The case study focuses on the Italian luxury brand Loro Piana (part of the LVMH luxury conglomerate) which is known for its use of the world’s rarest textiles and fibres for their high-end ready-to-wear collections.
The case explores how Loro Piana gained such a strong market position in the fine wool industry through their commitment to preserving luxury fibres and how they have highlighted the communities that provide them in their promotional activities.
In March 2024, Loro Piana faced a whirlwind of bad publicity as Bloomberg published a podcast episode and video revealing a darker side to Loro Piana’s manufacturing and supply chain of vicuña cashmere. The documentary exposed unethical business practices challenging Loro Piana’s narrative of how they source vicuña fibre and contribute to the Indigenous community of Peru.
