Tomorrow’s fashion – made by today’s innovation.

Tomorrow’s fashion cannot be produced using yesterday’s ideas. That is why we rely on more sustainable and innovative materials; safe, environmentally friendly production processes; and recyclable products. For us, the highest quality and ecological and social standards go hand-in-hand.

The careful use of natural resources such as water is an essential part of our environmental commitment. In addition to reduced consumption, it is also important to keep the resource as pure as possible where it is needed by means of professional chemical management.

We work to continuously reduce the environmental impact of our products. By 2025, for instance, 100% of the cotton sourced by HUGO BOSS will come from sustainable cultivation.

We improve the environmental footprint of our company's own sites, production facilities and shops, and the entire supply chain. Our goal is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. On the way there, we will reduce emissions in the entire value chain (Scope 1-3) by at least 50% by 2030.

Our goal is to preserve biodiversity in our oceans and waters. A major contribution to this can be made by reducing synthetic fibers: the fewer synthetic fibers, the less microplastics in the oceans.

Preserving biodiversity and protecting the climate are particularly important to us at HUGO BOSS. For example, by using more sustainable materials and processing them in an environmentally friendly way, we want to protect valuable ecosystems and reduce the loss of biodiversity on land.

Close collaboration with partners is a prerequisite for HUGO BOSS to meet its sustainability goals. That is why we are active in a number of initiatives and associations, such as the Better Cotton Initiative and the Leather Working Group.

Through our efforts, we support the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations. HUGO BOSS has identified these SDGs as particularly relevant to its strategy work as particularly relevant for its business activities. They are therefore given special consideration in the planning and implementation of measures and projects.

This is how we make our products even more sustainable

35%
share of RESPONSIBLE
styles in the product range
Our goal by 2025: >60%
55%
products are developed digitally
Our goal by 2025: >90%
CIRCULARITY: First products have been developed
Our goal by 2030: 80% of our products are circular by 2030
NATURE POSITIVE MATERIALS: New target
Our goal by 2030: 100% natural materials sourced according to regenerative principles or closed-loop recycling
FIGHT MICROPLASTIC: New target
Our goal by 2030: 0% polyester & nylon
93%
cotton from more sustainable sources
Our goal by 2025: 100%
86%
leather from certified sustainable tanneries
Our goal by 2025: 100%

SUSTAINABILITY STARTS WITH THE MATERIALS

To meet the demands posed by the times we live in, fashion must not only be characterized by high-quality, but also by responsibility. This is why we also select the materials for our products in accordance with environmental compatibility and animal welfare. Additionally, we develop new materials through strategic partnerships with innovative companies and start-ups for tomorrow’s fashion trends, such as the circular cellulose yarn of the Swiss innovation company HeiQ. Collaborations like this will help us reach our target of 0% polyester and nylon in our products by 2030.

We also work closely with recognized international initiatives in order to reach our sustainability goals. These include Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), the Leather Working Group (LWG) or NGOs such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

As we use materials of animal origin, such as wool and leather, in many of our products, animal welfare is very important for us.  For years now, we have only used specific types of leather that are by-products of the food industry. We ensure that the down we use is not obtained through live plucking and force-feeding.

Whether it’s wool or cotton,the source of fashion is intrinsically connected with nature. Our choice of materials determines the impact we have on the planet and our goal is to reduce this impact as much as possible. Regenerative farming is a particularly promising method to achieve this goal. We have scrutinised our supply chain in this regard and are investing in partners  such as SEKEM, ZQRX or Raddis®Cotton, who are working in this area. Together with our partners, we aim to ensure biodiversity and soil health by sourcing 100% natural materials according to regenerative principles or closed-loop recycling by 2030.

Our materials in detail

RESPONSIBLE STYLES

We're making a difference one piece at a time, using future-friendly processes that reduce the environmental impact of our products and ensure we're doing our part to protect our planet for the future generations.

Our RESPONSIBLE styles (in the future part of our WE CARE initiative) are a key element on our path to more sustainability:

They comprise at least 60% better raw materials based on recognized sustainability standards and external certifications and, additionally, meet environmental as well as social standards in processing. We are also steadily increasing the proportion of products with RESPONSIBLE dyes and more sustainable treatments. The RESPONSIBLE styles are easily recognizable via dedicated hangtags.

WE CARE Product Sustainability

See for yourself

FOR CIRCULAR PRODUCTS IN FASHION

The sustainability of a product starts with design, but does not end with sale. How long does the clothing remain wearable? Is the quality so good that the product could continue to make wearers happy a second, third, or fourth time? How can the materials be reused and processed afterwards to create new fashion?

For us, service life and recycling are important factors in completing material cycles and conserving resources. Our goal: By 2030, 80% of our products will be circular.

Our designers are considering the circular economy even while planning a new collection, and our employees also receive regular training on this subject. Furthermore, we are developing a large digital media library with information concerning materials and processes that are particularly suited to recycling, so that our team can make informed decisions during the development process.

More on the circularity strategy

OUR SUPPLIERS – THIS IS WHERE OUR PRODUCTS ARE MADE

The majority of our finished products – over 80% – are manufactured by suppliers from all over the world. We know them very well, and have been working with our strategic partners in the spirit of mutual trust for over a decade. Together, we ensure the high quality for our products and have implemented long-term measures to improve working conditions and production processes on-site. The remaining goods (14%) come from our own HUGO BOSS factories in Germany, Turkey, Italy, Switzerland and Poland.

Whoever wishes to partner with HUGO BOSS has to go undergo a strict selection process with detailed questions regarding human rights and social standards. We have stipulated all our standards in the Supplier Code of Conduct, which is a binding document for our suppliers. To ensure compliance with this document, we conduct regular audits and support our suppliers with further development activities.

We also expect certain minimum ecological standards from our suppliers with regards to issues such as energy consumption, emissions and waste water, and chemical management. The basis for the use of chemicals in production are the limits defined by the internationally recognised ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL). With regular training sessions, we help our partners act responsibly towards our planet and its valuable resources. In this way they not only reduce their environmental impact, but also create safer working conditions.

Our production facilities in detail

TRACEABILITY OF PRODUCTS

Transparency is of major importance to HUGO BOSS and an essential component of our sustainability commitment. We aim to demonstrate our sustainability activities to our stakeholders as simply and transparently as possible. Therefore, we provide insight into the different processing stages of our products and the raw materials used. In the stores, information can be found directly on the product: Our products have specific hangtags that provide information on more sustainable materials. In line with legal requirements, we have integrated information on the traceability of our products in our online store and on our corporate website.

Areas of our commitment

Strategy – Responsibility with a plan

To protect our planet, we want to run our business responsibly. That is why our sustainability strategy is focused on circular thinking and the reuse of existing resources, among other approaches.

PEOPLE – responsibility for employees and for society, as a whole

Employees and associates, service providers and suppliers, the communities at our production sites and, last but not least, our customers: people all over the world make HUGO BOSS what it is. Therefore, we bear a special responsibility towards them. Find out more about how we meet this commitment.

PLANET – responsibility for the planet

We are well aware that the fashion industry has an impact on our planet. Our commitment is to reduce our ecological footprint in order to make our contribution to the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement. Take a look at the measures we are taking and the projects we are working on to achieve this goal.

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