by Suman Gupta
India – April 22, 2021: As part of a continued commitment to sustainability, and in celebration of Earth Month, Fossil is proud to launch our latest pro-planet assortment. This collection includes brand new cactus leather tote bags made in partnership with Desserto®, and our second iteration of the limited-edition Solar Watch. The launches follow commitments that Fossil announced in 2019 as part of our ongoing Make Time For Good initiative, dedicated to making change in communities throughout the world through pro-planet materials, products and packaging, as well as reducing our footprint in water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The cactus leather totes and Solar Watch are an example of new materials and sustainable partners that Fossil has cultivated in an increased push towards leaving a lighter footprint for a more sustainable future.
Fossil is proud to be one of the first retailers to introduce vegan cactus leather, an innovative material new to the industry, through the collection of Kier Cactus Leather Totes. Each bag is designed with material made from organically grown cactus leaves developed by Desserto®, a Mexico-based company with a focus on sustainable materials. The leaves come from cactus plants that require only rain water and Earth minerals for growth. Once harvested, the leaves are dried in the sun for three to six days, which removes the need for any additional energy source for the drying process. Not only is this an energy-efficient processing technique, but no herbicides, pesticides or irrigation systems are used in the production of the cactus. As a result of this innovative process, each Kier tote saves 7.5 liters of water — the equivalent of fifteen 500 milliliter water bottles. Additionally, each cactus’ trunk is left intact to enable repeat harvesting, as the leaves regenerate every six to eight months. The collection will include four stunning colorways — moss, wine, black and brown — and will be available for Rs. 19,295 beginning April 22.
“After witnessing first-hand the impact that tanneries have on the environment, we sought to create a vegan alternative that leaves a lighter footprint while meeting our rigorous quality standards,” says Desserto cofounder Marte Cázarez. “Almost immediately, we decided to leave our jobs and dedicate the next two years to designing and creating a solution.”
“Since first introducing Desserto cactus leather to the world in 2019, we have continued to develop and educate others on our materials and sustainable processes. Today, we are proud to partner with brands, like Fossil, who share a vision of reducing their environmental impact through the use of eco-friendly materials,” adds Desserto cofounder Adrián López Velarde.
Fossil is also proud to announce the second iteration of its limited-edition Solar Watch — the World-Timer — launching on Earth Day. The watch houses a solar-powered movement with rechargeable battery, which can reach a full charge after eight hours in the sun and will retain charge for up to three months. Also, the 42mm watch case is made with castor oil while the rPet strap is made from post-consumer plastic bottles. In addition to its pro-planet designs, the World-Timer is packed with features, including a compass, stopwatch, alarm, timer, and world time function. In the world time function, the user can select from forty-nine cities around the world to easily check the local time in that area, connecting users across the globe. The limited-edition watch will be available for Rs. 11,995 beginning April 22.
“Over the course of the last two years, our teams have worked diligently to identify areas of our business that make the largest environmental impact and to chart the course towards meaningful charge. The result is an index of commitments that we’ve established to leave a smaller footprint and better world for future generations. Some of these changes include: introducing more pro-planet materials like recycled stainless steel and litehide leather into our assortment, removing foam material from packaging, and moving to ensure all paper goods are made from a minimum of 80% recycled material,” says Steve Evans, EVP Chief Brand Officer. “Fossil believes that when we combine our time and passion, we can make lasting change for people and the planet.”
Johnson Verghese, Managing Director at Fossil India said, “We are delighted to provide our consumers in India with a retail experience that is fueled with our passion to embark on a sustainable journey. One that will reduce carbon footprints and help in optimizing resources to the fullest. In doing so, we aim to contribute towards better environmental and people health. As our planet continues to be in a constant climate crisis, sustainability is certainly the need of the hour. With our pro-planet initiative, we look forward to creating products that will inspire and celebrate sustainability as well as continue to be at the forefront of fashion.”
In addition to the Kier Cactus Leather Totes and World Timer launches, Fossil is excited to grow our assortment of pro-planet styles in our seasonal collections as well. This summer, mainline solar watches in the bestselling Minimalist and Jacqueline styles will become available in a variety of colorways. As with the limited-edition Solar Watch, the sun-powered battery plus pro-planet case and straps reduce water and battery waste. Additionally, Fossil’s assortment of pro-planet bags continues to grow as classic styles are re-released in eco-leather this summer. Since being introduced to Fossil’s product assortment last fall, more than 90% of our leather material for bags and small leather goods is now sourced from Leather Working Group certified tanneries. To date, about 1.8 million gallons of water have been saved through the use of 1.5 million square feet of eco-leather, sourced in partnership with our pro-planet leather providers.
Fossil Group’s ongoing commitments towards pro-planet progress include:
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Design and produce 100% of our product to meet our pro-planet criteria by 2025.
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Make 100% of our primary packaging recyclable and/or reusable by 2025.
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Lead in circular business model approaches — where our materials can be used, reused and reduced — by 2025.
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Reduce water consumption for leather tanning by 45% by 2025.
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Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.
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Eliminate virgin plastics in our supply chain by 2030.
