Rivet

INFLUENTIAL 50 ·STREETWEAR REPORT

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NO. 6 / OCTOBER 2018

S / S ’19

TIPPING THE ICEBERG Over 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year - with devastating results for the ecosystem. Hailing from the city by the sea, we, at AFGI, witness this first hand. As pioneers in sustainable manufacturing, we strive to protect our environment and wildlife.

We have partnered with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to empower the next generation of social entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The Green Innovation Challenge provides a platform to transform ideas into ventures to help reduce, eliminate or transform plastic waste in our oceans.

Let’s move towards a clear future for our oceans, and our planet.

ŠNational Geographic/2018

www.artisticgarment.com

At AFGI, we are a unique hybrid: a global leader in denim production, which takes its responsibility for a sustainable environment seriously.

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RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

EDITOR’S LETTER Denim is under a siege of influence and it’s a good thing.

QUICK HITS From new collaborations, to the best places to soak up Nashville’s denim scene, discover the latest industry buzz.

AXING ANILINE? NOT SO FAST. Banning the chemical aniline could turn the world’s favorite fabric into its most expensive.

EXPANSION MODE In an effort to capitalize on new markets and technologies, companies are reinvesting in the denim supply chain.

RIVET'S 50 INFLUENTIAL Rivet’st top 50 movers and shakers in the denim industry in 2018.

RUNWAY TRENDS S/S 19 From punk hardware and acid wash, to beachfriendly denim, take a look at what's trending on the runway for next spring.

WARRIORS High-end streetwear pounces onto the scene.

STREET SMARTS Experts weigh in on how streetwear is stealthily overtaking fashion.

LIMITLESS Spring ’19 stretch denim has no boundaries.

BLENDED TO PERFECTION The latest fiber innovation yields multi-tasking denim for discriminating consumers.

ICONS François Girbaud shares his advice for the next generation of influential denim designers.

M 10

ERRIAM-WEBSTER DEFINES ‘influencer’ as one who has “the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways.”

Of course, we know ‘influencer’ today as the generic moniker that sums up the bloggers and social media personalities that sway tastes and buying behaviors with well-curated Instagram feeds and clever captions.

We believe that type of clout, while both powerful and intangible in its own way, skims the surface of the depth of influence represented in the inaugural edition of Rivet’s Influential 50.

Handpicked by the editorial team, Rivet’s Influential 50 is an index of the executives, retailers, designers, innovators and industry personalities driving change across the entire global denim supply chain. After all, it takes years of innovation, R&D and creativity to make the interesting product we casually scroll through on our phones during our daily commute.

Each of the 50 individuals selected for the index have a unique denim journey. Some are scientists and experts in the field of sustainability.

Others were born into the garment manufacturing business. A few began simply as inquisitive consumers.

As you read through their profiles starting on page 31, and the extended versions on a microsite dedicated to the Rivet 50 Influential, you will find that the common thread they share is a passion for denim, and an optimism for where the industry’s headed next.

If you believe what you see on the ’gram, denim’s next big trend is the high-end streetwear look that began simultaneously on the street and the runway. Our streetwear coverage, beginning on page 70, examines how a flurry of trends and buzzwords—from collaborations and drops, to athleisure, logos and sneakers—coupled with the revival of ’90s silhouettes and heritage brands—have turned this youth-driven fad into a full-fledged category to watch.

While streetwear’s voluminous silhouettes and deconstruction give fashionistas plenty to fawn over, stretch denim continues to hold court with denim pure players. In “Limitless,” page 78, we artfully showcase how stretch fabrications show no boundaries in both performance and style, and in “Blended to Perfection,” page 92, we take a closer look at how fiber companies are advancing these man-made materials with “hidden science.”

It’s that effort to improve the denim—and how it’s made—that keeps the denim industry alive and thriving. While the jeans market dipped during peak athleisure years 2015 and 2016, recent data from retail analytics firm Edited said retailers are starting to rebuild their denim assortments with pricier jeans packed with performance qualities and new fashion-driven items.

It’s proof that the creative and innovative minds behind the scenes may be the most influential of all.

COVER CREDIT S: l_____OFF-WHITE JACKET, JEANS AND NYLON TOP, PRADA HAT, ALE XI S B I TTAR TR IANGLE EARRING, GIMAGUAS EARRING, RINGS BY LARUICCI , J E N N I F E R FI SHER AND GRACE LEE.

W E A SKE D OU R STA FF. . . W H AT I S YO U R F I R S T D E N I M M E M O R Y ?

