Kering highlights its commitment to sustainability at the ChangeNOW Summit 2026
0 results for ""
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Kering highlights its commitment to sustainability at the ChangeNOW Summit 2026
Platinum Partner of ChangeNOW since the summit’s early days, Kering renewed its commitment to sustainability by taking part in this major event dedicated to solutions for the planet. From March 30 to April 1 in Paris, ChangeNOW brought together startups, thought leaders, investors, and companies at the Grand Palais to address the major environmental and social challenges of our time.
Empowering tomorrow’s leaders: the IFM-Kering Sustainability Chair at ChangeNOW
Fashion Our Future : a space for dialogue and exchange
Engaging creators in the transition
Leading the change
Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering and Santiago Lefebvre, CEO and founder of ChangeNOW
Valuing nature
Safeguarding water
Rachel Kolbe Semhoun, Head of Sustainable Sourcing and Nature Initiatives at Kering; Hindou Oumarou...
Innovation made in Balenciaga
Accelerating innovation: the Kering Generation Award
Empowering tomorrow’s leaders: the IFM-Kering Sustainability Chair at ChangeNOW
Fashion Our Future : a space for dialogue and exchange
Engaging creators in the transition
Leading the change
Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering and Santiago Lefebvre, CEO and founder of ChangeNOW
Valuing nature
Safeguarding water
Rachel Kolbe Semhoun, Head of Sustainable Sourcing and Nature Initiatives at Kering; Hindou Oumarou...
Leading the change
At the heart of the summit, Kering CEO Luca de Meo joined the founders of ChangeNOW for an insightful session of learning and exchange, alongside Marie-Claire Daveu, the Group’s Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer. During a guided tour of the 2026 edition, Mr. de Meo engaged with innovators working on solutions tailored to the Group’s strategic priorities. This provided a unique opportunity to meet the winners of the Kering Generation Award X China and to explore cutting-edge material innovations from Balenciaga, prominently displayed at the entrance of the summit’s “Fashion” area.
Valuing nature
On March 31, on the main stage of ChangeNOW, Marie-Claire Daveu spoke on a panel exploring the question: “Can Nature’s Value Fit into Markets?”. The discussion covered regulatory developments, the role of responsible financial markets, as well as corporate responsibilities and the need for transparency.
Safeguarding water
A few hours later, Rachel Kolbe Semhoun, Head of Sustainable Sourcing and Nature Initiatives at Kering, took part in a conversation about water. Addressing the preservation of this resource and the collective responsibility it entails, she announced the opening of the Group’s first “Water Resilience Lab” next autumn in the Arno basin. First unveiled at the previous ChangeNOW edition in 2025, Kering’s Water Strategy, she recalled, paves the way for the luxury sector to regenerate and restore water resources and ecosystems affected by industry activities.
Innovation made in Balenciaga
For the first time at ChangeNOW, Kering hosted one of its Maisons within its dedicated space at the Summit. Balenciaga showcased two creations from its Spring 26 collection, developed with cutting-edge startups and the support of Kering’s Material Innovation Lab: a black wrap dress made from AMSilk, a synthetic silk inspired by the exceptional strength and fineness of spider silk and using 97% less water than conventional silk; and a suit created with the startup Weffan, which developed a unique 3D weaving technique. Beyond its distinctive aesthetic, this process significantly reduces fabric waste and production time while eliminating inefficiencies and excessive material use from the earliest creative stages.
Accelerating innovation: the Kering Generation Award
In the same space, Kering hosted the three winners of the 4th edition of the Kering Generation Award X China, giving them visibility and the opportunity to connect with a network of innovators and potential investors.
The following innovators were showcased:
INTERPHASE
which developed a 3D evaporative crystallization technology applied to textiles—an innovative...
DAOSHENG SYNBIOLOGY
aiming to replace chemical dyes with alternatives derived from synthetic biology.
PURVÉE TECH
which developed an integrated hybrid solution to detect and analyze microplastics and microfi...
INTERPHASE
which developed a 3D evaporative crystallization technology applied to textiles—an innovative...
DAOSHENG SYNBIOLOGY
aiming to replace chemical dyes with alternatives derived from synthetic biology.
PURVÉE TECH
which developed an integrated hybrid solution to detect and analyze microplastics and microfi...
INTERPHASE
which developed a 3D evaporative crystallization technology applied to textiles—an innovative...
DAOSHENG SYNBIOLOGY
aiming to replace chemical dyes with alternatives derived from synthetic biology.
PURVÉE TECH
which developed an integrated hybrid solution to detect and analyze microplastics and microfi...
Empowering tomorrow’s leaders: the IFM-Kering Sustainability Chair at ChangeNOW
Since 2019, the IFM-Kering Chair has been training change-makers by involving students in concrete projects conducted with companies, startups, NGOs, and communities to design solutions with environmental, social, or economic impact. The 2026 cohort marks a new milestone with public presentations at the World Expo on March 31, offering visibility to projects developed within the Fashion Sustainability Certificate.
