‘Sustainable Style’ at Nordstrom
(Sept 2): Nordstrom has launched a new section online called “Sustainable Style”, which aims to spotlight fashions created from sustainably sourced materials that have been manufactured in factories that meet high social and environmental standards or “give back”. The launch follows an earlier announcement from the retailer confirming that it has signed onto the G7 Fashion Pact to help combat climate change and minimise the fashion industry’s impact on the environment.
Accessible via www.Nordstrom.com/sustainablestyle, the new, curated listing will feature more than 2,000 items from 90 brands, and includes items such as an eco-friendly Tencel Lyocell blend, a Stella -McCartney cape wedding dress created out of sustainably sourced, environment-friendly materials and a Fjallraven backpack fashioned from recycled plastic bottles and spin-dyed to use minimal water, energy and chemicals.
Commenting on the launch of “Sustainable Style”, Pete Nordstrom, co-president at Nordstrom says: “Nordstrom has a long-standing commitment to operating as a responsible company”, adding that the company is participating in efforts that will make “tangible and meaningful progress in areas that are critical to the future success of our business, our communities and the environment”.
Levi Strauss has new global water strategy
Denim giant Levi Strauss & Co has unveiled a new water action strategy that aims to alleviate the pressure on communities facing water stress.
The company has announced that it will move from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to saving water towards a more nuanced approach, allowing it to focus on the areas most in need of a reduction in water use. It has also set a target of cutting its cumulative water use for manufacturing in water-stressed areas by 50% by 2025, and increasing access to clean, safe drinking water for communities in its sourcing locations.
“We all know that water is perhaps the most critical resource on the planet and that many places, including countries the apparel industry sources from, are struggling with water crises,” says Liz O’Neill, executive vice-president and president of LS&Co’s global product, innovation and supply chain, in a statement. “This announcement is an illustration of what sustainability means to us now: Innovative, responsive, scalable programmes that drive impact and inspire collective action to address the most pressing social and environmental issues facing our business, industry and planet.”
The company, which owns the brands Levi’s, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co and Denizen, has been focusing on water stewardship since 2011, when it introduced its “Water
The conglomerate is not the only fashion brand focusing on water stewardship. In June, Gap announced the launch of a new innovation centre in 2020 focused on reducing water waste within the textiles industry, in partnership with its Indian sourcing and franchise partner Arvind. The duo are also investing in a new water treatment facility in Ahmedabad, India, replacing freshwater with reclaimed water in an effort to help conserve the local community’s resources.