Sustainability & Responsibility
Governance-led sustainability for fashion & luxury brands
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Virgili Studio – Sustainability & Esg Operating Framework
Virgili Studio operates at the point where sustainability becomes an operational discipline, not a declarative exercise. We do not approach sustainability as a narrative layer, nor as retrospective reporting. We approach it as a system of decisions governing creation, product development, supply chain structure and the long-term value of brands.
Our work is positioned upstream, where impact is truly generated: when a brand decides what to create, how to structure it, which materials to use, which industrial partners to engage and what level of complexity to sustain.
In fashion and luxury, authentic sustainability does not arise from scale, philanthropy or volume. It emerges from disciplined product architectures, governed complexity and responsible industrial choices capable of enduring over time.
Sustainability
as Product Governance
Sustainability as Product Governance
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Sustainability begins with governance. Uncontrolled growth in SKUs, materials and suppliers generates inefficiency, waste and instability. Virgili Studio works to structure product systems that are coherent, repeatable and scalable without erosion of quality or identity.
Governing the product means defining clear priorities: what is essential, what is redundant, and what can be industrialised responsibly. This approach reduces environmental impact at its source and protects long-term brand equity.
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Responsible Design
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Design is the first act of sustainability. Responsible design does not mean creative reduction, but project maturity: the ability to generate desirability without producing industrial instability, waste or accelerated obsolescence. We promote product design that privileges durability—functional, aesthetic and industrial. Materials are selected for performance, traceability and impact. Creative vision is aligned with industrial feasibility, ensuring products that endure beyond seasonal cycles.
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SHORT
SUPPLY CHAINS
as a
Strategic System
We considers short and regional supply chains not as a symbolic sustainability choice, but as a core governance architecture for luxury manufacturing. Reducing geographical dispersion increases control, accountability and quality, while materially lowering environmental and operational risk.
Short supply chains allow us to:
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maximise direct technical dialogue between design, development and production;
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reduce lead times and rework cycles;
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stabilize quality through proximity-based feedback loops;
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reduce transport-related emissions and emergency logistics;
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retain value within specialised manufacturing territories.
In luxury, proximity is not a constraint. It is a performance multiplier.
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Micro-Economies & Specialised Know-How
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We actively works to preserve and strengthen micro-economies of specialised manufacturing. These ecosystems—often concentrated geographically—represent irreplaceable reservoirs of technical expertise, process intelligence and cultural manufacturing heritage.
Sustainability, in this context, means ensuring continuity: protecting the conditions that allow these micro-economies to remain economically viable, technically relevant and generationally transferable.
Our approach focuses on:
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concentrating volumes where expertise is highest;
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avoiding fragmentation across multiple low-commitment suppliers;
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building long-term partnerships that justify investment in skills and quality;
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aligning product architecture with the real capabilities of each territory.
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KPI - Micro-Economy & Know-How Preservation​
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Long-Term Partnership Index = suppliers
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Volume Concentration Ratio = top specialised suppliers
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Process Specialisation Score = % suppliers with single-core expertise vs generic (target ↑)
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Know-How Continuity Indicator = presence of documented processes & senior craftsmen (qualitative score)
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People at the Centre of the System​​
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People are not an ESG topic—they are the core infrastructure of sustainable luxury. Every sustainable system ultimately depends on human competence: designers, technicians, pattern makers, knitters, finishers, quality controllers.
Placing people at the centre means designing systems that:
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respect the limits of human work;
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reward expertise and responsibility;
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reduce pressure caused by chaotic planning;
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enable professional growth and skill transmission.
Sustainability is compromised when speed, volume or cost are prioritised over human capability. Governance restores balance
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KPI - People-Centric Sustainability​​
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Skill Development Hours per collaborator / year
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Talent Retention Rate (key collaborators)
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Planning Stability Index = changes after production freeze (target ↓)
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Supplier Workforce Stability = turnover rate at key partners (target ↓)
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Environmental & Social Impact
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Short supply chains, strong micro-economies and people-centric governance converge into a single impact model:
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lower emissions through reduced transport and rework;
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higher quality and durability through expertise concentration;
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reduced waste through planning discipline;
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social sustainability through continuity of work and skills.
Environmental responsibility is achieved not through slogans, but through systems designed around human and territorial intelligence.
PEOPLE,
ETHICS & VALUE
Human Capital​
Virgili Studio is a knowledge-driven organisation. Sustainability depends on the quality of expertise applied to decision-making. We invest in creative, technical and industrial competence, promoting responsibility, merit and continuous development.
Preserving and transferring expertise strengthens supply chains and reduces systemic fragility.
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Ethics & Transparency
Transparency is an operational requirement. Every sustainability-related decision must be documented, traceable and defensible. We reject unsupported claims and opaque practices. Credibility is built through coherence between decisions and outcomes.
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Economic Value
When governance is sound, sustainability becomes a driver of value. Reduced waste, improved quality stability, lower markdown exposure and stronger brand credibility translate into durable economic performance.
MONITORING & LONG-TERM COMMITMENT
Monitoring & KPIs
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We use KPIs as governance tools, not retrospective metrics. Indicators related to product complexity, material traceability, production efficiency and supply chain stability guide decisions throughout the development process.
Measurement supports accountability, consistency and continuous improvement.
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Long-Term Commitment
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Virgili Studio is committed to evolving its methods, tools and standards to support brands in building responsible, scalable and coherent systems. Sustainability is a process of maturation, requiring discipline and continuity over time.
Alignment with EU ESG Expectations (CSRD / ESRS)
While Virgili Studio is not a manufacturing group subject to mandatory CSRD reporting, its CSR framework is intentionally aligned with the material logic of European ESG standards.
EU ESG Area
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Climate Change​
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Pollution
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EWater
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Biodiversity
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Circular Economy
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Own Workforce
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Value Chain Workers
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Business Conduct
EU ESG Area
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Value-chain emissions​
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Hazardous substances & waste
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Water use & wastewater
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Ecosystem pressure
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Resource efficiency
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Skills & retention
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Fair conditions
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​Governance & transparency
Virgili Studio Alignment
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Governance of Scope 3 drivers through product design, materials and short supply chains​
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Material and process governance, reduction of rework and waste​
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Selection of specialised partners, reduction of unnecessary processing
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Fewer materials, reduced complexity, lower transport intensity
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Durability-driven design, material efficiency, controlled volumes
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Skill development, planning stability, merit-based growth
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Long-term partnerships, workforce stability at key suppliers
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Decision traceability, documentation, anti-greenwashing discipline
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Sustainability is not a promise.
It is a method, a choice and a structure.
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Alessio Virgili
Founder & Managing Director