Ralph Lauren Corp. continues to make progress toward achieving its goals as part of its Timeless by Design strategy, as outlined in its 2024 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report published Wednesday.
The company recaps its actions in various areas such as integrated circularity, sustainable materials, the value chain, water stewardship, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Our vision for timelessness not only inspires what we create but also how we create it — including how we operate our global business and engage with our teams and the communities we serve. We do this because, like our iconic styles, we want our business to stand the test of time,” said Katie Ioanilli, chief global impact and communications officer of Ralph Lauren Corp.
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In a message in the 110-page report from Ralph Lauren, executive chairman and chief creative officer, and Patrice Louvet, president and chief executive officer, they said they are advancing this work by testing, learning, collaborating and scaling programs to reduce their dependence on limited natural resources, as well as engaging and inspiring their global teams and enriching the environment where they operate — “because when they thrive, we thrive.”
The report highlighted the key accomplishments this year:
- creating products with innovative materials and manufacturing processes including its Cradle to Cradle Certified Denim Flag Trucker Jacket, its first Global Recycled Standard-certified 100 percent Recycled Cotton Polo and its first collection of Responsible Wool Standard-certified sweaters;
- launching its first Artist in Residence program with Diné (Navajo) artisan Naiomi Glasses to deliver products based on a first-of-its-kind model for mutually beneficial cultural collaboration;
- continuing to phase out the use of coal in its supply chain and decrease its absolute emissions against FY20 baseline, with a 33 percent reduction, and
- recognizing the newest Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention, which will open this fall at the University of Southern California, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. It is its first center on the West Coast.
The company cited specific progress it has made in integrated circularity, use of sustainable materials and value chain for impact. For example, Lauren developed circular principles with a cross-functional team and worked to implement them within the design and development process. It continued to evolve products with partners like Natural Fiber Welding and scaled its Ralph Lauren Vintage program, developing strategies to connect consumers to repair services in key cities in fiscal year 2025.
Lauren’s overall goal is to achieve 100 percent sustainably sourced key materials by the end of 2025.
At present, 97 percent of its cotton is sustainably sourced, polyester at 87 percent, wool at 92 percent, viscose at 78 percent, 100 percent of its down (the goal was by 2023), 90 percent of its tanned leather, and 85 percent of its cashmere.
For the Team USA collection for the 2024 Olympics, styles throughout the collection, including the athlete’s opening and closing ceremony outfits, were crafted from recycled polyester and USA-grown RWS-certified wool, among other materials. It also introduced its first 100 percent Recycled Cotton Clarus Polo Shirt as part of the 2024 Team USA Olympics Villagewear.
In water usage and packaging, Lauren decreased total water use across its operations and value chain by 26 percent from its fiscal year 2020 baseline. Some 79 percent of its total packaging volume met at least one of its sustainable packaging criteria in FY24, compared to 73 percent in FY23.
For diversity, equity and inclusion, the company achieved 85 percent favorable responses in its most recent employee survey. At least one person of color was interviewed for 88 percent of all U.S.-based vice president-level and above open roles. And at least one female candidate was interviewed for 100 percent of all vice president-level and above open roles. In addition, at least one minority business enterprise or female supplier was included for 52 percent of requests for proposal.
As far as representation, 51 percent of Ralph Lauren’s leadership roles are held by women.
In the report, the company explained that this year, it launched its unisex, classic-fit jean and trucker jacket that was developed to meet the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s The Jeans Redesign guidelines, that were created through the collaborative project that took place from 2019 to 2023. Crafted with features such as removable metal buttons and a rivet-free design, the jean and trucker jacket were made for recyclability at the end of its usable life. Both products include recycled cotton. Since 2021, Ralph Lauren has been a network partner of the foundation, participating in collaborative engagements to further a shift to a circular economy throughout the industry.
The report noted that several of its products are available on Rent the Runway, enabling consumers to rent items for a one-time event or as part of an ongoing subscription. The company is launching a recycling program for 100 percent cashmere garments in partnership with Re-Verso, which was developed as part of the C2C certification process for its C2C Certified Gold Cashmere Sweater. The company is engaging with the resale market by selling curated collections of vintage Ralph Lauren products. These collections can be found on its digital platforms and in select stores.
In other areas, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation gave $6.6 million to more than 140 nonprofits this year. Many of the company’s philanthropic programs support education for students such as the United Negro College Fund’s scholarships that provide need-based and last dollar awards to students from system-impacted communities to complete their degree. The company also provides scholarship support to students annually through its partnership with the Institute of American Indian Arts.
