What do Gucci, Coach, and Burberry have in common? An unwavering commitment to fashion circularity.
The three luxury labels have topped Kearney’s Circular Fashion Index (CFX) for the second year in a row, as reported by Women’s Wear Daily. Launched in 2020, the ranking measures each brand’s efforts toward extending the life cycle of their clothes.
This year, the company assessed 200 global brands across 20 countries, splitting them into six categories: premium and affordable luxury, mass market, fast fashion, sports and outdoor, and underwear and lingerie. Each brand’s circularity performance was scored based on seven aspects that affect clothing longevity. The index also looked at the percentage of recycled fabrics used to make new products, the promotion of circularity in brand communication, secondhand sales, rental services, and the upcycling of returned garments. Each aspect was given a score between one and 10 and then those figures were added up for the company’s overall score.
The luxury category was dominated mainly by French labels, but Italian house Gucci earnt the top spot. Coach, Burberry, Moncler, and Louis Vuitton rounded out the top five. Gucci’s ranking isn’t exactly surprising. In February, the label and its parent group Kering opened a “Circular Hub” designed to further circularity in the Italian supply chain across sourcing, design, manufacturing, and logistics. The house has also previously partnered with luxury consignment company The RealReal to bring collectors pre-owned, authentic Gucci garb.
In the top 10 global ranking, meanwhile, Patagonia came first, followed by Levi’s, The North Face, OVS, and Gucci. Overall, the results show little improvement was made compared to 2022 and highlight that brands need to do more to champion circularity.
“While we see some shining stars, we see the industry as a whole needing a step change improvement,” said Brian Ehrig, partner at Kearney U.S.
Well, you heard the man.