Angela Velasquez Managing Editor, Denim H AV I N G TO C A L L H O M E F O R LO N G E R S H O RT S A F T E R M Y 6 T H G R A D E T E AC H E R SA I D M Y DE N I M SH ORTS W E R E N OT " F I N G E RT I P" L E N G T H .

Arthur Friedman Senior Editor M Y E A R L I E S T M E M O R I E S O F J E A N S W E R E T H E F LO W E R A N D P E AC E A D O R N M E N T S A N D B E L L B OTTOM S TH AT B E CA M E PART O F T H E H I PPI E WAR D RO B E .

Jessica Binns Senior Editor, Technology I ’ L L N E V E R FORG E T TH E I M AG E S OF KR I SS K RO S S AN D T H E I R B AC K WAR D S J E AN S .

Tara Donaldson Editorial Director, Sourcing Journal CONTRIBUTOR S

Mary Avant, Jasmin Malik Chua, Jasmine Glasheen, Alexandra Mondalek, Judith Russell A RT DEPA RTMEN T

Cass Spencer Creative Director B E I N G D R E S S E D I N D U N G A R E E J E A N S , K I C K E R B O OT S A N D A P U D D I N G B OW L H A I RCU T… I T WA S E N G L AN D I N T H E ’7 0 S .

Celena Tang Jr. Designer G RO W I N G U P, I R E M E M B E R M Y M O M T E L L IN G A S TO R Y A B O U T F L E E I N G T H E WA R .

S H E B RO U G H T J U S T O N E PA I R O F B E L L B OT TO M J E A N S , W H I C H S H E T U R N E D I N TO SH ORTS FOR H E R SE L F A N D TW O OVE R AL L S F O R M Y S I B L I N G S .

Ash Barhamand Photo Director I WA S I N 4 T H G R A D E I N T H E ’ 9 0 S A N D T H O U G H T I H A D C R AC K E D T H E C O D E TO FA S H I O N : B R I G H T C O LO R E D J E A N S PA I R E D WI T H A PAT T E RN E D T URT L E N E CK. SOURCING JOURNAL A DV ERTIS IN G

Edward Hertzman Founder & President I A LWAY S T H O U G H T I WA S A S T Y L I S H G U Y I N H I G H S C H O O L U N T I L M Y F I R S T W E E K AT N Y U W H E R E I D I S C OV E R E D T H E W O R L D O F P R E M I U M D E N I M .

Caletha Crawford Associate Publisher Eric Hertzman Senior Director of Sales & Marketing I R E M E M B E R W H E N RO C K E T J E A N S W E R E R E A L LY T R E N DY A N D E V E R YO N E WA NTED TO W EA R BAGGY J EA NS W I T H B I G C U F F S AT T H E B OT TO M .

Daniel Cavosie Client Services Coordinator AT M Y F I R S T J O B AT B RO O K LY N D E N I M C O. I WA S E AG E R TO W O R K A S A S TO C K B OY S O I C O U L D H A N D L E T H E R AW D E N I M . I K N E W I WA S F I N A L LY G E T T I N G M Y H A N DS DI RTY I N TH E I N D U STR Y W H E N I W E N T H O M E W I T H B L U E F I N G E R N AI L S .

Sarah Sloand Sales Assistant, Joel Fertel Account Executive P RODU CTI ON

Kevin Hurley Production Director, John Cross Production Manager P REP RESS P RODUCTI ON

Alex Sharfman Digital Imaging

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JAY PENSKE CHAIRMAN & CEO GERRY BYRNE VICE CHAIRMAN GEORGE GROBAR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER CRAIG PERREAULT EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TODD GREENE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND GENERAL COUNSEL NELSON ANDERSON VICE PRESIDENT, CREATIVE KEN DELACAZAR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE TARIK WEST VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES GABRIEL KOEN VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNOLOGY CHRISTINA YEOH VICE PRESIDENT, TECHNICAL OPERATIONS JUDITH R. MARGOLIN VICE PRESIDENT, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL LAUREN GULLION VICE PRESIDENT, HR AND CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS JONI ANTONACCI SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION OPERATIONS YOUNG KO VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE AND CONTROLLER DEREK RAMSEY SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER EDDIE KO DIRECTOR, ADVERTISING OPERATIONS ANDY LIMPUS DIRECTOR OF TALENT ACQUISITION RICK GASCON DIRECTOR OF IT OPERATIONS & PRODUCTION CARL FONER SENIOR IT ANALYST DON GERBER, RYAN RAMOS IT ANALYSTS

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

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10/ 2018

QUICK HITS

LENZING TAKES NEXT STEPS WITH REFIBRA LENZING GROUP WILL launch a new capsule collection of its Refibra fiber derived from recycled cotton scraps and renewable wood at Kingpins Amsterdam (Oct. 24-25). Designed by Pawan Kumar, who was awarded Designer of the Year at Dubai Fashion week in 2015, the men’s and women’s line featured a theme called “Midnight Blues.”

