GUCCI, SUPPORTED BY KERING, INVESTS IN FIRST CIRCULAR HUB TO POWER A “CIRCULAR MADE IN ITALY”

The Hub will foster breakthrough innovation
to accelerate the circular transformation of luxury fashion

Milan – Today, Gucci, with support of Kering, is pleased to announce the launch of the first hub for circular luxury in Italy. The “Circular Hub” will aim to accelerate the circular transformation of the Italian fashion industry’s production model, through the redefinition of the entire value chain. Starting from raw materials and design, through to production optimisation and logistics, the Circular Hub will be an open innovation platform for the design and manufacturing of circular products and the scouting of new solutions.

The Circular Hub will support the creation of circular luxury products of the future – products that maximise the use of recycled materials, durability, repairability, and recyclability. The hub is fully aligned with Italy’s PNNR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan)[i], and the circular economy strategy underpinned by the EU’s proposal to achieve the 2030 emissions reduction targets.

Located in Tuscany, the hub will see the involvement of Kering’s facilities, starting with Gucci’s production sites, its Italian-based raw material suppliers, and finished products manufacturers (comprising more than 700 direct suppliers and 3,500 sub-suppliers). The hub’s activities will then be extended to Kering’s other brands and eventually become open to the entire sector.

“The fashion industry needs to accelerate and launch serious actions to catalyze deep change, rethinking the way we produce and use resources as well. The creation of our Circular Hub represents a milestone that goes in this direction. I am extremely pleased that the hub will see the light in Italy, home of some the Group’s strongest and most renowned production hubs and know- how,” commented Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering. “Joining forces with Gucci for the Circular Hub not only is a testament of collective conviction within the Group, but also an ambitious example to pave the way for other players who will be happy to join in the future, in an open-source perspective”.