Yes Future !
RESPONSIBLE FASHION
Jérôme Dreyfuss has long been sensitive to environmental concerns and is acutely aware of the harmful effects caused by the fashion industry over the past several decades. From the outset he has continuously strived to ensure that his adverse impact on the environment is as low as possible. This is no easy feat in a sector that requires constant innovation, where designers have to keep up with the increasing demands for new collections and get them quickly to market. Despite the efforts made: vegetable tanning processes, flat-packing the bags to save on space during shipment, avoiding the use of materials from the oil industry, his newly-built eco-friendly head office, there is no denying that a lot more needs to be done.
... there is a lot that can be changed in the fashion industry.
COMMITMENT N°1
Leather
The fashion industry has an enormous environmental impact; it is the second most polluting industry in the world, after oil. We therefore have a duty to pay attention to the origin of our raw materials and the impact they can have on the environment. We need to change our habits, consume less and better, look at where materials come from and how they are made, in order to reduce as much as possible our impact on a form of global pollution that continues to grow.
Since the brand was founded, we have sourced our leather exclusively in Europe, mainly in France and Italy. We favour proximity in sourcing and vegetable tanning. All the hides we use, of course, come from the agri-food industry. We recycle the hides of animals slaughtered exclusively for their meat. The choice is clear: we prefer to recycle rather than produce synthetic leather derived from the oil industry. If “eco-friendly” products come onto the market, we will obviously take an interest in them.
Beyond production, this commitment goes hand in hand with a broader ambition: to consume better, reduce the use of resources and encourage collective change towards more sustainable practices.
COMMITMENT N°2
Vegetable tanning
At each collection, Jérôme Dreyfuss offers a broad range of vegetable-tanned leather. Vegetable tanning is a traditional process and the oldest tanning method known to man.
The tannins used in this method are derived from plants. Each type of tannin has its own unique properties, which is why certain plant species are favoured over others depending on the desired results: flexibility, bright colours or pastels, etc. The main plant extracts used are mimosa bark, oak bark as well as Quebracho wood, a South American tree. Vegetable tanning is a slow process; but is less harmful for the environment compared with chrome tanning. The baths and the water- and tannin-filled sludge left over at the end of the process must be treated. These are natural substances and are therefore fully biodegradable. Vegetable tanning is also less hazardous to human health. The leather produced from vegetable tanning has a natural colour thereby making it possible to darken these pieces to deeper and more subtle shades. Vegetable tanned-leather is nice, soft and sensual to the touch. The feel of the leather may vary depending on the hide and the finishing process, but each piece of leather produced is unique. This leather naturally matures over time, ageing like fine wine.
COMMITMENT N°3
Coeur de forêt
Coeur de Forêt is an association created in 2005 that works to protect forests and people through a combination of reforestation programs and the development of fair trade schemes. The Association devotes its efforts to restoring forest ecosystems and offering local producers economically-viable alternatives to deforestation. Jérôme Dreyfuss sponsors one of the Association’s programs located in Coroico, Bolivia. Bolivia is one of the ten countries in the world with the richest biodiversity. Over a period of two years, Jérôme Dreyfuss has help to replant 12 500 trees, support 60 producers and 70 beekeepers by providing them with the required material and equipment.