UNCOMMON THREADS

Chanel’s cruise collection introduces a sustainable take on the house’s signature textile

Chanel crafts new tweeds from eco-friendly fibre.

With its frayed collar and cuffs, part of the beauty of a Chanel jacket comes from how its nubbly material appears to be nonchalantly unravelling. To create the latest cruise collection, its team took that aesthetic to the extreme, deconstructing fabrics from past collections to reimagine them as Chanel’s first eco-certified tweeds.

The silk, cotton, viscose and linen threads that Chanel-owned embroider Maison Lesage wove are both Global Organic Textile Standard and Global Recycled Standard approved. That confirms they are sourced from organic and fair-trade farms or incorporate a minimum of 20 per cent recycled fibre. The initiative not only speaks to a client base that Chanel says is increasingly conscious of how sustainability issues affect luxury goods, it offered creative opportunities as well. One multicoloured version of the tweed is an interpretation of the pastel landscapes of Provence. The example pictured here reworks ribbon printed with fine script that reads, "Coco Chanel."

The textiles are part of a push to transform Chanel for the future. In April, the brand announced a three-year partnership with the University of Cambridge to support its Institute for Sustainability. The collaboration will raise awareness of eco concerns among its management teams and support Chanel’s research into the traceability of raw materials and reducing the environmental footprint of it production of clothing and accessories.