Luxury has always been about more than the products themselves. It is about the craftsmanship, materials and people that bring them to life. But as concerns around resource use and responsible production grow, the industry faces a pressing question: how can it preserve what makes luxury special while becoming more mindful of its impact?
Marie-Claire Daveu believes it can. As Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering, the French luxury group, she has spent years working towards a model that brings environmental responsibility closer to the heart of luxury. Her argument begins with a simple observation. “Luxury sets the trends,” she says. That influence she believes, carries a duty and brings a responsibility to lead beyond aesthetics and craftsmanship.
India offers an important opportunity to put this thinking into practice. With its deep-rooted textile and artisanal traditions with a growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs and technology-led businesses, the country brings together two forces that could help reshape the industry. Through the Kering Generation Award X India, the group hopes to support emerging innovators developing solutions for a more sustainable future.
In conversation with Robb Report India, Daveu discusses why sustainability and exclusivity need not compete, what it takes to scale new materials and technologies, and how India’s combination of heritage and innovation could influence the next chapter of luxury.
Luxury is often associated with rarity, exclusivity and the pursuit of perfection. Sustainability, meanwhile, calls for more considered consumption and greater resource efficiency. At first glance, the two may appear to pull in opposite directions. But, Daveu sees no such contradiction. “Exclusivity, craftsmanship, circularity and being conscious of resources used can go hand-in-hand,” she says. “In fact, I would argue that they can reinforce one another.”
This belief informs Kering’s ReconKering strategy, which focuses on people, craftsmanship, materials, innovation and circular services. The group is working to diversify its materials portfolio, improve manufacturing efficiency and adopt a more disciplined approach to its collections. The intention is to preserve the qualities that make luxury desirable while reducing the resources required to create it.
For Daveu, this question requires a fundamental rethink of the industry's relationship with production and consumption. Overconsumption, resource depletion and exploitative labour practices remain difficult realities for fashion. Daveu argues that luxury cannot address these concerns by defending its traditions alone. It must use its influence to establish better ways of working. “The future of luxury is about creating exceptional products not only in terms of quality and desirability, but also in the positive impact they can have on people and nature,” she says. It is an approach that places responsibility alongside quality and not treating it as an additional consideration. Luxury, in her view, has both the resources and the reach to demonstrate that the two can coexist.
Daveu is no idealist. She names the obstacle plainly. Pledges are easy to make. Delivery at scale is difficult. The reason lies in the structure of the trade. No luxury house controls its supply chain alone. “Scaling sustainability is very challenging as supply chains are shared by hundreds, if not thousands, of companies and across sectors,” she says. One company can change its own practices. It cannot change a whole system by itself.
Her remedy is cooperation. She calls for more collaboration, firmer commitment and greater investment in sustainable systems. Only then, she says, can best practices spread widely.
This is where Kering’s interest in startups comes into focus. An idea may be promising, but its value lies in how well it performs beyond the drawing board. As Daveu explains, any new material or technology must be scalable, meet the exacting quality and performance standards of luxury, deliver measurable environmental and social benefits, and integrate seamlessly into existing supply chains. Each condition closes a loophole. A clever invention that cannot be produced widely changes little. A scalable one that damages quality will never satisfy a luxury customer. Daveu wants solutions that pass every test.
She applies the same logic to circularity. Making it commercially viable, she says, demands a rethink of how products are designed and made. Operations must improve and New business models must emerge. “Transformational change,” in her words, calls for “a willingness to break new ground.” Kering therefore seeks to back startups that can carry breakthrough technology from concept to commercial reality.
Innovation in sustainable fashion is often associated with new fibres, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. Yet some of the most valuable knowledge may already exist in traditional methods of making.India's craft traditions offer a compelling example. Generations of artisans have developed specialised skills in weaving, embroidery, dyeing and working with natural materials. The challenge is to preserve this knowledge while adapting it to contemporary requirements.
Daveu sees no need to choose between heritage and progress. “Rather than striking a balance between the two, we believe in the complementarity of tradition and innovation,” she says.
Technology can improve efficiency and sustainability, she explains, but it must not compromise the savoir-faire or human touch behind their collections.
In simpler terms, Modernisation should strengthen craftsmanship than making it incidental to the production process. Equally, preserving heritage does not mean leaving established practices unchanged. Traditional methods can be re-examined, supported by new research and adapted to meet the demands of a changing industry. The opportunity lies in allowing the two to inform one another. For India, where artisanal knowledge exists alongside a new generation of entrepreneurs, this approach could open up possibilities for both established craftspeople and emerging businesses.
Daveu describes India as one of the world's most vibrant ecosystems for innovation, entrepreneurship and creative thinking. Its importance, she suggests, extends beyond its potential as a luxury market. The country brings together a longstanding craft and textile heritage, entrepreneurial energy and a growing interest in new materials and methods. These qualities create opportunities to address some of the industry's most pressing sustainability challenges.
India's advantage lies in the possibility of connecting traditional knowledge with contemporary innovation. Entrepreneurs can draw on existing craft practices while exploring alternative materials, production methods and technologies that respond to present-day concerns. “India's rich heritage of craftsmanship is equally profound,” Daveu says. She is particularly interested in seeing how the finalists of the Kering Generation Award X India combine these techniques with innovation and more sustainable practices. The award aims to support businesses at a crucial stage of development. Through mentorship, funding, international networking and greater visibility as it seeks to give emerging innovators the resources and connections required to develop their solutions.
For startups, this support can be significant. A promising idea needs more than technical merit to succeed. It requires access to partners, investment and supply chains, as well as the ability to demonstrate its value in real-world conditions. Daveu hopes the award will help bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and implementation. The wider ambition is for solutions developed in India to contribute to a more sustainable luxury industry internationally.
Despite the challenges of transforming established supply chains, Daveu remains optimistic about the future of sustainable luxury. Growing collaboration, startup innovation and the involvement of younger generations are encouraging signs. Yet meaningful change will require the industry to rethink how products are designed, materials are sourced and resources are used.
India has an important role to play, bringing together traditional craftsmanship, rich material knowledge and a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. For the luxury industry, the challenge is to embrace innovation without losing sight of the people and skills behind its products. As Daveu puts it, “Luxury has a responsibility – and an opportunity – to change the traditional model rather than simply operate within it.”