A fusion of the classic 1950s style and a contemporary and minimalist approach, Midnight Blues is inspired by the dark shades of glamour on a summer night, combined with celebrities that greatly influenced this era, according to Tricia Carey, Lenzing’s director of global business development.

Carey said to maintain coherence throughout the collection, and to include fabric from leading mills, Midnight

Blues was segmented into three sub categories: Floral Enigma, which conveys the concept of glamor by incorporating discrete and subtle flowers; Textured Blue, which shows a 1950s relaxed and casual style enhanced by baby blues and discrete visual textures; and Timeless Stripes, an assortment inspired by the musical notes and a strong presence of stripes during the late '50s with a modern and graphic interpretation.

Mills involved in the collection include ADM, Orta Anadolu, Candiani, Prosperity, Royo, Santanderina, Hallotex and Blue Diamond.

Finishing technologies firm, Jeanologia, supplied the equipment for laundering, and Saitex was responsible for garment production. —Arthur Friedman

l_____M I D NI GHT B LUE S

THE REAL DEAL Applied DNA Sciences is making inroads in bringing its product authentication systems to the denim world.

The company is publishing a peer-reviewed paper with the American Association of Textile Chemists & Colorists on how authenticating DNA can survive various denim washes. “We wrote a paper with FIT on the survivability of DNA in denim because there are a lot of people who are skeptical that it won’t survive all the different types of washes denim goes through,” said MeiLin Wan, vice president of textile sales at Applied DNA. But what the paper detailed was how the DNA of the denim raw material does survive and can be identified, whether for cotton or viscose or any other material. Applied DNA is applying its DNA testing of material in thread with American & Efird. Various products are in the prototype stage, including denim jeans. The system uses an ultraviolet light beacon to identify the thread used in sewing the garment to verify its origins.

“It’s pretty revolutionary because you can now say with certainty that these are a pair of Levi’s, for example,” Wan said.

“It offers brand protection for brands that have been subject to counterfeiting. It’s a very good solution for denim, for luxury handbags, for sneakers.”—AF

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

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QUICK HITS

l_____CON E DE NIM

10/ 2018

DENIM ON THE REBOUND Are the odds of survival in an athleisure world finally turning in denim’s favor Recent data from retail analytics firm Edited shows denim is back in business. —Angela Velasquez

Price (on) point

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COTTON WITH A TWIST Cotton Incorporated teamed with Cone Mills and Invista's Cordura brand for new denim constructions that deliver authentic looks and performance benefits.

Cordura chambray with TransDRY technology features a nylon and cotton blend in the warp that more than doubles the abrasion performance found in standard chambray fabric. Meanwhile, TransDRY adds moisture management and quick dry properties.

Another capsule boasts Conestrong denim bottom-weight fabric with TransDRY. The construction consists of cotton, nylon and Conestrong in the warp that’s been tested to 300,000 cycles on the Martindale abrasion industry measurement standard. For comparison, standard cotton denim, can fail to stand up to abrasion at 85,000 cycles.

Conestrong denim bottom-weight fabric with novelty lay-ins have cotton, nylon and Conestrong in the warp. This group features indigo fills of either cotton and wool, space-dye, jaspe or boucle in a rigid unfinished fabric. Some styles incorporate elastane for stretch.

Other cotton indigo denim constructions include a plain weave chambray and selvedge denim. —AF RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

As part of its return, denim has come back as a pricier item. Price points have increased considerably since 2014, Edited noted, creating a more competitive denim market. The third quarter of 2018 showed the average price point for men’s jeans in the U.S. up 20 percent to $210.86, and prices for women’s denim down 10 percent to $165.44.

Skinny but strong Marketers love a new silhouette to gab about, but skinny jeans are core to retailers’ lineups—they still represent 58 percent of women’s jeans, Edited said. However, data shows that other silhouettes like cropped, culotte, mom and wide styles have all gained traction since 2016.

Others to watch Apart from jeans, Edited said denim outerwear, dresses, shirts, shorts and skirts—also known as ‘other’ denim—have grown 12 percent.

