Steinway & Sons: 4 Sustainability Pillars to Piano Making

What makes an honest company experienced in the craftsmanship of a single musical instrument? In the world of sustainable luxury, for Steinway & Sons, 4 base factors are the key — tradition, green issues, transparency and durability. In this world crammed with disposable items in every aspect of life, Steinway & Sons, with more than 160 years expertise in piano making, reassures our confidence in quality, sustained craftsmanship and environmental consideration, and as if by accident, connects with the most talked about emerging trends in the current global luxury sector.

Steinway & Sons, 2016.

Steinway & Sons, 2016.

Transparency and environmental issues are no longer living in an extinct, faraway land only concerning the global fashion superpowers, but are widely prioritised on the consumer awareness agenda, whereas it is a no-brainer luxury brands get more exposure on revealing their behind-the-scenes. With #whomademyclothes increasingly trending on social media as a form of attracting sustainable fashion more visibility, even companies with tradition and history have been affected, due to popular demand, by a new wave of embracing transparency. Yet, what if there is nothing to hide? Steinway & Sons is a company that unintentionally stands in line with the global trend of stripping ‘bare’ in the luxury industry. We may still consider fashion as the most obvious example of an industry aspiring to turn a great degree greener, but also a great deal of craftsmanship and environmental consideration can be put into making a piano — a Steinway piano, made of wood from sustainable sources, can be played and enjoyed for decades, and — coming without an expiry date — even centuries. 

“In today’s marketplace, brands like ours must continue to innovate in order to remain relevant to the world around us, but that doesn't mean that quality and craftsmanship can suffer.”

Steinway & Sons, 2016. 

Steinway & Sons, 2016. 

Steinway belongs to the segment of sustainable luxury products, but understanding the real quality and durability often takes more than just a fancy exterior — it is easy to plaster a product with a luxury label, without making sure the product actually delivers towards the sustainability criteria. At Steinway, in addition to aesthetic appeal of the instrument, the role of actual craftsmanship, skills and the quality of raw materials is taken with utmost importance, where there is no compromise — it takes about a year to make one Steinway piano. In addition, the company boasts only two factories world-wide, based in New York and Hamburg. It takes only a glance under the lid to reveal the complexity of the artisan-built musical instruments measured with great care, assuring the customer that they are not simply paying for ‘luxury’ label, the name.

Steinway & Sons, 2016: Painting of the logo. 

Steinway & Sons, 2016: Painting of the logo. 

Similarly to the flourishing #whomademyclothes trend, the answer to questions like, ‘Who made my piano? How well treated the workers are? Where are they based? How much are they paid?’ , lies in highly-skilled craftspeople and artisans treated fairly and ethically. As a customer, in addition to the basics, like how, where, and by whom the product is made, we shouldn’t discard the most important question — whether the expertise is actually there. Like many other notable luxury corporations, Steinway has chosen to downplay the ostentatious label and opt for a greater degree of transparency — many of their staff have been at its workshops for decades and there are generations of the same family who have dedicated their lives to Steinway. At Steinway, interactive approach is also the key — customers frequently visit the workshops before moving on to the factory’s Selection Room, where they can try out a variety of pianos to find the one that feels right for them.

Steinway & Sons, 2016: Making of. 

Steinway & Sons, 2016: Making of. 

Steinway is also highly dedicated to the exclusivity aspect — any experienced pianist can tell that every Steinway piano sounds slightly different. Over the years, they have introduced a variety of limited editions — the Steinway Crown Jewel Collection is a range of visually striking pianos created from unusual, precious woods that challenges the perception of the ebony high polish concert grand, is typical of this trend. In 2015, in partnership with Wayne Stahnke, Steinway Spirio, the world's finest player piano system, available exclusively on select Steinway grand pianos, was introduced as a remarkable innovation, which is expected to last the full lifetime of the piano. 

Steinway Spirio launch, 2015. 

Steinway Spirio launch, 2015. 

According to the brand's spokesperson, “Since the founding of Steinway & Sons over 160 years ago, innovation and craftsmanship have served as the core tenets of the company. In today’s marketplace, brands like ours must continue to innovate in order to remain relevant to the world around us, but that doesn't mean that quality and craftsmanship can suffer.” Relying on these core principles of sustainability, craftsmanship, tradition and environmental responsibility,  and more than a century worth of expertise, no wonder Steinway is the choice of nine out of ten concert pianists as well as countless professionals and amateurs.

