to make the fibres as versatile as possible.

Step One Out of the ocean

Step Two Piced in preparation

Step three Spinning the yarn

Step four Weaving and knitting

This new begining considers corporate responsibility as an integral part of doing business and of their company values. Corporate responsibility approach is an extension of our “Just the Product” philosophy. As part of the focus on constantly reinventing denim, they have been pioneering sustainable fabrics since 2008. They have turned their whole supply chain upside down by starting with the raw material.

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are experts in their own field and who are now a part of the RAW for the oceans family.

Our Oceans Plastic pollution affects every waterway, sea and ocean in the world. When we damage our water systems, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re putting our own well-being at risk. Plastic pollution involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat and us humans.

Living organisms, particularly marine animals, can also be affected through entanglement, direct ingestion of plastic waste, or through exposure to chemicals within plastics that cause interruptions in biological functions. Humans are also affected

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gyres, this simple map shows where the amount of plastic that ends on the ocean.

by plastic pollution, such as through the disruption of the thyroid hormone axis or sex hormone levels plastic reduction efforts have occurred in some areas in attempts to reduce plastic consumption and pollution and promote plastic recycling, this is way any initiative to collaborate cleaning the oceans will be the wiser choice fos our lives. -Camila Borrero

Plastic waste on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in California - Ashley Robins, for Greenpeace.

Photo: RAW for the Oceans cleaning

Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into micro-, meso-, or macrodebris, based on size. The prominence of plastic pollution is correlated with plastics being inexpensive and durable, which lends to high levels of plastics used by humans. However, it is slow to degrade. Plastic pollution can unfavorably affect lands, waterways and oceans around the world.

Photo: Vogue

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JARED LETO 57

THE NEW WWF GLOBAL AMBASSADOR

JARED LETO’S NEW MISSION Jared Leto is mostly known as the lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars, as well as for his acting in Dallas Buyers Club and Requiem for a Dream, but some of his most important work has been for the environment. Jared is very openly vegan, and takes pride in his efforts to be eco-friendly as often as he can; in interviews on his vegan lifestyle he encourages others to follow his lead. Even with his music he brings up environmental concerns, the popular song “A Beautiful Lie” is about lifestyle choices, and how ignorant society has been made to be about the environment’s well-being. The video was shot in the arctic where ice was melting at rapid speeds. Now, the Academy Award-winning actor, musician and director can now add the title of WWF global ambassador to his many accomplishments. In this role, Leto will work with WWF to raise awareness of the most urgent, critical issues facing our planet. He recently traveled to South Africa with WWF to learn first-hand about wildlife crime and specifically the rhino-poaching crisis and WWF’s efforts to save rhino populations on two continents, Asia and Africa. In South Africa, Jared Leto, joined WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project with veterinarian Dr. Jacques Flamand. “My latest adventure in South Africa was as mindblowing as always,” Leto said. “Being that close to majestic creatures like rhinos and elephants reminds me of the deep connection and important

responsibility we have to protect and shepherd these fragile species and their habitats. I’m committed and passionate about doing all I can to help ensure that these endangered animals survive, and will continue to encourage others to get into action as well”. With his campaign, he invites people to support vital conservation work throughout key rhino range, restoring and connecting fragmented areas of habitat, implementing effective anti-poaching measures, reducing consumer demand for rhino horn and its derivatives, and improving management of rhino horn stockpiles to stop illegal trade. In South Africa, Jared Leto, joined WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project veterinarian Dr. Jacques Flamand and other biologists and scientists with the andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve to tag and collar three southern white rhinos as part of a translocation program. Later this year, those 3 rhinos and roughly 100 others will be moved from high poaching areas to undisclosed locations to help with breeding efforts. “We must join together and protect these powerful yet extremely vulnerable animals from all the senseless slaughter and double our efforts to restore their populations across Africa and Asia. It can and— with a focused global effort—will be done. I’m honored to join with WWF and the global conservation community and do my part. I hope

58 PEOPLE

you will too”. As a vocal animal lover and nature enthusiast, Leto has spoken candidly about his plant-based diet and has taken to Instagram not once but twice to post pictures of himself affectionately hugging trees.

