CORDURA® Celebrates a Decade of Denim

2021 marks the 10th anniversary since the introduction of durable CORDURA ® technology into the technical denim space—an innovation which it pioneered with Artistic Milliners. Because of this anniversary, CORDURA ® is calling the last 10 years The Decade of Denim. As it looks back at the last 10 years, CORDURA ® examines how this sector differs from others, and how it has gained greater understanding of denim's particular needs. As the decade progressed, CORDURA ® along with its partner mills continued to explore and engineer concepts for the denim world aimed at 'pushing performance' to higher and higher levels, and educating consumers to 'demand more from what they wear.'

Some defining moments from the Decade of Denim include: Levi’s ® Skateboarding Collection, Award-winning denim for Millet, ‘Authentic Alchemie,’ Forged Denim for Black Diamond, The ‘X Venture Collexion,’ Mountain Hardwear’s ‘Hard Denim,’ The ‘Remastered Collection,’ ‘Imagination Without Limitation’ Collection, Cone White Oak x CORDURA ® Selvage Denim, ‘Supercharged Noir’ by Artistic Milliners, the launch of Dovetail ‘No Fade’ Denim, and the launch of CORDURA ® Hemp Denim from Artistic Milliners.

"We're really excited about this latest development with CORDURA ® Hemp Denim and extend a big 'thank you' to our partners at Artistic Milliners for bringing this to fruition," said Cindy McNaull, CORDURA ® brand business development director. “Like us, Artistic Milliners was quick to appreciate that hemp offers the benefits of enhanced abrasion resistance, tensile and tear strength—three qualities which align to the long-lasting performance platform of the CORDURA ® brand."

RIVET: What drives the combination of CORDURA ® Denim durability with the increased consumer demand for comfort and flexibility?

Cindy McNaull: From a day at work to the commute home, to celebrating with friends at an impromptu rendezvous at a café, consumers are accustomed to staying on the go – with apparel that can keep up. Long gone are the days of garments that only have one purpose.

Consumers are also seeking value in their purchases. Quality is key, from purchase experience to the garment itself. Lifestyle garments are becoming the new luxury and today’s CORDURA ® Denims integrate the “best of both worlds” — softness with strength, fashion and function, durability with definition.

The multifaceted performance benefits of CORDURA ® Denim makes it particularly well-suited for lifestyle living, by offering an invisible layer of protection. You can push your own personal limits with CORDURA ® Denim, knowing your product is stylishly durable for all occasions.

RIVET: What is your approach to sustainability?

CM: To create superior value for our customers, INVISTA applies the Guiding Principles of Market- Based Management ® and the Stewardship Vision and Framework developed by our shareholders. This includes innovating to make products people value using fewer resources by reducing waste and emissions and increasing recyclability, improving efficiency (including energy efficiency), maintaining safety and operating responsibly. We believe that stewardship encompasses the responsible management of our actions and the resources entrusted to our care in a manner that respects the rights of others.

In 2020, we released our CORDURA ® Sustainability Platform. Part of that platform exhibits our efforts to innovate and work with supply chain partners committed to providing eco solutions. From brands to mills, we have publicly declared our intention to seek out those partnerships that make sustainability and cutting-edge eco fabric solutions a priority and demonstrate our ethos that Sustainability Begins with Products That Last™.

RIVET: How is Cordura looking ahead to the future?

CM: Experimentation, agility and entrepreneurial thinking are core values of INVISTA and the CORDURA ® brand, and during this past year we have continued our focus on developing future-proof transformative tools such as our new CORDURA ® Fabric Finder, a wonderful tool designed to bring our full range of certified fabric offerings to your desktop. This free resource supports collaboration and explores CORDURA ® Advanced Fabric technologies. Also defining and setting the foundation for future growth and innovation is enhanced collaboration and alignment of objectives among the collective global textiles community.

Trend indicators suggest that post pandemic, consumers will increasingly value protection. They are becoming more drawn to timeless products that make them feel safer, more comfortable and in control. Durability and reliability represent this attitude shift, and this mindset aligns with our long-standing mantra of creating durable advanced fabric technologies that will stand the test of time.

Additionally, in the very near future, you’ll see some big news from the CORDURA ® brand related to stewardship in the form of an exciting new sustainable product platform launch. Stay tuned!