We are GOTS certified – APC Interview

Since its creation in 1987, A.P.C. has been a French fashion house renowned for the simplicity of its style, its commitment to quality, and its close ties to culture.

Faithful to its vision of a fairer and more sustainable fashion, the brand adopted circular practices very early on—an historic commitment further strengthened in 2023 with the achievement of GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification, awarded by Ecocert.

• Why did you choose to be GOTS certified?

At A.P.C., we have been working for many years with GOTS-certified materials and suppliers. To obtain this certification for a garment, every actor along the production chain must meet strict social and environmental criteria, without GMOs or hazardous chemical inputs. This high level of requirement makes GOTS one of the most recognized and credible standards in the sector. Becoming certified ourselves allowed us to close the loop and give official recognition to the work we have been doing for years.

• What challenges did you face in obtaining GOTS certification?

Achieving GOTS certification required us to structure our existing purchasing approach so that all our departments and processes would align with the standard’s requirements.

For instance, we introduced separate storage for GOTS-certified goods in our warehouse, implemented rigorous document tracking, and reinforced quality control procedures. It was truly a collective effort requiring strong coordination across teams.

• How do you communicate this commitment to your consumers?

Each GOTS-certified product is clearly identified with a label and accompanied by explanations on our website. In our CSR report, we detail the scope of this certification—an internationally recognized standard that guarantees traceability and verified practices at every stage of the supply chain.

A QR code also allows our customers to access information about a garment’s traceability, recyclability, and environmental impacts, helping them make informed and responsible choices.

• What is your next objective toward an even more sustainable textile sector?

Since 2023, we have been reducing our greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, through targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). As raw materials account for around half of our carbon emissions, they are naturally at the core of our decarbonization strategy.

This year, however, we decided to go beyond carbon impact. Concretely, by 2027, 70% of our collection will meet our definition of a “responsible product”—one that considers all environmental impacts (CO₂e, chemicals, waste, recyclability) as well as ethical aspects (animal welfare and workers’ well-being) of materials.

This new goal represents a further step in our teams’ ongoing efforts to contribute to a more sustainable textile industry.