Visiting South Africa During his trip, Leto presented wildlife rangers with notecards written by children from across the United States with words of thanks and encouragement for their brave role in safeguarding wildlife. An important stop of his trip was the visit to a rhino orphanage. The facility helps young rhinos who have lost their parents, There Jared could see the help that comes from the campaign ‘Adopt a rinho’ besides being part of the process and talking to people who are working to help rhinos and other animals in the establishment.

Go to wwf.org and choose a monthly amount for your rhino.

Get a adoption certificate and species card.

Leto’s first project is to help with the WWF campaign ‘Adopt a rhino’. Relentless hunting for their horns and loss of their natural habitats, has led to a catastrophic fall in rhino numbers, with this project the campaign encourages people to help protect them. THE THREATS TO RHINOS: 1. Poaching and illegal trading of their horns, used in traditional Asian medicine and for dagger handles in the Middle East.

Photo: WWF archive

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international nongovernmental organization founded on April 29, 1961, and is working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment.

ADOPT A RHINO

Then you recive a photo and information about your rinho.

Leto’s trip to South Africa included a visit to a rhino orphanage. The facility helps young rhinos who have lost their parents to poachers.

JARED LETO 59

2. Loss of habitat due to increased farming, human settlement and logging. 3. Small isolated populations of Asian rhinos increases the risk of inbreeding.

How to help rhinos Supporting vital conservation work throughout key rhino range, restoring and connecting fragmented areas of habitat, implementing effective antipoaching measures, reducing consumer demand for rhino horn and its derivatives,and improving management of rhino horn stockpiles to stop illegal trade. The support will also help fund other essential work with animals around the world. With his campaign, he invites people to support vital conservation work throughout key rhino range. How the adoption can help rhinos: Could pay for one immobilisation dart needed to sedate a rhino for transportation, could cover the cost of training one field office in anti-poaching techniques and rhino monitoring in Nepal.

Jared Leto hands postcards—hand-written notes of thanks from children in the United States for protecting endangered rhinos—to members of the Phinda Game Reserve Rhino Protection Unit.

Photo: WWF archive

There are two species of African rhino – the white and the black. Despite their names, both are the same dark grey-brown colour. It’s thought that the name ‘white rhino’ is a misinterpretation of the Afrikaans word ‘wyd’, referring to its square upper lip. Black rhinos have hooked lips.

Humans are behind the current rate of species extinction, which is at least 100 to 1,000 times higher than nature intended. The impacts will reach far beyond the potential cultural loss of iconic species like tigers, rhinos and whales. Approximately 300 rhinos currently exist in the wild. The good news is the WWF has been part of successful wildlife recovery stories ranging from southern Africa’s black rhino to black bucks in the Himalayas. And this help us protect rich and varied ecosystems while ensuring that people continue to benefit from nature. And with the support of Leto the world can see the importance of helping , the real situation of rhinos in Africa, share the message to the world and show the WWF’s work: The translocation of rhinos to create new populations is just one facet of WWF’s rhino recovery efforts and overall illegal wildlife trade work. They also works to safeguard existing species populations and their habitat, partners with communities and governments to create policies that encourage local people to protect endangered species and leads campaigns in Asia to reduce demand for rhino horn and other illegal wildlife products. His participation with the WWF seems like a perfect fit and we couldn’t applaud him more for standing up for rhinos and wildlife conservation. - Carolina Camargo

60 TAKE ACTION

FOUR YEARS OF OF DETOX DETOX

MAKING UP FOR FASHIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ABUSE

Sustainable fashion on a large scale presents major obstacles and challenges, the biggest problem the fashion industry faces is that in order to create large scale change across this commercial industry, widespread demand for sustainable fashion must exist. Due to the adverse environmental impacts of the present clothing consumption behavior, there is a rising concern on sustainability issues on the consumption side of the fashion supply chain. Fashion companies, including manufacturers and retailers, are increasingly developing and marketing ecofashion to promote sustainable consumption.

