The Glossy Podcast — December 5, 2025

Episode: What Brands Need To Know About Digital Product Passports — Plus, the CFDA Bans Fur and Dario Vitale Exits Versace

Host: Danny Parisi (A)
Co-host/Interviewer: Zofia Zviglinska (B)
Guest: Leanne Elliot Young, Co-Founder, Institute of Digital Fashion (C)

Overview

This episode covers three major topics shaping fashion and luxury:

• The CFDA’s official ban on fur for New York Fashion Week
• Crackdowns on misleading sustainability claims in advertising by the UK’s ASA
• The closing of the Prada–Versace deal, including news about creative director Dario Vitale’s abrupt departure
• A deep dive into the upcoming EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) regulation, featuring a conversation with Leanne Elliot Young

Discussions center on how technology, regulation, and shifting consumer values are forcing the industry to adapt—often under tight deadlines and regulatory pressure.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. London Fashion Awards 2025 Recap (02:18)

• Shift in Focus: This year leaned more towards luxury, away from the influencer/creator-centric vibe post-COVID.
• Notable Winners:
  • Sarah Burton: British Womenswear Designer of the Year
  • Jonathan Anderson: Designer of the Year, third consecutive win
  • Anok Yai: Model of the Year
  • Frankenstein Costume Designer: New prize highlighting costume design
• Editorial Note: High-wattage attendees and performances, with moments like Ray performing barefoot.
• Quote:
  "This year it kind of shifted more towards luxury." — Zofia, (02:29)

2. CFDA Officially Bans Fur at New York Fashion Week (04:13)

• What the Ban Means:
  Applies only to brands on the official CFDA calendar—not all NYFW participants.

• Industry Trend:
  Fur has been in decline globally and in most reputable publications (Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour).

• European Precedents:
  Copenhagen, Berlin, and London Fashion Weeks, as well as Poland (a major fur producer), have already banned fur.

• Creative Alternatives:
  Stella McCartney and others use alternatives like Biofluff and Savion.

• Quote:
  "The fact that they're an adequate kind of replacement for something that was a very kind of cruel practice and doesn't really deserve to still be around." — Zofia, (06:56)

• Implications for Young Designers:
  For emerging brands, this ban may discourage ever introducing fur into their collections, steering American fashion toward cruelty-free norms.

• Broader Cultural Shift:
  A move to align American fashion with the global anti-fur trend.

• Quote:
  "Part of the decision was kind of orienting American fashion in this same direction as this larger global trend of moving away from fur." — Danny, (08:49)

3. ASA Bans UK Ads for Misleading Sustainability Claims (09:36)

• Targeted Brands:
  Nike, Superdry, and Lacoste had ads banned for terms like "sustainable materials" and "sustainable elegance," which lacked clear substantiation.

• Enforcement Details:
  The ASA distinguishes between absolute and partial sustainability claims. Absolute claims—like "sustainable materials"—require robust data, which was not provided.

• Quote:
  "If you're going to make a substantial claim, you need substantial evidence. Like, the bigger the claim, the more substantiation it needs." — Danny, (12:20)

• Industry Shift:
  Brands are feeling pressure to use sustainability lingo, driven by younger consumer values—but these claims are facing more oversight.

• Implications of DPP Regulation:
  ADS and forthcoming DPPs demand brands show concrete data on lifecycle, sourcing, manufacturing, and disposal—with more alignment between regulatory and market trends.

4. Prada Closes Versace Acquisition; Dario Vitale Abruptly Departs (16:18)

• Deal Closure:
  Prada officially finalized its deal to acquire Versace for $1.4 billion, less than Capri Holdings paid ($2B+ in 2018).

• Surprise at Versace:
  During recording, news breaks that Dario Vitale, just appointed creative director in March, is out. He was reportedly deep in preparations for Versace's February show, making the timing particularly surprising.

• Quote:
  “Womenswear Daily asked Versace for comment, and they confirmed that he’s departing the brand.” — Danny, (16:36)
  “He hasn’t been seen in his office for the last couple of days...market sources believe his contract was renewed through to February 2026 and apparently was deep into preparations for an upcoming fall show.” — Zofia, (17:15)

• Potential Internal Tensions:
  Suggestion of deeper misalignment at Prada regarding Versace’s creative direction and autonomy, complicating the runway calendar and brand’s future trajectory.

