Luxury brands gathered at Buckingham Palace to show King Charles new regenerative fashion projects and Digital Product Passports designed to make supply chains more transparent.
Buckingham Palace may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think about fashion supply chains. But this week, the Sustainable Markets Initiative gathered leaders from some of the world’s largest luxury brands there to show King Charles III how fashion might begin to repair the landscapes and communities behind its materials.
The initiative, which Charles founded in 2020 while serving as Prince of Wales, brings executives, scientists, and policymakers together to accelerate market-driven climate solutions across industries. During the gathering, members of its Fashion Task Force shared updates on projects focused on regenerative agriculture and supply chain transparency — two areas widely seen as essential if fashion is to reduce its environmental impact.
The meeting coincided with the organization’s Roundtables and Exhibition taking place nearby at Hampton Court Palace, where guests viewed garments, footage, and early prototypes illustrating how these initiatives are unfolding on the ground.
One of the most tangible examples came in the form of cashmere scarves produced through the Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab. Developed by the Fashion Task Force with Italian luxury label Brunello Cucinelli and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, the program works directly with communities in Himalayan grazing regions to restore fragile ecosystems while improving livestock productivity and household incomes.
Visitors to the exhibition saw video documenting the project from early fieldwork to finished product. The scarves are already beginning to appear in select retail locations, offering a glimpse of what regenerative luxury materials could look like at scale.
Fashion’s supply chain is getting a digital identity
Alongside the Himalayan project, task force members presented results from another experiment taking place in southern Italy. The Apulia Regenerative Cotton Project, launched in 2023, explores how cotton farming can incorporate agroforestry practices that improve soil health and biodiversity.
The effort is led by the Fashion Task Force with the Armani Group and guidance from the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. According to the initiative, early trials have already produced measurable increases in soil carbon and biodiversity on the farmland involved.
The exhibition also included demonstrations of Digital Product Passports, often shortened to DPPs. These digital records allow consumers to scan a product and see detailed information about where its materials came from and how it was made.
Technology from the Aura Blockchain Consortium powered several of the demonstrations, with brands such as Stella McCartney, Mulberry, Johnstons of Elgin, and OTB Group showcasing the system on selected products. The idea is simple: scan a code, and a garment’s story — from raw material to final assembly — appears on your phone.
Regulators in the European Union are already moving in this direction. Digital Product Passports are expected to become part of new Ecodesign regulations that require companies to disclose more information about how products are made and how long they last.
Luxury brands experiment with regeneration
The SMI Fashion Task Force includes a wide mix of brands, platforms, and industry groups working together on sustainability solutions. Members include Prada Group, Burberry, Chloé, and Textile Exchange, among others. Collectively, these companies represent more than £24 billion in revenue, according to the organization.
For Federico Marchetti, chair of the task force, the work reflects years of collaboration between industry leaders and scientific partners.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the CEOs of the Fashion Task Force and their teams, as well as to the SMI and CBA, for the dedication they have shown over the past five years since the Task Force was established,” Marchetti said. “Their collective efforts have enabled us to achieve remarkable, innovative and measurable results, which we had the honour of presenting today at Buckingham Palace to HM The King, who has always encouraged me to turn ideas into action. These results demonstrate to the entire industry the path forward. Fashion has always been an industry of creativity and reinvention: with collaboration and innovation, we can turn sustainability into the next great chapter of luxury.”
Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said the projects illustrate how environmental progress can emerge when industry, science, and local communities work together.
“The progress showcased today demonstrates the commitment and capability of the SMI and its members to deliver practical, scalable solutions for the sustainable transition,” she said. “These flagship projects showcase how industry, science and communities can come together to rethink fashion’s global impact, highlighting the link between craftsmanship, environmental stewardship and traceability.”
Marc Palahí, CEO of the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, pointed to the Living Labs as early proof of what collaborative models can achieve.
“I am very proud of the progress which has resulted from the collaboration between the SMI Fashion Taskforce led by Federico Marchetti and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance. The pioneering Living Labs in the Himalayas and Italy show what is possible when you blend business commitment, science and local knowledge, placing nature at the heart of our economy and creating a practical, scalable blueprint for the future.”
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