Money Most of us want to

Money Most of us want to invest our money in things that do good, or at least do no harm to the planet. A chat with your financial advisor will reveal a myriad of funds that claim to do just that. And the good news is that, often, they work – Interactive Investor analysed six ethical funds alongside their conventional equivalents; in five cases, the ethical ones came out on top. Moira O’Neill, Head of Personal Finance at Interactive Investor, says: “In many cases, ethical funds have a solid track record of outperforming similar funds run by the same investment house.” But if your eyes glaze over when reading about ethical investments, you’re not alone. So, assuming you have your nest egg in order and a little cash left over to have some fun with, what else can you invest in ethically that you’ll also enjoy owning? The world of high-end design is a good place to start, as it quickly caught on to its customers asking for provenance of material and sustainable manufacture. If you’re thinking of investments for the future, look for collectable names that will produce future classics. Welsh artist and industrial designer Ross Lovegrove’s partnership with Italian furniture company Natuzzi has led to the Ergo collection, crafted from responsibly sourced and renewable materials. As Lovegrove says: “I don’t design furniture very often – I wanted to facilitate a change in the mindset.” Ergo uses wood from FSC-certified plantations, and the pieces are perfectly engineered to slot together without metal. Any adhesives used are water based and formaldehyde-free. Another rare piece of ethical future classic design is Australian designer Brodie Neill’s Capsule – an hourglass filled with ocean microplastic pellets, reflecting the fact that microplastic particles form a large part of what we perceive as the sand on many beaches in his native Tasmania. Brodie works with a global network of NGOs, environmental agencies and beachcombers, so collectors will be able to specify where the plastic in their “IT’S AN INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE THAT WILL ALSO LOOK BEAUTIFUL IN YOUR HOME” IMAGES: (PREVIOUS PAGE) MIKE LAWRIE (THIS PAGE) DESIGN: CAPSULE OCEAN PLASTIC HOURGLASS; DESIGNER: BRODIE NEILL; PHOTOGRAPHY: BRODIE NEILL STUDIO; GUY BELL Brodie Neill artwork or a David Gilmour guitar can grow your bank account without harming the planet Capsule comes from. Personalised, rare and made to order, it’s definitely an investment for the future that will also look beautiful in your home. Fashion came to the sustainability party fashionably late: 2019 saw the hashtag #whomademyclothes, Stella McCartney launched the UN’s Sustainable Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and Burberry is now working with sustainable luxury partners Elvis & Kresse to recycle its leather waste into new accessories. The luxury goods giant LVMH signed a deal with Unesco, and Prada signed a £42.9m loan with banking group Crédit Agricole, the world’s largest cooperative financial institution. What made the Prada loan go down in fashion history was that it was conditional on the fashion giant meeting agreed targets around the sustainability of its products and operations. Potential ethical investors should look at its bags (which retain or increase in value over a decade because unlike clothes, they exhibit less wear and tear). A growing number of Prada’s products – such as its Re-Nylon bag collection – are made from ECONYL®, an infinitely recyclable yarn made from regenerated plastic waste. Ethically minded fashionistas must shop wisely if they’re going to see an increase in their investment. Investors should look for innovations and firsts, which are more likely to increase in value over time. Courrèges is using a new algae-based vinyl, which it claims uses ‘ten times less plastic’ than the traditional material. But we can go better than that – New York-based designer Charlotte McCurdy eschews plastic altogether. Her water-resistant After Ancient Sunlight jacket is made from a carbon-trapping algae-based plastic material, and she even developed her own plant-based waterproofing wax because the existing ones were either petroleum based (relying on paraffin), or beeswax-based (so not vegan). Pre-owned (but not pre-worn) trainers are worth considering. Take Yeezy, the company set up by rap superstar Kanye West. Because the trainers are made in limited batches of less than 40,000, they’re instantly worth more second-hand (as long as they’re not worn). The blog Sole Collector values many Yeezys at more 58 / Jaguar Magazine Jaguar Magazine / 59