Gucci Goes Green: New Handbag Line Made With Leather From Rainforest Alliance Certified Ranches

Today marks a significant milestone in the fashion industry with the launch of the world’s first products made using leather from Rainforest Alliance Certified ranches; a bag line in collaboration with Gucci — the renowned Italian fashion house — and Livia Firth — creator of The Green Carpet Challenge that pairs glamour and ethics to raise the profile of sustainable style. The bags are crafted using sustainably produced leather sourced from ranches in the Brazilian Amazon that have earned the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of approval.

Comprising the hobo, top-handle tote with detachable shoulder strap and the iconic New Jackie bag, the versatile and functional accessories all feature hand-selected and natural calfskin and includes lining in organic cotton on each style. Every model mirrors a unique blend of relaxed elegance and modern innovation, characterized by the daubed semi-matte and uneven grain appearance, the extreme softness and the slightly wax feel of eco-certified leather.

Each piece features a special label embossed with the “Gucci for Green Carpet Challenge” script and will be accompanied by the Gucci GCC passport, which documents the origin and traceability of the handbag. Alongside the plush surface in a warm red-wine color, the bags boast embellishments such as exquisite hand-stitching and woven detailing for a three-dimensional effect on the exterior, paired with antique gold hardware and bamboo tassels.

A treasure of the Gucci archives, the Jackie bag holds a very special place within the House’s storied past.  First created in the 1950s, the model became one of the preferred accessories of Jacqueline Onassis, who was photographed carrying numerous versions in the decade that followed.

“Agricultural conversion for cattle production is the leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon,” said Sabrina Vigilante, director of Strategic Initiatives at the Rainforest Alliance. “Gucci’s new line sets a shining example in the fashion industry, demonstrating that leather can be produced in a way that benefits the environment and farming communities, while promoting the humane treatment of livestock.”

The leather used in Gucci’s line of bags was sourced from Fazendas São Marcelo Ltda., a group of four ranches located in the Mato Grosso state in western Brazil. The ranches cover a total area of 79,000 acres (32,000 hectares) including a 32,000-acre (13,000-hectare) reserve in the Amazon. Certification ensures the ranches curb deforestation, protect wildlife habitat, provide ethical treatment to livestock and promote the rights and wellbeing of ranch workers.

The new Gucci for the Green Carpet Challenge Handbag Collection, is offered in select Gucci flagship stores worldwide and online in the US and Europe via Gucci.com.

Go Gucci!