Fashion and lifestyle behemoth Kering is shining a spotlight on sustainability with a new award for China.
The luxury conglomerate has unveiled the ‘Sustainable Innovation Award’ in partnership with the innovation platform Plug and Play, in an effort to encourage and accelerate innovation within the fashion industry in Greater China.
The award will single out innovative startups and technologies in Greater China that are offering a positive environmental and social impact by focusing on raw materials, green supply chain concepts and the circular economy. The three winners, who will be selected by an expert jury panel, will receive mentorship and networking opportunities to develop their concepts, with one overall winner also claiming a €100,000 grant.
The inaugural prize will launch this month, with the winners set to be announced in the fall of 2019.
“Innovation and smart problem-solving are critical to reinvent Luxury’s business model as sustainable and through our dedicated Kering Sustainable Innovation Award we hope to catalyse new ideas and solutions in the Greater China region to help us in our mission to do so,” said Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of international institutional affairs of Kering, in a statement.
“Creating sustainable and ethical fashion is a goal we must work on together,” added Jinqing Cai, President of Kering Greater China. “China plays a critical role in pioneering global sustainable practices and can unlock the future of sustainability.”
Kering, which counts labels such as Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga on its books, has been mulling over the issue of sustainability for some time, and last year launched “Crafting tomorrow’s luxury,” an initiative that aims to reduce the company’s environmental impact and advocate social welfare. It also teamed up with the Fashion for Good – Plug and Play Accelerator last year, to work on inventions such as biodegradable glitter and new clothing recycling technologies. – Relaxnews
