Chanel is in its environmental preservation era. The brand has launched a circular fashion business, Nevold, dedicated to developing circular materials—textiles that can be recovered, reused, or recycled to create new products instead of being thrown out.
The house has invested between € 50 million and € 80 million in its development. But although approx 30% of Chanel bags and 50% of its shoes already feature the recycled materials, it won’t just be creating materials for the house. Instead, Nevold—which is a portmanteau of never and old—will produce fabrics that will be used across industries, from workers’ uniforms to sportswear and plane seats, per WWD.
The fabrics will combine used textiles with recycled and virgin fibers, with natural cashmere, cotton, leather, silk, and wool being the main materials used.
Chanel’s existing environmental initiatives will also come under the Nevold umbrella: L’Atelier des Matières, which collects deadstock fabrics and unsold items; Filatures du Parc, a legacy wool-spinning mill, and Authentic Material, an upcycled natural leather provider.
The brand is also working towards being more transparent with its customers: it's launching digital product passports, which will give buyers intel on each product’s supply chain via a scannable QR code. DPPs have already been adopted by brands like Prada, Bulgari, and Mulberry.
The end goal is basically to collect enough recycled materials that they become cheaper than plastic parts, allowing Chanel to stop using plastic components altogether. We’re here for it.
Image courtesy of Getty©
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