Napapijri FW17 Merges Innovation and Animal Welfare

Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com)

The label, which for years has been identified by the Norwegian flag, expresses its continuous commitment to animal welfare. Napapijri’s FW17 collection, which includes the innovative Superlight Skidoo, is 100% down and fur free.

With the Superlight Skidoo, a new lightweight jacket featuring both down & fur free innovations, Napapijri has taken sustainable design to the next level. The Parka is the culmination of 2 years of experience embodying the values of the “Make it Better” philosophy. This mindset embraces product innovation to enable solutions that improve consumers’ lives, while making a meaningful contribution to the world.

This is just additional proof that the themes of sustainability and respect for nature are, and continue to be, strategic for Napapijri, which has always distinguished itself by its projects linked to the protection of the environment.

Since its founding in 1987, Napapijri has embraced - as part of the ‘Make it Better’ program - product innovations which positively impact our world. This mindset is rooted in Napapijri’s DNA and is at the center of everything Napapijri does.

Back in 2012, Napapijri began its long journey towards becoming fur free. Napapijri first decided not to use fur in its children’s garments and then decided to phase out raccoon dog fur. The “Make it Better” philosophy became an even more tangible reality, with Napapijri continuing to monitor its use of fur and looking at eco-fur alternatives which maintain a high-quality product standard and meet consumers’ expectations. A key turning point in the story came with the replacement of real fur with a cutting-edge innovative Eco-Fur Kanecaron® fibers.

In 2015, implementing lessons learned from the fur free approach and remaining strongly committed to “Make it Better”, Napapijri began its journey to become down free. Through product innovation, Napapijri developed a down free insulation replacement called Thermo-Fibre™. This was initially introduced in Napapijri’s FW15 outerwear collection before being rolled out across the FW16 collection – making 99% of Napapijri products down free. Today, the FW17 collection is 100% down free. This was not only a sustainability success story, but also a business one; delivering significant commercial impact and proving that consumers stand behind Napapijri’s commitments on animal welfare and its product innovations.

These concepts find maximum expression in the Superlight Skidoo. The parka - which is 1 kilogram (or 2 pounds) lighter than Napapijri’s average winter parka seeks innovation beyond aesthetic and integrates functionality.

Napapijri’s strategic choice to phase out fur and down is supported by VF Corporation’s (NYSE: VFC) Animal Welfare Policy recently released.

Kathy Hines, Vice President Marketing, E-Commerce and Strategy VF Corp, Napapijri Brand: “At Napapijri, we are sensitive towards animal welfare issues, we are adapting our practices and products accordingly and we are always looking to innovate and make our products better. We are very proud to announce that our FW17 is 100% down and fur free. In coming years, Napapijri will continue to research materials and production methods which decrease our environmental impact. We are dedicated to continually improving our production practices and policies in order to ensure that our products reflect our ‘Make it better’ value.”

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Gene Chui

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