The following projects were presented to the public:
- 13 AVENIR: Full development of a new service for the couture workshop of 13 Avenir, an association involved in the “Territoires zéro chômeur de longue durée” initiative in Paris’s 13th arrondissement. From ideation to deployment, including market research and training, students designed a uniform alteration service, already operational for starting company, illustrating local synergies and the creation of social and economic value.
- PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE: Development and production of multifunctional accessories made from deadstock materials from fashion houses, designed to meet the specific needs of the homeless. Launched two years ago, the project is now scaling up, with industrial structuring, new partnerships, and over 2,000 products already distributed free of charge in Paris.
- NATIVA: This project aims to create new narratives to promote regenerative practices around wool, in partnership with NATIVA™, based on in-depth research and field studies. It highlights their positive holistic impact and resulted in a video campaign and exhibition aimed at both professionals and the public.
- ONEA: A concept app that leverages the Digital Product Passport as a tool for enhanced customer experience, centralizing a user’s DPPs in a digital wallet enriched with everyday services. The project demonstrates that beyond regulatory compliance, DPPs can transform and enrich the relationship between brands, their products, and users.
- HUP COLLECTIVE: An initiative to deploy upcycling hubs to address the global textile crisis locally, in collaboration with communities—particularly in the Global South. Emerging from scientific research on upcycling, the project already operates two hubs in Sumba (Indonesia) and is developing a permanent site in Pointe-Noire (Republic of the Congo) in co-creation with La Mode Européenne.
A space for dialogue and exchange
On the evening of March 31, Kering and ChangeNOW co-hosted the “Fashion Our Future” event dedicated to circularity in fashion. The event opened with remarks from Santiago Lefebvre (CEO of ChangeNOW), Marie-Claire Daveu, Paula Miquelis (founder of Do Futuro – Fashion Future Forward), and Rachel Jenkins (Senior Partnerships Manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation), setting the stage for key transformation challenges in the sector.
Two panel discussions followed. The first, “Circularity across the value chain,” brought together Peter Majeranowski (Circ), Cyrill Gutsch (Parley for the Oceans), Sophie Bonnier (Kering), and designer Burc Akyol, moderated by Galia Loupan (Marie Claire International), to explore circularity at every stage of the value chain. The second, “Engagement, consumers,” featured Bella Webb (Vogue Business), Yayra Agbofah (The Revival Earth), and Marguerite Dorangeon (Clear Fashion), moderated by Céline Dassonville (ethiwork), focusing on the role of consumers in accelerating sustainable models.
The evening concluded with a cocktail and a visit to the “Exhibition Pathway,” a curated showcase of circular innovations illustrating the different stages of the fashion supply chain: Peelsphere for raw materials (winner of the Kering Generation Award X China 2021), Sparkxell for manufacturing, FINDS for logistics and transport, ONEA for distribution and retail, United Repair Center for product use, CrushOn for reuse models, and ReValorem for recycling.
Engaging creators in the transition
Finally, on April 1st, the last day of the summit, Kering, in partnership with YouTube, gathered content creators for a brunch, followed by two Learning Expeditions across the World Expo. The day continued with a discussion at the Kering booth, attended by representatives from the Group and Balenciaga. In a friendly and educational format, conversations addressed the challenges of climate change and highlighted Kering’s longstanding commitment to sustainability. Participants discovered the Group’s key programs—from regenerative agriculture to innovation labs—designed to accelerate the transformation of the sector.
About ChangeNOW
ChangeNOW was launched in 2017 with the goals of building bridges between entrepreneurs, CEOs and political leaders to accelerate change. Kering has been a proud partner of this summit of solutions for the planet since its beginnings.
About Kering Generation Award
Designed as one of the key initiatives for innovation under Kering’s 2025 Sustainability Strategy, the Kering Generation Award was launched in China in 2018 and has since been aiming to drive industry-wide transformation by recognizing and supporting startups that bring about positive environmental and social impact while addressing challenges in alternative raw materials, green supply chain, retail & use and the circular economy. The program has already been held four times in China – last year, the Group debuted its Saudi and Japanese editions. Additionally, a "Kering Generation Award X Jewelry" was launched with the cooperation of the Polytechnic University of Milan, expanding Kering's support program to the jewelry sector.
About Kering
Kering is a global, family-led luxury group, home to people whose passion and expertise nurture creative Houses across couture and ready-to-wear, leather goods, jewelry, eyewear and beauty: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo, Qeelin, Ginori 1735, as well as Kering Eyewear. Inspired by their creative heritage, Kering Houses design and craft exceptional products and experiences that reflect the Group’s commitment to excellence, sustainability and culture. This vision is expressed in our signature: Creativity is our Legacy. In 2025, Kering employed 44,000 people and generated revenue of €14.7 billion.
