Kering teams up with Plug and Play to launch sustainability award in China

Kering wants to boost Chinese startups with the potential to bring a
positive environmental and social impact to the apparel and textile
industries. Together with startup accelerator Plug and Play, the luxury
conglomerate is launching the Kering Sustainable Innovation Award, offering
mentorship and networking trips to the USA and Europe for three winners. The top
winner also gets a monetary prize worth 100,000 euros (approximately
113,000 US dollars).

“Kering is excited to extend our Plug and Play collaboration to China
where we recognize that the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of
Chinese startups offer endless solutions to fashion’s sustainability
challenges”, said Kering’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of
Institutional Affairs, Marie-Claire Daveu, in a statement. “Innovation and
smart problem-solving are critical to reinvent luxury’s business model as
sustainable”.

The selection process is set to take place between December 2018 and
August 2019, under Daveu’s leadership. Winners will be selected by a jury
which includes Kering’s President of Greater China, Jinqing Cai; the Dean
of Fashion at Parsons School of Design, Burak Cakmak; the Managing
Director of Fashion for Good, Katrin Ley; and philanthropist Susan
Rockefeller, to name but a few.

“We look forward to finding and investing in excellent startups in
retail and use, new materials, energy efficiency, green supply chain and
other areas”, stated Peter Xu, Executive Director and CEO of Plug and Play
China.