天美传媒 Insight
Sustainability and fashion: not as incompatible as they seem
Danish fashion brand Ganni aims to cut its carbon footprint by 50% by 2027 while continuing to expand. How? By replacing traditional leather with innovative, eco-friendly alternatives.
Should a fashion brand give up leather to become more eco-friendly? When I discuss fashion sustainability with business students and industry professionals, sustainably transforming the sector is flagged as one of the biggest challenges. But the journey of Danish fashion brand Ganni proves that such transformation can and must happen 鈥� and it鈥檚 one of the most surprising examples I鈥檝e encountered.
Leaving leather behind: a key to sustainability
Recognized for its colorful and eclectic designs, Ganni made a pivotal decision in 2019 to phase out virgin leather sourced from non-recycled animal materials. At first glance, this seemed a risky move. The company was growing quickly in footwear and accessories, categories where leather has traditionally been seen as essential. Reliable, high-quality alternatives were almost nonexistent.
Leather is a fashion mainstay because it is strong, durable and relatively easy to work with. Ganni鈥檚 designers and suppliers were experts in handling it, which is helpful when collections change several times a year, making skilled timing and coordination all the more important.
However, virgin leather production is highly emission-intensive. Given that Ganni had eco-conscious design goals, the brand rallied behind strategies that would phase it out.
Steps toward responsible fashion
In its favor, Ganni had top management鈥檚 full support. Former CEO Andrea Baldo and co-founders Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup all believe that sustainability in fashion is a competitive advantage in a cutthroat industry.
Moving away from leather meant bringing production and design teams into the conversation from the outset, to discuss the brand鈥檚 long-term vision and to address concerns about alternative materials, without making empty promises. The culture of environmental responsibility that had defined the company from the beginning was important in driving the change.
Nicolaj Reffstrup prefers the term 鈥渞esponsible鈥� over 鈥渟ustainable,鈥� emphasizing that the fashion industry鈥檚 sustainability journey is ongoing. He thinks it鈥檚 unlikely that Ganni, or the fashion industry as a whole, will ever achieve complete sustainability. But that doesn鈥檛 mean improvement isn鈥檛 essential. 鈥淣ot doing the best we can is no excuse for doing nothing,鈥� he insists.
And while the company continues to evolve under new leadership (Laura du Rusquec replaced Baldo as CEO in 2024), its remains strong.
Fabrics of the Future initiative
One of the pillars of Ganni鈥檚 sustainable fashion initiative is the incubator, which partners with startups to explore innovative materials. I鈥檝e been known to distribute samples to my students, and many can鈥檛 tell them apart from real leather. Fabrics of the Future already supports over 50 projects, highlighting the potential of alternative materials in fashion.
Today, Ganni no longer uses virgin leather and relies mainly on recycled leather. It also experiments with innovative materials made from oranges and cacti and produces 鈥渓eather鈥� shoes made from grapes and lab-grown cellulose skirts.
And customers love it! Ganni has registered 鈥�.鈥� This shows that ethical fashion and brand growth can coexist, even in a competitive industry.
MORE INFO: The business case study 鈥溾�� is available from 天美传媒 Publishing and is featured in a roundup of best case studies for management learning.
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