Data also shows that the amount of denim outerwear has increased 101 percent in the last two years. And it’s just not the basic blue Trucker jacket that’s piquing consumers’ interest. The category lends itself well to bold pops of color and prints like checkerboard, leopard and snake.

l_____DENIM IN VOGUE AGAI N !

ELAIN E WELTE ROTH AT NYFW SS1 9 .

10/ 2018

QUICK HITS

LET’S RETIRE THESE OVERUSED WORDS

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We get it—comfort is a big deal these days, but let’s be honest: the masses aren’t exactly running marathons or playing ballgames in a pair of dungarees. Athleisure might be here to stay, but we hope to hear much less of this buzzword that’s used to describe everything.

Heritage

Every last denim label is fawning over its own “heritage” status or boasting about how “authentic” it is. These terms have been bandied about to the point that they may have lost all meaning.

Sustainable

It’s everyone’s favorite topic this days, and while efforts to decrease environmental harm and improve social welfare are to be commended, it’s hard not to wonder who’s guilty of “greenwashing” for the sake of an image boost.

Fast Fashion

When you really think about it, isn’t fast fashion better known as the “new normal?”

Consumers want fresh product delivered at a dizzying pace and it’s up to denim brands to meet those rapid-fire demands—or miss out on sales. —Jessica Binns

Twin Dragon Denim Mills is introducing two patent-pending groups under the company’s Forever line of denim featuring colorfast black and white denim.

“Our Forever denims are made possible by special sustainable cellulose odal olor fibers, dyed in the solvent stage, to create the most supreme colorfastness,” along with the softness of Modal against the skin, the company said.

Forever Black is a color generated based on consumer testing that identified it as the most attering soft blac on the bod , win ragon said. It’s been tested to last more than 20 washes without losing any of its color. Forever White has also been tested to not yellow after upward of 20 washes or after being exposed to the elements.

Twin Dragon is also touting its Eco Denim Collection with fabrics made with Repreve and Sorbtek, utilizing Liquid Indigo and Liquid Sulfur dyes. Products combine Repreve recycled polyester and Sorbtek, a moisture management fiber with stretch for added comfort that offers higher recovery for shape retention. —AF

l_____ED IT D EN IM X R I VE T

MEET EDIT DENIM X RIVET THE TEAM AT RIVET partnered with Lenzing and Kaltex for a men’s denim capsule collection designed for the modern urbanite on the go.

The Edit Denim x Rivet collection is based on two essential fits—slim and straight—and six sophisticated washes that span light blue to coated black. Minimal, matte finish hardware and dyed-to-match trims enhance the jeans’ premium look and hand feel.

The collection pays homage to the Americas. The jeans' stretch fabrications are made with cotton, spandex and Tencel from the U.S. and Mexico-based Kaltex produced the fabrics and garments.

The Edit Denim x Rivet collection launched at New York Denim Days in September. It will also be available at Tencel’s denim shop at Nashville Denim Days (Nov. 10-11). The collection retails for $75 to $95. —AV

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

GE ORGE CH I N SEE

Athleisure

TWIN DRAGON’S LASTING EFFECT

S U S TA I N A B L E DENIM AND TWILL TEXTILES ec o- f i n i s h

Fi n i s h i n g p ro ce s s t h at e l i mi n ate s t h e r i n s e c yc l e i n t h e g a r me nt p ro du c t i o n p h a s e.

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10/ 2018

QUICK HITS

COUNTRY BLUES A guide to navigating the ins and outs of Nashville’s denim scene. w ord s _____ ANGELA VE LASQUE Z

With roots in country music that run deep and a downtown area littered with honky tonks, curated boutiques and vintage shops, it comes as no surprise that Nashville is a denim city. And what better reason to visit “Music City” than for the first edition of Nashville Denim Days?

Like its sister events in Amsterdam and New York City, the two-day denim festival, from Nov. 10-11, will feature exhibits, seminars and activations from a global network of brands, retailers and mills. Hands-on workshops by artisans, a vintage market, food and live entertainment will add a local Tennessean twist.

“Nashville is playing an increasingly important role in the American denim and fashion industry, and with its large creative community and deep roots in music, we felt that the city was a natural fit for Denim Days,” said Andrew Olah, one of the event's organizers.