Photo: Will SteinerDetox campaing 2010

Is your favourite fashion label a Detox Leader? From factories cleaning up their wastewater, through to massive sports brands talking about a paradigm shift â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the #PeoplePowered Detox campaign is having a big impact right along the supply chain. Their campaigners from the EU, Mexico, Indonesia, Philippines and China are starting to see the slow benefits and changes.

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Take China for instance, where 64 percentage of urban underground water is seriously polluted; or Indonesia where 80 percent of water pollution in the capital’s main river comes from the textile industry. Detox message is clear, those brands and suppliers that are transparent about their progress, and that take credible and authentic action have an opportunity to win people’s trust and loyalty. Those that choose to burry their head and green-wash they way out of the situation, will face a more uncertain future; it is becoming easier then ever to spot this toxic and green-washers.

The dark reality of beauty Fashion is a billion dollar business and behind all the beautiful advertising and the catwalk glamour and the there’s a world that those inside the industry don’t want you to see and definitely don’t want you to know about. Dark, dirty and full of invisible threats, fashion is a world with a toxic addiction that slowly destroys our beautiful planet. In Indonesia, Detox latest investigations reveald a textile facility realizing pH14 water, and

a cocktail of hazardous and hormone-disrupting chemicals straight into the local water supply, and this is just one of thousands of factories in Indonesia and around the world that are treating our public water like a private source. The problem runs deeper than that, the clothes we buy in Europe, North America, Asia and elsewhere are all part of a global chain of toxic pollution. Two thirds of clothing items tasted by Greenpeace, contains hazardous chemicals. And when these garments are washed they release these substances back into rivers, lakes and seas around the world. This makes us all part of the problem, but we can also be part of the solution. If this campaing can achieve so much in just four years, imagine what the voice of all the people that want to help might be doing in 2019! The world’s resources cannot keep up with our increasing demand for throw-away fashion. Cotton, for example, a key input to the apparel industry, is responsible for 2.6 percent of the global water use.

62 TAKE ACTION

In China 320 million people have no access to clean and drinking water.

40% 40 percent of the

surface water its considered polluted.

20%

A staggering percent of the groundwater used as urban drinking water is contaminated, with carcinogenic chemicals.

However, a gap already exists between water supply and demand. If we do nothing to correct this imbalance, by 2030 demand for water will exceed supply by 40 percent. Furthermore, an estimated 17 to 20 percent of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment and an estimated 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used throughout the world to turn raw materials into textiles, many of which will be released into freshwater sources. And it is not only the production of raw material that is water-intensive, the wet processing of clothing, such as washing and dyeing, also consumes huge amounts of water. The apparel sector presents a significant opportunity for the adoption of natural capital accounting. Image and brand value is everything, making companies highly sensitive to reputational risk due to NGO campaigns and regulatory pressure. More positively, fashion often serves as an extension of personal values. So companies are well-placed to shape more sustainable consumer behaviour. Natural capital is the environmental resources from which we make goods and services. It includes minerals, land and forests, as well as services such as a stable climate and clean air that sustain our ecosystem. These natural goods and services are often freely provided to business and society by a healthy planet and the result is that our natural capital is being used at an unsustainable rate and being damaged. Climate change is the leading example, manmade carbon emissions are damaging the planet’s ability to maintain a stable climate, resulting in global warming, rising sea levels and extreme weather. The over-abstraction of water resources by agriculture and industry, as well as rising populations, is also critical. China is the major hub of the international textile industry, exporting US$200 billion worth of textile and apparel products in 2010 – accounting for 34 percent of global exports. It’s provided that giving cheap clothes to people around the world but at a huge environmental cost, in water pollution.

Greenpeace fashion show in China in front of all the not committed companies.

