For Louis Vuitton, sustainability is no longer simply about minimizing impact; it’s about actively contributing to restoration. Earlier this year, the House unveiled “Regeneration 2030,” a new environmental roadmap that expands upon its previous sustainability commitments by focusing on climate, biodiversity, water stewardship, and circular creativity across every part of the business. From regenerative agriculture and low-carbon transportation to reusable fashion show materials and collaborative supplier partnerships, the initiative reflects a broader shift in how luxury houses are approaching long-term responsibility.
At the center of that evolution is Christelle Capdupuy, Louis Vuitton’s Senior Vice President of Sustainability, who has spent years helping integrate environmental priorities across departments, supply chains, and creative teams. Speaking with Whitewall, Christelle Capdupuy discussed why sustainability must move beyond siloed thinking and how circular creativity can coexist with craftsmanship and desirability.
From Preservation to Regeneration
Monogram Room “Louis Vuitton Visionary Journeys Seoul” © Louis Vuitton. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
WHITEWALL: Louis Vuitton’s “Regeneration 2030” roadmap moves beyond preservation toward regeneration. In practical terms, what does that shift mean for the House?
CHRISTELLE CAPDUPUY: What we are facing today is a world under pressure, with climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity. We decided to go beyond our 2025 commitments, which focused more on preservation, to really target restoration and ecosystem regeneration.
More than 90 percent of Louis Vuitton’s raw materials come from nature, so today the question is no longer simply how we limit negative impact. It’s really about understanding how we are part of a global ecosystem and redefining the relationship we have with the ecosystems we depend on.
This regenerative model goes beyond responsibility and enters into a logic of contribution. It’s not simply about repairing; it’s about acting concretely to restore ecosystems. That applies to sourcing, where we are shifting toward regenerative agriculture for cotton, alcohol for perfumes, and leather. It also applies to design through reuse, repurposing, upcycling, and circular creativity.
And this philosophy extends beyond products. It applies to windows, exhibitions, fashion shows, and all of our ephemeral installations as well.
“It’s not simply about repairing; it’s about acting concretely to restore ecosystems,”
-Christelle Capdupuy.
Circular Creativity Through Collaboration
Palm Cockatoo. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
WW: You mentioned circular creativity. How does Louis Vuitton approach longevity and circularity while maintaining craftsmanship and desirability?
CC: I really like this question because at Louis Vuitton, sustainability exists together with durability, desirability, high quality, and craftsmanship. We do not compromise on any of these. Sustainability is about shifting everything we do so that we can positively contribute to regenerating nature and the climate.
What is super important is collaboration between all teams—designers, marketing, production, supply chain, retail, and client services. Everyone is part of the lifecycle of a creation, and every step impacts the next.
We recently launched an internal project called “Resource,” which revalues dormant stock and materials across operations through three principles: reuse, rework, and recycle. It transforms existing materials into new resources. But to do that, you really have to involve everyone. Designers, industrial teams, product teams—everyone needs to work together to make sure we maintain the same level of desirability and craftsmanship.
Sustainability is actually a strong way to “unsilo” a company because it only works if everybody is on board.
Rethinking Raw Materials
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
WW: Raw materials are a major focus of the roadmap. What does rethinking sourcing through regenerative agriculture look like in practice?
CC: Nearly 50 percent of Louis Vuitton’s carbon footprint comes from raw materials, so this is where we can have a major impact. Years ago, we started working toward sourcing certified and recycled raw materials, but now we want to go further. When you look at regenerative agriculture, the emission factor is much lower than that of conventional agriculture. It decreases pressure on ecosystems while helping soils become more resilient to extreme climate events.
We are focusing on four raw materials, including alcohol for perfumes. By the end of 2026, 100 percent of the alcohol sourced for our perfumes will come from regenerative agriculture. We are also working on leather and cotton. Leather is particularly important because it is our first raw material by volume. What is complex is that there is no existing certification for regenerative leather. So since 2023, we have been working with scientists to build assessment grids evaluating farm practices, biodiversity, soil health, and socioeconomic resilience. We have already engaged and trained more than 150 farmers across eight countries. It takes time, but it’s super important because we are helping create resilience and long-term business models for farmers as well.
“We are helping create resilience and long-term business models for farmers as well,”
-Christelle Capdupuy.
Designing Sustainability Into Every Experience
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
WW: Fashion shows and exhibitions are such an important part of Louis Vuitton culturally. How do you approach sustainability for these large-scale but temporary projects?
CC: The same philosophy applies to our fashion shows and exhibitions as to our products: no compromise. The priority is always creativity and desirability, but together with reducing environmental impact. We integrate environmental principles at the beginning of the design stage by prioritizing rented, reused, recycled, or certified materials. Then we work with local partners so materials can be reused, recycled, or donated at the end of use. I don’t say “end of life” because I don’t believe in that.
One thing we learned is how important it is to eliminate silos. You cannot work on sustainability two days before a fashion show. Everyone needs to be around the table from the beginning—the creative teams, agencies, production teams, environmental teams, and external partners. Otherwise, it doesn’t work. For the Women’s Spring/Summer 2026 show at the Louvre, 80 percent of the scenography materials were rented or reused, and 97 percent of the materials were internally reused, recycled, or donated afterward. For the Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 show at the Centre Pompidou, more than half of the materials used were rented.
Innovation at Every Scale
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
WW: Innovation is another major part of the roadmap. Which initiatives have had the biggest impact so far?
CC: Innovation is not only about raw materials. Sometimes innovation is about processes. For example, in leather goods manufacturing, we are targeting tanning only the leather we will actually use, which can save up to 50 percent of materials. Another example is mutualizing transportation with other LVMH Maisons like Rimowa and Dior in the United States because our warehouses and stores are often located in the same places.
It may not seem like “wow” innovation, but these smaller shifts can have a major impact at scale. We also launched the LV Shift Supply Chain Initiative in 2024 to accelerate low-carbon transportation. Through our partnership with the French startup Grain de Sail, we completed nine transatlantic cargo sailboat crossings that reduce emissions by 90 percent compared to conventional cargo. It’s still small, but innovation takes time. At Louis Vuitton, there has always been this spirit of trying new solutions and believing that nothing is impossible.
“Innovation is not only about raw materials. Sometimes innovation is about processes,”
-Christelle Capdupuy.
