When our clothes become an ode to nature
National Geographic is joining Lacoste for an inspiring collection, a celebration of nature and its fascinating creatures.
Since the beginning of the 2010s, the textile industry has been reinventing itself to produce more sustainable, more ethical, and more responsible fashion. A bona fide revolution in the (almost) infinite cycle of fashion, punctuated here and there by inspiring initiatives.
The National Geographic x Lacoste collaboration is one such initiative. It is a celebration of the splendor of nature and of the animal world, and above all an invitation to save the magnificent creatures that populate our planet.
The crocodile’s choice
When René Lacoste chose a crocodile for his company’s logo, he could not imagine that this fascinating reptile might one day disappear.
Among the 13 species of true crocodiles (genus Crocodylus), four are considered today to be “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): the Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) numbers slightly less than 200 individuals in the wild, the Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer), the species of crocodile with the smallest distribution in the world (it is native to the island from which it takes its name), the Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) and the and the Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) whose populations both continue to decline dangerously.
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Like many animal species all over the world, these crocodiles are victims of hunting, poaching, and of habitat loss or modification caused by humans.
As part of its approach to social and environmental responsibility, Lacoste is notably engaged in species preservation and in the restoration of the ecosystems of the Everglades, in the far south of the state of Florida made up of coastal mangroves, Cladium marshes, and loam—a true paradise for alligators and crocodiles. In 2018, the group also partnered with the IUCN and its program, Save Our Species, to create ten limited-edition polo shirts on which ten of the most endangered species in the world take the place of the renowned crocodile. The number of polos produced corresponds to each species population still living in the wild.
As an extension of its efforts to bring attention to species, Lacoste is launching a capsule collection for men, women, and children in collaboration with National Geographic, around the ambitious Photo Ark project, which was founded by photographer Joel Sartore and which aims to photograph every species around the world living in zoos or sanctuaries. For Photo Ark, Sartore has immortalized all living creatures, both big and small—from mussels and beetles, to seals and elephants—in more than fifty countries. He won’t stop, he says, until he has photographed each and every one of the approximately 15,000 species living in human care.
(Related: These 50 animals are in peril. Here’s how you can help.)
The pieces in this unique and singular collection are adorned with crocodiles whose scutes have been replaced with the patterns of Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi), the green and black poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus), the Halloween pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina), and the jaguar (Panthera onca). Little yellow details punctuate these creations, calling to mind the yellow frame of National Geographic magazine, and the color that has distinguished the brand for 132 years.
The distinct patterns of these four species, from the jaguar’s markings to the hypnotic and delicate lines of the Halloween pennant, are the points of departure for this collection and will become a source of inspiration for all those who choose to wear this ode to nature.
An ethical and sustainable fashion
While the adage says that fashion always goes out of style before making a comeback, it can also be—and is increasingly—the subject of effective engagement.
That’s because anyone who decides to get dressed before leaving home participates not only in the enormous fashion industry, but also in shaping its future contours, in a business sector that is constantly changing.
According to the United Nations’ Environment Program (UN Environment Program—UNEP), more than 60 percent of textile fibers in our clothes today are synthetics, derived from fossil fuels, meaning they are unable to decompose. Polyester, acrylic, nylon: many revolutions that interrupted the seemingly endless cycle of fashion, in order to reinvent it. Lighter, more resilient, less expensive—these materials offered numerous advantages to the thinkers of yesterday’s fashion. But here’s the thing: With each wash, these materials shed some of their tiny plastic fibers. These microfibers inevitably end up in the oceans; it is estimated that each year, half a million tons of plastic microfibers are shed while washing them—the equivalent of three billion polyester shirts.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, “New Plastics Economy,” presented by Stella McCartney to the World Economic Forum in 2017, has already given figures that demonstrate the urgency of building a new textile industry, one that is more ethical and sustainable: The fashion market is thought to account for 20 percent of wastewater discharge, 10 percent of global carbon emissions, 35 percent of microplastic discharges in the oceans, and 22 percent of the world’s pesticides usage.
Through statements and engagements, a slogan was often repeated and retained by conventional wisdom: Fashion would be “the second-highest polluting industry in the world, right behind oil.” Although this claim, frequently relayed by the media and heard in the halls at conferences, has since been revised (according to the New York Times, agriculture, tourism, and transportation are bigger polluters than the textile industry), the major players in the industry along with fashion designers are almost all committed to producing more responsibly.
For the general public and the fashion industry alike, the question is no longer, “Do I want to wear these clothes?” but rather “Who made them, and how? What are they made of? What impact will my purchase have on others and on our planet?”
Since the beginning of the 2010s, numerous campaigns have emerged to throw their support behind brands already engaged in more sustainable and ecological fashion-making, while also fighting against forced labor and child labor in the cotton fields. Many, too, are involved in defending the animal world. For example, Lacoste, a major force in the textile industry, chose to ban the use of fur, mohair, and angora.
It only makes sense that the polo shirts from the National Geographic x Lacoste collection were made from recycled polyester and organic cotton, and that the shoes have a natural rubber outsole—after all, it would be impossible to celebrate our planet, and to keep in mind the importance of preserving its extraordinary creatures, except by fulfilling our ethical obligations.
Because if it’s true that fashion can go out of fashion, surely some trends are designed to last.