Photos: Will Steiner

THE FACTS ARE ALARMING

The scale of the problem that still exists today has been highlighted by a report from the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), a leading environmental NGO in China. It documents the huge pollution caused by the fashion industry and indentifies 49 top brands -- Armani , Puma and Zara to name just three -- that contract with these polluting factories to manufacture their apparel. The IPE report finds that industrial waste discharges from the apparel industry are a severe problem that is not improving fast enough. Discharge violations from the industry abound. The inescapable conclusion is that this sector refuses to clean up its act, and the reasons are clear: those who flout the law face no consequences for their bad behavior. Manufacturing practices in less-developed countries are generally less efficient than in the developed world. That means they waste money by using more energy, water, and materials than necessary. But by improving the efficiency in the manufacturing processes, there are plenty of opportunities to both save money and improve the environment. Even marginal improvements in manufacturing to these countries’ factories have the potential to deliver excellent cost savings. Check your closet and you will see: surely more than half of what is in there was made in China. When your favorite brands outsourced their manufacturing this past decade, they outsourced their pollution as well – and the world is severely worse off because of it.

Brands that make the change Over the past three years, hundreds of thousands of activists, fashionistas, bloggers and consumers came together to call for fashion without pollution. Detox commitments from 16 major fashion companies. Half of million people have taken action, challenging big brands, including Zara, Levi’s and Nike to take responsibility for their toxic footprint and eliminate all hazardous chemicals from their supply chains and products. 10 percent of the global retail fashion industry is committed to eliminating toxic chemicals. But without people’shelp, this would’ve been zero. These are major corporations that are listening and accepting the change: Valentino, Fast Retailers, H&M, Adidas and others. They are also working

Photo: Will Steiner detox 2010

DETOX 63

Rivers in China change colour due to the water pollution from the textile industry.

with theirs suppliers and the chemical industry to developed solutions creating a growing market place for non-hazardous alternatives. Detox Catwalk would help find out which companies are leading a transparency revolution across their supply chains, which have gone above and beyond to eliminate chemicals from their clothes and which companies are trying to get away with doing the bare minimum. CATWALK DETOX CLASSIFICATION: Detox Leaders: Detox committed companies leading the industry towards a toxic-free future with credible timelines, concrete actions and on-the-ground implementation. Greenwashers: Detox committed companies that are so far failing to walk the talk and take individual corporate responsibility for their hazardous chemical pollution Detox Losers: Uncommitted toxic addicts that refuse to take responsibility for their toxic trail and have yet to make a credible, individual Detox commitment.

TOXIC free fashion for 2020 In order to bring about a toxic-free future we call on companies to adopt and implement an individual Detox solution, committing to eliminate the use and release of all hazardous chemicals from their global supply chain and products by 1 January 2020. Future we call on

Photos: Detox campaing in Indonesia

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companies to adopt and implement an individual Detox solution, chemicals from their global supply chain and products.

The three principles: 1. Prevention and Precaution: Taking precautionary action towards the elimination of hazardous chemicals in the face of scientific uncertainty. 2. Right to know: Acting with transparency on behalf of communities living by the discharge pipes and consumers who all have a right to know about the hazardous chemicals being released into our waterways. 3. Elimination: Eliminating all releases of toxic chemicals and recognising that there are no environmentally safe levels for hazardous substances. Water is essential for life, but it is also the world’s most threatened essential resource. Greenpeace is campaign to stop industry poisoning our water with hazardous, persistent and hormone disrupting chemicals. Out of the four big sportswear brands urged to take the challenge and Detox, we can now name

Contaminated river in Indonesia. The damage it’s so much worts that what the picture shows, many of species were dissapered of the river.

the leader of the pack: Puma. Today, the German sportswear brand has announced it really is “forever faster” with an updated commitment (in German) to eliminate PFCs from 100 percent of its products. It has also thrown its supply chain open to review: Puma will publish discharge data from 80 percent of its global suppliers by the end of 2015! Puma’s agreement to ban PFCs sends an incredibly strong signal to other sports and outdoor brands that are heavy users of these chemicals: another way is possible. Thousands of people around the world demanded adidas stop greenwashing, it sent a powerful message across the industry: “We need more than paper commitments. We demand urgent action”. PFCs are dirty, nasty little monsters used to make things like shoes, swimsuits, outdoor gear and clothing water and stain resistant. Theis group of hazardous chemicals are polluting our rivers and lakes while some of them can even impact on human reproduction systems. The textile industry remains one of the biggest polluting sectors in China, where about half of the rural population has no access to drinking water that meets international standards. PFCs are everywhere and it’s time to stop using them.

