Our glossary
The Paris Good Fashion glossary was born following the citizen consultation on responsible fashion carried out in 2020 at the initiative of our association alongside a collective of committed actors*.
It responds to the expectations expressed by more than 107,000 participants, concerning the need for consumer information and the need to use a common language understood by all. Hence, the members of Paris Good Fashion decided to develop this glossary in order to exchange and communicate on the same basis.
Initially published in French, this glossary is now available in English in order to make as many people as possible benefit from this work. It includes about 350 definitions, and is the result of collaborative work with our members**.
- We first defined the main categories and terms to be included. First, we defined the main categories and terms to be included: general terms of fashion and sustainable development, labels and certifications, actors and initiatives, and materials. Another category was established, that of "Basic concepts". It includes the most important generic terms of our sector. These are also often the most complex, as their scope is either very broad or unclear.
_ - Then, we carried out bibliographical research, which allowed us to carry out a state of the art of the existing definitions by basing them on the official and international definitions when they existed.
_ - When they did not exist, the terms were the subject of consultation and in-depth reflection by Sylvie Benard, Clémence Grisel and Isabelle Lefort in order to be enriched and as precise as possible. For each term, you will find the bibliographic references that helped establish its definition.
__ - Following this work which took place from March 2021 to February 2022, the definitions were submitted to the members for correction and validation. Special thanks go to Claudia Lee and Guy Morgan (Chanel), François Souchet (BPCM), and Andrée-Anne Lemieux (IFM) for their careful reading of the translation, coordinated by Clémence Grisel.
If you would like to know more, or have any suggestions, please contact us at contact@parisgoodfashion.com
* Eram Group, Etam Group, Galeries Lafayette, Petit Bateau, Vestiaire Collective, WSN
** They participated in the WG: Chantal Cabantous (Balmain), François Souchet (BPCM), Éric Dupont, Guy Morgan, Claudia Lee (Chanel), Christophe Bocquet and Aude Vergne (Chloé), Sylvain Cariou and Hugo Sereys (Crystalchain), Clémence Hulet and Alice Timmerman (Deloitte), Géraldine Vallejo, Yoann Regent and Annabelle Villot Malka (Kering), Frédéric Lecoq (Lacoste), Hélène Valade and Alexandre Capelli (LVMH), Thomas Bucaille and Pauline Mattioli (Petit Bateau) as well as Léonore Garnier (FHCM), Adeline Dargent (Syndicat de Paris de la Mode Féminine) and Andrée-Anne Lemieux (IFM)
Europe’s largest incubator for sustainability and innovation in fashion, housed inside a former Paris fire station (“caserne” in French). La Caserne is a driving force for ecological and social change in the fashion and luxury industries.
References:
La Caserne
Crystalchain
References:
La Caserne
Crystalchain
The tanned hide of a cow, sheep, goat, pig, horse, reptile, fish or bird. In France, a decree passed in January 2010 defines leather as a “material obtained from animal hide that has been processed to make it rotproof”.
Leather is often a by-product of the food industry, made from the hides of animals such as cows, sheep, calves and pigs that were slaughtered for meat, although this isn’t the case for all leather on the market (alligator, snake, etc.).
Leather raises environmental and social concerns linked to livestock farming (greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, traceability, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, animal welfare, etc.) and the chemicals used in the tanning process. The complex nature of the value chain makes it difficult to trace hides and consequently guarantee animal welfare and good environmental management at the various stages. Certifications and blockchain can facilitate traceability.
Alternatives such as vegetable tanning, fish leather, recycled leather and bio-manufactured leather offer potential solutions. Plant-based materials from, for example, pineapple, mushrooms or cacti are marketed as vegan alternatives to leather. Often combined with synthetic materials and not always as hard-wearing as leather, they have their own environmental cost.
A number of schemes certify that leather production has been responsibly managed. These include ICEC (Istituto di Certificazione della Qualità per l’Industria Conciaria), CSCB (Certificaçao de Sustentabilidade do Couro Brasileiro), LWG (Leather Working Group) and Oeko-Tex’s Leather Standard.
See: recycled leather, fish leather, leather alternative, tanning
References:
Condé Nast - The Sustainable Fashion Glossary
Sustainable Apparel Coalition (n.d.) SAC Base Materials: Leather
Conseil National du Cuir
Responsible Leather Round Table
Leather is often a by-product of the food industry, made from the hides of animals such as cows, sheep, calves and pigs that were slaughtered for meat, although this isn’t the case for all leather on the market (alligator, snake, etc.).
