Discover Sézane, the First Ready-to-Wear Brand With FSC Certification

Faced with changing social expectations, the textile industry is under pressure to act more responsibly. Some brands have risen up to the challenge and are taking responsibility from the design phase on. Sézane is among them.

Sézane – the first French ready-to-wear brand to have obtained FSC certification – is experiencing enormous success. This is due to its unique, stylish collections and an increasingly committed brand philosophy. FSC certification is further evidence of its commitment to a more sustainable world, as well as showing the way for other actors in the fashion sector.

By adopting an alternative production model, the brand quickly dispensed with intermediaries. Instead of seeking to maximize sales, it decided to go for limited-edition collections, thus avoiding overproduction and surpluses. Additionally, the brand offers the finest products at the fairest price all the year round.

For Elleore Bomstein, Sézane’s CSR Manager, the main concern is now to ensure compliance within the brand’s supply chains and to reduce the environmental impact of its raw materials.

Sézane is committed to working for a more responsible fashion sector. “This determination is shared by all our teams”, explains Elleore. “Because rethinking production for a more sustainable fashion is a long and painstaking task! It starts with considering our choice of raw materials and means working hand-in-glove with our suppliers all the way up the chain; this is a collaborative effort.”

This long-term effort is necessary to minimize impacts at all stages of production (spinning, dying, tanning, etc.) and ensure compliance with Sézane’s social and environmental standards.
 

The brand claims it has achieved 70 per cent eco-responsibility where procurement of raw materials is concerned, thanks to three eco-labels including the GOTS label, the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and the FSC label, certifying viscose from responsibly managed forests. The brand also uses recycled materials, such as polyester, and has adopted plant-based tanning processes, which reduces the amount of polluting wastes.

Sézane is also redoubling its efforts to reduce the impact of its packaging, requiring that its suppliers use certified or recycled paper and cardboard for its parcels, shoes boxes, packaging and sales receipts.

Additionally, a new project is under way to ensure that the boxes and packaging used for making deliveries are not more bulky than necessary.

“We are also asking our suppliers to opt for FSC certification for the wooden components or our jewellery and bag handles,” says Elleore.

Moreover, Sézane has developed an in-house indicator to monitor the percentage of FSC-certified viscose in its collections. It currently stands at 47 per cent, but Elleore is waiting impatiently for the forthcoming collections, which should see this figure rise.

Join us for a webinar to discuss sustainable sourcing in fashion

Title: Forests and Fashion - Responsible forest management as a tool to enhance sustainability in the sector

Date: Tuesday June 9th 14:00-15:00 CET

Speakers: TBD

Description: Join us and discover the efforts brands are making to improve sustainability in the apparel sector and how FSC certification is enabling them to achieve their objectives starting with responsible sourcing of materials.

Register for the webinar here