Crafting Tomorrow’s Luxury : Kering x Plug and Play Sustainable Innovation Award

To identify promising change-making startups and technologies in Greater China.

The Kering Sustainable Innovation Award is dedicated to accelerating sustainable innovation in the Luxury and fashion sectors in China. Inspired by Kering’s motto Crafting Tomorrow’s Luxury, Kering initiated this program – powered by its partner, Plug and Play – to identify promising change-making startups and technologies in Greater China.

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About Kering

A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watches: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo, Qeelin, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, as well as Kering Eyewear.

By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow's Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination.” In 2017, Kering had nearly 29,000 employees and restated revenue of €10.816 billion.

What is the focus?

Alternative raw materials: Solutions that could modernize or be replacements for leather, silk, other natural fibers, etc. Focus areas such as biotech solutions, bio-based plastics, new fibers, regenerative agriculture, etc.
Supply chain: Decreasing impacts in the supply chain through technologies that will reduce water, waste and chemical usage and improve production and energy efficiency. For example, low impact dyeing, new processes to customise or automate cut-make-trim, and solutions enabling supply chain traceability.
Retail & Use: Solutions that reduce the environmental impacts of retail processes. For example, efficient packaging, retail store energy management, etc. Also, new ways to increase the awareness of sustainable fashion among consumers and make this lifestyle more influential in the Chinese market. For example, omni-channel communication, social marketing, building brand transparency, etc. Also focusing on solutions to improve livelihoods for people working along the supply chain.
Circular economy: Transforming materials waste into new products and extending the lifecycle of existing products are powerful ways to reduce impact. For example, chemical recycling, mechanical recycling, repurposing and upcycling, re-commerce platforms, etc.

The top winner will receive a monetary prize of 100,000 Euros.

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What is the prize for the three winners?

Targeted introductions
Targeted introductions to industry leaders: brands, retailers, manufacturers. We introduce corporate partners to our chosen startups in curated one-on-one sessions.
Meetings and mentorship from Kering Group members
Introductions to mentors who are experts in sustainability and innovation within the realm of fashion, retail and beyond.
Trips to Europe and the US
Interact with brands and leading initiatives in innovation and entrepreneurship including: Kering Group headquarters in Paris, European-based Kering brands, Fashion For Good in Amsterdam as well as Plug and Play Tech Center headquarters in Silicon Valley.
Access to Kering and Plug and Play’s network
Our network is expanding day by day, from Amsterdam to Silicon Valley, you are invited to join our journey with us.
Introduction to investors and funding opportunities
Tap into our contacts and meet the investors in our network.

How does it work?

We are looking for early-stage innovations from start-ups that are incorporated in the Greater China region or who have at least one key team member in the region, who present new solutions with the goal to reinvent the Luxury industry.

This means changing the way garments are currently designed and produced, shipped, bought, used and recycled by adding technologies, processes, or new business models with a verifiable positive environmental and/or social impact.

Three winners will be selected by a jury composed of experts, with extensive knowledge within fashion, Luxury, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and innovation.

The winners will receive access to an accelerator plan: trips to Amsterdam and Silicon Valley, CA, mentoring provided by Kering teams and other industry experts, introduction to investors, etc.

Applications open on December 7^th, 2018 and the last day to apply is August 31th, 2019. The winners will be revealed in October 2019 at an Award Ceremony celebration of innovation.

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