Kering pushes sustainability through London College of Fashion partnership

Luxury conglomerate Kering will present plans for its five-year partnership with the London College of Fashion’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion on Oct. 29.

The collaborators will promote sustainability in fashion by encouraging innovation, working with students, as well as designers, teachers, researchers and industry experts. As Kering focuses on its in-house sustainability efforts, this further positions the group as a leader in eco-friendly fashion.

School's in session
As part of the five-year partnership, Kering will host an annual “Kering Talk” at the school in October, to share the latest findings in sustainability. The first talk will be held on Oct. 29, with Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault delivering a speech about the importance of sustainability.

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Each year, Kering and CSF will host a contest for students, asking them to tackle realistic challenges, based on a briefing given by the luxury group. The contest will be open to third year BA and MA students, with the two winners receiving a grant and an internship placement at a Kering brand.

Kering and CSF will also bring in experts in the industry to design a course module covering sustainability, giving students practical information for their future careers.

In a brand statement, Mr. Pinault said, “Our shared vision on the importance of empowering young talent, combined with our industry knowledge, will encourage the next generation of fashion professionals to place sustainability at the heart of their future careers. Our collaboration will help make sustainable fashion a business reality.”

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This initiative combines Kering’s support of education and nurturing talent with its dedication to eco-friendly practices.

Kering speaks publicly about its sustainability practices, positioning itself as a thought leader on the topic.

For instance, the conglomerate spoke at the third Copenhagen Fashion Summit on sustainability to highlight its work (see story).

The conglomerate is co-hosting the third annual “Empowering Imagination” competition for students with Parsons The New School of Design.

Students from Parsons will vie for an internship at one of Kering’s 22 luxury or lifestyle brands. With many luxury brands finding it difficult to discover top talent to fill roles at their companies, this competition offers Kering a pipeline to find its next employees (see story).