«luxury is at its essence very close to sustainable preoccupations because it is nourished by rarity and beauty and thus has an interest in preserving them»
Jean Noel Kapferer (renowned French Marketing professor) in ‘Kapferer on Luxury’
76%
RECYCLING
47%
RENEWABLE ENERGIES
89%
LOCAL CULTURE PROMOTION
43%
COMMUNITY SPIRIT
72%
LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Concerns about sustainability are here to stay and are a decisive factor in choices.
Sustainable Luxury seeks to satisfy individual needs, making consumption decisions smarter.
Sustainability can be the key to differentiating a good and responsible brand from a reckless brand with no vision for the future. Sustainable luxury helps properties stand out from the rest.
The definition that inspire us: «Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs» in Brundtland Commission, 1987
This model os sustainability reflects the notion that the world is an interconnected system of socila, economic and environmental needs that must succeed over time ant that will weigh in all its decisions.
Sustainable luxury is the future. It is not an eco-friendly product seeking a premium image but instead, it is a luxury product with sustainable values. It's yet another option to save the planet, as we're channeling our purchasing power where we can do the least harm – buying sustainable luxury goods.
While people are positive about the idea of sustainability in principle, these perceptions are often overshadowed by various perceived ‘negative’ attributes. Many people view sustainability as being costly, unnecessary, or disruptive to their everyday life.
At first glance, it seems there is a contradiction in the term sustainable luxury. After all, luxury often carries with it connotations of excess and waste, and it is associated with pleasure, individualism, and fashion, whereas sustainability is synonymous with ethics and restraint as it invites us to “meet the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs”.
However, if we return to the definition of luxury, we can see that sustainable products also share the same ‘essential’ qualities of luxury goods; they call for extraordinary creativity and design, they need to be made from exceptional materials, with good quality, and they place an importance on durability in the concept of fewer but better. Luxury goods have implicit sustainability built in as they don’t go out of fashion and are life-long products.
Luxury product have always been sustainable, but have not been promoted as such. Increasingly, leading luxury brands are taking steps in this direction and are introducing the idea of ‘sustainable luxury’ as an integral part of their own brand image. As social and environmental stresses increase and global resources come under greater pressure, the luxury industry must embrace new environmental and labour standards. Sustainable luxury offers people fulfillment of their individual desires by introducing better consumer choices — rather than making them feel guilty about themselves.
Juan DeLeon, Editorial Director of Highsnobiety and co-editor of the book The New Luxury says «’New Luxury’ isn’t about what’s new, it’s about what matters. Mainly what we’re seeing is a redefinition of value. Consumers expect quality, purpose-driven products, and a degree of cultural credibility from their purchases. New Luxury isn’t about price, it’s about culture, community, the values we share —aligning ourselves with brands who can help enhance that worldview.»
93%
WASTEWATER TREATMENT
34%
CARBON NEUTRAL ARCHITECTURE
58%
SUSTAINABLE FOOD CONSUMPTION
81%
FAUNA AND FLORA PROTECTION
37%
USE OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
average of the values provided by participants in the Sustainable Luxury Awards
average of the values provided by participants in the Sustainable Luxury Awards
average of the values provided by participants in the Sustainable Luxury Awards
SUSTAINABLE
LUXURY
53%
WATER-SAVING
23%
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
