Déhanche | Sustainability

Déhanche designs for the discerning, global woman, offering a refined approach to aesthetic and manufacturing. Our collections are designed to celebrate and flatter diverse body shapes and become a timeless essential within one’s wardrobe. With a focus on meticulous Italian craftsmanship, intentional materials and sustainable practices, Déhanche appeals to those who desire elevated style with a conscience.

We hold ourselves to the highest standards in material selection for our designs, prioritizing quality, comfort, longevity, environmental and animal welfare. In cases where existing options fell short, we pioneered new supply chains to meet our exacting criteria.

Our unique hardware designs are meticulously hand-casted in Italy, ensuring that each piece is imbued with artisanal craftsmanship and attention to detail. Unlike mass-produced alternatives, our hardware is crafted in limited quantities, minimizing waste and reducing our environmental footprint. We prioritize sustainability by using Zamak, a material that can be completely broken down at the end of its life cycle, promoting circularity and reducing landfill waste. Zamak is commonly used in hardware due to its combination of strength, durability, and corrosion resistance, making it well-suited for applications where robustness and longevity are essential. Additionally, our gold belts feature hardware coated in 24K gold, providing luxurious elegance with a commitment to responsible sourcing, while our silver hardware is nickel-free, ensuring hypoallergenic quality for all wearers.

Déhanche partners exclusively with suppliers certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG), ensuring that our materials meet the highest environmental standards. All of our leather suppliers receive certification from the Leather Working Group (LWG) by meeting stringent criteria in environmental performance and sustainable practices throughout their leather production processes. This includes factors such as energy usage, water consumption, chemical management, and waste disposal. Selecting suppliers with LWG certification demonstrates a dedication to ethical and environmentally conscious practices within the leather industry. This assures consumers and stakeholders that the brand actively works to minimize its environmental footprint and upholds stringent sustainability standards.

In Italy, the craft of leather is deeply rooted in tradition and heritage. Déhanche leather belts are meticulously handcrafted in Verona, in a workshop that has perfected the art of belt-making for three generations, ensuring unparalleled quality and attention to detail. This legacy of Italian leather craftsmanship is apparent in the quality of each belt.

Through a collaboration with Swedish green pioneer, Doconomy, the carbon emissions of all Déhanche belts have been meticulously calculated, to understand the precise emissions factors for each part of the belt, material, packaging, transportation and includes the lifetime methane emissions of the animal to determine the carbon footprint. With each belt purchased, the entire carbon emission is offset via investments in decarbonization micro projects with Milkywire. Projects selected for the fund are evaluated against a detailed framework consisting of three pillars: carbon removal, restoring and protecting nature, and decarbonization.

Committed to principles of social, environmental, and economic responsibility, Déhanche prioritizes ethical considerations within its operations. Recognizing the supply chain's pivotal role in upholding ethical standards and promoting sustainable development, the brand emphasizes responsible sourcing of animal-derived materials across all product categories. Déhanche understands that its approach to animal welfare is essential, linking product enhancement with a steadfast commitment to environmental preservation and biodiversity. As a formal expression of this dedication, Déhanche has meticulously crafted an Animal Welfare Policy, referred to as the "Policy," ensuring rigorous standards of behavior throughout the supply chain concerning animal welfare.

Déhanche's comprehensive brand policy outlines fundamental guidelines, certifications, standards, collaborations, strategies, and preferred sources of supply, all contributing to the preservation of animal welfare. With a focus on materials including fine leathers from exotic species, wild species harvested in their natural environment, sheep and goats, bovine species (adult cattle), and calves, the Policy embodies Déhanche's commitment to animal welfare across diverse material categories.

The Five Freedoms: Déhanche's Animal Welfare Policy mandates that suppliers adhere to the principles of the Five Freedoms, formalized by the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1979. These freedoms ensure animals have access to nourishment, freedom from discomfort, pain, injury, disease, the ability to express normal behavior, and freedom from fear and distress.

Déhanche also requires all animal-derived raw materials to originate from countries with adequate control over animal treatment practices. Suppliers must provide details on species supplied, including country of origin. For species listed in the CITES Appendices, compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is mandatory.

In addition to adherence to national and international laws, regulations, and standards promoting fair treatment of animals, Déhanche specifies certifications, standards, and collaborations within the tanning industry aimed at promoting animal welfare. Suppliers are advised to align their activities with these initiatives.