Gucci Creates Line of Sustainable Handbags

Fashion powerhouse Gucci has partnered with the Green Carpet Challenge to create a line of zero-deforestation handbags made from Brazilian leather. The GCC is a project that works with top designers to develop and promote environmentally-friendly designer goods and educate consumers about sustainability.

The GCC’s pieces have been seen at events such as the Golden Globes, Academy Awards, Met Ball, and Cannes Film Festival. For this project, Livia Firth and the Green Carpet Challenge collaborated with Gucci, the Rainforest Alliance, and the National Wildlife Federation to create a line of handbags designed by Gucci’s creative director, Frida Giannini.

It took two years to design the bags, obtain sustainably-produced leather from the Brazilian Amazon, and manufacture the bags using environmentally-friendly practices, such as tanning them with vegetable dyes. They are the first products made with zero-deforestation leather.

In March 2013, the GCC created the GCC Brand Mark. Gucci’s Hobo, top-handle tote, and New Jackie are the first products in the world to carry the brand mark. Each comes with a passport that traces the sources of its materials. The GCC and its partner, Eco-Age Consultancy, hope to create change and promote sustainability by educating consumers about the origins of the products they purchase.

Preventing deforestation is a vital issue. More than half of the world’s animal species live in rainforests, and deforestation can lead to the extinction of hundreds of species. Seventy-five percent of the tropical deforestation in the Amazon is due to cattle farming. Deforestation also contributes to 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The Green Carpet Challenge works with top international designers and fashion houses on several high-profile events. They coordinate roundtables every year in which leaders of the fashion industry and environmental organizations discuss ways to promote sustainability in the fashion industry. Gucci intends to donate 50,000 euro to the National Wildlife Federation to promote deforestation-free Brazilian leather.