ORIGINALLUXURY releases its second “Technology for Transparency” Report

Initially launched as THE INDEX, ORIGINALLUXURY has evolved its mission to emphasize the vital role of technology in ensuring transparency, traceability, product security, and data integrity within the luxury markets. Now, with a network comprising over 50 luxury brands and 16 technology providers, the initiative facilitates a rich exchange of knowledge and fosters collaborations that aim to reshape the industry's approach to transparency. “The idea is to collect information from all the stakeholders willing to share what they are doing in terms of transparency and traceability efforts. This is our raw data, and we can start working from this,” explained Margot Stuart, COO and Co-founder of OriginAll.

The initial step has been to create a comprehensive map accessible on the website of ORIGINALLUXURY, which illustrates the complex relationships between technology partners, luxury brands, and suppliers. This evolving tool promises to become an essential resource for luxury stakeholders, investors, and consumers who want to profile in terms of traceability and transparency. The platform provides insights on possible partnerships and processes, from the origin of products to their impact on sustainability. This community also hosts events that drive forward the agenda of transparency and responsibility in luxury. “We provide roundtables, workshops, and action labs throughout the year. We’ve had a very collaborative workshop in Geneva, on lifecycle assessment tools for raw materials, and there we brought five technology partners to collaborate into envisioning a pilot that could actually bring this to life. We have been today mandated by DMCC in Dubai to co-create a panel session for the next inter-sessional of the Kimberley Process,” added Margot.

The 2024 report, building on the success of two previous roundtables, features contributions from 14 technology partners and 14 luxury brands, showcasing the collective effort to harness technology for greater transparency. Following the third Luxury Roundtable on March 4th, hosted at IMD in Lausanne, the report is now available on the ORIGINALLUXURY website.

During the event, a demonstration was conducted using a diamond from the DeBeers mine marked with a laser engraving invisible to the naked eye. The tech company Opsydia performed the nano-marking, and the diamond was then recorded on Tracr, a digital platform for tracing natural diamonds from the source at scale. This example of technology use illustrates how it can be utilized to improve product traceability significantly, demonstrating a practical application of tech for digitalization and ensuring authenticity.

ORIGINALLUXURY stands out for its ability to bring together a wide range of stakeholders, from luxury brands to technology providers to academic experts, all united in the goal of pushing the luxury sector towards greater transparency and responsibility.