Leather raises environmental and social concerns linked to livestock farming (greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, traceability, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, animal welfare, etc.) and the chemicals used in the tanning process. The complex nature of the value chain makes it difficult to trace hides and consequently guarantee animal welfare and good environmental management at the various stages. Certifications and blockchain can facilitate traceability.
Alternatives such as vegetable tanning, fish leather, recycled leather and bio-manufactured leather offer potential solutions. Plant-based materials from, for example, pineapple, mushrooms or cacti are marketed as vegan alternatives to leather. Often combined with synthetic materials and not always as hard-wearing as leather, they have their own environmental cost.
A number of schemes certify that leather production has been responsibly managed. These include ICEC (Istituto di Certificazione della Qualità per l’Industria Conciaria), CSCB (Certificaçao de Sustentabilidade do Couro Brasileiro), LWG (Leather Working Group) and Oeko-Tex’s Leather Standard.
See: recycled leather, fish leather, leather alternative, tanning
References:
Condé Nast - The Sustainable Fashion Glossary
Sustainable Apparel Coalition (n.d.) SAC Base Materials: Leather
Conseil National du Cuir
Responsible Leather Round Table
Leather alternatives - often wrongly referred to as “alternative leather” or “vegan leather” - are non-animal materials intended to imitate leather’s aesthetic and/or technical properties (breathable, insulating, high tensile strength, resistant to tearing and flexing, etc.). They are classified as either:
• “plant-based” alternatives, made primarily from second-generation (waste and agricultural residue) or third-generation (mycelium) raw materials, usually combined with synthetic products such as polyurethane and glue;
• “faux leathers”, which are 100% synthetic, made from materials of fossil origin such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyurethane laminate (PUL) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
While leather alternatives address animal welfare concerns, they raise other issues in terms of the raw materials used, carbon emissions during production, consumption of chemicals, energy and water, and a complex recycling process.
Although not yet available to buy, lab-grown, bio-manufactured leather is one of several innovations that offer similar qualities to leather, whose production does not cause animal suffering and with none of the environmental impacts of livestock farming.
See: leather
References:
Paris Good Fashion
Condé Nast - The Sustainable Fashion Glossary
Gullingsrud, A. (2017). Fashion Fibers: Designing for Sustainability. London: Bloomsbury.
The Sustainable Angle (2020). Future Fabrics Expo 2020. London.
MISTRA Future Fashion (2019 (3)). Environmental impact of textile fibers – what we know and what we don’t know. The Fiber Bible Part 2.
• “plant-based” alternatives, made primarily from second-generation (waste and agricultural residue) or third-generation (mycelium) raw materials, usually combined with synthetic products such as polyurethane and glue;
• “faux leathers”, which are 100% synthetic, made from materials of fossil origin such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyurethane laminate (PUL) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
While leather alternatives address animal welfare concerns, they raise other issues in terms of the raw materials used, carbon emissions during production, consumption of chemicals, energy and water, and a complex recycling process.
Although not yet available to buy, lab-grown, bio-manufactured leather is one of several innovations that offer similar qualities to leather, whose production does not cause animal suffering and with none of the environmental impacts of livestock farming.
See: leather
References:
Paris Good Fashion
Condé Nast - The Sustainable Fashion Glossary
Gullingsrud, A. (2017). Fashion Fibers: Designing for Sustainability. London: Bloomsbury.
The Sustainable Angle (2020). Future Fabrics Expo 2020. London.
MISTRA Future Fashion (2019 (3)). Environmental impact of textile fibers – what we know and what we don’t know. The Fiber Bible Part 2.
Testing and certification system for leather and leather products at all levels of production. The Leather Standard indicates that the labelled item contains no chemicals that are harmful to health and is stricter than national and international requirements. It supports companies in implementing a high level of human and environmental product safety across the supply chain.
Reference: Oeko-Tex
Reference: Oeko-Tex
Multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit organisation that assesses the environmental compliance and performance capabilities of leather manufacturers (tanneries), and encourages the leather industry to adopt sustainable practices.
The LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit Protocol assesses a tannery’s environmental performance and notes the traceability of raw materials. The protocol was developed by a multi-stakeholder group of leather manufacturers, brands and experts, with input from Greenpeace, NWF and WWF (United States), sustainable development organisations and academic institutions.
