In a groundbreaking new campaign, Komerční Banka has created a unique line of ethical clothing that showcases the Czech bank’s commitment to reaching carbon net zero by 2026.
Designed in partnership with agency IMMINENT and Czech fashion brand LAFORMELA – a leader in sustainable and cruelty-free clothing – every piece in the PURE collection is sewn from a fabric made out of a mixture of materials including recycled carbon emissions.
Komerční Banka launched the new fashion collection at a runway show on 10th October at the Hauch Gallery in Prague, attended by guests from the fashion industry, as well as influencers and well-known personalities from various creative fields.
The PURE collection includes a range of garments such as waterproof jackets, elastic jumpsuits, flexible t-shirts, turtlenecks, blazers, elegant trousers, skirts and dresses. In addition, LAFORMELA has also created five outfits for men, a unisex bag, and a pair of high boots in collaboration with designer Aleš Hnátek.
The brand’s style has been favoured by celebrities including top models Karolína Kurková and Hana Soukupová, and influencers Anna Winck, Elodie Russell, Eliška Hradec Chomistekova, and Eva Che.
As well as the haute couture clothing, the PURE collection will launch limited edition T-shirts which will be given away as prizes in a competition that will run on Komerční Banka’s social media accounts.
Antonín Soukup, fashion designer and founder of LAFORMELA, said: The concept of the collection follows the color scheme, with the composition transitioning chronologically from black to white. This transition creatively symbolizes the chemical process by which the material is created, where gas waste transforms into clean air. Similarly, the consecutive silhouettes gradually shift from layered to simple and flowing, mirroring the reflection of the burden of polluted air and the lightness of clean air.
The sustainable fabric used in the PURE collection was created by LanzaTech, a company that extracts ethanol from waste carbon sources and then converts it to polyester. By capturing and reusing the carbon to make the yarn, the finished garments not only have a low carbon footprint in themselves, they also contribute to a reduction in wider community pollution levels.
Hana Kovářová, Head of Brand Strategy and Communication at Komerční Banka, said: “The new era of Komerční banka’s banking is about bringing new sustainable technologies to the Czech market. As part of our ESG strategy, we aim to bring forth interesting ideas that shed new light on ecology. With the PURE collection, we want to show the world that we can initiate change through small everyday steps and that CO2 recycling can be stylish,” says Jitka Haubová, a member of the board and Chief Sustainability Officer at KB responsible for sustainability initiatives.”
Komerční Banka and IMMINENT are currently looking at taking their net zero goals to a new level by exploring the possible manufacture of credit and debit cards from recycled CO2. The move would have a potentially huge global impact by making bank cards all over the world a zero carbon product.
Independent product design hub IMMINENT opened its doors in February 2023 when Darko Silajdžić quit his role as Executive Group Chairman of DDB Prague. Silajdžić is now CEO of the new, independent product design hub which was born when DDB Fresh, an agency focused on fashion and design innovations, broke away from its parent network.
