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As more and more fashion houses rush to ban fur and showcase their dedication to sustainability, luxury brand Chloé has taken it a step further by obtaining the coveted B Corporation status. Chloé, owned by Richemont, is the first major luxury brand to achieve this status.
“We are proud to be the first luxury Maison to join this community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good,” the brand said in a statement. “By becoming B Corp certified, we reinforce our ongoing commitment to taking accountability for our impact on people and the planet.”
B Corporation certification requires a company to meet stringent sustainability goals for every part of the business, from products to social impact to the supply chain, operations and beyond.
The process of becoming certified includes four steps and over 300 questions to analyze every aspect of the company. To become a B Corporation, a brand has to first complete a B Impact Assessment to evaluate performance. Then, there’s a legal requirement section, followed by the Verification & Transparency stage. At this point, B Lab will verify the company through an 80-point bar to reach certification. Afterward, the company will sign their B Corp Agreement and pay dues, which vary by location and the company’s sales.
Certified B Corporations must update their assessments and become reverified every three years to keep their status.
The brand first announced its goal to become a B Corporation last year, and since then has taken strides toward working with Fair Trade suppliers, training employees on circularity, minimizing single-use plastics in offices to zero, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption.
Chloé has set several sustainability objectives for 2022, including dedicating 1% of employee hours toward volunteer work. The brand notes that obtaining B Corp Certification is just the start of becoming a more sustainable brand.
“Rather than a final goal, this certification marks a new stage in our transformation towards a purpose-driven model, reinventing how we do business,” the brand stated. “B Corp will help us frame our transformation, and we hope to inspire other organizations in our industry to join the movement.”
Richemont, a luxury goods company that owns Chloé, also owns major names like Cartier and Net-a-Porter. The parent company has recently released its own sustainability report with goals for all of its brands, including sourcing 100% renewable energy by 2025 and ethically and sustainably sourcing raw materials such as gold, diamonds, precious stones, and leather.
Although Chloé is the first fashion house to reach B Corp Certification, there is a growing movement toward more sustainability in the industry. Prada, Burberry, Versace, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Chanel, just to name a few, have all vowed to ban fur in their collections. Louis Vuitton recently released a Felt Line of products made with organic cotton, recycled fabric and upcycled deadstock. Even fast fashion giant H&M is releasing more sustainable collections, including products made with pineapple-, grape- and other food waste-based fabrics.
The industry has a long way to go in terms of ethical manufacturing, renewable energy, and eco-friendly textiles, but Chloé’s new B Corporation Certification and other recent milestones in fashion show that sustainability is not just a trend.
Based in Los Angeles, Paige is a writer who is passionate about sustainability. Aside from writing for EcoWatch, Paige also writes for Insider, HomeAdvisor, Thrillist, EuroCheapo, Eat This, Not That!, and more. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University and holds a certificate in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She also specialized in sustainable agriculture while pursuing her undergraduate degree. When she’s not writing, Paige enjoys decorating her apartment, enjoying a cup of coffee and experimenting in the kitchen (with local, seasonal ingredients, of course!).