AW 25-26 decodings: Sustainable Accessories
The role of the accessory is to render a product unique through the details. Whether discreet and refined or offbeat and whimsical, their presence indicates a commitment to excellence. Knowing a component’s origin and composition, such as chemical substances, is important when assessing the care given from start to finish.
Packaging musts
Serving as a communication tool to showcase a brand’s identity or as a protective envelope, packaging and labels are omnipresent.The number one goal this season is to avoid using fossil resources and favor packaging and hang tags made from renewable plant resources, organic fibers, biomass plastics and FSC-certified paper. Printing takes the quest for naturalness one step further with the use of water- or vegetable-based inks.
As vectors of traceability, labels with NFC chips act as product passports, enabling tracking of the entire life cycle through conveying information on composition, care and recyclability.
Exemplary circularity
Knowledge of an accessory’s composition is vital, both for its use and revaluation. Buttons, zippers and ornamental decorations are often derived from petrochemicals, but manufacturers are now turning to traced cellulosic fibers or synthetic alternatives developed from renewable resources.Accessories made from recycled polyester or polyamide are going beyond pure functionality to embrace technicality, and are now offered with high-performance, water-repellent, retroreflective or abrasion-resistant properties.
Elsewhere, surface treatments adopt PVD, a low-impact metal coating, or show off their shinewith mechanical finishes that minimize environmental impact.
