The argument for luxury as the slowest fashion of all, and the problems it can’t escape.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 15 November 2026
What is the case for?
Luxury at its best is made to last: good materials, skilled hand work, repair services and pieces that keep their value on the resale market. A Hermès bag can be repaired for decades and passed down. Craft also supports specialist workshops and traditional skills that would otherwise disappear.
And against?
Luxury groups are public companies that need to grow, which means selling more every year. Collections now come six or more times a year, shows fly guests around the world, and logo products sell in huge volumes. Leather and exotic skins carry their own impacts. A higher price does not automatically mean a lower footprint.
What have the big groups done?
Kering pioneered the Environmental Profit and Loss account, which puts a money value on the environmental impact of its whole supply chain, and François-Henri Pinault launched the Fashion Pact, a set of climate and biodiversity commitments signed by dozens of companies, at the G7 summit in Biarritz in 2019. LVMH runs its LIFE 360 programme with targets for materials and emissions. Progress is real but uneven.
Who is leading the way?
Stella McCartney, who has never used leather or fur, and Gabriela Hearst, known for deadstock and traceable materials, are the names most often cited. Independent labels working in small batches often go further than the giants. Our own view is in Sustainable fashion brands don’t exist.
Read on Ayerhs: How to Make Sustainable Fashion Feel Luxurious · 2026 Is the Year of Conscious Luxury · How Hermès Stayed the Strongest Luxury House