香奈儿投资波士顿初创企业，生产可持续蚕丝

香奈儿是最近一家公开向环保产品致敬的零售巨头，该公司投资了一家环保型化工公司，为了减少奢侈品对地球的伤害而做出努力。

服装和化妆品行业都是废弃物的重要来源，塑料微粒、稳定剂和纺织品整理剂等化学物质常用于制造布料和护肤产品。初创企业Evolved by Nature致力于用可持续的替代品取代这些有害合成添加剂，香奈儿将投资该公司（金额未披露），获得了少数股权。

根据Evolved by Nature公司的说法，其标志性产品活性丝（Activated Silk）产自于真实的蚕茧，可以用于生产织物、化妆品和医疗产品。或许有一天，这种环保丝甚至可以用于生产香奈儿475美元一条的围巾。

关于各大公司的环保宣言究竟是实质性的转变还是只是装装门面，人们虽然可以有不同看法，但时尚、健康和美容行业一直在清晰地表达他们的兴趣。一些品牌在把自己包装成地球的朋友，行业中更大的玩家也开始朝着这个方向改进。

至于香奈儿，这家法国奢侈品公司并非第一次释放对环保的诚意。

去年年底，香奈儿进行了另外一项可持续投资——生产塑料包装生物降解替代品的芬兰公司Sulapac。这家时尚品牌之前也曾经在现有的丝绸行业内采取行动：2016年，该品牌收购了四家高端法国丝绸公司以支撑其供应链。去年，香奈儿发布了一份关于如何解决可持续发展问题的报告，这在这家私营零售商的百年历史中是第一次。

Evolved by Nature公司的总部设在波士顿，由生物医学工程师瑞贝卡·拉库蒂尔和化学家格雷戈里·阿特曼于2013年创立。他们的产品是液态纯丝，由废弃的蚕茧采用再生技术制成。自从2014年首次申请专利以来，该公司已经获得了天然丝蛋白的数十种分子组合专利。

Evolved by Nature的投资人包括卡夫集团、杰夫·维尼克和罗伊·P·迪士尼。该公司拒绝透露它筹集的资金总额。

该公司表示，将利用新获得的资金“探索创新材料，对各类面料进行机械和光学改良。”尚不清楚该技术将如何专门与香奈儿包袋、高级时装等全线产品进行有机整合。阿特曼表示，与香奈儿的结合仍然处于研发阶段。

阿特曼说：“他们足够信任我们，才会进行投资，这显然说明我们在做正确的事情。”（财富中文网）

译者：Agatha

Chanel Inc. is the latest retail giant to make a public nod toward environmentally conscious products, investing in an eco-friendly chemistry company as part of an effort to make luxury items less damaging to the planet.

Both the apparel and cosmetics industries are major sources of waste, and chemicals often used to make fabrics and skincare products, such as microplastics, ingredient stabilizers, and textile finishers. Startups like Evolved by Nature, to which Chanel will pay an undisclosed sum for a minority stake, seek to replace these harsh synthetic additives with sustainable alternatives.

Evolved by Nature’s trademarked Activated Silk is derived from actual silkworm cocoons, which can be used in fabrics, cosmetics, and medical products, according to the company. Someday, the eco-friendly silk might even find its way into one of Chanel’s $475 scarves.

While people can debate whether planet-friendly proclamations by corporations are a substantive shift or window dressing, the fashion, health, and beauty sectors have been making their interest clear. Brands have sought to market themselves as friends of the Earth, and the bigger players are beginning to move that way, too.

As for Chanel, this isn’t the first time the French luxury house has sought to establish its green bona fides.

It made another sustainability investment late last year with Finnish biodegradable plastic packaging alternative Sulapac. The fashion house made earlier moves within the existing silk industry, too: In 2016, the label acquired four high-end French silk companies to shore up its supply chain. And last year, Chanel published a report on how it addresses sustainability issues, a first for the 100-year-old, privately held retailer.

Evolved by Nature, based in Boston, was started by biomedical engineer Rebecca Lacouture and chemist Gregory Altman in 2013. Their product is pure silk in liquid form, a regenerative technology made from discarded silkworm cocoons. The company has patented dozens of molecular combinations of the natural silk protein since filing its first application in 2014.

Existing backers include Kraft Group, Jeff Vinik, and Roy P. Disney. The company declined to say how much total funding it has raised.

Evolved by Nature said it will use the fresh funding to “explore innovative material, mechanical and optical enhancements of different fabrics.” It’s unclear how the technology will be specifically integrated into Chanel’s products, which range from handbags to haute couture. Altman said the Chanel link-up is still in the research-and-development stage.

“For them to believe in us enough to make a financial investment says we’re certainly doing the right thing,” said Altman.