PPL presents its first fashion collection. The virtual fashion show didn’t leave a single bit of waste behind

The fashion show was held in virtual space, leaving not a single bit of waste behind. In doing so, PPL is not only highlighting its own sustainability goals, but also one of the key trends which is opening up new sustainable opportunities for the clothing industry.

Few people associate PPL, the leading parcel carrier, with the world of fashion. Yet despite this, the company has unveiled its first ever fashion collection. It did so at the opening ceremony for the new central transshipment centre near Hradec Králové, which is a major milestone in implementation of the company’s long-term sustainability strategy. Accordingly, the fashion show of new clothes was held entirely in virtual space – in such a way that not a single bit of waste was left behind. “We prepared an accompanying programme for our guests which highlighted sustainability, the world of e-commerce, digitalisation and provided a glimpse into the future,” says Petr Horák, CEO of PPL CZ, explaining the idea behind this unique step.

 

Sustainability is all the rage

Digital technologies represent a fundamental opportunity for the trend towards sustainability in the clothing industry. This is to say that augmented reality allows you to design new items of clothing without having to prepare physical samples. Guests at the opening ceremony were able to try out just that in practice. 

“Sustainability and technology are key words used by both parties to present themselves, which is why the first digital fashion show in the Czech Republic was created presenting a collection inspired by workwear and the drivers themselves as the heroes of the entire story. Guests viewed the new collection in futuristic virtual environments which depicted an unconventional catwalk linking the worlds of e-commerce and parcel delivery. The parcel made it to its recipient and the whole story had a happy ending despite the pitfalls of the imaginary worlds,” said Katarína Mydliarová describing her work for PPL. 

 

Designs brought to life

The extravagant virtual designs were then at the end brought to life as a limited-edition leisure collection for PPL employees. To help guests see that the items of clothing shown in virtual reality matched the real ones, selected items were also available on site in their final physical form. Some of the accessories from the collection can now also be tried by the general public using AR filters on Instagram.

“We are proud to have been able to join forces with Metarials, a studio founded by the young fashion designer Katarína Mydliarová, who was able to bring new energy to our parcel kingdom and show our world of parcels in a whole new dimension,” says Horák. The limited-edition collection places emphasis on comfort and durability. At the same time, it is made entirely locally using sustainable materials. 

 

The new transshipment centre saves time and energy

It was no accident that the sustainable fashion show was held at the opening ceremony for the new transshipment centre. “The new centre delivers on our green strategy for environmental impact and sustainability. In addition to that, by reducing travel distances between our distribution centres and customers, we are also effectively reducing CO2 emissions,” says David Voznička, Operations Director at PPL CZ. The Logistics HUB spreads out over an area of 46,000 m2 and, thanks to its advanced automation, the centre can handle up to 500,000 parcels per day in domestic and international transport. Sustainable solutions are also included in the building itself - for example, rainwater storage tanks or preparation for installation of solar panels.

The new transshipment centre is strategically located directly at the exit from the D11 motorway near Hradec Králové. The opening ceremony was also attended on behalf of the city by the Mayor of Hradec Králové, Mgr. et Mgr. Pavlína Springerová, Ph.D. Location of the centre outside of a residential area ensures that increased traffic in the vicinity will have no impact on the quality of life of people living nearby. However, the proximity to two major cities ensures that the site will be easily accessible for workers.