OTB Joins Fashion Pact
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MILAN — OTB is joining the Fashion Pact.
The fashion group comprises the Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, Marni and Viktor & Rolf brands and the Staff International and Brave Kid companies, in addition to a minority stake in Amiri. Diesel became a signatory of the Fashion Pact two years ago.
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Established in August 2019 by Kering’s chairman and chief executive officer François-Henri Pinault, with buy-in from a number of CEOs, the Fashion Pact leans into science-based carbon emissions reduction targets in line with an aim to limit global temperature rise to the deemed “safe” 1.5-degree Celsius trajectory, as defined by the Paris Agreement.
The global coalition now has more than 70 signatory companies, united in their commitment to sharing best practices and finding new solutions to meet three common key objectives: mitigate global warming, restore biodiversity and protect the oceans.
François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering and co-chair of the Fashion Pact steering committee, said he looked forward “to working with OTB Group and its brands, along with the over 200 brands already involved in the Fashion Pact, to find solutions to our common challenges in sustainability and to catalyze systemic change in the fashion industry.”
The Fashion Pact members are working on a number of initiatives to drive progress in areas such as renewable energy, regenerative organic raw materials and biodiversity to help set a baseline in the industry. Diesel is already active in a working group tackling the challenges of increasing the supply chain of regenerative and organic cotton across the fashion industry, and OTB’s entry will see the group’s other brands become involved in a variety of areas.
“Collaboration is an essential element in the road toward sustainability. The fashion industry can only become virtuous and reduce its impact on the planet if we are all united in working toward a common goal,” said Renzo Rosso, founder and chairman of the OTB Group. “Two years after Diesel’s entry, I am delighted to reforge our bond with The Fashion Pact by pooling the experience and resources of the other brands in our group. Only by working together can we drive change throughout the entire industry and positively influence millions of people around the world.”
OTB’s membership of the coalition is a further step in its “Be Responsible. Be Brave.” sustainability strategy launched in 2021 for the group.
In September, Rosso presented the group’s first sustainability report at OTB’s Milan headquarters.
“Sustainability is a state of mind and I can’t bear to hear it whenever recycling a piece of plastic is touted as making a company sustainable. That is merely greenwashing,” Rosso said at the time.
“We see how difficult the situation is, with a planet that is overheated. Sustainability is a serious matter and it must be tackled in a serious way, with all the right certifications, and there’s no messing with them, one must comply with them 100 percent.”
Among the concrete goals OTB has set is reaching carbon neutrality of internal operations by 2030, ahead of the European Union targets. The goal is to reach carbon neutrality for the entire value chain by 2050. The group focused and reported on three macro areas, “Protecting Our Planet,” “The New Fashion System” and “Brave Together,” mapping out the year 2021 and the OTB carbon footprint in the 2019 to 2021 period.
Sara Mariani, chief sustainability officer of the group, said 41 percent of electricity used for OTB internal operations come from renewable sources.
OTB’s circular projects include: Diesel Second Hand, which repairs and reconditions denim garments; Maison Margiela’s Recicla that recycles authentic original articles selected by creative director John Galliano to create limited-edition clothing or accessories; Jil Sander+, a collection based on high-performance and often eco-sustainable products made from natural fibers; the new line of the Myar brand developed by Brave Kid that gives new life to fabric remnants and scraps from a number of OTB companies; Marniphernalia at Marni, which reconditions cotton garments taken from previous collections and repurposes more than 800 handmade striped items, and the Viktor & Rolf Tulle collection, a limited-edition capsule collection named “Lost & Found” consisting of recycled vintage items.
Last year, OTB became a founding member of the Aura Blockchain Consortium; a partner of the Leather Working Group, and adhered to the Roadmap to Zero program promoted by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Foundation.
