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It could only be Arco, in the province of Trento, a paradise for climbers who challenge its cliffs, the Italian stage (from 16 to 18 June) of the Worn Wear Tour with which Patagonia has been traveling the world for over 10 years to repair worn clothing by its customers, to whom it not only teaches the art of durability, but proposes a new relationship with what you buy and use.
The brand, founded in 1973 in Ventura, California, by Yvon Chouinard (who started out selling climbing equipment), has always been one of the most ambitious in the entire global clothing industry in the search for authentic sustainability. Two years ago Chouinard decided to donate the company to the planet, transferring its properties to a trust that allocates profits to the fight against climate change.
«Many things are changing in the industry, especially driven by increasingly informed and aware customers – explains Tyler LaMotte, product and marketing director for the EMEA area of Patagonia -. But greenwashing is still very prevalent. However, I believe that the new laws arriving in Europe and the United States will be very effective, rewarding those who are doing a good job and forcing commitment from those who are not yet.”
How can the expected global increase in fashion consumption be reconciled with sustainability?
«For us, customers are not consumers, but owners of something. Whether it’s a bike, a house or a dress, if you own something you will take care of it, you will want to repair it, you will try to extend its life to the maximum. It is essential to change people’s relationship with products. Hyperconsumerism is destroying the planet, there is no doubt. If something is of quality, it can have a second life and at a more accessible price than new. Rental and repair are also growing rapidly. We recently opened a pop up in Amsterdam where you could only buy repaired items: it only lasted one day, but hundreds of people attended. To make all this possible, however, quality is essential first.”
One of your recent campaigns is called “Quality”, and focuses on being “out of fashion”.
«Many of our products have been in the catalog for decades. Of course, we renew them, in materials or in the production process, not in style: the Down Sweaters for example are now made with nylon from recycled fishing nets. As I was saying, we are not interested in fashion as a brand, we make products to solve problems, find solutions. Products that are good for years, not for a single season.”