Is Sustainability a Must?

Will one still be able to consider buying or selling premium and luxury fashion that fails to live up to its responsibility in terms of sustainability? Does a higher price mean the consumer has the right to expect fair and environmentally friendly production conditions? Will sustainability thus become a prerequisite in the upscale segment? We asked around. Text: Martina Müllner-Seybold. Illustrations: Claudia Meitert@Caroline Seidler

GREAT APPRECIATION Emmanuel de Bayser, Co-Owner and Buyer of The Corner Berlin

“Sustainability plays a major role, especially in the luxury segment! The fine quality of the products, natural materials, and production in Europe are factors that distinguish high-priced items. Sustainability is therefore a quality feature of the luxury industry. Even among our customers, we are sensing an increase in ap preciation for sustainable collections.”

LOOKING THE OTHER WAY IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT Piero Cividini, Owner of Cividini

“Sustainability is currently a huge topic, but it’s not a new idea as such. As early as 1972, the ‘Club of Rome’ presented various sce narios on how the global economy could impact the world. We were deeply impressed by those alarming findings, which is why Cividini has always attached great importance to working sustainably at all levels. I remember our experiments with purely vegetable dyed yarns many years ago. Walnuts, for example, are ideal for sepia to brown nuances. These dyes are marginally more expensive to process, but not as washable as chemical dyes. Unfortunately, there was hardly any market acceptance at that time. The sustainability topic has established itself as a long-term issue in society. Looking the other way is becoming increasingly difficult, not least due to social media. Plastic waste in the oceans, natural disasters caused by climate change, exploitation in low-wage countries… The more visible the effects of irresponsible economic activity become, the more likely it

is that sustainable production will establish itself across the board.”

IS EVERYBODY READY? Jelena Hofmann and Sedina Halilovic, Founders of Mykke Hofmann

“Yes, we hope that sustainability will be come compulsory, but that’s still a long way off. The entire industry must rethink and reorient itself. Retailers have to be prepared to shoulder some of the production risk and purchase corresponding volumes. In some cases they need to extend delivery win dows. Consumers must be prepared to pay a higher price for sustainability. Too many are still searching for a magical all-in-one solution: sustainable, but in line with trends and readily available. We often experience that the term ‘sustainable’ is used without a clear idea of what sustainable fashion consumption actually is. It’s the responsi bility of brands and retailers to communicate transparently with consumers and to educate them. Ultimately, strictly sustainable fashion would require slamming the brakes on consumption. Everybody would need to produce less and consume less. We perceive this as the greatest challenge. And we believe that most consumers, even in the premium/luxury segment, are not ready for this step yet. “

BETTER UNDERSTANDING Christian Ogait, Investment Fund Papa Oscar

“Labels and brands without sustainable strategies will lose market shares. Especially Generation Y and its successors are highly sensitised in dealing with the topic, and thus their own futures. Consumers and industry alike have an increas ingly better understanding and better solutions for more sustainable products. Nevertheless, luxury and the protection of our environment will still push the limits of technology and

feasibility in many years to come.”

A MUST Angelika Schindler-Obenhaus, Board Member at Katag AG

“We only have one planet. Therefore, premium and luxury suppliers also have to address the issue of sustainable produc tion.”