Nova: a bag symbolizing circular and responsible fashion

RadiciGroup, a leading player in sustainable textile solutions, has partnered with Ferragamo to develop “Nova – The evolution of a Star”, an eco-design project that reimagines one of the Maison’s iconic handbags through the lens of circularity.

The initiative was born within the Monitor for Circular Fashion (M4CF), the research observatory of SDA Bocconi School of Management that brings together companies, institutions, and stakeholders from the TCLF sector (Textile, Clothing, Leather, Footwear) with the aim of accelerating the transition towards more sustainable and circular business models.

The project was unveiled on September 30, during the launch of the Circular Fashion Manifesto 2025, signed by 27 fashion companies and set to become a European benchmark for circular practices.

The Nova bag is the result of a collaborative eco-design process involving multiple industrial partners: Radici Yarn (RadiciGroup) for textiles, Conceria Antiba for leather, ICEC and UNIC for certification, and Temera for the digital identity of the project.

The design approach was guided by the principles of traceability, chemical safety, and durability, with the use of renewable, bio-based materials: the fabric is made with Biofeel® eleven, a 100% bio-based yarn derived from castor oil and produced by Radici Yarn; the leather parts come from Conceria Antiba with vegetable tanning and certified traceability; finally, the bag was assembled without the use of metals or glues, with a 60% reduction in packaging volume.
 

The results are tangible: the bio-based carbon content—that is, the proportion of carbon in the material derived from renewable biological sources, measured using radiocarbon C14 testing—reaches 84.3% of the total weight, making Nova a concrete example of how aesthetics, innovation, and sustainability can coexist.

“It was a pleasure and an honour for us to take part in this innovative eco-design project, which represents a key step toward a sustainable and responsible future,” said Filippo Bona, R&D Manager Apparel & Technical at RadiciGroup. “Our contribution at Radici Yarn focused on selecting the most suitable materials and engaging supply chain partners, all committed to creating a product that is not only functional, but also respectful of the environment and social responsibility values. For this project we chose Biofeel^® eleven, our 100% bio-based yarn obtained from castor oil, a low-impact plant that requires very little water. It is a material that combines lightness, strength, and sustainability, demonstrating that technical performance can go hand in hand with protecting the planet.”
 

The Nova project shows how collaboration across the entire supply chain can foster innovation and accelerate the circular transition in the fashion industry. A synergy that, through the Monitor for Circular Fashion, is part of a broader European movement aiming to redefine the paradigms of textile, leather, and footwear production in a sustainable way.

Press release