In 2019 and 2020, Longchamp introduced preferred alternative fabrics like recycled polyester canvas and ECONYL®-certified recycled polyamide (nylon) canvas in its My Pliage® Signature and Green District lines, respectively. Today Le Pliage® Green is the first Le Pliage® made with recycled nylon, marking the start of Longchamp’s transition to using this responsible material throughout the entire Le Pliage® collection by 2023.
Courtesy of Longchamp“The communications team shouldn’t sit at the end of the process, they should be involved throughout,” says Vocking. “When the sustainability team does an audit, the communications team should work with them to shape internal narratives and external press releases. Communications experts trained in sustainability are like gold dust right now.”
Engaging communicators early allows them to play a key role in holding brands accountable and accelerating progress, adds Levitt. “Ask if they’re aware of unfolding challenges in the broader industry, and stay updated with new developments and solutions,” she says.
At BPCM, Phillips was talking to clients about regenerative agriculture and biodiversity – topics which entered the mainstream in 2021 – three years ago. At Eco-Age, communicators are involved throughout the process, from strategising to product development, helping to shape internal narratives and get staff behind new initiatives as well as developing communications to consumers.
Fundamentally, brands need to adjust their expectations of communicators, says Levitt. “Brands want to drive sales and visibility, that’s why they have PR,” she explains. “Brands need to focus less on newness, and more on solutions and maintaining customer relationships.”
Levitt is working with her clients on corporate social responsibility reports that can be easily digested by fashion consumers concerned about the environment. “Brands typically hide their sustainability reports away or fill them with jargon, but they are a great opportunity for brands to focus on impacts and progress, internally and externally,” she explains.
“Consumers allow an industry to exist because society deems it acceptable,” explains writer and consultant Alec Leach. “The tobacco industry lost that social license, and the fossil fuel industry is losing it now. Fashion is gambling away its long-term credibility for the sake of avoiding short-term issues. There will be a tipping point where people will stop buying fashion because they will be feeling the effects of the climate crisis and realise fashion is contributing.”
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