• Quote:
  “His exit could signal a kind of deeper misalignment over autonomy expectations.” — Zofia, (19:13)

5. Deep Dive: Digital Product Passports (DPP) — With Leanne Elliot Young (22:13–57:18)

What is a Digital Product Passport? (22:13–25:02)

• Not an idea or voluntary scheme—mandatory for ALL textile products sold in the EU starting 2027
• Records the product’s entire lifecycle: from fiber to recycling
• Enables verified transparency, fights vague sustainability claims, and serves as a direct brand-consumer communications channel
• Leanne: “We really see it as a channel...this space...allows the customer and the brand to have a one-to-one communication.” (24:16)

How DPPs Work (25:02–26:22)

• Usually accessed through a QR code or NFC chip attached to each product
• Data includes: raw materials, supply chain, transport, certifications, repairability, resale, recycling, and more
• Zofia: “The passport itself is structured as a data set carrying validated information on raw materials...to potential lifetime events like repairs, resales or refurbishments.” (25:24)

Implementation Challenges (26:22–29:18)

• Brands struggle with data collection across fragmented teams (design, sustainability, innovation)
• Complexities in mapping the entire supply chain, especially with high subcontracting in luxury (see Italian supply chains, Loro Piana, Armani)
• Leanne: “There seems to be on one level this kind of smorgasbord of delightful tools that you can layer into the DPP. But also it comes with a lot of queries and really a lot of confusion.” (26:46)

Why Start Now? (34:44–37:38)

• By 2027, DPPs will be mandatory (SMEs have a little more time, but big brands are already behind)
• Brands need to begin inventorying data, mapping contractors, and collaborating across departments
• “We are going to see Q1, a lot of brands with their tails between their legs...How do we get there at speed?” — Leanne, (36:14)

Timeline & Phases (37:38–39:53)

• 2027: Minimal DPPs — essential product data, environmental indicators
• 2030: Expanded lifecycle data; includes stakeholders like sorters, recyclers, after-sale services
• 2033: Full circular DPPs — track usage, repair, resale, recycling
• Zofia: “Most brands have a bit of an understanding up to maybe like tier 2 and then tier 3 onwards it’s like we don’t really know.” (39:48)

SMEs vs. Enterprise Brands (39:53–42:29)

• Small brands (SMEs) often have more supply chain visibility, so better positioned for DPP compliance
• Major luxury houses, with their complex, multi-layered supply chains, have more work and cultural shift ahead

Internal Collaboration Required (42:29–46:02)

• There’s a need for C-suite buy-in and cross-functional teamwork (design, IT, compliance, marketing)
• “None of those teams have probably in some companies even worked together at all.” — Leanne, (43:03)
• Software incompatibility and siloed knowledge are big barriers

Case Studies & Opportunities (46:21–52:39)

• Innovations include gamified resale, embedded storytelling, tracking celebrity usage, integrating repair and upcycling history
• Case: Yaku’s DPP — included NFC-based co-creation, resale tracking, and enhanced brand insights
• Leanne: “For us, that data and insights [from DPP] are so important to have feet for a brand because right now you have no idea of those kind of like insights...” (49:44)
• Enables direct, intimate, and loyal communication outside of noisy social platforms (and provides a possible antidote to “social media fatigue”)

Consumer Benefit & Future Trends (52:39–54:54)

• Brands can tailor DPP content for storytelling and loyalty (video, repair programs, special editorial notes)
• “Customers have a hard time with acquisition already on [social].” — Zofia, (54:17)

Strategic Takeaway (56:21–57:18)

• DPP is not optional: It’s a massive shift arriving in 2027, with expansion planned through 2033
• Early adoption is essential for brands to thrive and leverage DPP for value beyond compliance

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Leanne on DPPs:
  "We really see it as a channel...this space...allows the customer and the brand to have a one-to-one communication." (24:16)

• Danny on sustainability claims:
  "If you can't prove it, then don't say it." (12:24)

• Zofia on the fur ban’s cultural meaning:
  "I don't think you see many people in their 20s walking around in furs. I think the fact that in general, the planet's getting warmer, the necessities for a fur also kind of decrease." (09:00)

• Live News Break:
  “Wow, okay. Sorry. I just saw a notification that Dario Vitaly is leaving Versace...So this is sort of our live reaction.” — Danny, (14:17)

• Leanne on cross-team DPP implementation:
  "None of those teams have probably in some companies even worked together at all...It's the software, the differences in software that are used between the Teams as well, the semantical exchanges, they're different types of humans." (43:03)

• Leanne on SME advantage:
  "SMEs [small brands] are in a great position...they're all just on their factory floor...For them it's going to be a lot easier." (41:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fashion Awards recap: 02:18–04:13
• CFDA Fur Ban discussion: 04:13–09:36
• ASA sustainability ad bans: 09:36–14:07
• Prada–Versace deal, Dario Vitale exit: 16:18–21:18
• Start of Digital Product Passport segment: 22:13
  • DPP explained, opportunities: 25:02–29:18
  • Challenges for brands: 29:18–34:44
  • Timelines and compliance: 37:38–39:53
  • The SME advantage: 39:53–42:29
  • Internal alignment & collaboration: 42:29–46:02
  • Yaku DPP Case Study: 47:06–52:39
  • DPP as loyalty/marketing channel: 52:39–56:21

Conclusion

This episode offers a clear-eyed assessment of industry trends:

• Institutional bans are pushing fur further out of mainstream fashion
• Regulators are demanding rigor in sustainability claims
• The Digital Product Passport is a seismic regulatory and communications shift—brands must adapt now, not later
• The fashion world’s power structures are in flux, as seen in the dramatic Versace creative director departure

A must-listen (or read) for brand leaders, compliance officers, marketers, and designers aiming to future-proof their business as European and global regulations evolve.