VOLVO CARS' commitment to sustainability with the use of materials made from bio-based and recycled sources has led the company in a new, yet stylistic direction known as fashion.
In a first of many initiatives to come, the Swedish carmaker recently collaborated with fashion brand 3.1 Phillip Lim on a passion project to release a limited-edition eco-weekend bag.
The designer weekend bag is made from a new sustainable material for Volvo interiors called Nordico, which will make its debut in the brand's next generation of fully electric cars starting with the new C40 Recharge.
With the aim to set a new standard for the future of premium car interior design, Nordico is a new, high-quality and innovative material created by Volvo Cars. It consists of textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles, bio-attributed material from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and corks recycled from the wine industry.
The material was first introduced during Volvo Car's announcement to go leather-free for its fully electric range of cars.
"The collaboration with 3.1 Phillip Lim, to create a bag inspired by tomorrow's materials, solidifies both our ambitions to challenge the wider design industry to reconsider the materials we use. From creating runway collections to the interiors of cars, we have a shared responsibility to find sustainable material alternatives," said Volvo Cars design head Robin Page.
3.1 Phillip Lim is known for sourcing alternative materials from a carbon-neutral dress made from algae to elevated recycled materials to create and revolutionize the modern fashion industry.
Co-founder and creative director Phillip Lim calls the bag "a perfect companion for a weekend getaway" thats inspired by the essence of Scandinavian design and features discreet storage, a double strap and a special signature pouch.
The eco-conscious bag takes inspiration from a trend identified as 'luxtainability' in 'The rise of conscious design' report (by Volvo Cars and trend forecasting company The Future Laboratory to investigate tomorrow's materials). It is an emerging trend driven by the design world's desire for sustainable materials without compromising on quality.
"Sustainability has been a part of the 3.1 brand from the beginning as we work to achieve a sustainable balance in everything we do. Our brand mantra is to make less, mean more. Connecting with Volvo on this sustainability project was an instant alignment of values," said Lim.
"I strongly feel that in our collective current state of mind the ultimate luxury is for us to have the freedom to find sustainable solutions with new materials while still being able to achieve high design.
The bag however is not available for purchase due to the exclusive limited edition run, though Volvo Cars says people may have opportunities to get hold of a limited number of bags through local market initiatives such as competitions, charity auctions and giveaways.
