PARIS -- As ESG falls out of fashion across the globe and businesses backtrack on sustainability goals, Kering is staying the course and reinforcing its commitment to educating the next generation of leaders through its partnership with Paris' Institut Français de la Mode.

and IFM marked five years of the IFM-Kering Sustainability Chair, which supports research and education dedicated to a more sustainable fashion industry, with a roundtable and cocktail event Thursday night.

Kering chief and institutional affairs officer Marie-Claire Daveu was on hand for the celebration. Kering chairman Francois-Henri Pinault had been scheduled to attend but was not able to join the celebration due to a last-minute scheduling conflict.

Instead, Daveu read remarks from the former chief executive officer, which cemented the program's commitment to addressing the environmental and social challenges of the fashion and luxury industry.

"This reflects our vision at Kering -- luxury and sustainability are one and the same. For us, sustainability is not a burden, it is a foundation, an ethical principle that drives creativity, inspires innovation, reshapes the very meaning of luxury, one rooted in integrity, purpose and lasting impact," read Daveu.

"We see education as a catalyst for meaningful long-term change. By embedding sustainability at every stage of learning, we lay the groundwork for a more conscious and resilient future," she continued.

"The path forward will have its share of challenges. There will be resistance, I can tell you, a lot of resistance, doubt and pressure to compromise, but I hope this [program] has reinforced your commitment, a commitment strong enough to stand firm and keep sustainability at the core of your choices, especially when it's hardest to do so," Daveu concluded.

Educating the younger generation is "absolutely necessary to amplify the movement that will not stop, despite current political uncertainties, both in France and in Europe," added IFM dean Xavier Romatet.

"On the contrary, we must strengthen to permanently transform the way fashion objects are designed, produced, communicated and distributed...the industry will, with the support of technology, find new challenges for building a more virtuous sector and continue to progress."

It's been a decade since Kering launched its Environmental Profit and Loss approach and made sustainability a core driver of its business. And while Daveu is keenly aware of the challenges luxury faces in the current economic downturn, she pledged the group would not pause or slow its action plan.

"Yes, we continue. We speak about changing the model....You need to be able to convince [investors], not only for ethical reasons, but to show that it's very important for the businesses," she told WWD.

The recent appointment of chief executive officer Luca Di Meo, who came to the Gucci parent company from Renault Group, reinforces the group's trajectory and commitment to advancing sustainability. His experience in the automotive industry, which has more stringent and advanced sustainability regulations, is poised to provide a strong foundation for the executive to navigate similar change within fashion, Daveu said.

The company is keeping its finger turned to the headwinds, where climate-related resource scarcity has already started to be a catalyst for geopolitical instability.

Daveu believes companies that delay sustainability initiatives will face rising operational costs and disruptions.

"If we were to cut the sustainability projects and restart at a later, more critical time -- you lose on the business side," she said. "You have to be realistic about what you are doing. You have to give some priorities about things where it's efficient for the planet and for the business."

This future-proof framing resonates with investors, particularly as natural resources like water are impacted and materials such as cashmere become more difficult to source as a result. "Convinced by climate change or not convinced by climate change, risk management is the key to get the investors to understand," she said.

While techno-optimists believe that there will be digital solutions to many structural problems, and fashion brands increasingly rely on artificial intelligence and tech tools to reduce overproduction and predict trends, Daveu emphasized that technology alone cannot solve the sector's climate impact.

"It will be a wonderful tool to support us to predict the right quantity [of garment production]," she said. "But like all innovations, it is not black and white. You have to be conscious about how much energy you consume. It's our responsibility to create the link."

Despite global and economic headwinds, Daveu said luxury must continue to maintain its momentum. "Even when in luxury it is tough, if luxury doesn't implement this kind of action, how can you ask the rest of the industry to do it? It's a question of leadership."

The evening also featured a roundtable hosted by IFM director of sustainability Andree-Anne Lemieux, Balenciaga global sustainability director Annika Mohr Storfält, Sheltersuit Foundation founder Bas Timmer and IFM-Kering Chair Ph.D. candidate Hester Vanacker discussing garment durability metrics.

One of the most controversial issues facing sustainability circles is how to define durability. Lab tests rate fossil-fuel-based materials like polyester as "highly durable" precisely because it doesn't break down quickly, when in reality, they're often fast or ultra-fast-fashion items that are tossed aside quickly, contributing to long-term pollution and waste.

Vanacker developed the concept of "extrinsic durability" to better measure the emotional commitment and value that people assign to a luxury or heritage item that may be made out of a biodegradable textile like cotton or wool.

Storfält emphasized that this definition "is very important" for luxury brands, because it can foster long-term care for products. The brand is working to quantify that value in its products.

She also discussed repurposing textiles and upcycling in collections, and said that the brand has tried without success. "I can also be very honest to say that we didn't manage to crack it at scale," she said, due to a lack of suppliers who can work with recycled materials.

"There needs to be also new skills developed in the supply chain in an industrial way," including how to disassemble garments and work with different feedstocks.

Lemieux and Vanacker were among the coauthors of a study on garment durability published in the journal "Nature" on Oct. 7. Lemieux believes this scientific rigor is essential to "elevate the debate and be recognized" with evidence-based data that stretches beyond fashion circles.

They are in the process of building an international consortium to address this issue.

"We're not just teaching," Lemieux said. "It's really to have this legitimacy also in a scientific way."

The evening marked five years of the Kering Chair at IFM. In that time, more than 2,000 students from 74 countries have received sustainability training, while 200 students have earned the Kering certificate. Fifty concrete projects have been carried out from student proposals.

The Chair curriculum, codeveloped by Kering and Lemieux, covers a wide range of topics, from regenerative agriculture and biodiversity to traceability and supply chain ethics. Daveu said its next evolution will push further into the under-addressed subject of animal welfare, which is often overlooked in a sector far removed from its own raw materials.

"When we speak about sustainability programs, people speak about innovation. Everyone likes innovation -- it's great -- but it's not enough," Daveu said. Her aim is to drive a shift in spirituality, philosophy and mindset that reconnects designers with the materials they source.

"In our industry, we are quite far from raw materials," she added. "When you buy fur, for example, you forget where it's coming from. Buying a textile with wool -- don't forget that the wool is coming from sheep. It's also your responsibility to see the cattle farming, how they were grown and animal welfare. It's not obvious in our industry."

Kering Presses Ahead on Sustainability Despite Luxury Downturn