Inspiring Examples that Brand Journeys Towards Sustainability Can Be Real and Creative
Lana McGilvray
Founder, CEO and CMO -- Purpose Worldwide —Top 100 Women in PR (PR News), 23+ yr advisor to the most purpose-driven brands, orgs and public leaders, including Club CMO and BRIDGE.
There is no doubt that the shift more and more traditional brands are making towards sustainability is a positive one. While critics are right to be on the watch for greenwashing and other disingenuous tactics, several brands are proving doing good business and doing right are not mutually exclusive. This month, the team at Purpose took note of two Purposeful examples of brands creatively leading the way.
IKEA's NEWEST AFRICAN INSPIRED COLLECTION - öVERALLT
A tote bag from the öVERALLT collection by Reform x IKEA. Courtesy of Reform Studio and IKEA.
As covered in Harper's Bazaar Arabia this month, Eco-friendly, Cairo-based lifestyle brand Reform Studio has been chosen to design and launch IKEA's newest African inspired collection entitled öVERALLT. Diving into the contemporary African design scene, IKEA joined hands with South-Africa based brand Design Indaba to pioneer the collaboration.The limited-edition collection is crafted by ten African designers specialising in fashion, textile, architecture and furniture design from across the continent. Featuring tableware, textiles, furniture and sustainable fashion items, the collection is inspired by the preservation of natural resources and Egyptian-African lifestyles. Read more about the sustainable partnership here.
C/O RALPH LAUREN, 2020 U.S. OPEN BALL PERSON UNIFORMS WILL BE MADE FROM RECYCLED TENNIS BALL CANS
(Photo credit: Polo Ralph Lauren)
Also, as Tim Newcomb detailed in his Forbes column, Ralph Lauren has announced its 2020 U.S. Open Ball Person Uniforms Will Be Made From Recycled Tennis Ball Cans From Tournament. Keeping it real, Ralph Lauren admits its new comprehensive strategy called Design the Change is a journey towards sustainability, implying the shift will take time and effort. As cited in Newcomb's article, Lauren says, “This work is ongoing, and while we don’t have all the answers or solutions yet, we are committed to collaboration, innovation and action in this area.”
Kudos to Ikea, Reform, Design Indaba and Ralph Lauren for helping us all shift towards a more sustainable future.