From vintage emporiums and Western boutiques, to hotels that capture the city’s downhome vibe, here’s a look Nashville’s must-see hotspots to check out either during Denim Days or on your next design field trip.

l_____UR BAN COW BOY

Places to shop Manuel Exclusive Clothier Get a firsthand look at the rhinestone-covered designs

by Manuel Cuevas, tailor to the stars. Cuevas has dressed everyone from Elvis and The Beatles to Johnny Cash, and more recently, Beyoncé.

avant Vintage A favorite among stylists, celebrities and locals, endless (high-end) treasures are bound to be discovered in this vintage emporium. From jeans and boots, to a new taxidermy animal for your store, owner Beverly Chowning has a laser-sharp eye for old-time gems.

Barista Parlor In true hipster fashion, this coffee house knows how to brew a perfect cup in an airy, industrial space primed for work, meetings or relaxing.

Pinewood Social Outfitted with reclaimed wood lanes from an old bowling alley and two dipping pools, this restaurant and bar serves as an adult playground to relax and unwind. Outside, light fare is served out of an Airstream trailer.

Places to stay The 404 With a mix of vintage and custom furniture, this urban

White Mercantile Holly Williams, musician and daughter of country legend Hank Williams Jr., curates this shop described as a “general store for the modern-day tastemaker.” It’s a one-stop-shop for odds and ends with a country twang.

Places to eat Mas Tacos This no-frills Mexican outpost is famous among locals for its quick service and top-notch flavor.

Billed as having the best $3 tacos in the South, fans say the chicken tortilla soup is “to die for,” too.

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

oasis speaks to the denim crowd that favors thoughtful details and industrial design.

Noelle This new boutique hotel aims to give guests “a true Nashville encounter.” The restored luxury property from the 1930s showcases artwork from the city’s leading creatives and sells items from local makers at its retail store, Keep Shop.

Urban Cowboy This converted Victorian mansion offers an elevated take on Western chic with eight uniquely designed suites with details including burnt wood headboards, clawfoot tubs and blanket wallpaper.

Places to Shop

Imogene + Willie

The brand that put Nashville denim on the map holds court at its flagship store, an old service station in the heart of the same neighborhood founders Carrie and Matthew Eddmenson call home.

JON ATH AN K ROH N ( I M OGE N E + WI LLI E)

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INDIGO

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A XING ANILINE? NOT SO FAST. Banning the chemical aniline could turn the world’s favorite fabric into its most expensive fabric. w ords_____ JASM I N M ALI K CH UA

A

niline is a problem for the denim industry. Or it isn’t. It depends on whom you ask.

Certainly the chemical, a building block for synthetic indigo, is the cause of some concern for Archroma, a Swiss specialty chemicals firm that debuted a so-called “aniline-free” indigo dye, which boasts undetectable levels of the agent, in May. But is it so bad? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies aniline as a Group B2 human carcinogen, which means that while there’s some evidence it might cause cancer in people, the existing data is far from conclusive.

Aniline can pose other risks, however. It can cause skin allergies with repeated contact. And both short-term and chronic exposure to the chemical, either through the lungs or the skin, can impair the ability of red blood cells to ferry oxygen RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

INDIGO

chemicals with far more hazardous profiles. to tissues, which can trigger symptoms of hypoxia Oeko-Tex’s Helmut Müller doesn’t consider such as headaches, dizziness, increased heart the presence of aniline in indigo a priority rate, breathlessness and even unconsciousness, problem, either. the EPA says.

“In our experience, aniline has only a small It’s also “very toxic” to aquatic life, per the U.S. impact when testing denim products according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which our Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex criteria catalogue, is where the biggest argument against it seems to and it is only rarely detected. Higher concentrations lie. Out of the 400 metric tons of aniline waste that can be detected even more rarely,” he said. “In our the indigo industry produces every year, roughly opinion, and according to our testing knowledge, two-thirds winds up in wastewater discharge the public discussion about aniline in denim and eventually lakes, rivers and other waterways, fabrics and articles is overexcited.” according to James Carnahan, Archroma’s global Make no mistake, aniline is a harmful chemical sustainability manager for textile specialties. at high concentrations, but “ there is no compelling The other third clings onto the indigo evidence that there is a problem at the levels pigment—and therefore the denim itself—as an insoluble contaminant, one that cannot be rinsed off like most impurities. The only way to reduce the concentration of aniline on a pair of jeans is to reduce the amount of indigo.

“We tend to find that the concentration of aniline is directly related to the concentration of indigo,” Carnahan said. “If you removed half of the indigo, then you've removed half of the aniline. But you're not getting any preferential removal.”

While aniline “isn’t necessarily too bad for human health,” as Carnahan conceded, the chemical’s environmental impact was enough for Archroma to want to pivot away from it. And since the company stumbled upon a way to strip aniline from the denim supply chain, it thought, “Why not?”

