These efforts epitomize the brand’s ‘fundamental duality’ marked by innovation in spirit and responsibility in action.
It goes without saying that the fashion industry, whether haute couture or fast fashion, means big business. Despite some hiccups, like reduced luxury spending in once-designer-brand-crazy China, it is still an industry that’s very much thriving.
As the fashion sector continues to grow, so does its negative environmental impact—which, I daresay, is just as immense. For starters, the fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 2 to 8 percent of global carbon emissions, according to a study published by the Apparel Impact Institute.
Moreover, the industry is also the second highest user of water (consuming 215 trillion liters/year) and produces 20 percent of wastewater worldwide annually, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says. This includes 9 percent of annual microplastics that find their way to our oceans.
The Ellen Macarthur Foundation, a UNEP partner, has estimated that a truckload of abandoned textiles is dumped in a landfill or incinerated every second. People are also buying 60 percent more clothes and wearing them for half as long.
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Sadly, the list doesn’t end there.
All hope is not lost, however. More and more brands and designers are making the pivot toward a more sustainable and circular fashion industry.
For instance, Stella McCartney is known for her commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, using organic cotton, recycled materials, and cruelty-free alternatives. Everlane, meanwhile, promotes transparency in its pricing and production processes, appealing to environmentally conscious consumers. It also has a three-pillar framework to guide its environmental and social efforts, which are aligned to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Promoting ‘ocean literacy’
Adding to the list of brands that are going green is Prada, led by scion and former race car driver Lorenzo Bertelli. The son of designer Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli has spearheaded the brand’s sustainability initiatives since he joined the company in 2017. One of their projects, SEA BEYOND, was born out of the family’s love for the ocean.
Given their affinity for the deep blue, Prada has, for a long time, sponsored Luna Rossa, the Italian sailing boat that competes in the America’s Cup. This was partly how the idea of “ocean literacy” originated, the term referring to education on the importance of the ocean and how to protect it, per a report on South China Morning Post.
Bertelli believes that through Prada’s Sea Beyond project in collaboration with UNESCO, the brand can help change the mindset of future generations and shape the way they will behave for years to come. Sea Beyond, which was launched in 2019, has so far reached more than 35,000 students through a series of training initiatives on ocean education, per the same story on SCMP.
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Proof of its commitment to improving ocean literacy, Prada and UNESCO announced the launch of a new partnership at the 37th America’s Cup on June 7, 2024. The announcement coincided with the opening day of the first Ocean Literacy World Conference in Venice, which was also organized by UNESCO and the Prada Group as part of the SEA BEYOND education program.
Using ‘regenerated nylon’
Aside from its ocean awareness advocacy, Prada has also trained its focus on managing one of the most important aspects of its production: the use of nylon.
Nylon has always been one of Prada’s emblems. It is a symbol of the radicalism at the very heart of Prada’s design ethos. It is the brand’s signature material since the end of the ‘70s, and it made its fortune on its nylon backpacks that became global status symbols in the ’90s.
Nylon, however, is technically plastic. And we all know how plastic can pose much harm to the environment.
Recognizing the impact of this material on the planet, the brand introduced Re-Nylon in 2019 through a capsule collection of bags for men and women. The following year, the product line was expanded into ready-to-wear, accessories, and footwear.
Prada could not do it alone, so it partnered with Aquafil, an Italian textile yarn producer with over half a century of expertise in creating synthetic fibers. Aquafil is renowned for its investment in groundbreaking research and development of sustainable materials, producing new from old.
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Through this partnership, Prada is able to make Re-Nylon from ECONYL, a regenerated-nylon yarn that can be recycled for an indefinite number of times without affecting the quality of the material. The yarn is made from discarded plastic collected from landfills and ocean nets.
Prada described the Re-Nylon collection as epitomizing “a fundamental duality of Prada’s identity; innovation in spirit, responsibility in action.” Today, production of all Prada virgin nylon has been converted to regenerated nylon, a radical commitment to sustainability by a major luxury house. As of July 2023, 1 percent of Prada Re-Nylon Collection proceeds fund Sea Beyond.
Taking the Re-Nylon initiative a notch higher, Prada featured actors and activists Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch in its 2024 advertising campaign, shot by celebrated photographer Willy Vanderperre. In a statement, Prada said the campaign “sees beyond,” a pun calling to mind its Sea Beyond project.
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Bertelli, who is Prada Group’s head of Corporate Social Responsibility, is “at pains not to take credit for the creation of Re-Nylon,” explaining that the company had been developing it before his arrival,” per the SCMP article. He admits, however, that it was he who brought it to the fore and made it a key pillar of Prada’s communication efforts.
“Our commitment to Prada Re-Nylon highlights our continued efforts towards promoting responsible business. This collection allows us to make our contribution and create products without using new resources,” Bertelli says, as quoted from a statement on the official Prada Group website.
On Prada’s sustainability efforts, Bertelli has this to say: “We will keep investing in training and education programs, that will help us to protect and value diversity and inclusion over the long term, build an open dialogue and gather different perspectives directly from people on diversity, equity and inclusion.”