Manufacturers are given a score based on their environmental performance. There are four levels, represented by a medal: Gold (85%), Silver (75%), Bronze (65%) and Audited (50%).
References:
Leather Working Group
Kering Standards
The LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit Protocol assesses a tannery’s environmental performance and notes the traceability of raw materials. The protocol was developed by a multi-stakeholder group of leather manufacturers, brands and experts, with input from Greenpeace, NWF and WWF (United States), sustainable development organisations and academic institutions.
Manufacturers are given a score based on their environmental performance. There are four levels, represented by a medal: Gold (85%), Silver (75%), Bronze (65%) and Audited (50%).
References:
Leather Working Group
Kering Standards
A standardised methodology (ISO 14040 and 14044) for the assessment of the environmental impact of a product, service, company or process across multiple criteria and multiple stages throughout its life cycle.
Its purpose is to identify and compare environmental impacts at every stage of a life cycle, from the sourcing of raw materials to manufacturing, transport, use and end of life (disposal, recycling, etc.). The information it provides can serve as the basis for ecodesign or to reduce environmental impacts. Studies are currently under way to incorporate social criteria.
Reference: Ademe
Its purpose is to identify and compare environmental impacts at every stage of a life cycle, from the sourcing of raw materials to manufacturing, transport, use and end of life (disposal, recycling, etc.). The information it provides can serve as the basis for ecodesign or to reduce environmental impacts. Studies are currently under way to incorporate social criteria.
Reference: Ademe
Natural plant fibre known as a bast fibre, made from flax stems. After harvest, the stems are retted (separation of the fibres from the rest of the stem), scutched (impurities removed) and combed prior to spinning. Europe produces 80% of the world’s scutched linen fibres and France is the world’s leading producer.
Linen offers numerous environmental benefits, thanks to low impact production methods: crop rotation, integrated farming methods, no GMOs, no defoliant use and no irrigation (except in exceptional circumstances). Also, fibres are obtained by mechanical means (scutching) which ensure the entire plant is used, hence zero waste.
The Masters of Linen® mark guarantees European traceability and compliance with environmental criteria (no GMOs, no irrigation, etc.).
Reference: European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (CELC)
Linen offers numerous environmental benefits, thanks to low impact production methods: crop rotation, integrated farming methods, no GMOs, no defoliant use and no irrigation (except in exceptional circumstances). Also, fibres are obtained by mechanical means (scutching) which ensure the entire plant is used, hence zero waste.
The Masters of Linen® mark guarantees European traceability and compliance with environmental criteria (no GMOs, no irrigation, etc.).
Reference: European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (CELC)
A mark of recognition awarded by the French state, for a five-year period, to French companies that distinguish themselves for their artisanal and industrial know-how. Beneficiaries must show commitment to maintaining their know-how at the highest level, be attentive to training staff, be technically and socially innovative, and implement a dynamic commercial strategy.
Reference: Institut National des Métiers d’Art
Reference: Institut National des Métiers d’Art
Remuneration received for a standard work week by a worker in a particular [time and] place sufficient to afford a decent standard of living include food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transport, clothing and other essential needs including provision for unexpected events.
Reference: Global Living Wage Coalition
Reference: Global Living Wage Coalition
Artificial cellulose fibre made from wood pulp from sustainably managed forests. Also known as TENCEL®, a Lenzing registered trademark.
Artificial cellulose fibres can contribute to deforestation when the wood pulp is sourced from endangered forests. FSC and PEFC certifications, and the CanopyStyle initiative guarantee that the cellulose comes from sustainably managed sources.
As with most artificial cellulose fibres, the extracted pulp is treated with solvents prior to extrusion. However, unlike the majority of artificial cellulose fibres, Lyocell is produced in a closed-loop system in which most of the solvent is recycled and no chemicals are released into waste flows.
Reference: Textile Exchange
Artificial cellulose fibres can contribute to deforestation when the wood pulp is sourced from endangered forests. FSC and PEFC certifications, and the CanopyStyle initiative guarantee that the cellulose comes from sustainably managed sources.
As with most artificial cellulose fibres, the extracted pulp is treated with solvents prior to extrusion. However, unlike the majority of artificial cellulose fibres, Lyocell is produced in a closed-loop system in which most of the solvent is recycled and no chemicals are released into waste flows.
Reference: Textile Exchange