“As a responsible manufacturer of textile dyes and chemicals, we always look at the unintended contaminants which are coming through as a reported, even considering worst-case scenarios,” result of either the raw material or manufacturing said Scott Echols, director of the Roadmap to Zero process,” he said. “We saw the opportunity to Programme at ZDHC, a consortium of brands, be able to have a product that contains less of a NGOs and value-chain affiliates, including Adidas, hazardous contaminant.”

C&A, Gap, H&M, Inditex, Levi Strauss, Nike and Puma, that works to improve the apparel industry’s environmental standards.

Setting limits “A misconception is to assume that because It may be for this reason that aniline is increasingly something is there at a certain concentration that appearing on a number of restricted substances it’s a problem or that high concentrations in the lists, including those belonging to Bluesign and indigo dye mean that aniline will be present at Oeko-Tex, which have set certain safety limits for the same high concentrations in the final denim,” the substance in its various forms.

Echols said. “Any chemical is harmful above a You’ll be hard-pressed, on the other hand, certain concentration and nearly all chemicals— to find an active movement to do away with the aniline included—show no observable adverse chemical entirely. Banning aniline, one source effects below a certain level.” told Rivet, would also mean banning synthetic In the event that aniline becomes verboten, indigo, making the issue a non-starter. Another the denim industry might find itself roiled by person familiar with the matter, who also chose to increased testing costs and a shift to purer—read: remain anonymous, suggested that aniline wasn’t more expensive—dyes, Echols said. as worth pursuing as other textile-processing

" T H E PUB L IC DISCUS SION A B OU T A N IL IN E IN DEN IM FA B R IC S A N D A R T ICL E S IS OV ER E XCI T ED.”

— HEL MU T MÜL L ER OF OEKO -T E X

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

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INDIGO

bonus, the technology uses 92 percent less water “Any restrictions need to be made taking and 30 percent less energy than conventional into account scientific data on the levels harmful denim-dyeing methods. in product so realistic limits are set to protect Though Archroma offers Advanced Denim consumers, workers and the environment,” he as an alternative to indigo-dyed denim, “due added. “Without this, it could make the world’s diligence must be taken of the fact that maybe it most popular fabric a lot more expensive doesn't wash down the same; maybe the nuances without any real benefit.” of shade are not exactly the same as indigo,” Carnahan from Archroma is familiar with Carnahan said. these criticisms. “There are other hazardous The company, he added, continues to tinker chemistries where a lot more effort is being put with the process to “get a closer simulation to how behind to restrict them,” he admitted. “So it's indigo actually behaves on post-processing,” such probably low [urgency] there.” as how it reacts to washing.

His company, however, prefers to follow the Whether Archroma makes a complete precautionary principle: better safe than sorry. switch to aniline-free indigo dyes remains to be “It's better to basically avoid a problem that may occur in the future than actually take action at the time when somebody decides that it is a problem,” Carnahan said. “What we're not saying is this is a problem everybody needs to deal with straightaway; what we're saying is it's an opportunity for us to remove, out of the value chain, a hazardous chemistry which up until now has been accepted.”

Plus, he added, why shouldn’t environmental impact carry as much weight as human harm?

With the Denisol Pure Indigo 30, Archroma is the first company to produce indigo, “from a synthesis perspective,” with such low levels of aniline. Other companies, Carnahan said, have tried to neutralize aniline from the indigo after the fact, which is an approach that's both extremely costly and difficult to sustain.

"I T 'S B E T T ER TO BASICA L LY AVOID A PROB L EM T H AT M AY OCCU R IN T H E F U T U R E.” —JA MES CA R N A H A N, A RCHROM A SU STA IN A B IL I T Y M A N AGER

Sustainable alternatives

seen. It’s still early days for the new Denisol Pure Indigo 30, and word about the innovation is still Another way to create indigo without aniline is filtering through the industry. by going old school, namely by harvesting the “It’s really up to the market to decide that this is pigment from the Indigofera plant. The reason the direction that they would like to go,” Carnahan brands don’t do this on a significant scale is said. “But I would say that the market will dictate because distilling natural dyes takes more time the pace with which we will be able to replace a and labor than swilling chemicals. It also requires product which contains a higher amount of aniline several tons of plant matter to produce a few with [one that has] lower amounts of aniline.” pounds of dyestuff. Again, hardly cost-effective.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been any Carnahan estimates that roughly 70,000 tons interest. Several large brands have requested of indigo goes to market every year. proving trials to see how the new dye performs.

“The amount of land area that you'd need This will take time. [for natural indigo] would be significant,” he said.

