Standing for values beyond business
By sharing its passion for culture, sustainability and diversity, Kering invests in the future.
In 2013, the Pinault family facilitated the repatriation of two cultural relics to China: A pair of bronze rat and rabbit heads from the Chinese royal garden Yuanmingyuan. The Chinese media called it “making peace with the past”. Kering Chairman and CEO Francois- Henri Pinault called it “one of the most memorable moments of my career ... a very emotional moment. I am happy that the heads are now accessible to all visitors to the National Museum of China”.
This example of the Pinault passion for art also illustrates one of Kering’s main beliefs — that a company can no longer focus just on business; it must stand for something and act on behalf of causes in which it believes. For Kering this means supporting culture, sustainability and diversity.
This mindset triggered the group’s donation earlier this year of 7.5 million yuan ($ 1.12 million) to the Hubei Red Cross Foundation for educational initiatives and medical supplies for hospitals in Hubei province to combat COVID- 19 at the height of its outbreak there.
Women’s empowerment is another long- standing commitment for the group. In 2008, the Kering Foundation was created to combat violence against women, and in 2015 Kering became an official partner of the Cannes Film Festival, launching Women In Motion to highlight women’s contribution to cinema, photography and arts in general.
Additional examples of Kering’s initiatives are on display at the group’s China International Import Expo pavilion, including the “Biodiversity Room” and the Kering for Nature Fund to support the fashion industry’s transition to regenerative agriculture.
Kering’s view of modern luxury, therefore, is not only represented by creativity and inspiration, but also in the responsibility of taking care of human beings and the planet.