A digital certificate that tells the story of each piece of clothing, allows its traceability, but above all responds to the “right of people to know if what they buy is created in a sustainable way”. Prince Charles is convinced of this who, on the sidelines of the G20, at Villa Wolkonski – the residence of the British ambassador in Rome – launched an initiative as part of the ‘Fashion Taskforce’ wanted by the same heir to the British throne to explore, study , propose a more sustainable path for fashion, which is one of the most polluting industrial sectors.
The event was held in the gardens of the villa which has 11 hectares of greenery, including the vegetable garden, with the managers of the major companies involved, to present the Digital ID, a real digital passport that accompanies each garment, bringing with it all the information necessary to lengthen its life cycle.
“People have a right to know if what they buy is created in a sustainable way and we have a responsibility to tell them, because we truly believe in the shared principles of transparency, accountability and enforcement,” Prince Charles said before the event, ” Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, but this new Digital ID shows how business is engaging in meaningful and measurable change: providing customers with the information they need to make cleaner, healthier and more sustainable choices. the business does not just talk about these problems, but that it has taken action “.
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In the garden of Villa Wolkonsky, the residence of the British ambassador to Rome, there is also a vegetable garden. Prince Charles did not appreciate, asking for information and observing the plants. At the Cloud, at the invitation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, he spoke on the second and final day of the G20, bearing the testimony of decades of commitment to the environment and against climate change, thanks to which he launched his heartfelt appeal: “We have an enormous responsibility towards the generations of those who have not yet been born”. The heir to the British throne spoke of his experience as a path followed with determination and from which, he is convinced, there is no turning back. So now he also wants to lead an industrial change, that of the fashion sector – which is among the most polluting – by launching an initiative that brings together mature demands of the market with the need to change the culture of consumption. This is why he founded the Fashion Taskforce (as part of his Smi, Sustainable Markets Initiative), he called the Olympus of fashion, he relied on those who have innovation in their DNA and, in the awareness that changes occur they take one step at a time, asked to bring ideas and implement them. The latest, in chronological order, is the Digital Passport – Digital ID – A revolutionary technology that uses data to inform customers of the sustainability credentials of their purchases and to facilitate the circularity process, with the aim of providing information on how products are designed, manufactured and distributed. And thus empower them to make more sustainable purchasing choices. At the same time, traceability aims to extend product longevity and enable brands to scale circular business models. The Fashion Taskforce is chaired by Federico Marchetti, who has already left his mark by founding Yoox and Net-a-porter, or rather giving life to luxury e-commerce twenty years ago. Now Marchetti is back to open another road from which there is no turning back and he is convinced that the time is ripe. “I am a technology entrepreneur and I have always thought that technology could help sustainability,” he said on the sidelines of the event. “Brands on the one hand and customers on the other, both are taking this path of sustainability, customers will ask for it more and more and brands will give more and more, bringing a great change in the fashion industry”, he explained. And the obstacles? According to Marchetti there are none, because the time is ripe. And so at Villa Wolkonsky the Taskforce – in which the Olympus of fashion participates, from Armani to Cucinelli, from Mulberry and Chloè and Stella McCartney – brought the fruit of six months of work to Prince Charles, with a tour in the garden of the villa between garments made with their passport. “People have the right to know if what they buy is created in a sustainable way and we have a responsibility to tell them, because we truly believe in the shared principles of transparency, accountability and enforcement,” Prince said speaking ahead of the SMI Fashion Event. “Fashion – explained Carlo – is one of the most polluting sectors in the world, but this new Digital ID shows how the business is committed to a significant and measurable change: providing customers with the information they need to make cleaner choices, healthy and sustainable. It shows that business is not just talking about these issues, but that it has taken action. “
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