SUSTAINABILITY
At HERVÉ by Céline Marie, we like to redefine luxury as being sustainable. We truly believe that sustainability is no longer a choice but the fundamental responsibility of every fashion house. Each decision we make carries the aim to create stunningly beautiful pieces that fit the world we live in, now and in the future. We are committed to providing full visibility of our actions, no compromises.
FROM CARBON NEUTRAL TO CLIMATE POSITIVE,
ONE TREE AT A TIME.
When founding HERVÉ by Céline Marie, we committed ourselves to putting long term sustainability before shot term solutions with every action and step we take. To further continue our mission towards a sustainable fashion future, we have dedicated ourselves to becoming a carbon neutral, and ultimately climate positive business by offsetting our carbon footprint. But what does that actually mean and how are we achieving this milestone?
ESSENTIAL TREES PLANTED: 476
EXTRA TREES PLANTED: 24
OFFSETTING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
With the fast fashion industry ranking amongst the world's second largest polluters of our planet and accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions, our call to action to innovate and break the fast fashion cycle and the way we consume is way overdue. We need to take responsibility and start giving back to our planet to make up for the damages caused. To put this into perspective: An average person in the EU produces roughly seven tons of CO₂ per year. To offset this carbon footprint alone, an approximate amount of 112 - 224 trees, depending on its type and size, are needed to absorb the amount of CO₂ emitted.
BECOMING CARBON NEUTRAL
But what does the term carbon neutral actually mean? If enough trees are planted to absorb at minimum the same amount of CO₂ emissions that have been released into the atmosphere, a company can become carbon neutral.
When calculating the scope of HERVÉ's ecological footprint for our first year, we took in consideration CO₂ emissions caused both on local company level and staff as well as product level. This means we calculate all carbon dioxide produced directly by and in the atelier as well as trace back the fabric and material production and its impact on the environment upon original creation. We further add any emissions caused by order shipments, photoshoots and external content creators. Please beware that we have made this calculation in as much depth and accuracy as traceable.
PLANTING TREES WORLDWIDE
In order to reach our first milestone in becoming carbon neutral, we have planted our first trees in October 2021 and continuously support organizations around the globe, allowing us to complete our first goal of becoming Climate Neutral in October 2022. With our call to action, we do not only intend to create more awareness, but encourage you all to take responsibility for your own ecological footprint, one tree at a time. Together we can make a difference. Projects supported include 'The Greening Schools Project' in Kenya, the 'Embangweni Indigenous Reforestation Project' and 'Trees Where Needed the Most' by One Tree Planted.
CLIMATE POSITIVE SINCE 2022
But what is the key difference? Climate positive, or carbon negative, takes the idea of being carbon neutral one step further: Instead of solely making up for the amount of CO₂ released into the air, we are actively contributing towards a better climate by planting even more trees than needed to balance the difference. As we continue to strive to be leaders in sustainable fashion, we aim to inspire and motivate you to follow our footsteps.
ONE-WAY SUPPLY CHAIN
We are committed to sourcing our raw materials as close to our atelier location as possible to minimize greenhouse gas emissions caused through unnecessary aerial distance traveled. Further, we operate under a one-way-supply-chain, meaning all our materials are delivered directly to the atelier, where every garment is being created and directly shipped to each client.
RAW MATERIALS
EUROPE
GERMANY
WORLDWIDE
ATELIER
END CONSUMER
ETHICAL MATERIAL SOURCING
SURPLUS
LACES & MATERIALS
We believe that the most sustainable solution to material sourcing is to utilize fabrics that already exist. Therefore, we are very proud to obtain a variety of lingerie fabrics and componentry which otherwise would have gone to waste from other design houses and fellow garment creators.
TRADITIONAL LACES &
FRENCH SAVOIR-FAIRE
We exclusively work with the world's finest leavers laces, traditionally crafted in the North of France. We are proud to support the preservation of this heritage craft and French savoir-faire which roots back to the 1830s, and are keen to support many of the family-run lace manufacturers.
FRENCH LINGERIE
ELASTICS
All our signature elastics are manufactured in small quantities on demand in the South of France by a lingerie specialist with over 150 years of expertise. Their commitment to the environment inspired the company to support local bee cultivation.
ITALIAN
SILK
We are committed to incorporating the highest quality Italian silk within our creations. Whilst Italian's expertise in the silk industry roots back over 1,000 years, local manufacturing enables strict quality control throughout the entire silk production process.
SUPPORTING
LOCAL BUSINESSES
We are proud to support small businesses and local fabric stores both in Germany and the Netherlands to boost the local economy. All our threads are purchased locally and originally spun, dyed and finished in the South-West of Germany.
ECO-FRIENDLY
BAMBOO COTTON
All our briefs and bodies use antibacterial and certified bamboo cotton, made from bamboo fibres. The eco-friendly and hypoallergenic alternative to jersey is not only as soft as silk, breathable and the most sustainable alternative to use.
HIGH QUALITY
FRENCH COMPONENTRY
All our golden hardware and componentry is manufactured by one of the last few remaining European lingerie specialists in the heart of France.
RECYCLED
GIFT BOXES & TISSUE PAPER
Both our eco-friendly matte black signature gift boxes and tissue paper are made from recycled materials and can be either reused or fully recycled. Our boxes are made, finished and shipped from a certified supplier based in Cornwall, Southern England.
RECYCLED
BOTTLE SATIN RIBBON
Our gift boxes are adorned with ethical ribbon made from 100% post-consumer waste in form of PET plastic bottles. 90% of the water has been recycled during their production whilst 20% of the energy used is solar powered.
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING
HANDMADE
IN OUR ATELIER
Every piece is hand made in our atelier to ensure highest quality to couture standards. Our small scale local production eliminates overproduction and significantly reduces emissions and energy usage.
ONE-WAY
SUPPLY CHAIN
Through narrowing down our supply chain with all materials and components being directly shipped to our atelier, we eliminate unnecessary manufacturing chain emissions and energy waste. Every creation is born in our atelier and delivered directly to our clients, no off-shore manufacturing involved.
ON DEMAND
PRODUCTION
We do not pre-produce any collection items and exclusively create each order upon request to avoid the production of potential dead stock samples. We also keep a very limited number of photoshoot samples and re-purpose as many fit samples as possible for show pieces and editorials.
CONSCIOUS CONSUMERISM
We are an advocate for conscious consumerism who encourages to question what lies beneath our clothes, a strong believer in slow fashion celebrating the richness in long-lasting quality and an appreciator of the timelessness a garment can provide.
Our mission at HERVÉ by Céline Marie is not only to educate and create greater awareness in developing a more ethical consumer behaviour, but to provide a sustainable alternative unique in its rich aesthetics. Lingerie that is truly timeless and versatile, not bound to any season. Lingerie that is fully transparent in its creation process and origin of its raw materials whilst supporting a small independent woman-led business. Lingerie that is ethically hand crafted to size and exclusively made upon demand, valuing its raw materials whilst diverting waste from landfill. Lingerie that can be treasured for a life time. Through your support, we can make a difference together.