“They’d like to understand that the product “And possibly there would be discussions about is indigo and therefore behaves exactly as indigo land for food versus land for other things.” does behave. They would also like to understand To completely eliminate aniline from denim, what the commercial impacts would be, perhaps,” however, you’ll have to bypass indigo altogether.

Carnahan said. “ And we have to allow the brands This, Archroma does, with Advanced that time to look at it and then come back to us Denim, a dyeing platform that can simulate the with regard to a decision.” appearance of indigo using blue sulfur dyes. As a RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

22

IF E

CY CLE AS

SESS M T

PROCESS

EN

we touch the e future ture

PURPOSE

While our footprint is what we take from the planet when we consume, our handprint is what we give the planet back as we create change for the better

EPORT R R

L

show us your handprint

CS

PRODUCT

SOURCING l_____H OW E VE R , W E R E ALI ZE D VER Y EAR LY TH AT W E NEED ED TO ADAPT AND SHIFT

27

EXPANSION MODE In an effort to capitalize on new markets and technologies, companies are reinvesting in the denim supply chain. w ords_____ ARTH UR F R I E D M AN

F

iber and fabric firms, operating in a complex and fluid economic and trade environment, are showing no hesitation when it comes to expanding their capacities and upgrading their facilities.

These manufacturers are making major investments in factories from the U.S. to China to meet market demands and, particularly, to improve their environmental footprint in the process.

Mills make moves

Vidalia Denim, for one, has opened in a 900,000-square-foot facility in Vidalia, La., in the cotton-producing region of the Mississippi Delta.

The mill will begin full commercial operations during the first quarter of 2019. It will employ more than 300 full-time workers to make denim, which it’s working to produce sustainably.

As part of that effort, its indigo dye technology

employs an environmentally friendly chemistry that allows for filtration and water reuse, curbing total water usage by more than 60 percent compared to a legacy mill. Vidalia Denim will also use e3 sustainable cotton exclusively in its operations, sourcing its cotton from across the U.S. farm belt from farmers enrolled in the e3 sustainable cotton program.

In Bayer CropScience’s e3 cotton program, farmers commit to growing cotton in a less impactful way. Independent auditors certify a farmer's commitment to grow e3 cotton in an environmentally responsible, economically viable and socially equitable manner in the U.S. “This is a significant development for e3 and marks a watershed moment for our program as for the first time a textile mill will use our program as its exclusive source of cotton,” said Malin Westfall, U.S. Cotton business lead of FiberMax and Stoneville Brands, both Bayer CropScience seed brands. “By utilizing e3 cotton, Vidalia will offer its customers complete transparency of leading RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

grower sustainability practices.”

In China, more mills are setting the tone for sustainability in the supply chain. Chinese denim mill Seazon has plans to expand its capacity by 50 percent in 2018, growing its number of looms to 630 from 420. In line with that, Seazon will also introduce a new intelligent wastewater recycling system to its dyeing and finishing process, which will reuse more than 80 percent of its wastewater.

The system applies a biological treatment on effluent, which complements Seazon’s clean production process with a solar power system that saves roughly 20 percent industrial power consumption and helps reduce close to 75,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year. iber firms aim for the future

Major fiber firms are building up their capacity and global reach, driven largely by shifts in sourcing patterns and increasing demand for sustainability.

Invista’s Cordura brand, looking to expand

MILL EXPANSION

26

its solution-dyed nylon (SDN) 6,6 fiber business, launched TrueLock, a next generation of durable colors. TrueLock fiber is made from Invista’s nylon 6,6 multi-filament fiber that is solution dyed, locking the color in at the molten polymer extrusion level to create deep, durable color throughout the fiber. The company said the development marks a major milestone for Invista’s Camden, S.C., facility, which expanded last year to increase U.S. capacity of high-tenacity, specialty fibers for Cordura fabrics.

The Camden investment has accelerated the development of new SDN capabilities that complement the facility’s existing high tenacity nylon 6,6 filament fiber manufacturing processes. Plans currently being put into action at the Camden site include expansion of the Cordura TrueLock filament product line to introduce additional standard colors and deniers, as well as the flexibility to fulfill smaller minimum order quantities and custom colorways.

Invista is also entering the final design phase for a $250 million project at its Victoria, Tex., site to upgrade its manufacturing technology and increase production of adiponitrile (ADN), a key ingredient for nylon 6,6 fibers and plastics.

Construction for the project is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2019.

