Since 2021, KARL LAGERFELD has partnered with supermodel, activist and longtime brand supporter Amber Valletta as its Sustainability Ambassador. Her valued expertise helps to inspire and guide the KARL LAGERFELD team in creating more sustainable collections — from concept and design to production and distribution — through innovative processes that challenge conventional thinking.  

“Fashion could lead the way with its creativity and innovation — if we act now,” Amber says. “It’s exciting and inspiring to work with KARL LAGERFELD and help them create the company’s next iteration. I get to witness them make a shift into a new way of thinking.”  

How do you work with KARL LAGERFELD day-to-day in terms of being their Sustainability Ambassador?



I encourage the team at KARL LAGERFELD through consistent support, collaboration, and asking them those challenging questions to help improve their overall impact as a company. I help them keep and further their sustainability commitments to the Fashion Pact and good labor practices.

TEAM KARL often surprises me, offering innovative solutions and an immense passion for charting a sustainable path forward with the planet, people, and partners in mind. Seeing how much progress they’ve made in the last three years is exciting. They continue to pursue becoming a more sustainable brand across all departments.



What was your inspiration behind the third capsule collection?



My inspiration behind this third capsule collection is Karl himself! Karl’s seminal designs in his archives, plus his denim looks, provided a playful and dynamic tension, with our intent of focusing on sustainability factors for this denim collection. These aspects are reflected in our material choices and the use of fabric mills close to production facilities, and our work with suppliers to achieve Green EIM scores for all denim items in the RTW collection. Karl's irreverence inspired us to think out-of-the-box. We developed a genuinely stylish and modern collection that cares.

How would you describe the style of this capsule collection?



The style of this capsule collection is iconic and timeless. We played with versions of vintage, recognizable styles of denim pulled from different decades — from the ‘70s to the ‘90s to the present day. Denim always stays in style!

Why did you choose to focus on a denim collection, especially as it’s known to be one of fashion’s biggest polluters?

Denim is timeless. Each denim style references the past, present, and future within it. People often keep denim in their closet longer than other pieces — sometimes even for decades — which inspired us to create something better and long-lasting. We wanted to introduce an iconic denim collection that was uniquely KARL LAGERFELD, made with a focus on sustainability aspects, such as organic and recycled materials, and with less impact, which we measured through the EIM scores for all denim RTW pieces.

Could you explain the process of developing this capsule?

We pursued an approach to design, sourcing, and producing this capsule collection with a focus on limiting our negative impact on water and energy consumption, chemicals used, and worker health. We wanted to honor the past with Karl’s iconic and influential designs while at the same time optimizing for the future with innovative, more sustainable materials and processes through using the EIM process We intentionally chose to include recycled materials as much as possible to reduce our use of virgin materials. When feasible, we sought natural dyes for the t-shirts, like the blue t-shirt. We also sought production houses that used the EIM Score to help us track impact.

The ‘90s were a really important decade for you. Would you say some pieces are inspired by this style decade?

The ‘90s were pivotal for me, and this era undeniably influenced pieces in the collection. The high-waisted buttoned-up white jean pant is an ode to the straight-leg boy jean I wore in the ‘90s. The crop top with the full denim suit is a throwback to ‘90s pop culture and music. The ‘90s were a vibrant decade to draw upon for specific pieces in this collection.

What piece of the collection are you most proud of in terms of adding more sustainable fabrics?



First and foremost, I’m most proud that the quality of the denim in this collection is fantastic. It feels incredible and is crafted with recycled or organic cotton materials. This collection demonstrates that no one has to compromise style or quality for sustainability.

The patchwork bags and bucket hats are so chic! Each bag and hat are unique and offer another throwback to the denim patchwork I loved in the ‘90s. They were made with deadstock fabric and denim leftovers, which offers a second life to the material and diverts textile waste from the landfill.

What does this collection bring alongside the first two collections?

Karl is always front of mind in all three collections. We design within the mindset of what is the essence of the KARL LAGERFELD brand. What would Karl design? What would Karl wear? Each collection brings new opportunities to improve upon the previous ones.