Kering has teamed up with the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) to launch the first higher education research and teaching center dedicated to sustainability and corporate social responsibility in the fashion industry. French fashion giant Kering owns brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Alexander McQueen. IFM is rated as one of the world's leading higher education institutions for fashion.

The center will focus on a wide range of topics related to sustainability, from traceability to measurement, as well as eco-responsible business models. Aspects of creative ecology will also be studied in order to identify ways in which creative teams can develop ecological fashion and propose new sustainable creative offerings while developing tools for measuring and appropriating environmental and social issues. Students can develop a 360° understanding of the challenges of sustainability so that they can participate as future professionals in the industry’s transformation. Research work will include mentoring doctoral students on university theses, contributing to scientific publications and participating in conferences related to its program and issues. Training modules dedicated to responsible fashion will be developed for training courses ranging from French vocational qualifications through to the master’s level, as well as for continuous training for companies.