Louis Vuitton enacts intersectional environmentalism with conservation effort
February 1, 2023
People for Wildlife 2023 | LOUIS VUITTON
The company cites the educational appeal of the project, as it will provide further insight into the world of equitable and sustainable materials sourcing. Working with Dr. Natusch, Louis Vuitton is set to not only fund vital research and the preservation of biodiversity, but to attain scientifically backed methods to responsibly source raw materials.
“We need to be using natural resources,” Dr. Natusch said.
“The key is to do it in a sustainable way, to ensure that it’s responsible and we can continue to that use indefinitely.”
The work will also help the company meet its goal of lessening Louis Vuitton’s carbon footprint by 55 percent in time for 2030, as outlined by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
Louis Vuitton’s funding supports some of the most biodiverse lands on the planet. Filled with forests, water-dominated ecosystems and wild coastlines, the research and stewardship being done help monitor biodiversity loss, and will hopefully provide answers for reversing it.
People for Wildlife focuses on many biodiversity conservation projects that further social welfare, as sociologists, ecologists, communications professionals and economists work together in this calling. This partnership with Louis Vuitton is no different.
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In the past however, environmental work has not always been done fairly. Tree planting efforts have been done on indigenous land without the consent of the people, National Parks have been created by kicking out those who lived on the land for a millennia, and “Not in my backyard” efforts have saved the environmental integrity of white neighborhoods at the expense of Black neighborhoods, inheriting the rejected hazards (such as factories or oil plants).
After a long history of white-washed and uninclusive conservation efforts, the work being done in Australia seeks to integrate the voices of those who live locally. The community-focused approach to this kind of work is a deeply important part of intersectional environmentalism, as the field considers people to be worth just as much consideration as other animals.
Louis Vuitton and People for Wildlife operate with this mindset, as the charity incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into the work being done. This honors the invaluable environmental insights held by indigenous people, as well as offer sustainable means of employment to the population.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="465"] Dr. Natusch is spearheading the project, working with Louis Vuitton to explore the region in a responsible way. Ima
As Chopard president Karl Scheufele once gifted the L’Heure du Diamant timepiece to his wife Karin Scheufele in a bouquet of peonies, the campaign imagery plays with the floral motif. In the campaign, Ms. Hadid rests atop an enlarged pink peony and elegantly swats aside flower petals interspersed by a kaleidoscope of jewel shapes that form the singular peony motif in diamond.
Ms. Hadid is adorned by the latest iteration of the L'Heure du Diamant: a 26mm timepiece in 18-karat white gold, emblazoned with 2.2 carats of diamonds. The timepiece features a dial in mother-of-pearl and a textured white gold strap.
The watch is noteworthy for a recent innovation by Mr. Scheufele, which sees V-shaped prongs beneath the diamonds augment the diamond’s natural brilliance to produce a radiant effect.
The model also wears the pendant necklace and matching earrings from the L'Heure du Diamant jewelry collection, both of which appear to mirror the shape of a peony.
Star power
Ms. Hadid became the brand’s global ambassador in September 2024, succeeding American actress Julia Roberts, and will remain in her post until mid-2026 ( see story ). With her dual appeal as a high-fashion model and pop culture figure, Ms. Hadid’s appointment marks a generational shift for Chopard.
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Dr. McAndrew joins Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz; UBS Global Wealth Management Global Equities CIO Ulrike Hoffmann-Buchardi; and Paula Cooper Gallery senior partner Steve Henry during a panel discussion on the annual report
