Prada's "Re-Nylon" Initiative Sees The Iconic Bag Going Green

In a bold move towards sustainability, Prada's signature nylon bag gets a green makeover.

Prada is back yet again to remind us of the importance of sustainability, and to tackle one of the biggest challenges that the fashion industry faces: pollution.

The Italian house introduced its iconic nylon material on the runway all the way back in the early 1980s and uses around 700,000 meters of nylon annually for its signature bags and products. The brand is now reinventing its past with their new sustainable line of iconic Prada bag silhouettes, all made with a unique regenerated type of nylon called ECONYL. Dubbed Re-Nylon, the Italian house aims to convert all Prada virgin nylon intro regenerated ECONYL by 2021.

This new material is be obtained through the recycling and purification process of plastic waste collected from oceans, fishing nets, and textile fiber waste - thanks to textile yarn producer Aquafil. “With this project Prada marks the step, taking on a leading role in environmental sustainability among Italian brands. We are happy to collaborate on their capsule collection, but above all, to support them as partners in the process of converting the entire nylon production,” said Aquafil Chairman Giulio Bonazzi.

The Re-Nylon collection sees a range of classic styles for both men and women: the belt bag, the shoulder bag, a tote bag, a duffle and two Prada backpacks. Not only are the accessories made from environmentally-friendly materials, but also bears a unique interpretation of the Prada logo that symbolizes the brand's direction of going green, in addition to its iconic triangular one.

A percentage of proceeds from the sale of the Prada Re-Nylon capsule will also be donated to a project partnership between Prada and UNESCO, helming the development of sustainability teaching programs that are targeted to be implemented in several countries.

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To bring across this new initiative, a short video series, What We Carry, has been released, starring actress and Prada reporter Bonnie Wright and National Geographic explorer and creative conservationist, Asher Jay. The series will be taking viewers through a remarkable journey to reveal insights of this eco-movement.

This isn't the first initiative Prada took to meet the demands of sustainability. In May, the Prada group pledged to go fur-free with the Fur Free Alliance (FFA), starting with its Spring/Summer 2020 collection. Moving towards ethical and sustainable fashion might possibly be one of the brand's biggest agendas, and hopefully, will inspire other fashion houses to follow its footsteps.