Courregès Bids Adieu To Plastic With A Countdown Pop-up

Parisian fashion brand Courregès bid adieu to the use of plastic within its collections with a Last Call Capsule Collection and pop-up store.

Demonstrating the growing effort among fashion brands to be more sustainable, the iconic label has chosen to eliminate the use of plastic within its collections for here on out. To commemorate the decision, this week the brand has opened a pop-up store next door to the house’s Rue Francois 1er boutique. The new initiative, titled Fin de Plastique, marks the brand’s countdown of its shiny vinyl stock. The Last Call collection will include existing Fall 2018 pieces, and key archive styles, revived by the brand’s new artistic director, Yolanda Zobel.

Expect to see colorful drawstring bags, glossy 60s-style bow hairbands and the sporty basics the brand has become known for, such as hooded cagoules and track pants. Each piece will be stamped with a number that indicates, in decreasing number, the reduction of the stockpile of vinyl which the house currently holds.

Announcing the decision via its social media channels, it is a bold move the brand, who in the last 50 years has become renowned for its use of vinyl within its collections. Vinyl had become a signature material in Courregès’ designs since André Courrèges began using it in the 1960s, where it adorned everything from classic boxy jackets and mini skirts to flat go-go boots. Shooting to fame, the brand’s new groovy space-age look was to go to define the decade.

But our world has changed a lot since the 60s and so have consumer attitudes. With younger shoppers increasingly more concerned about the environment than their predecessors were at the same age – studies from the likes of Nielsen and Deloitte consistently show that Millennials are the consumer cohort most likely to pay more for products seen as sustainable or developed by socially and environmentally responsible organizations. Brands are beginning to rethink and step up their sustainability credentials to ensure they retain their appeal and secure a long-term future within the industry.

To commemorate the decision, this Paris Fashion Week Courregès debuted a plastic-free collection on the runway, with phrases such as “Fin du Plastique” and “The Future Is Behind You” featuring on key looks. Offering a glimpse into what a post-plastic future will look like for the brand, the collection demonstrated the fine balancing act between celebrating heritage whilst not being beholden to it.