With a pledge to lower Scope 3 emissions by 2029, Prada has made waves in the industry with its commitment to sustainability. The brand’s most prominent campaign is the Re-Nylon Collection, where Prada has sought to incorporate recycled materials into several iconic designs. The collection is centred around nylon products as the fabric has been a staple of Prada’s design ethos since the 1970s, representing modern luxury and contemporary. First launching in 2019, the Re-Nylon Collection has garnered more attention this year following a promotional campaign with British actors and activists Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch. This re-launch aims to highlight the circular nature of the collection and Prada’s commitment to marine conservation in collaboration with the United Nations.
The products featured in the Re-Nylon collection are crafted from recycled plastic from ocean waste, fishing nets, landfills, and textile fibre waste. Prada repurposes gathered waste materials by processing them through a chemical de-polymerization procedure to purify and restore the nylon. The recycled materials are then refined into polymer threads at Prada’s production plants in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and Arco, Italy.
Additionally, the brand has collaborated with Aquafil, an Italian textile manufacturer responsible for producing ECONYL® yarn. This is a regenerated nylon that can be recycled indefinitely without compromising quality. Moreover, using this product in the Re-Nylon collection has broader benefits to Prada’s sustainability efforts. This is because every 10,000 tons of ECONYL® created saves 70,000 barrels of petroleum, reduces CO2 emissions by 65,100 tons, and diminishes the global warming impact of petroleum-fuelled nylon production by 90%.
The Re-Nylon project is one of the branches of Prada’s partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). In addition to its recycled collection, the fashion house has established an educational program focused on ocean conservation literacy. Established by Prada in 2020 as SEA BEYOND, it involves an international network of secondary schools exploring ocean awareness, plastic pollution, and sustainable production in the fashion industry.
Prada continues to support SEA BEYOND and raise global awareness of sustainability by contributing one per cent of the proceeds from its Re-Nylon Collection. To ensure the brand can maximise its donations to SEA BEYOND, Prada has developed multiple marketing campaigns to highlight the collection to consumers. For example, in Autumn 2020, Prada arranged for a pop-up store to feature in Selfridges ahead of its global release. This showcased the new re-generated nylon fabric to consumers, with the complete collection of iconic Prada accessories and a ready-to-wear selection for men and women available in-store.
More recently, Prada produced a new campaign with Willy Vanderperre, who photographed well-known UN activists Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch with items of the Re-Nylon collection. Vanderperre featured the actors in items from the Re-Nylon Collection, which intersected with scenes of waves and the ocean to harken back to the company’s motivations toward sustainable fashion. Furthermore, the slogan, “supporting education for ocean conservation”, used across the marketing campaign highlights the link between Re-Nylon and Prada’s SEA BEYOND program.
Prada’s Re-Nylon Collection exemplifies the active stance the brand has taken in its sustainability and responsible practices. Prada has set the standard for the fashion industry and the migration towards greener fashion, showing that waste materials can be transformed into high-quality couture. With ongoing initiatives like SEA BEYOND and partnerships with UNESCO and IOC, Prada continues to shape the future of sustainable fashion.