In a collaborative effort with UNESCO, Prada has recently announced its new initiative known as Sea Beyond, which seeks to promote education on the preservation of the sea and its resources. Originally focused on secondary school students, the project has now expanded to include children as young as 3 to 5 years old through an outdoor educational program called “lagoon kindergarten.” The initiative was kickstarted with a series of workshops held on the island of Torcello, near Venice, where children were exposed to various activities aimed at increasing their awareness of the lagoon’s fauna, nature, and ecosystem.
Six kindergartens in Venice and nearby areas were selected to participate in the workshops, with approximately 120 children taking part. For some of these children, it was their first visit to the lagoon. The workshops featured engaging activities such as watercolour painting to create a colour chart of the lagoon, crafting paper-mâché fish under the guidance of a mask artisan, and conducting water analysis. Prada, through its “Re-Nylon” program, financed the project with the goal of guiding children on an observational journey to foster ecological consciousness. The initiative also aims to educate them about the impact of human activities on the planet, using the lagoon ecosystem as a case study.
The “Re-Nylon” program by Prada involves the use of regenerated yarn made from recycled plastic waste, including fishing nets collected from the oceans, in the production of all its products. A portion of the sales generated from Prada’s Re-Nylon collections goes towards funding Sea Beyond’s projects. Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada’s director of corporate social responsibility, emphasized the financial sustainability of these initiatives. He highlighted that the collection of clothing, bags, and shoes made from 100% recycled nylon has become a significant contributor to their turnover and has attracted a younger demographic to Prada stores.
The Sea Beyond project is a long-term endeavor aimed at educating future generations about sustainability issues. Venice was chosen as the starting point for the initiative due to its symbolic association with the sea and its role as the location of both Prada’s Foundation and UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Prada has plans to expand the program to other cities and countries and intends to launch a training program for its employees through the use of the “AWorld” application. Additionally, the company hinted at the involvement of another luxury brand in the Sea Beyond project and announced its commitment to increased investment in order to support similar initiatives in the future.
Useful links:
1. UNESCO
2. Prada’s Re-Nylon program
