Chanel Is Entering The Recycling Sector

Chanel is initiating a recycling enterprise named Nevold.

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In response to diminishing sales and a reduction in price increases, Chanel has unveiled a new business initiative: an independent brand focused on the large-scale production of recycled materials from fabric remnants, surplus textiles, and unsold inventory.

The organisation, named Nevold (an abbreviation of "never old"), is directed by Sophie Brocart, the former CEO of Patou, who became part of the Chanel team in January. Under her direction, Nevold will transform into a "business-to-business open platform" addressing resource scarcity, as numerous premium textiles, such as cashmere, silk, and leather, confront challenges posed by climate change, according to Business of Fashion.

The enterprise also tackles the waste issue prevalent in the fashion sector, predominantly attributed to quick fashion. Luxury, meanwhile, accounts for a significant portion of the detriment, with unsold inventory at prominent corporations such as Kering and LVMH escalating to billions of euros over the past decade.

“We began by enquiring about the fate of materials that do not culminate in a final product, or those that have reached the conclusion of their initial lifecycle,” stated Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion, in an interview with Vogue Business. “At Chanel, we did not obliterate unsold merchandise.” However, we had not yet established a comprehensive framework to comprehend their complete potential. Nevold constitutes that system.

Under the Nevold umbrella, three principal operations exist: L’Atelier des Matières, a recycling enterprise established by Chanel that connects brands with textile waste solutions; Filatures du Parc, the foremost European wool spinning mill recognised for its recycled yarns; and Authentic Material, a French leather recycling initiative.

Chanel aims to collaborate with each company to establish Nevold as an integral element of a "significant transformation process that reevaluates the entire product lifecycle, cultivates new expertise and professions... and fosters a more circular economy," as stated in a release.

Chanel's recovery of her waste is not the focus, Pavlovsky stated to BoF. Chanel is reclaiming waste from its own operations and from any market participants willing to sell their waste, in order to develop new types of materials.