Armani has opened an agroforestry plantation for cotton, and King Charles might have something to do with it, too

Sustainability is on everyone’s mind, and some luxury brands are approaching it in unique ways. Just this week, Armani Group announced it has opened an experimental agroforestry plantation—a land-use system that integrates shrubs and trees with crops or pastures—in southern Italy.

The plantation, which has already witnessed some cotton planting since, will trial different methods to manufacture cotton sustainably with a low carbon footprint.

Known as the Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project, it runs in partnership with the Sustainable Markets Intiative’s Fashion Task Force and Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, both founded by King Charles during his time as Prince of Wales.“

This innovative approach responds to increasing consumer demand for sustainable fashion globally, and at the same time, it ensures traceable and resilient value chains as well as the safety of resources,” Armani said in a statement.

Above and beyond: Armani is not the only luxury brand testing out innovative approaches to sustainability.

Kering—the parent company to Saint Laurent and Gucci—recently announced its goal to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2035, using 2021 as a baseline.

In a panel in New York in March, the luxury conglomerate revealed its sustainability strategy focused on regenerative agriculture, pushing quality over volume, and optimizing its processes and raw material sourcing.

“Sustainability is not a competitive thing. You need to join forces to be able to grow and scale,” Antonella Centra, Gucci’s EVP and general counsel of global sustainability and corporate affairs, said at the event. “We didn’t have to reinvent the wheel; we simply maximized what was already effective and efficient within our organization.”