LONDON — Livia Firth and her brand consultancy Eco-Age are helping Alberta Ferretti shine a brighter light on her sustainability commitment, with the launch of a new capsule that has been made using only eco-friendly materials such as recycled cashmere and organic cotton. It is set to make its debut on Alberta Ferretti’s web site on April 15, in time for Earth Day.
“Alberta was the first Italian luxury designer to look into the issue, and she did it with courage,” said Firth, who celebrated the debut of the capsule with Ferretti during an informal lunch in London.
“Most brands would never say ‘I’ve made this in Bangladesh,’ but she went there and she was really committed. Since then, she’s been really active in integrating new materials within her own company, so I’ve been trying to encourage her to communicate it more and not wait until it’s perfect, because perfection takes years. She created this capsule to draw attention to the issue, but it’s not a one-off. It exemplifies the work that’s behind the company.”
Related Galleries
Alberta Ferretti first started looking into the social and environmental issues in fashion’s supply chain in 2011, long before sustainability became an industry buzzword. At the time, Ferretti had joined forces with Emma Watson and People Tree, a fair trade organization in Bangladesh that employs mainly artisans, to create a capsule using organic materials. She has been integrating those materials into her collections ever since.
Ferretti’s latest capsule collection comprises T-shirts, recycled cashmere jumpers and cool bomber jackets with logos such as “It’s a Wonderful World” or the words “Love Me” in the shape and colors of the Earth.
“We integrate eco-sustainable materials in our main collections, but it was important with this capsule to communicate the message of sustainability to young people and to draw more attention to it,” said Ferretti, adding that ever since 2011 she could sense the world was changing and that she could support this change with her work.
“It’s still not possible to create entire collections using sustainable materials at the moment. It’s too complicated, but change is happening,” the designer added.
Firth also pointed to Ferretti’s sourcing of recycled cashmere and her active participation in the Camera della Moda’s sustainability roundtables, which have been fueling positive change in Italy and encouraging more and more of the country’s mills to embrace new, eco-friendly materials.
“Sustainability is based on the concept of sharing, and it’s beautiful when we can all co-operate and there are no frontiers: Italy, England, France, we all have to share the same ideas and offer our little contributions if we want a better world,” said Carlo Capasa, president of the Italian Chamber of Fashion.