Most of us are now familiar with the concept of ?conflict? or ?blood? diamonds. Though they formed just 4% of global diamond sales, they impacted the rest of the industry as consumers were unsure that they wanted to buy a possibly ?tainted? diamond. This led to a change in the paradigm of the way diamond business was done. The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, by which every diamond that is not from a conflict region carries a certificate to the effect, started in 2003. De Beers? Stephen Lussier points how this impacted his brand, which began sourcing only from its own mines in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Canada.
De Beers is not alone. A little reluctantly, but green is becoming the new black. The proliferation of labels going the ethical way is perhaps the future of the luxe sectors. Fashion and luxury have noticeably lacked in the global shift to greener processes and younger customers, especially in carbon footprint heavy nations, have begun asking questions. And hitting bottomlines.
The International Herald Tribune (IHT) held its annual luxury conference on the theme of sustainable luxury earlier this week in Delhi, and more than one leading figure from the sector was forthright in admitting that much more needed to be done to make the sector more sustainable, ecologically. The younger consumer is asking more questions, especially on the environmental impact of the products they patronise, and this in itself should be enough to create more awareness in the sector, points out IHT?s iconic fashion editor, Suzy Menkes. ?The fate of the planet is becoming more of an issue than the latest foibles of celebrities.? Many international luxury brands already have started having some green lines, but experts feel the change needs to be far more encompassing and should impact the planet positively rather than just limiting damage to it.
Asian connection
The global luxury sector is estimated to be about to be about $250 billion, of which India is estimated to have less than 1% share. But emerging markets are expected to form 8% of the total luxury market in the next decade, according to a Bain and Company study released in October 2008. Menkes says luxury has to be approached in a ?less wasteful? way. ?Not polluting the water with dyes or encouraging fair trade in cotton are ways towards responsible and sustainable luxury.? Considering luxury to be anything ?beautifully crafted and enduring,? with heirloom value, she says that a beautiful saree is a symbol of luxury as it appeals to emotions and can be passed on to the next generation. She terms luxury a desire rather than a need.
?There is a nagging feeling that luxury and sustainability are contradictory,? points out Jem Bendell of Lifeworth, which provides advisory services to the luxury industry. He wants this period of churning to be a ?watershed for sustainability?.
Among the steps he suggests include people questioning the value of what they buy, building accountability along the supply chain to address poverty and inequality, and consuming resources in a sustainable manner. ?If all of us lived as the average American does, we would need five planets to meet the demands, for the average Malaysian, four and the average Dubai resident, ten planets.?
Designer Stella McCartney also points to the huge links between fur, leather and environment. ?I am not about disposable fashion,? says this designer who has been vegetarian all her life and has kept organic process at the core of her work. ?Humankind is beginning to understand that heritage is fragile, and the luxury business does not escape that logic,? said Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO, PPR, the French holding company for global brands like Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and many others. ?We need to rethink what luxury means,? says notably independent designer Dries Von Noten. ?May be shopping malls are not the perfect solution for India.?
In India, a new generation of designers is adapting environment friendly technologies and measures. Materials like khadi, jute, bamboo, straw have started making appearances on couture ramps, and designers like Deepika Govind have been working on organic collections only for the last few seasons. Birla Cellulose introduced a natural fibre last year, and helped a number of designers work in the fabric, but retailers point out that Indians are still not rewarding environmental awareness, despite a recent study indicating that Asians are more likely to be environmentally aware than their counterparts in the West. ?The whole procedure has to be non-metallic, non-toxic and definitely bio-degradable, underlines designer Charu Parashar, one of the designers who worked with Birla Cellulose. Cost is another factor for designers. ?As it involves a lot of R&D and one does not produce in volumes and hence, the cost on the individual garment is marginally higher,? says Govind.
Aim global, think local
?Sustainable luxury may be spot on for India,? says Jeffrey Graham, Executive Director, Consumer Insight, The New York Times, pointing out that a recent study indicated that two thirds of the Indians are gladly willing to pay more for green products.
Santosh Desai, chief executive, Future Brands says that global brands need to build a vocabulary that can create a cultural bridge between them and the Indian consumer, which will help understand the message better, economically and environmentally. ?Indians have been recycling for long,? he points out.
As Menkes points out, even if 75% of the global production can go organic, that would suffice. ?In many parts of the world, there is no concept of lasting fashion. Even if we can make a lasting impression, that would be a start.?