| Iconic Styles by Karl Lagerfeld

SUSTAINABILITY & CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

At KARL LAGERFELD, sustainability is an ongoing journey. Across all areas of our business, we look carefully at how we can make a positive impact through responsible behaviors, honest actions and mutual respect. With a progressive approach and engaged attitudes, we are working towards sustainable standards of excellence and integrity. And while we recognize that our journey is not yet complete, we celebrate every step that contributes to ensuring a better environmental, ethical and social performance — together.

SUSTAINABILITY AT THE HEADQUARTERS

KARL LAGERFELD’s Amsterdam headquarters feature the highest levels of sustainable design.
The stunning monument building has been modernized to have a grade A energy label; it is also the city’s first canal house to fully eliminate the use of gas. Insulation is made from bio-based materials, while an electric climate control system recycles heat created by people and computers. Furthermore, the building runs on renewable “green energy,” which is produced by European wind power. Nearly every light in the office is LED, while some spaces feature contemporary statement lamps by Dirk van der Kooij, a Dutch designer who creates furnishings made of 100% recycled plastics.

FASHION PACT

KARL LAGERFELD is proud to have signed the Fashion Pact, a worldwide sustainability-focused initiative for fashion and textile companies.
In signing the Pact, KARL LAGERFELD has committed to pursuing objectives in three areas: reducing climate impact, restoring biodiversity, and protecting the oceans.
Working with other brands, vendors and clients, the coalition has established core goals to mitigate and adapt to climate change; bend the curve on biodiversity loss within 10 years; and address the critical loss of ocean functionality due to climate change and pollution.

The Pact was introduced as a historic initiative during the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France, in August 2019. KARL LAGERFELD was proud to be amongst the 32 original signee brands to join this coalition and commit to achieving its goals; today, more than 60 companies have signed, representing over 200 brands and more than 30% of the global fashion industry.
In October 2020, the Fashion Pact organization and signatories, including KARL LAGERFELD, made their first public announcement on their achievements thus far and tangible targets set for the future as following:

Climate
The Fashion Pact has committed towards the implementation of Science Based Targets (SBTs) for Climate to achieve net-zero carbon impact by 2050 by:
1. Implementing the principles of the U.N. Fashion Charter
2. Achieving 25% low-impact materials sourcing by 2025
3. Achieving 50% renewable energy by 2025, and 100% by 2030

In order to deliver on these targets, the Fashion Pact is engaging some of the best climate experts in the industry, starting with 2050 & SYSTEMIQ, who have mapped out strategic areas for collective efforts, without duplicating existing initiatives, to inform business decisions and to provide assistance in accurate reporting and target-setting.

Biodiversity
Biodiversity is still an emergent issue of focus within the fashion industry, but crucial for business reliant on nature-based resources. Concretely, in this pillar, the Fashion Pact has committed to the protection of key species as well as the protection and restoration of critical natural ecosystems. As first tangible targets, as a member we have committed to:
1. Individual biodiversity blueprints by the end of 2020.
2. Supporting zero deforestation and sustainable forest management by 2025.

Oceans
The Fashion Pact’s first area of focus is on eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic in packaging (including polybags, hangers, consumer packaging, and retail bags). We will:
1. Achieve its elimination in B2C packaging by 2025 and in B2B by 2030, and
2. Ensure that at least half of other plastic packaging in B2C is 100% recycled content by 2025, and by 2030 for B2B.
Together with the Fashion Pact is currently working with (RE)SET to call innovators to action and use weight of the collective to scale innovative solutions.

KARL LAGERFELD CODE OF CONDUCT

This code defines the moral, ethical and social principles that frame our daily actions and business operations.
The KARL LAGERFELD Code of Conduct reaffirms our commitment and respect for human rights — for our in-house employees and all those in our supply chains who contribute to creating our products. The Code outlines the minimum work requirements for 12 core labor principles including (but not limited to) working hours, remuneration, health and safety, child labor, corruption, and discrimination. All business partners are required to sign and adhere to these regulations, and KARL LAGERFELD does not tolerate any supplier that violates this code — either directly or indirectly through sub-contractors of business partners.

MATERIALS & FABRICS

We seek to develop collections using materials sourced with respect for people and the planet.
KARL LAGERFELD continuously works to improve standards for its materials, and we are proud to ban real fur and exotic skins for all collections produced in-house. All vendors must sign our Sustainable Material Guidelines, through which we support them in sourcing sustainable options and educate them on making conscious decisions.
Furthermore, all of our sustainable materials are sourced from vendors with third party certifications; for example, for leather materials, KARL LAGERFELD gives preference to facilities that are certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG). All garments made with sustainable materials are labeled with a special hangtag, which is also crafted from FSC recycled paper.
Beginning with the Spring-Summer 2021 season, KARL LAGERFELD collections will include OCS-certified organic cotton, GRS-certified recycled nylon and recycled down; they will also be free from PVC.

CERTIFICATIONS & GUIDELINES

By committing to specific initiatives and organizations, KARL LAGERFELD is able to ensure common codes of conduct and a framework for implementation systems.
Amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative): we are a member of this organization, which supports companies in improving their global supply chains of factories and farms. This also ensures that the factories we work with are meeting international standards outlined by the United Nations and International Labor Organization.
Restricted Substances List and Packaging Restricted Substances List (RSL and PRSL): our vendors are required to sign and adhere to these guidelines for all in-house production. These lists guide them to increase product quality and safety, and reduce their environmental impact by avoiding or limiting the use of certain hazardous substances in creating and packaging apparel and accessories.

PACKAGING

In this ongoing journey, we are working toward a future where 100% of KARL LAGERFELD packaging will be sustainably sourced and produced.
At the present time, all of our care labels are made with 100% recycled polyester or recycled TPU, and cotton dust bags are crafted from organic cotton. Furthermore, KARL LAGERFELD’s Packaging Guidelines — which all of our external vendors are required to sign — outline options for where and how to source sustainable packaging.
Looking to the future, we see great potential for continued improvements. Beginning with the Fall 2020 season, all woven labels will be made with 100% recycled polyester; all hang cords with 100% recycled cotton; all button bags with 100% recycled plastic; and all hangtags with paper certified by FCS, which promotes and oversees sustainable forest management. Furthermore, all polybags used to protect products during production and shipment will be made from 100% recycled plastic.