Chloé Is First European Luxury Fashion House to Attain B Corp Certification

Propelled partly by the eco expertise of its creative director Gabriela Hearst, Chloé has become the first luxury fashion house in Europe to achieve B Corp status.

“Beyond the fact that we are proud of it as a company, we also aim to inspire many others to join,” said Riccardo Bellini, chief executive officer of the Compagnie Financiere Richemont-owned brand. “We upgraded our operations, governance and policies in a way that allows us to operate in a more environmentally and socially responsible manner.”

Regarded as the “gold standard” in sustainable companies, the Benefit Corporation (abbreviated as B Corp) certification is provided by nonprofit B Lab. By its strict ESG criteria, B Corps are legally bound to act in the interest of both people and planet.

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Bellini had indicated that Chloé was seeking B Corp certification last November when he disclosed to WWD that he was retooling the brand’s business model to one that is purpose-driven, community-based and accountable, in addition to being highly creative.

At the time, he also said Chloé would create a social profit and loss account, akin to an EP&L; create an advisory board of experts to guide the company and hold it accountable, and incorporate social entrepreneurs into its supply chain, among other measures.

At the time, he also said Chloé would create a social profit and loss account, akin to an EP&L; create an advisory board of experts to guide the company and hold it accountable, and incorporate social entrepreneurs into its supply chain, among other measures.

In an interview last week, Bellini lauded B Corp’s certification criteria for helping Chloé “frame the transformation of our business.”

“It was significantly more challenging than I could have expected,” he confessed. “It’s a deep and considered audit and work across all the different areas of the company.

“It’s all about the mind-set of continuously challenging ourselves to improve, and to bring the full equation of financial, social and environmental value to the table in every decision we make,” he added.

Becoming a B Corp requires companies — among other steps — to fill out a rigorous 300-question survey detailing the ins and outs of their business, from employee working conditions to carbon footprint.

This story was reported by WWD and originally appeared on WWD.com. To read the full story, please go to WWD.com.