For years on end, Steinway proudly serves as a company that, first and foremost, has its core values in place. 

http://steinway.com

 

The White Label Project: Connecting Sustainable Scandi Luxury With Honest Prices

The White Label Project is a Norwegian online concept store connecting clean-cut, sustainable luxury staples with affordable, honest prices. Savant spoke to Nicola, founder of The WLP, who calls people to be just a degree more mindful when it comes to their fashion purchases, without stripping away the glamorous side of shopping. Not all the luxury in the world has to come with an insurmountable price tag…

The White Label Project (Lookbook 2016)

The White Label Project (Lookbook 2016)

What are the key influences that formed The White Label Project?

The White Label started out as a project based on the concept of unbranded goods. We wanted to focus on classic staples that are of luxury quality, but which are not priced according to their brand positioning. [The aim is to offer] classic, clean-cut staples at honest prices. After moving from Shanghai to Norway, I realised that there were many women like me, who wanted key investment pieces, but cared more about the actual quality of the products than brand names. I knew a lot of people in manufacturing and step-by-step started calculating how to make luxury more affordable for everyone. Scandinavian simplicity will also always be a key influence crossed with feminine touches from my days in ballet. 

Why is sustainability in fashion important now?

It is becoming harder to ignore the facts about the change in our climate and environment. We need to be considerate and conscious when it comes to our fashion purchases, instead of being mindless and materialistic. We must realise that the way we live our lives now affects the world and the future of our children.

“We continue to sweep under the rug the traumatic incidents and truths about manufacturing in Third World countries, and hide it behind all those big campaigns and glamour.”

From the viewpoint of you as an insider, who is the key audience for sustainable fashion?

I honestly would have to say young women. I think we now want the future generations to say, 'My mother taught me this..' or 'My mother did this…'. When women hold the majority in purchasing garments in the retail sector and for households, I think that is where we can pinpoint the right audience to educate. It has become quite clear that it will be these women and their choices in consumption that will be passed on to the next generation.

The White Label Project (Lookbook 2016)

The White Label Project (Lookbook 2016)

There are many projects connecting sustainability and something novel in fashion in the Scandinavian region. One could say it has become a wave on its own. What could be the reason behind that? 

Scandinavia has always been ahead of the market when it comes to design and innovation. Personally, I feel that here in Norway people have a deep connection with nature. You don't see forests being destroyed or pollution taking over drastically. It seems like the natural and the artificial world co-exist in a balanced, peaceful way. So it only seems like a natural progression that Scandinavian designers and organisations would venture into sustainable fashion. 

“I try to focus on [calling people to be] more minimal and mindful when purchasing clothes, instead of stripping away the glamorous side of fashion.”

What's the hardest part when it comes to promoting sustainable fashion? What could be done to make it more visible to the everyday consumer? 

I think people have stereotyped sustainable fashion and therefore it is very difficult to change [the idea of it]. I find a lot of brands really marketing it the wrong way. I personally try to approach it in a very gentle and subtle way — I try to focus on [calling people to be] more minimal and mindful when purchasing clothes, instead of stripping away the glamorous side of fashion. 

The White Label Project (Lookbook 2016)

The White Label Project (Lookbook 2016)

Do you agree that honest and ethically made fashion is still on the pricier side compared to its Fast Fashion sister. Why is that? Do you think this could change in the future?

Sustainable fashion will always be more expensive than fast fashion due to using high quality materials and fairly paid workers. Fast fashion companies in general are continually searching for new factories in the developing countries that can provide the low cost of labour. For example, China used to be considered cheap, but now it is well known for providing high-quality garments, too. I do often wonder, what will happen when all these developing countries become regulated. How will fast fashion brands maintain their prices? Bottom line, it won't be sustainable.  

How would you evaluate your competitors in the realm of Scandinavian market?

I don't really have time to think about competition at this point. Instead, I like to focus on the direction that we are heading to. I think you can easily get too caught up with what is happening around you and let it influence you in a negative way, which in reality isn't productive.

“I think we now want the future generations to say, 'My mother taught me this..' or 'My mother did this…’."

Talking about reshaping the fashion industry today, how can we make something that affects us all on a larger scale perhaps more personal?

From my perspective, what is still wrong with the fashion industry is that we continue to sweep under the rug the traumatic incidents and truths about manufacturing in Third World countries, and hide it behind all those big campaigns and glamour. There needs to be more honesty. As consumers, we really need to become more conscious of what we are buying into in the long run.

The White Label Project (Lookbook 2016)

The White Label Project (Lookbook 2016)

What would be your advice for startups who want to do something similar to your project, but haven't had the courage to do so yet?

Always be practical and realistic, but honest. The entry barriers into business these days are low-cost, so you have every opportunity to start.

http://www.thewhitelabelproject.com