August 12, 2019
Miuccia Prada shares her thoughts on sustainability. Image credit: Prada
Italian fashion company Prada Group is touting its commitment to sustainability in a new collaborative project.
Prada teamed with news organization Reuters and French photographer Brigitte Lacombe to share its leaders' views on sustainability and culture. The group has made sustainability a focal point of its strategy to keep pace with more socially-aware consumers.
Sustainable strategy
In a film produced by The Business Debate in collaboration with Reuters and Ms. Lacombe, CEO and designer Miuccia Prada and chairman Carlo Mazzi are among those who discuss Prada's approach to sustainability.
The film, which runs more than eight minutes, features intimate interviews with Ms. Prada and Mr. Mazzi. The thoughtful black-and-white cinematography, a trademark of Ms. Lacombe, also showcases the Fondazione Prada.
Carlo Mazzi, Chairman Prada S.p.A., talks about the #PradaGroup commitment to sustainability.
Discover the video produced by @the_business_debate, in collaboration with @brigittelacombe and @reuters here: https://t.co/WSae2NJIDN #PradaGroupImpact pic.twitter.com/NoCfMCuKvZ
— PRADA (@Prada) August 8, 2019
Twitter post from Prada Group
The Fodazione itself is an example of creative reuse. Its permanent exhibition space is located in a compound that formerly housed various manufacturing buildings, including a distillery (see story).
Ms. Prada candidly speaks about the difficulties of teaching people that sustainability is necessary. She believes that culture, such as art or fashion, is the best way to communicate the importance of sustainability.
"Sustainability is a multifaceted matter, with each facet presenting a different challenge for the future" Mr. Mazzi says. "We have to understand each of them to commit ourselves fully and especially in the areas and topics where we can make the biggest contribution."
Mr. Mazzi adds that it is important that Prada works with stakeholders, including public institutions and suppliers, to develop solutions to environmental issues such as pollution.
Alessandra Cozzani, chief financial officer at Prada Group, and Lorenzo Bertell, head of marketing and innovation at Prada Group, also appear in the film. They elaborate on Prada's efforts to promote workplace diversity and clean energy consumption, respectively.
Prada leadership discusses themes that reflect the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These goals include gender equality and sustainable cities and communities.
Mr. Bertelli also explains one of Prada's recent projects, Re-Nylon.
Prada is taking an inventive approach to upcycling by introducing a handbag line made out of regenerated materials, while also examining problems and solutions in the fashion supply chain.
The label is becoming an active participant in finding sustainable approaches to luxury apparel and accessories production, even as fashion remains one of the most environmentally harmful industries. In addition to launching an alternative material, Prada premiered a documentary series that illustrates the process behind its new initiative (see story).
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