Tiffany & Co., De Mamiel, Mashpi Lodge, Knitbrary and Carmen Rión receive IE awards

The overriding objective of the awards, which are run jointly by IE Business School (Madrid) and Fundación de Estudios e Investigaciones Superiores (Buenos Aires), is to afford recognition of best commercial practices, strategies and innovation in the activities of sectors related to sustainability in the luxury and premium industry.

This year’s awards were divided into three categories:

-          Apparel and accessories, the winner of which was Spanish fashion and accessories brand Knitbrary (knitbrary.com). The firm is known for the craftsmanship of its garments which are produced using natural fibers brought over from the Andes, combining design and technical specifications with the experience of craftsmen and women who are able to select the best quality.

-          Cosmetics, the winner of which was DeMamiel (demamiel.com), a leading English cosmetics company whose products are based on the principles of Chinese medicine, acupuncture and aromatherapy. The company is also committed to the use of environmentally-friendly products.

-          Tourism, hotels and hospitality. The award for this category went to Mashpi Lodge (mashpilodge.com). The Lodge is located in the Ecuadorian Jungle, providing support to surrounding communities in the form of work, education and collaboration.

There were also honorary mentions for more consolidated firms in the luxury sector.

-          Recognition of a Lifetime Contribution to Sustainable Luxury Development was given to iconic jewelry company Tiffany & Co. (tiffany.es), for its commitment to the defense of society and the environment. It was the first company to adopt the objectives of the “No Dirty Gold” campaign to stop sourcing gold from mines that do not comply with social and environmental standards.

-          Recognition of Latin American sustainable luxury was awarded to  Carmen Rion (carmenrion.com) for work with the indigenous communities of Mexico to bring artisan textiles to the contemporary world.  The company’s work has been recognized in fashion capitals that include Paris and London.

The event was organized by the IE /Mastercard Observatory on Premium and Prestige Markets. Once again the master of ceremonies was Alexandra Cousteau, grand-daughter of France’s famous oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and tireless defender of the environment and of the sustainable management of aquatic resources in her capacity as ambassador of OCEANA.

The opening address of this year’s edition of the awards was made by Santiago Íñiguez, President of IE University and Dean of IE Business School, accompanied by María Eugenia Girón, Director of the IE/Mastercard Observatory on Premium and Prestige Markets and Executive Director of the awards, and Miguel Ángel Gardetti, Director of the Center for Studies for Sustainable Luxury, and President and Founder of the Sustainable Luxury Prize.

Other participants in the event included Enrique Valero, General Director of Abadía Retuerta, who presented the award to Yolanda Estevez, one of the founders of Knitbrary, Eva Ruiz, Marketing Director of  MasterCard, who presented the award to  Mashpi Lodge, and Mónica Chao, Corporate Director for Sustainability and the Environment of the NH Hotel Group, who presented the award to a De Mamiel, while  Miguel Ángel Gardetti presented the award to Camen Rión.  Santiago Íñiguez, President of IE University and Dean of IE Business School presented the award to Tiffany & Co. which was collected by the firm’s European Director Raffaella Banchero.

María Eugenia Girón explained that the winners had all been recognized for their capacity to innovate and to integrate the values of sustainability and responsibility into their strategy, which was very important for upcoming generations.

Miguel Ángel Gardetti explained that the awards aim to provide an incentive for “true” luxury.  “This approach to luxury requires firms to reach new levels of excellence in terms of their impact on society and the environment, which in turn requires them to embark on an internal change process to encourage sustainable business practices in all areas of the organization and the entire supply chain.”