Founded in 1952, Chloé is a famous fashion house with the headquarters situated in Paris, France (Chloé n.d.). Chloé is known for its unique and fresh ideas specializing in women’s clothes, shoes, and accessories. Taking into consideration the popularity of the fashion house’s products, it is high time for the company to enter the menswear market. When thinking about a new apparel line, it is crucial to focus on eco-friendliness and sustainability of the materials, as well as of the sourcing, distribution, and supply chain strategies. Production processes in the fashion industry are increasingly raising concerns about the excessive exploitation of resources and illegitimate labor (Villa 2018). Hence, there is a new trend emerging in France that aims at eliminating brands’ negative impact on climate change and biodiversity (Williams 2019). Chloé will join these efforts by incorporating sustainable ways of producing and distributing its products.
Sourcing
Linen
For the production of organic linen, flax will be used. Libeco, a Belgian company, makes organic linen based on the cooperation with French flax growers from Seine-et-Marne (Organic linen n.d.). All fabrics produced by Libeco are certified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 quality label as the most socially responsible and ecological ones. The material also has a range of characteristics making it directed toward sustainability. Particularly, textiles are not dyed and do not contain any toxic substances (Ecological aspects n.d.). Also, the environmental effect of spinning and weaving flax from which linen is made is almost zero.
Wool (Virgin Wool)
Wool utilized by Chloé will be taken from Merino d’Arles in France, a locality with a rich history of wool production (The wool sector in Europe n.d.). One of the most reputable companies producing wool from Merino d’Arles is Rosy Green Wool. The organization takes pride in its Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification (Guaranteed organic n.d.). The GOTS marks wool as 100% organic and environmentally friendly. Materials produced by the Rosy Green Wool company do not contain any harmful chemicals.
Leather
The use of leather in the fashion industry is one of the most controversial questions. The cruel treatment of animals and the lack of eco-friendliness in the production of leather make many fashion retailers refuse traditional materials. However, there is a new alternative on the market, which is eco-friendly and sustainable. Vegea is a project designed by an Italian architect Gianpiero Tessitore who suggested making leather from the wine industry leftovers (Skrabania 2018). Vegea offers numerous advantages, including waste- and chemical-free production and no cruelty to animals. The company has been awarded several major prizes (Vegea: network n.d.). Although Vegea leather is not available on the market yet, Chloé could start the cooperation with the organization.
Silk
Chloé will use silk from French manufacturers, the Maison Malfroy company, one of the leaders of silk production not only for French consumers but also for foreign markets. Maison Malfroy has a long family history of silk production from noble organic materials (Silk designer manufacturer n.d.). Thus, cooperating with this company will allow Chloé to reduce its environmental footprint both by using eco-friendly materials and by eliminating the need for transporting silk from other countries.
Suede
As well as leather, suede is gradually being replaced by analogs made from eco-friendly materials. One of the world’s leaders in this sphere is the Majilite corporation located in the USA (Quality n.d.). While the cooperation with this company will entail high transportation costs, the benefit of using faux suede instead of natural animal skins is evident. Chloé will promote sustainability and reduce its environmental footprint by using faux suede.
Elastane
Elastane is valued for its elasticity, but the production of this material is highly toxic and unsustainable. Also, the process of creating elastane requires too much energy. Hence, Chloé should look for more eco-friendly partners making elastic fibers. The pioneer in programmable textiles, Tandem Repeat, produces its materials in an energy-efficient way (World’s first programmable textiles n.d.). Moreover, the company’s fibers have qualities of self-healing and self-repairing.
Production and Distribution
To make its production and distribution processes more sustainable, Chloé needs to pay special attention to the following aspects:
- chemicals: it is necessary to eliminate the use of materials containing harmful substances;
- transportation: it is crucial to find producers of materials within a short distance to reduce air pollution and the consumption of energy;
- energy: the company should use renewable and resource-saving energy types;
- waste reduction: the organization should take care of eliminating waste by recycling or reusing as much as possible (Williams 2019);
- packaging: it is necessary to use recycled paper and non-plastic packaging materials.
The Supply Chain Strategy
Most of the production is based in France or its neighboring countries. Wool and silk are made in France, linen is manufactured in Belgium, and leather will be exported from Italy. Such locations will ensure the traceability of Chloé’s supply chain. However, two fibers – suede and elastane – are produced in the USA. Although it is an unfavorable location presupposing shipping costs and energy waste, the company will be able to reduce its environmental impact. The image below shows the key supply partners of Chloé.
Recommendations
At present, Chloé’s efforts on reducing its environmental footprint are quite effective. The company’s main producers are located in France or the neighboring countries. Chloé makes sure that its materials are toxic-free and that their effect on climate change is not too harmful. However, there is space for improvement, such as finding elastane and faux suede producers closer to France. Also, it is crucial to minimize the excessive production of garments so that nothing would be thrown away as unnecessary.
Reference List
Chloé n.d.
Ecological aspects n.d.
Guaranteed organic n.d., Web.
Organic linen n.d., Web.
Quality n.d., Web.
Silk designer manufacturer for over three generations n.d.
Skrabania, L 2018, ‘Vegea: eco-friendly vegan leather from wine industry leftovers’, Reset, Web.
Vegea: network n.d., Web.
Villa, M 2018, ‘Lets’ kill the business of slavery’, Thomson Reuters, Web.
Williams, R 2019, ‘France seeks to stop fashion brands from destroying unsold goods’, Bloomberg, Web.
The wool sector in Europe – an upcoming Renaissance? n.d., Web.
World’s first programmable textiles n.d., Web.