No more wasteful luxury. French brand invests $80 million in new project

Chanel is committed to innovation in the spirit of sustainable development. In response to the raw materials crisis, the slowdown in the luxury sector and the growing textile waste, the brand launches the Nevold project. Will the future of haute couture be not only beautiful but also sustainable?

Faced with an increasing crisis in the luxury goods market and the growing problem of textile waste , Chanel launches a groundbreaking project called Nevold (short for "never old").

The new pillar of the brand's strategy is to respond to the resource crisis and the ecological challenges of the 21st century . Its foundations are sustainable fashion and circularity. Is this the future of luxury – or just elegantly packaged greenwashing ?

Chanel handbags worn by influencers after the fashion show during Paris Fashion Week 2019 / Shutterstock

The Nevold project is based on three pillars:

• recovery of production waste,
• recycling unused fabrics,
• reusing unsold products.

The implementation is carried out through investments in specialized companies dealing with waste management and recycling innovations - L'Atelier des Matières , Filatures du Parc and Authentic Material . This is a step towards closing the material cycle within the brand's structures - from atelier to boutique. Chanel declares that Nevold will not limit itself to the world of fashion - it will also cover the sports and hotel segments.

Chanel is not alone in its actions. Competing luxury groups are also responding. LVMH allocated €200,000 last year to develop closed recycling systems and plans to increase that amount to €300,000 this year. Kering , in turn, has invested in the French company Revalorem and the resale platform Vestiaire Collective . The common denominator? An attempt to reconcile exclusivity with responsibility – without losing prestige.

While more and more brands are declaring their ecological commitment, many experts warn against token actions. Critics note that some companies may generate additional waste to be "recycled" in the spotlight. Let's hope that won't happen, especially considering the $80 million invested in launching the program .

If Chanel truly implements Nevold with the same precision with which it creates its collections, perhaps modern luxury will bear the label not only of " haute couture " but also of " ethically conscious ."