Italian fashion house Gucci launches the “Circular Hub”, a center for circular luxury fashion in Italy.
The aim of the new “Circular Hub” is to accelerate the transition of the production model of the Italian fashion industry towards the circular economy. For this purpose, the entire value chain – from materials to design to logistics – will be redefined, Gucci announced on Tuesday. The center aims to serve as an open innovation platform for the design and manufacture of circular luxury products and to explore new possibilities.
The Circular Hub was designed to explore the principles of the circular economy and apply them to fashion and luxury goods, according to the release. The project’s initiatives include a research and development center, support for circular logistics methods and industrial cooperation partnerships. The Italian fashion house is also committed to developing a central management platform for the traceability of materials and for monitoring the environmental and economic impact of the products.
Circularity ‘Made in Italy’
The theme “Circular Made in Italy” also plays an important role for the center. The Florentine fashion house’s efforts seek to minimize the environmental and social impact of Italy’s production and supply chains.
“The circular economy promotes a vision that includes the entire production cycle, starting from the raw materials: it represents a great challenge and an opportunity to make ‘Made in Italy’ even stronger and more competitive,” says Antonella Centra, Executive Vice President, General Counsel , Corporate Affairs & Sustainability at Gucci. “With the launch of the Circular Hub, we have the responsibility and most importantly the framework to create a path for the luxury industry of the future. Through common goals and the pooling of resources, know-how and synergies, the establishment will allow the entire luxury supply chain and in particular the small and medium-sized enterprises – the beating heart of our country’s industry – to play an active role, with the innovative Spirit that makes Italian know-how unique in the world.”
Parent company Kering supports the initiative
Gucci receives support from its parent company Kering. The center will be located in Tuscany and will include the production facilities and suppliers of the luxury goods group, which also owns brands such as Balenciaga and Saint Laurent. Over time, the activities of the “Circular Hub” will be expanded to include the other brands in Kering’s portfolio.
The initiative is also in line with Italy’s recovery and resilience plan and the EU Commission’s climate targets for 2030. The recovery and resilience plan is Italy’s response to the Covid 19 pandemic and provides for reforms and investments that will help the country to become more sustainable and resilient, according to the European Commission’s website. Since the initiative goes hand in hand with the plan, funding for research and development has been requested.