Gucci and its parent company Kering have announced the launch of “Circular Hub,” a breakthrough open innovation platform that seeks to support and encourage circularity and sustainability in the Italian luxury fashion industry.

Both powerhouses strive to power the design and manufacturing of circular products along with maximizing the use of recycled materials, durability, repairability, and recyclability. They also seek to redefine the entire value chain, starting from raw materials and design through to production optimization and logistics.

The hub (located in Tuscany) utilizes certain Kering facilities, such as Gucci’s production sites, its Italian-based raw material suppliers, and finished products manufacturers, comprising more than 700 direct suppliers and 3,500 sub-suppliers.

Moreover, the scheme is fully aligned with Italy’s PNNR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) and underpinned by the EU’s proposal to achieve the 2030 emissions reduction targets. It has also been submitted to the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy to receive funding as part of the Agreements for Innovation scheme.

Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering, commented: “The fashion industry needs to accelerate and launch serious actions to catalyze deep change, rethinking the way we produce and use resources as well. The creation of our Circular Hub represents a milestone that goes in this direction.”

Daveu added: “Joining forces with Gucci for the Circular Hub not only is a testament of collective conviction within the Group, but also an ambitious example to pave the way for other players who will be happy to join in the future, in an open-source perspective.”

Meanwhile, Antonella Centra, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Gucci, noted: “Circularity promotes a vision that involves the entire production cycle starting from raw materials: it presents a great challenge and an opportunity to make Made in Italy even stronger and more competitive.”

Centra continued: “With the launch of the Circular Hub we will have the responsibility and above all the framework in place to create a pathway for the luxury industry of the future. By sharing the same objectives and pooling resources, know-how and synergies, the hub will enable the entire luxury supply chain.”

The Circular Hub, focused on the areas of research and development, logistics, industrial partnerships and value sharing, aims to improve Kering’s and Gucci’s environmental performance by promoting the use of fewer natural resources, minimizing waste and pollution, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and while creating employment opportunities of the regions involved.

Beginning in the first half of 2023, the initiative will draw on the expertise of the Kering Material Innovation Lab (MIL) in Milan and the support of technicians and product researchers for apparel, leather goods, footwear, and accessories from Gucci’s centers of industrial craftsmanship and experimentation.

To further explore Gucci’s and Kering’s newly announced open and modular innovation platform, take a look at The Circular Hub’s dedicated website. And, while we’re on the subject, check out the latest from Nike ISPA – the modular, circular sneaker designed to be ripped apart and recycled.