Sustainability
Crafting Luxury in
Harmony with Nature
"I think having land and not ruining it’s the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own"
Andy Warhol
Crafting Luxury at the expense of our environment and future generations is not true luxury. Preserving the environment is a strategic imperative for CUiRASÉX. Our sustainable development attitude encompasses values and actions that prioritize the planet, climate change, and natural resources. To foster the creation of a more sustainable luxury, CUiRASÉX sources raw materials in sustainable ways and pursues a dynamic, responsible procurement policy. Sustainability is not a choice but a way of life for CUiRASÉX. It focuses on its supply chain, recognizing that biodiversity preservation and a reduced environmental impact begin with responsible sourcing of raw materials. In this context, CUiRASÉX’s aim is working only with the best suppliers who are able to meet our quality, innovation, and sustainability requirements. The company will draw on its creativity to drive environmental excellence in its products and its packaging.
100% of CUiRASÉX’s products result from eco-design, with a minimal environmental footprint from extraction of materials through their transformation. Packaging , too follows this same trajectory, with a target of zero plastic. Luxury products are designed to last, and CUiRASÉX aims to leverage this unique asset by implementing sophisticated up-cycling programs, as well as improving traceability, transparency and progressively increasing the use of raw materials coming from responsible, sustainable and well-managed sources.
CUiRASÉX works with like minded artisans who are environmentally and socially conscious, and who strive to limit their environmental impact. In practical terms, this means complying with the applicable legal and environmental regulations, from actively seeking ways to improve the performance of our creations, to taking clear steps to reduce CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process.
Sustainably Sourced
Raw Materials
Raw materials and their related production processes are the centerpiece of CUiRASÉX’s supply chain and its environmental footprint. As such, CUiRASÉX strives to constantly rethink, repurpose and reuse them. CUiRASÉX works with exceptional high quality, low impact materials that are sourced with our planet in consideration. Factors such as traceability of origin, fair conditions for farmers, animal welfare and the protection of biodiversity inform the way we approach and procure raw materials.
The products developed by CUiRASÉX are the outcome of exceptional know-how and technical craftsmanship. They are designed and created from a wide variety of high quality materials and are subject to rigorous quality control checks in order to ensure their durability and sustainability. CUiRASÉX is fully aware of the interrelationship between natural resources and the environmental impact of its activities. CUiRASÉX is working closely with the best suppliers in the world, from tanneries to packaging factories, aiming to leverage innovation in order to roll out sustainable sourcing and manufacturing that fully align with CUiRASÉX’s core values and its ambition to craft sustainable and meaningful luxury of tomorrow.
Scarcity.
Desirability.
Sustainability.
As part of our core mission to focus on sustainability and tackle the potential overproduction risks and inventory, each iCONS+ is limited to 300-500 pieces (unless otherwise specified) and is currently made-to-order only. Such sustainable and responsible business practice enables us to create a concrete foundation for responsible procurement chain, planning, buying, and producing based on actual demand, and also increases the desirability of CUiRASÉX and the very precious object it creates. CUiRASÉX embraces the responsibility to work towards for a better tomorrow. More than just an ethical necessity, we strongly believe that sustainability is a force of innovation and is a measure of our success. It is embedded within our business model, culture, decisions and behaviors at every level.
Upcycling.
Recycling.
Regeneration.
Destroying excess inventory, products, and materials makes no sense. Such practices are out of line with our environmental policies and values. As part of CUiRASÉX's sustainability initiative to draw on its creativity in pursuit of sustainable luxury and environmental excellence, it has launched 'Objet L'art 360' - the permanent collection of innovative small leather objects that are made entirely from material offcuts from the iCONS+ series. The sustainability-focused collection reassesses the process, materials, and the entire notion of craft with a playful practicality. Through this approach, we give a second life to the leather cutting leftovers and avoid consuming virgin materials. Both aspects significantly reduce environmental impacts. CUiRASÉX will continue to be committed to revitalizing and regenerating materials, cornerstones of its strategy to support a circular economy. It is moving away from the traditional linear model so that circularity is integrated into its entire value chain.
Cuir Responsible
As a concrete solution to address the challenges and opportunities of circularity and a key pillar of CUiRASÉX's environmental strategy to rethink sourcing, the company only sources exceptional leathers from the existing stocks of the world's best tanneries that are certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG), an international organization that evaluates the environmental compliance and performance of the leather industry. CUiRASÉX does not use any fur.
Packaging with a
Sustainability Mindset
Packaging, which is largely single-use, contributes significantly to global waste. This pollution can be visible, such as the plastic that washes up on ocean shores, or it can be invisible, such as airborne microplastics. Additionally, the majority of packaging is not recycled, even if it is technically recyclable. This can have detrimental impacts not only in its disposal but also in its production and the extraction of natural resources used to make packaging.
From the beginning, CUiRASÉX has been committed to minimizing the environmental impact of the packaging we use without compromising our clients' experience. The CUiRASÉX standard for packaging (for both B2C and B2B packaging) encompasses all materials used for packaging and labeling throughout a product's entire lifecycle. This includes our shipping packaging, gift boxes, dust covers, and anything that protects, holds, or travels with the product.
Composed primarily of environmentally friendly and duly certified materials, CUiRASÉX's current practices include the reduction of excess packaging and the use of low-impact packaging materials, such as dust bags made of 100% recycled cotton and gift boxes made of paper that contains a minimum of 80% recycled content. We also avoid using single-use plastic in our operations and continually look to reduce, minimize, and optimize our packaging materials.
In summary, the key principles that underpin the CUiRASÉX standard for packaging are:
- Complying with all applicable laws, conventions and regulations
- Thinking about the end-of-life when designing
- Designing for reuse or repurpose, and consider recycling as a last option
- Reducing unnecessary packaging
- Optimizing volumes of packaging to product volume
- Avoiding using single-use plastics in packaging
- Using natural materials, such as certified paper/cardboard or organic cotton
- Phasing out single-use plastics
- Avoiding the use of PVC
Durability by Design
At CUiRASÉX, we recognize the responsibility to design products with durability in mind, both in terms of physical longevity and repairability, while ensuring that the product has long-term relevance and desirability. To achieve this, we carry out numerous quality control tests during each phase of production to guarantee quality and assure longevity. Keeping a product in use for longer and ensuring that it is designed to last requires exceptional quality materials, the highest levels of craftsmanship, and time to consider how it will be worn and used.
Our iCONS+ product category is intentionally designed to have long-term appeal and physical as well as emotional durability. While fashion might be about a fleeting moment, a new generation of consumers is looking for a more meaningful connection and emotional attachment to their products. Products or collections need to be designed with a level of continuity so that a piece of leather goods can be re-worn in a few years' time or styled with something from a previous collection. At CUiRASÉX, we have always sought to design iconic pieces that transcend seasons and fashion. Our circular approach to luxury is, and always will be, about making luxury pieces that stand the test of time.