Routledge Sustainable Luxury and Social Entrepreneurship: Stories from the Pioneers

Luxury products are now seen by a growing number of global consumers as an important and more widely available way of expressing personal aspirations and values. Most consumers of luxury products and services use them as status symbols and symbols of success. However, the definition of success – and the way it is perceived by others – is changing. Many of these successful consumers now want the brands they use to reflect their concerns and aspirations. Such products come with a heavy social and environmental cost. Sustainable luxury is about rediscovering the old meaning of luxury – a considered purchase of a beautifully crafted object with built-in social and environmental value.The social entrepreneurs documented in this book highlight the relationship between personal values and sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation in developing and marketing luxury products. The pioneers outline how they have developed inclusive supply chains with poor and vulnerable communities. Their stories prove that luxury need not be a destructive force. Instead, this book opens a window on a world where entrepreneurial pioneers can change the rules of the game. Review ."...Anyone working in the luxury industry who is concerned about sustainable luxury must read this book. Indeed, whether you are an academic, an entrepreneur, an innovator or a practitioner, it is a book worth reading and pondering." Highly recommendable to students and managers looking at the practical side of premium goods and services. " Only when we operate at this level of consciousness will we see the start of a truly sustainable world. " The go-to blueprint for a new vision of enlightened consumption a must-read for a future that celebrates beauty and fashion while gently caring for the planet " This book is an amazing tool of first hand knowledge and inspiration for future generations of change makers. " "Miguel Angel and Maria Eugenia set the standard on ensuring that our luxury products are high-performance, ethical, environmentally responsible and generous. This book is a must-read for luxury executives and entrepreneurs who desire guidance and inspiration in living a meaningful life." About the Author Miguel Angel Gardetti Ph.D. He has been the head of the Center for Study of Corporate Sustainability (IESC) since its foundation in 2002, and he also holds the same position at the Center for Study of Sustainable Luxury. He is head professor in MBA and master's programs both in Argentina and abroad. He has provided training within frameworks of executive education and in house programmes to CEOs and Corporate Managers both from domestic and multinational companies in Argentina and Latin America. As to Luxury and Sustainability topics, he lectured at the Instituto de Empresa (Madrid, Spain), one of the top Business Schools in Europe. Moreover, he was a speaker in Identidad Uruguay, an event organised by the Universidad de Empresa (Montevideo), with a lecture on Fashion, Luxury, and Sustainability. He was the creator of the Best Performance in Sustainable Luxury in Latin America Award (at present evolving towards the Award in Sustainable Premium and Luxury at a global level). He developed also several publications in the area of b; b;sustainable luxury. He was a member of the United Nations Global Compact Promoting Group in Argentina and a member of its governance body -the Board of the Argentine Chapter of The Global Compact- for two consecutive terms. He was co-founder of the Global Compact Chair in Argentina, and he was also part of the task force that developed the "Management Responsible Education Principles" of the United Nations Global Compact. He has also coordinated tasks for the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation (private sector arm of the World Bank), the Netherlands Development Organisation, the United Nations (New York), and the World Resources Institute (USA.) Maria Eugenia Giron has