A French Champagne maker best known for its commitment to sustainability has entered the world of fashion, and the collaboration is already drawing attention.
Maison Telmont, a century-old Champagne house, is working with British vegan sneaker company Løci to launch a limited-edition shoe made exclusively from eco-friendly materials, according to Ethos.
The deal brings the luxury drinks and sustainable footwear industries together to promote environmental responsibility.
The sneaker was crafted with recycled ocean plastics, a bamboo and recycled nylon lining, cork insoles, and recycled brass for its eyelets.
The rollout began in the United Kingdom in October, followed by the U.S. in November and Japan in December. The deep green sneaker took inspiration from Telmont's company slogan: "In the name of Mother Nature."
"These sneakers are made for those who walk the talk," said Telmont President Ludovic du Plessis, per Ethos.
Brands have increasingly turned to collaborations to reach new audiences and highlight their sustainability goals. Those include deals between Jaden Smith's travel brand Harper Collective and German luxury fashion house MCM as well as Uniqlo with a group of American design students.
In many cases, the fashion industry can also be destructive to the environment; some of the biggest names in fast fashion are H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo. Fast fashion companies have been increasingly criticized for producing large amounts of waste and for unethical practices.
Telmont makes Champagne but with a focus on sustainability. It has previously pledged to cut unnecessary packaging, reduce bottle weight, and stop using air freight.
The company is converting its vineyards to organic farming, aiming to remove more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it emits by 2030, per Ethos.
The collaboration also builds on Løci's range of vegan sneakers made from reclaimed plastic waste. The brand said each pair contains the equivalent of 20 plastic bottles and that its efforts have kept around 1 million bottles out of the ocean so far.
Telmont and Løci said in a joint statement, per Ethos, that the sneaker went through "nine unique developments to perfect this conscious creation."