Sustainability isn’t a buzzword anymore- environmental consciousness is a way of life. From food to travel to consumer products, brands are aligning themselves with a common cause: protecting and preserving our precious earth. It comes as no surprise that luxury brands are also taking the cause seriously and so, when Volvo Cars and 3.1 Phillip Lim co-hosted an event at 3.1 Phillip Lim’s Great Jones flagship in New York to celebrate the future of sustainability and both brands’ shared commitments last Thursday, November 18, we immediately said yes.

Photo by Jason DeCrow for Volvo

The event came on the heels of a new collaboration, unveiled on October 8. The world-renowned fashion house and Swedish automaker created a piece that aligns with both of their brands: a limited-edition, gender-neutral and sustainable weekend bag made from Nordico, a new bio-based and recycled material that will replace leather in all of Volvo’s future fully electric cars. The fabric is already built into Volvo’s C40. We hope to get our hands on one of these limited-edition bags, but they aren’t available for purchase – people may be able to snag one through local market initiatives such as charity auctions or giveaways. Inspired by classic luggage with a Scandinavian feel, the soft-structured bag comes in ‘Dawn’ (a light grey, bone shade), with hidden storage throughout and a Japanese black cotton interior.

Photo by Jason DeCrow for Volvo

A fireside chat between Eric Beak (Head of Design at Volvo) and Phillip Lim, moderated by InStyle’s Editor-in-Chief Laura Brown, set the stage last Thursday, and the three of them discussed how to incorporate sustainability into everyday life, from small choices to big, AKA from clothing to cars. Their chat also highlighted how the partnership came to life, Lim’s process in developing the bag, Beak’s predictions on the future of car design, and their insights on emerging trends that are driving the luxury world towards more eco-conscious materials.

See our #35mm film photos from the event below.