In the build-up to Milan Fashion Week, LVRSustainable kicked off festivities with an important push towards adopting sustainable practices in the creative industries. The stage was set at the Fondazione Riccardo Catella, for IMAGINARIUM II, an event hosted by LVRSustainable by LuisaViaRoma, the sustainability arm of the luxury e-commerce platform that spotlights the importance of a shift towards sustainability within the creative industries and the contemporary environmental landscape, and Acqua Foundation, a global philanthropic organization dedicated to water conservation and governance that communicates the importance of water through art.
The Fashion Panel
In an era defined by environmental challenges, sustainable practices have become more than just a buzzword – they are a necessity. During IMAGINARIUM’s panel on fashion LVRSustainable shared its efforts towards supporting the planet and people, long-term ambitions, and unwavering commitment to guiding clients towards adopting healthy consumer habits and growing an important conscious selection for an alternative shopping experience, alongside key panel participants including the President of the Camera della Moda Carlo Capasa; CEO of womenswear brand Ganni, Andrea Baldo; CEO of high-end Italian sportswear brand Sease, Franco Loro Piana; and COO of denim brand Citizens Of Humanity, Mario Borroi, whose perspectives shed light on the path to a more sustainable future.
Ganni
“We’ve set a very ambitious 50% absolute carbon reduction target to reach by 2027. This goal will very much shape our work over the next few years, which will be focused on strategic partnerships with our supply chain through our carbon insetting project, and by investing and scaling innovative materials through our Fabrics of the Future initiative, such as our drastic goal of phasing out virgin leather by end of this year. Coupling this with ambitious work on social responsibility, such as paying a living wage. Replace with the sentiment of progress over perfection.”
– Ganni CEO Andrea Baldo
Sease
“SEASE’s mission is to create value in an ethical and sustainable way. Our primary focus is to raise awareness in our community and reduce the environmental impact of our supply chain without compromising quality, style, and performance. Our network of suppliers shares a strong commitment to sustainability and innovation. We are creating a project based on our unique identity, while also preserving our family tradition of innovating with natural fibers. We firmly believe that natural fibers are a solution for our sustainable value chain. We will persist in maintaining our authentic spirit to create value while respecting our people, our territory, and the planet.”
– Sease CEO Franco Loro Piana
Citizens Of Humanity
“…How can we be a platform for participating, for standing with and up for what and who we believe in? In pushing the norms of what a clothing brand can be, we intend to be a leader in our industry, and not just with our products but how we make them, how we develop and source the materials that go into them, and how we treat and take care of the people who work in each of these areas, with one just as important as the other … As we celebrate 20 years, we no longer want to just sustain or focus on the past. We want to look forward and be focused on regeneration, whether it’s farms or society or the treatment of our teams. Striving to make things better.”
– Citizens of Humanity Group CEO, Amy Williams
Camera della Moda
“Fashion is questioning now more than ever itself about its role in the world today. Fashion has a huge power, and with power comes responsibilities. The challenge fashion is affronting has to be faced urgently. Until you create something with it, a brilliant idea is merely an idea. Creativity, which has provided the foundations of Italian fashion since the Renaissance, continues to be that unique capacity to unite the worlds of humanism and science and to imagine and build a better future.”
– President of the Camera della Moda Carlo Capasa
The Inclusion Panel
One of the panels that resonated in particular with LVRSustainable was the panel of inclusion for its commitment to gender equality efforts, which served as a powerful platform for spreading messages of hope and growth, all while highlighting innovative programs that harness the influence of fashion for meaningful social change, uplifting marginalized groups and communities. Some of the key takeaways from this panel include:
Oxfam
“It’s proven beyond doubt that empowering a woman benefits the whole community. It is therefore important that women have equal access to economic opportunities and are accorded an enabling environment for them to live to their full potential and contribute to the economies of this world.”
– Director of Women’s Rights Programs at Oxfam in Kenya, Blandina Bobson
Hothur Foundation
“Every person, regardless of their gender, status, beliefs, is entitled to their basic human rights and freedom to make decisions. For my women at Ara Lumiere, the basic human rights of equality and social inclusion are a struggle. I strive to fight this battle for them.”
– Executive Director at Hothur Foundation and Founder of Ara Lumiere, Kulsum Shadab Wahab
The conference’s various panels also featured prominent figures from key industries such as design, art, and water experts: Michele De Lucchi, Architect and Founder of AMDL CIRCLE, and Kelly Russell Catella, Director of Fondazione Riccardo Catella. Their collective wisdom and dedication exemplify the conference’s commitment to fostering gender equality and social inclusion within the fashion industry and beyond.
A Forward Momentum
LuisaViaRoma, engaging with their commitment towards positive change and taking concrete action towards fulfilling LVRSustainable’s manifesto, is thrilled to announce two significant steps towards protecting the planet and people.
Planet: LuisaViaRoma has become the first fashion luxury retailer ambassador of the Business Leaders Open Call to Accelerate Action on Water, initiated by the Pacific Institute in collaboration with the United Nations.
People: LuisaViaRoma is proud to share that we will be launching once again a campaign in collaboration with OXFAM Italia in the coming months that will focus on promoting sustainable fashion while supporting a vital cause: gender equality and women’s growth.
By combining our efforts, we aim to create a positive impact on both the fashion industry and society as a whole.
LVRSustainable is proud to have partnered with Acqua Foundation in supporting key industries bringing about positive change with a larger common goal of adopting conscious practices in the creative industries. As a luxury e-commerce platform, LuisaViaRoma continues to curate environmentally and socially conscious collections, foster partnerships, educate its customers, and reduce its carbon footprint as it emerges as a beacon of hope for a more sustainable future, illuminating a path forward where luxury and sustainability coexist. Together, we embark on a journey towards a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow, one step at a time.
