Do you want to create more sustainable luxury products without sacrificing the quality of your brand? Often there is a misconception that sustainability and luxury don’t mix.
That could be further from the truth. When you think about it, luxury and sustainability can go perfectly together because most luxury brands focus on intentional quality products.
There are luxury brands that operate today that are sustainable. Don’t just focus on the well-known luxury brands such as Chanel or Gucci but the smaller independent brands that offer amazing environmentally friendly products.
In this article, I will be giving you tips on you can create more sustainable luxury products that won’t jeopardize your brand.
What is Sustainable Luxury?
Sustainable luxury is when you create products that are luxurious but don’t have a drastic impact on the environment.
For example, being more intentional about the number of products you create vs. focusing on mass-produced products such as fast fashion.
According to earth.org, fast fashion contributes to the depletion of non-renewable resources, the emission of greenhouse gases, and the use of massive amounts of water and energy.
Whereas luxury products that are created sustainably take into consideration of the environmental and social implications.
Naturally, you may be curious about what are some examples of sustainable luxury brands.
Examples of Sustainable Luxury Brands
Excitedly sustainable luxury brands do exist. Here are just a few to be aware of that are in the market.
Sabai
Creates sustainable luxury furniture that has no greenwashing, no chemicals, and no sacrificing on values. Explore Sabai and check out their gorgeous furniture.
Laflore Paris
Operates 10 boutiques in Paris. Their products are chic, elegant, and modern while also being environmentally friendly, vegan, and sustainable. Check out Laflore Paris and learn about its beautiful story and products.
Made Trade
Believes in holding themselves to a higher ethical standard by placing quality craftmanship above mindless consumption. Self-titled being “ethically elevated.” Explore the amazing products of Made Trade and read their story.
These are just a few examples of sustainable luxury brands and the type of products they offer.
Now, how do you create a more sustainable luxury brand that reduces its impact on the environment and still maintains the qualities and values you care about?
It begins by being clear about your vision.
Have a Clear Outlook
One of the first steps to creating a sustainable luxury brand and product is to be clear about your intentions, vision, and purpose. If you explore the examples of the sustainable luxury brands I shared earlier. You’ll notice that in their stories, they intentionally decided to be sustainable by factoring in the impact of their product creation on the environment and other people.
For your own approach, think about how you want to sell your products in a manner that aligns with the values you have as a business.
You can find the answers to these questions by honing into your luxury brand strategy and uncovering the hidden values you want to share. Once you understand your vision, creating more sustainable luxury products will be easier.
Next, you’ll want to evaluate the manufacturing process if you have existing products or are creating something new.
Choose a Sustainable Manufacturing Process
According to the United States Environmental protection agency. Sustainable manufacturing is the creation of manufactured products through economically-sound processes that minimize the negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources.
There are several benefits of choosing a sustainable manufacturing process besides being helpful to the environment.
- You can attract customers who are conscious buyers that want quality products.
- You can improve the trust consumers have in your brand.
- You can reduce cost and waste while building the long-term success of your business.
When choosing a sustainable manufacturing company, check the rules and regulations of your country and any international countries you plan to sell your products.
Besides having a sustainable manufacturing process, you’ll also need to look into sustainable luxury packaging.
Select Sustainable Luxury Packaging
Selling great products is amazing, but poor package planning can lead to a lot of waste. Have you ever received a product with excessive packaging due to its size? This often occurs when companies skip ensuring their packaging is equally important to sustainability.
You don’t have to be excessive because you offer a luxury product. Instead, be intentional and make sure your packaging is appropriate for your products.
Many elements go into luxury packaging. Here are some examples depending on the products.
- Tags
- Labels
- Boxes
- Tissue
- Bags
- Hangers
- And other product materials
Fortunately, some companies support printing sustainable luxury packaging. Find a reputable printer in your country, if possible, to help you with printing. The closer they are to you, the better. You’ll be able to inspect the quality and make adjustments as needed.
Another thing to consider when deciding on creating more sustainable products is to use recyclable materials.
Consider Using Recyclable Materials
Recyclable materials can be anything, such as fabrics or even your packaging. Eco-friendly packaging can definitely be a luxury when designed with purpose and intention.
Some companies use recyclable boxes, stickers, biodegradable tape, and more to help reduce the impact their packaging has on the environment.
You could even incentivize customers to return compostable packaging for special rewards or incentives. Plus, this is also great for building an authentic and highly engaged community for your brand.
It wouldn’t be fair also to not recognize that there are also some challenges when it comes to creating more sustainable luxury products.
Be Aware of the Challenges of Creating Sustainable Luxury Products
Sustainable luxury brands do face some challenges, as with any other brand.
Aligning the Customer’s Needs with Sustainability
Yes, people are happy to invest in environmentally friendly products, but it also has to match their needs and desires. You may struggle to communicate your products’ value to your audience if you can’t align both.
Developing Sustainable Options
Next, developing sustainable options may be hard for you as a business. Depending on your products, the solutions you may need may be hard to create or beyond the planned costs.
Lack of Funding
Finally, a lack of funding; running a business takes a lot of resources. A common issue that any business faces is funding. Consider exploring grants or tax credits to offset some of the costs.
Remember that you can be luxurious and sustainable. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Customers today are more aware of the long-term impacts of poor production.
While there are some challenges, you can start to transition your brand to be more sustainable through clarity, creative innovation, and persistence.
When given the opportunity to support more sustainable companies, plenty of people choose to support them. I hope this article helped you to think about sustainability differently.
Are you considering making more sustainable luxury products? Reach out and connect to see how we could work together via strategic luxury branding and Shopify design. Get started by clicking the button below.