DETOX 65

Spread the news! So far, over 20 fashion and sportswear brands have promised to detox their products and supply chains. Help spread the good news and congratulate Puma for acting to Detox our future. Regarding another fashion brand, during Angela Ahrendt’s time at the helm of Burberry she’s taken a 158-year-old label and turned it into a leading luxury brand for the 21st century. But Burberry has been left behind the curve in one respect – the harmful chemicals that can be found in its clothes. Greenpeace’s Detox campaign has already signed up 18 of the biggest major international clothing brands, from Adidas to Zara, to remove toxic chemicals from their clothing and, even more importantly, from the outflow pipes of the factories they use. But we need to do more. The international supply chains of big brands are long, complex and intertwined with each other, and so a critical mass to shift the entire industry is necessary. Our latest report on hazardous chemicals in children’s clothes, called A Little Story About the Monsters In Your Closet, has shone a spotlight on Burberry, and we think they’re well placed to be an important part of the solution.

Photogallery - Rai News

In a few months Ahrendt is moving on, to head Apple’s retail operations, but before she leaves I’d like to ask her to perform one final miracle:

toxin-free fashion. Greenpeace tested nine children’s clothing items produced by Burberry and found that all but one contained hazardous chemicals. These included nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE), which can break down in the environment to form hormonedisrupting chemicals. Once released into the environment, many of these chemicals can have adverse impacts on human reproductive, hormonal or immune systems. This isn’t just a problem affecting Burberry consumers: these chemicals can be found everywhere, from Beijing to Basingstoke. The fashion industry’s continued use of hazardous substances affects not just local communities in producing countries such as China, but also us here in the UK, polluting our rivers every time we wash our clothes, and entering into our food systems and homes via the products themselves.We cannot guarantee that eliminating these hazardous substances will be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. Forward-thinking brands such as Puma and H&M are already proving that it can be done – committing to Detox and taking credible steps to create more transparency in a notoriously murky industry. - Camila Borrero

Greenpeace shows up on Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milano, one of the must elegant places with important fashoin brands.

A peace treaty www.apeacetreaty.com Amour vert www.amourvert.com Ada Zandition sales@adazanditon.com www.adazanditon.com Angela & Roi www.angelaroi.com 617 6507222 Bottle top www.bottletop.org 020 7650 8903 Caipora www.caipora.co.uk. Cred Jewellery www.credjewellery.com info@credjewellery.com 44 (0) 203 176 7836 EDUN www.edunonline.com 33 79082892 Freedom of animals www.free-animals.com H&M www.about.hm.com 46 8 796 55 00  46 8 20 99 19 Issi & Wilkinson www.issiworld.com.

Kowtow www.kowtow.com 64 4 916 5325  customercare@ kowtowclothing.com Komodo www.komodo.co.uk 44 (0)207 722 3523 MINA + OLYA www.minaolya.com 34 34702348 Nancy Dee www.nancydee.co.uk 44 (0)20 7183 3658 Nearfar www.nearfar.co.uk 44 (0)23 5683 3621 People tree www.peopletree.co.uk people@people.co.uk 0845 450 4595 Sika www.sikadesigns.co.uk 0208 858 8158 SVILU Email: svilu@svilu.com www.shop.svilu.com Stewart Brown www.stewartbrown.com

U Love Green www.ulovegreen.com Ph: 34 499028311

Wabi Sabi www.wabisabico.com (34) 954 94 53 21 Zele www.zele.com.pl 43 677 25 83 a.zele@interia.pl Zalala www.zalala.com 43 678 25 83 a.zalala@sinme.com