Membership status: Strategic Partner
Founded in Florence, Italy, in 1921, Gucci is one of the world’s leading luxury brands. Gucci is part of the global luxury group Kering, which manages the development of a series of Houses in fashion, leather goods, jewellery, and eyewear.
Driven by Gucci’s philosophy to evolve and act to support social and environmental transformative change, the House joined the Foundation as a Strategic Partner in 2022 to build on its existing circular economy strategy underlined by the three key principles – eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature.
Gucci has been advancing its circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. approach across its value chain for many years, including through the transformation of its supply chains to incorporate regeneratively produced raw materials into its products. It has also worked to extend the life of products, ensuring they are used more, via resale platforms, partnerships, and customised vintage on Gucci Vault. In addition, its product and manufacturing innovations have focused on designing out scraps, upcycling materials, and using recycled materials with Scrap-less, Gucci-Up, and Demetra.
In 2015, Gucci unveiled its ten-year sustainability plan, focused on generating positive change for people and the planet, as outlined in the Gucci Equilibrium platform. Gucci is on track to deliver or exceed its 2025 targets and, in 2021, the House accelerated its efforts, evolving its climate strategy towards a nature-positive approach.
Since 2020, Gucci has been investing in regenerative agriculture projects in its own supply chain and more broadly, to protect and restore nature under its Natural Climate Solutions Portfolio, as detailed in the 2021 Gucci Equilibrium Impact Report.
“A circular economy for fashion creates better products and services for customers, contributes to a resilient and thriving fashion industry, and regenerates the environment. Luxury fashion houses such as Gucci have an important role to play in building an industry that designs products to be used more, made to be made again, and made from safe and recycled or renewable materialsrenewable materialsMaterials that are continually replenished at a rate equal to or greater than the rate of depletion..
“We welcome Gucci’s circular economy initiatives and investment in regenerative agriculture projects, and we look forward to working with the company to help make fashion circular.”
Andrew Morlet, CEO, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
“For us, purpose and progress are paramount to the very ethos of Gucci. We are constantly experimenting and evolving to drive positive impacts in the Gucci community, and in the wider world. Our Strategic Partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation further strengthens our commitments to circularity and regenerative agriculture, expanding on the many initiatives we have already established.”
Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO, Gucci
The circular economy in action at Gucci: regenerative production
Since 2020, Gucci has been investing in regenerative agriculture, an important pillar in its nature-positive approach.
Today, Gucci is continuing to advance its nature-positive approach by directly transforming its own supply chain through regenerative agriculture. The House is supporting a series of regenerative projects both in Italy and around the world to develop regenerative silk, cotton, and wool supply chains.
In Uruguay, Gucci launched the NATIVA™ Regenerative Agriculture Program in collaboration with Chargeurs Luxury Fibers — one of the largest wool-processing companies in the world — which will provide the House with 50 tons of regenerative wool per year for use in its collections. The project involves 10 farms spanning 100,000 hectares of land, including La Soledad, a farm managed by Gabriela Bordabehere, who won the Climate Action Award at the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards 2022 with Gucci’s President and CEO, Marco Bizzarri.
To learn more, visit the Gucci website and Gucci Equilibrium website
