The fashion industry is the second-largest global consumer of water, after agriculture, according to Amy David, clinical professor of supply chain and operations management at Purdue. In other words, water must be at the forefront of conversations about sustainability and fashion—and Marie Claire made sure of that this summer, hosting in collaboration with Kering our Fashion Our Future event in Shanghai, where experts delved into Kering’s water-positive strategy.
"It's not just about saving or reducing water use. It's about creating positive impact—restoring and regenerating ecosystems,” Jinqing Cai, president of Kering Greater China, explained at the event, noting that its water-positive strategy expands upon past work in climate, biodiversity, and circularity. As part of the initiative, Kering aims to achieve a net-positive water impact (meaning, leaving water systems in a better state than before), with plans of action including the establishment of water resilience labs in 10 key basins by 2035, as well as encouraging partners and startups to collaborate on innovation.
