Prada to host digital-focused sustainability conference

Italian fashion label Prada is teaming with the Yale School of Management and Politecnico di Milano School of Management to explore how digital intersects with sustainability.

On Nov. 20 in Milan, Prada will gather executives and students for a “Shaping a Sustainable Digital Future” conference. This is the second of Prada’s future-focused events, as the brand seeks to create a conversation around sustainability.

Sustainability discussions
Prada’s first “Shaping a Future” conversation centered on how sustainability is linked to creativity and innovation. Speakers included Anna Zegna, head of image and store planning for Ermenegildo Zegna and president of Fondazione Zegna, and Carlo Capasa, the president of the Italian Chamber of Fashion (see story).

Prada's inaugural "Shaping a Future" event. Image credit: Prada

For the encore conference, Prada is looking into the role digital can play in both aiding sustainability and threatening it.

Making the conference accessible, Prada will live-stream the talks on its corporate PradaGroup.com site.

Along with getting ideas from those in the business, Yale and Politecnico are hosting contests that ask their students to create new concepts to present during the event.

Sustainability has become a necessity rather than an option for luxury, changing how brands approach all aspects of their businesses.

During a panel at the Financial Times Business of Luxury Summit on May 21, speakers explained consumers’ growing expectations for responsible supply chains and ecologically friendly production. The luxury business is often a trendsetter, allowing high-end companies to have an impact that extends beyond their own operations (see story).