Reflecting changing times and a shifting world, Prada launched a pioneering new project, Re-Nylon, introducing a sustainable line of six classic Prada bag silhouettes, executed in unique regenerated nylon, ECONYL.
“I’m very excited to announce the launch of the Prada Re-Nylon collection,” said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group head of marketing and communication. “Our ultimate goal will be to convert all Prada virgin nylon into Re-Nylon by the end of 2021. This project highlights our continued efforts towards promoting responsible business. This collection will allow us to make our contribution and create products without using new resources.”
The product of a partnership between Prada and the textile yarn producer Aquafil, ECONYL nylon is obtained through the recycling and purification process of plastic waste collected from oceans, fishing nets, and textile fiber waste. ECONYL yarn, through a process of depolymerization and re-polymerization, can be recycled indefinitely, with no loss of quality.
The project reflects the focus of the Prada Group on promoting a corporate culture that aspires to increasingly sustainable balances, incorporating into its daily work the idea of a return of value to society.
A vital component of Prada’s heritage and a hallmark of its approach to contemporary fashion, nylon is an emblem of the brand.
Underscoring the importance of awareness and responsibility, a percentage of proceeds from the sale of every Prada Re-Nylon bag will be donated to a project related to environmental sustainability. Prada in partnership with UNESCO is developing educational activities that involve students from several countries to implement dedicated lesson plans using plastic and circular economy topics to inspire learners. The approach of the educational program is built around two axes – learning and take action – and one of the outcomes will be an awareness-raising campaign designed by the students.
Prada Re-Nylon project is the product of a partnership between Prada and the textile yarn producer Aquafil, an Italian company with over half a century of expertise in creating synthetic fibers. Across a number of years, Aquafil has invested heavily in ground-breaking research and development of sustainable materials, producing new from old.
ECONYL is a regenerated-nylon yarn that can be recycled an indefinite number of times without affecting the quality of the material. ECONYL yarn is made of recycling discarded plastic that has been collected from landfill sites and oceans across the whole planet.
