Why do Sustainable Practices matter so much to us?
Our Arctic Sea Ice Kaftan, made from recycled fishnet and part of our Arctic Sea Ice collection showcased at NYFW on September 9th, 2023.
We deciced to follow the UN SDGs (sustainable development goals) because they make sense for us:
What we found is that one sustainable practice in one part of the world might not be sustainable in another one. Our approach to sustainability is as multi-faceted as there are ways of creating tangible impacts.
Indeed, all our garments are locally hand-made by catalan women (SDGs 5, 8 & 10), in low volumes & we produce zero waste: we produce a maximum of 5-10 garments per fabrics & off-cutts and unsold garments are repurposed (SDGs 9 & 12).
When founding CORENTIN CHRISTIAN, it was important to us that garments be trans-seasonal, timeless & non-disposable garments as much as possible, so that that can be amended and returned to produce new ones. (SDGs 12).
To put it this way, our philosophy is very much “Buying better, Living better”. Indeed, when you come to CORENTIN CHRISTIAN, you might not know about the behind the scenes of the fashion industry and we love talking to you about it. And this is part of the architecture of our business model: from our Atelier to you (SDGs 8, 11 & 12).
Another aspect that is very dear to our hearts at IAGU is that clothes are Beyond Gender; it means that both men and women can wear the garments and that make them versatile (SDGs 5). We are passionate about gender equality and that is our way to play our part into this collective endeavour.
When it comes to the fabrics we use, they are either upcycled, recycled & environmental-friendly fabrics solely, coming from Spain, France & Italy. e.g. Ficus, BCI cotton, sustainable triacetate fabrics. (SDGs 11, 12, 15).
You might have see our show Renaissance or our Arctic Sea Ice collection at NYFW: more than catwalks, we produce show that fuel their mission and vision: diversity, true inclusivity and cathartic luxury being one of them (SDGs 3, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 & 17).
You might ask yourself, what do you mean by cathartic? Well, for us, it is the essence of what we do: making the invisible visible through creating garments that feel like you. By doing that, we take an educational and cathartic approach to luxury fashion: doing our best to undo gender-biased assumptions through our appointments either online or in our showroom that most of the time turn out to be therapeutic. Indeed, we get to know each other and it really helps to start our co-creative process. (SDGs 3 & 5).
More than being a brand, we nurture long-term collaboration with the Catalan NGO "Arrels Fundació": they provide artisitic work, accomodation and food for homeless people. We regularly collaborate to raise funds, invite them to our atelier or showcase their work in our showroom. (SDGs 1, 2, 9, & 11).
As much as we educate ourselves about the Climate Crisis given that the fashion industry is mostly responsible for it, we have been committed to being part of the change. That is why we went to NYFW and collaborated with the International Arctic Research Center, Climate Change Educator and VR Documentary Filmmaker Amy Lauren, Internationally-renowned sustainability expert Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas, the British School of Fashion, the Centre For Sustainable Fashion (UAL), the UNESCO to raise awareness via the medium of timeless luxury with our Arctic Sea Ice fabrics representing different facets of sustainable textiles (SDGs 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17).
By now, you would have understood that sustainable practices are multi-faceted and are not just about whether fabrics are sustainable… as much as there is no one size-fits-all to clothing, there is no one size-fits-all when it comes to sustainability. All we can do is wear who we are and do our best with honesty and integrity.
