Valentino's new eco-sneakers made with corn tell us that fashion is really changing

The green twist of the fashion house takes the form of a white sneaker in a recycled cardboard box

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White, a symbol of purity, green synonymous with a healthy environment: these are the colors chosen by the iconic fashion house Valentino for the launch of the first products of the Open for a change line. We are talking about two sneaker models, specially rethought in an ecological key and launched via social media also to attract generation Z.

Viscose, polyurethane obtained from corn, to make the upper and the side band; recycled polyester laces; eco-friendly cotton case and recycled paper box from protected forests. The first step towards a more sustainable world is the phrase that accompanies the promotion of the project.

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Surely it is a good thing that this fashion house is also starting to create products with more respectful criteria towards the ecosystem, in compliance with its own guidelines, which have been progressively adopted in this sense since 2013. Certainly clothing that derives from vegetable fibers, alternative materials to leather are not a big news, they have existed for a long time, are well-made and also have less expensive prices than the price lists of such a high-sounding brand.

Many luxury brands have long begun to embrace the environmental cause with different actions. There are those who have started investing in projects envisaged by the United Nations Framework Convention, those who launch initiatives to replant trees, those who open thematic sites to tell about changes, including in mentality and corporate missions, up to banning furs and clothing. in alpaca.

Unfortunately, the question arises spontaneously which of these actions are real and which instead fall within the context of new positioning, of sustainable marketing up to greenwashing. The fashion sector has too often ended up at the center of many surveys and reports with unflattering data, also due to the immoderate spread of disposable or fast fashion. The report of 2021 of the non-profit association Change Markets Foundation “Fossil fashion. The hidden dependence of fast fashion on fossil fuels "paints an unedifying picture of the sector: just think that the 62 million tons of clothes produced in 2015 are expected to produce up to 102 million tons by 2030. This translates into the massive use of low cost synthetic fibers, in the extensive consumption of resources such as water; in soil pollution up to the production of CO2 which, again according to the forecasts of this analysis, will increase by 60% over the next 10 years.

The green turning point, towards an eco-sustainable, traceable and responsible production also in the luxury sector is still good news for the planet, a good example also for those who one day want to become a stylist and a trend that is essential for designers who are starting to make its way in this area. A choice for the best-known brands that has perhaps also been accelerated by the use of testimonials who are themselves attentive to these issues.

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Sources: Valentino; Change Markets Foundation; United Nations for climate