LVMH
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make them must be compliant and safe. It therefore actively
monitors national and international regulations, applies the
most stringent requirements (see p. 58), and has estab- lished its own internal standard, the LVMH RSL (Restricted
Substances List). The list is regularly updated and forbids
or restricts the presence of certain substances in marketed
products and their use by suppliers.
As well as the RSL, the Maisons have access to other tools. For example, the LVMH Testing Program reinforces the
Maisons own control procedures by allowing them to use
partner laboratories to test the highest risk substances for
the different materials. In 2018, LVMH supplemented the LVMH RSL with a list of raw materials and substances that are
now banned in finished products and product lines. In 2019, Fendi also launched a pilot scheme to test the compliance
of the products and components used in its leather, fur, and
fabric range production lines.
Environmental-performance measuring tools are also applied
to control the ingredients used in products. For example, the
IFE (Index Formulation Eco-conceived) is based on six crite-
ria, including the natural origin of ingredients and raw material
traceability. By taking this proactive, stringent approach to
the composition and formulation of its products, the Group
fosters the use of alternatives and encourages innovation,
which in turn makes it possible to eliminate undesirable raw
materials and substances.
TRADITION AND INNOVATION, A COMBINATION MADE TO LAST
The Group has made the blend of tradition, creativity and
innovation its hallmark, and it single-mindedly pursues
extremely exacting quality standards. It is this positive
balance between past and future that enables the Maisons
to create items that stand the test of time and are handed
down from one generation to the next. The Maisons
actively combine technological innovation and ancestral
savoir-faire, as demonstrated at the LVMH Watch Week in
Dubai in January 2020, which was exclusively devoted to new timepieces, and at the 2019 China International Import
Export Expo, where the LVMH Pavilion design was inspired
by France s 19th -century glass and steel architecture.
The Maisons preserve the longevity of their ancestral
savoir-faire by adapting to contemporary needs. They use
traditional techniques and processes, some of which date
back centuries. For example, Hennessy s eaux-de-vie barrels
are made by hand using the same techniques as 18th-century coopers. The fine quality of Loewe s leathers is achieved by combining the ancestral craftsmanship of Spain s Cordero
Entrefino tanners with cutting-edge tanning techniques.
The Group sees it as a priority to encourage its artisans and
designers to pass on their savoir-faire to younger gener-
ations, and inspire its suppliers, who also have their own
Driving sustainable innovation From September 14th to October 27th, 2019, Maison/o ,
the incubator set up by LVMH and Central Saint Martins
to drive responsible and sustainable innovation through
design, presented the exhibition Designing in Turbulent
Times , which celebrated the most innovative sustainable
creations, such as a biodegradable alternative to standard
sequins, a collection of jewelry that recycles waste
feathers and a vegetable-based yarn alternative made
from pineapple leaf fibers.
