Brands of Influence Review: Prada
Prada has commitments to sustainable practices, from using environmentally friendly materials to supporting local artisans. In recent years, the company has ramped up its sustainability efforts, releasing a series of initiatives that positively impact the environment and the communities where Prada operates.
Image Courtesy of Prada
Prada's first major sustainability initiative was launched in 2016 when the company announced its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. To reach this goal, Prada is working to reduce its emissions, increase its use of renewable energy, and offset its remaining emissions through carbon credits. Prada has already made significant progress towards its goal, reducing its emissions by 17 percent between 2016 and 2018.
Some of their initiatives:
SEA BEYOND: The project – which is supported by a percentage of the proceeds from the sales of the Prada Re-Nylon collection – underscores the Prada Group's commitment to sustainable choices, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
PRADA RE-NYLON: The Prada Re-Nylon project is the result of a partnership between Prada and Aquafil, an Italian textile yarn producer with over half a century of expertise in creating synthetic fibres. Aquafil is renowned for its investment in groundbreaking research and development of sustainable materials, producing new from old. Prada Re-Nylon is made of ECONYL®, a regenerated-nylon yarn that can be recycled an indefinite number of times without affecting the quality of the material. ECONYL® yarn is made by recycling discarded plastic collected from landfill sites and oceans across the whole planet.
UPCYCLED BY MIU MIU: Upcycled by Miu Miu is a special collection of vintage dresses reworked and transformed by Miu Miu, carefully sourced from vintage clothing stores and markets worldwide. The project was launched in December 2020 with a selection of 80 vintage dresses, reinterpreted using Miu Miu’s aesthetic codes. In April 2021, Miu Miu unveiled the new collaboration with Levi’s® dedicated to vintage denim.
FUR FREE: The Prada Group has not used animal fur in its designs or products since the SS20 Women’s collection. The Prada Group will only sell leather and other products considered by-products of the meat trade (example: sheepskin and calfskin). Existing inventory is being sold until it has been used up. In collaboration with the Fur Free Alliance (FFA), a coalition of more than 50 animal protection organisations from over 40 countries, the Prada Group’s announcement, released in May 2019, followed a positive dialogue between the luxury brand and FFA members, LAV and The Humane Society of the United States.
In addition to its work on carbon neutrality, Prada has also launched initiatives to support artisans and reduce waste. In 2018, the company launched a program to provide training and financial support to artisans in Italy who are struggling to keep their businesses afloat. The program has helped over 1,000 artisans improve their skills and grow their businesses.
Prada is also reducing waste by increasing its use of recycled materials. In 2019, the company released a capsule collection made entirely from recycled nylon, and it plans to release more sustainable designs in the future.
As Prada's sustainability initiatives continue to expand, we hope they meet their 2025 carbon-neutral targets while broadening the selection of environmentally conscious products.
