Timeless by Design
The iconic cashmere sweater reinvented, with the help of a leading environmental organizationWhen Ralph Lauren introduced Purple Label in 1995, the color of the titular label was very much a part of its refined image. After all, for centuries, purple has been the color of emperors and royalty, due to the rarity and expense of purple dye. (So rarefied was its status that Queen Elizabeth I is even reputed to have forbidden anyone outside the royal family from wearing it.)
It’s a testament, then, to Mr. Lauren’s commitment to the environment that for Purple Label’s first-ever Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Certified® cashmere sweaters, the label is not purple. It’s a rich cream, crafted with organic cotton, all due to the potential harmful effects of purple dye on the environment. And that’s just one detail of the new C2C Certified Gold cashmere sweater, whose every thread and stitch has been considered and examined for its impact on the planet. The process of creating it has been reviewed, too, to ensure fair treatment for both humans and the Earth.
Part of a yearslong project to create Purple Label and Collection pieces that are equally sustainable and luxurious, the debut cashmere crewneck (which will be available in five colors for men and seven for women) is the first in a new series of products certified by Cradle to Cradle®, the world’s leading organization for assessing sustainable manufacturing.
Officially dubbed the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, the organization has roots in the 2002 book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, coauthored by William McDonough, an architect and longtime champion of sustainable design. Having worked with everyone from Ford to NASA on some of the most innovative sustainable projects in the world, McDonough has earned a Presidential Award for Sustainable Development and the moniker of “Hero for the Planet” from Time magazine.
When it came to consulting with Ralph Lauren, his organization sent an assessor who helped conduct an audit of the process, much the way a CPA might help with tax preparation. This included spending time at a mill in Italy and evaluating water treatment facilities in the area to ensure the best environmental practices were being followed, as well looking into elements like the chemicals used in the yarn softener.
Enticing partners to share information with another party (in this case, Cradle to Cradle®) can take some convincing, but happily for all, suppliers (including those who made the dye) were able to take advantage of nondisclosure agreements that ensured that trade secrets were protected while still allowing for transparency during the certification process.
The result? Cashmere fibers, dyes, and that iconic label that have all been certified at the organization’s Platinum level for Material Health, the highest rating (from four) available from Cradle to Cradle®. In the four other categories—Product Circularity; Clean Air and Climate Protection; Water and Soil Stewardship; Social Fairness—the sweater earned Gold, the level directly below Platinum. In other words, the debut sweaters use materials that are safe for humans and the planet; succeed at product circularity; and employ a manufacturing process that uses renewable energy and aims to reduce emissions while supporting water and soil stewardship and social fairness.
To that end, with the new year, Ralph Lauren will also be offering a cashmere recycling program, where anyone can drop an unneeded, 100% cashmere product in the mail, and have it sent to a cashmere recycling facility where the yarns are repurposed for new products. These pieces need not be pristine—if a moth (or an errant glass of wine) has gotten to your old sweater, you can still donate it—nor do they need to have been made by Ralph Lauren. More information on that program, created in partnership with the textile recycling pioneers at Re-Verso, and on future Cradle to Cradle Certified® products from Ralph Lauren, is still to come.
Until then, this sweater marks a first step in an important journey. The label might not be purple, but otherwise it bears all the hallmarks of a Purple Label (or Ralph Lauren Collection) sweater: a sumptuous hand feel, timeless design, and the comfort and sophistication that only cashmere can offer.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® is a registered trademark of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
- © Ralph Lauren Corporation
