Fashioning the Future

 bamboo-encased exhibition featuring sustainable innovations from across the Group’s brands set the backdrop for the evening, whilst the agenda was rhythmed by a series of on-stage Q&A sessions. Animating said discussions was Christina Dean, founder of the Hong Kong based environmental non-profit Redress, who questioned François-Henri Pinault, CEO & Chairman of Kering, on why Kering values sustainability. His response, "In implementing sustainable practices, our pursuit is not to sell more handbags. We do it because we believe it is the only way to run a business, now and in the future. That being said, I do believe that behind each consumer, from Asia to America, there is a citizen. And

 

BE IT AS A CITIZEN OR A BUSINESS, WE ALL HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO UPHOLD.

 

Our actions, and the responsibilities we take on, reflect who we are as citizens, who Kering is as a company." Also taking to the stage during the course of the evening was Kering CSO Marie-Claire Daveu and Dennis Chan, CEO & Creative Director of Qeelin; who both spoke of how the fashion industry needs to act, adapt and collaborate if it is to thrive for the long-run.

 

Concluding on a high note, the final sequence of the evening saw François-Henri Pinault host the 5^th edition Kering Sustainability Awards Ceremony; an annual internal contest recognising the most innovative sustainable solutions imagined by employees of the group.