The new technology, developed and in use at the Invista facility in Orange, Tex., brings improved product yields, reduced energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, enhanced process stability and reduced capital intensity compared to existing technologies. These improvements in performance have enabled the Orange facility to set production volume records since deployment in 2014.

“We’re proud to deploy our most advanced ADN technology here and expect this investment to further strengthen the Victoria site’s competitive position as a global leader in the manufacture of nylon intermediate chemicals,” said Bill Greenfield, president of Invista Intermediates.

In China, Invista will invest $1 billion to bring its latest ADN technology there to meet strong demand in the country for the intermediate chemical used to manufacture nylon 6,6 fiber.

Engineering for a minimum 300,000-ton capacity plant has begun, with construction slated to begin by 2020 and production planned for 2023.

The Lenzing Group, a major producer of

wood-based cellulosic fibers, is in the midst of investing in growing its capacity and upgrading its facilities. The company is expanding its environmental commitment, investing more than 100 million euros ($116.5 million) in sustainable manufacturing technologies and production facilities through 2022.

Lenzing said the investments underscore its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as guiding principles for its sustainability agenda. One of the most significant SDGs for the company is SDG 12: Responsible Production and Consumption.

“With our Refibra technology, Lenzing is innovating to support a more circular, bio-based economy, contributing in particular to SDG 12,” Lenzing chief commercial officer Robert van de Kerkhof said.

For Hyosung Corp., it’s all about expanding its share in the spandex market. The South Korean company is making a $100 million investment in its first spandex plant in Maharashtra, India, which is expected to be operational by 2019.

The move is expected to lay the foundation for making inroads into the country’s domestic market, as Hyosung aims to increase its share of the Indian spandex market to 70 percent from the current 60 percent. This would bring the company’s total number of plants to nine globally, with additional investment planned for total capacity of 390,000 tons globally by 2020.

“Hyosung started its first business foray in New Delhi in 2007 and has been operating a trading company in New Delhi since 2012,” Hyosung noted Cho as saying at a meeting with Modi. “Throughout that time, we have been continuously expanding our business.

India is the world’s largest textile market and I am expecting that the size of its consumer market will grow remarkably.”

To support market driven innovation and speed to market, Hyosung has appointed new global marketing team members in all regions and has created a new fabric development center at its headquarters in South Korea.

“Korea is playing a key role in the ‘Made in India’ policy that is driving the fast growth of India,” Hyosung reported Cho as saying at the meeting with Modi. “I hope that Hyosung’s investment will further solidify India’s competitiveness and industrial foundation and I will be sure to help facilitate a business-friendly environment so that Hyosung will continuously invest in India.”

Hyosung sees India is an ideal location, since it’s the world’s second-largest market, with a population in excess of 1.3 billion, and it possesses cutting-edge IT technology and an educated and experienced workforce. India’s emerging economy is growing by more than 7 percent annually and the country is expected to become one of the top three economic powers in the world, after China, by 2030.

Also looking at Vietnam, Hyosung has committed to using the country as a global production base for all of its core products. Since Hyosung established Hyosung Vietnam in the Nhon Trach industrial complex near Ho Chi Minh City in 2007, the company has invested roughly $1.5 billion, making it the largest investor among the South Korean companies in the complex.

"LENZING IS INNOVATING TO SUPPORT A MORE CIRCULAR, BIO-BASED ECONOMY.” — ROB ERT VA N DE K ER K HOF, L EN Z ING CHIEF COMMERCI A L OF F ICER The company’s Refibra technology takes cotton scraps collected from apparel production and wood pulp from responsibly managed forests and transforms it into virgin Tencel lyocell fibers.

The fibers are manufactured in a closed-loop production process using bioenergy.

A key aspect of the multifaceted investment focuses on closed loop production technologies for the expansion of sulfur recovery systems. It’s also expected to improve effluent treatment units and upgrade Lenzing’s energy usage to more sustainable solutions, including reducing its greenhouse gas emissions through the construction of a gas boiler at its viscose fiber site in Nanjing, China.

Lenzing has also formed a joint venture with Duratex, a major producer of industrialized wood panels for the Southern Hemisphere, to investigate building the largest—a 450,000 ton capacity—single line dissolving wood pulp (DWP) plant in the state of Minas Gerais, close to São Paulo, Brazil. DWP is the key raw material for the production of Lenzing’s bio-based fibers, and the company will hold 51 percent in a future joint venture. The estimated cash investment for the construction of the DWP mill is expected to be slightly more than $1 billion, and the joint venture will supply the entire volume of dissolving wood pulp to the Lenzing Group.

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

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A D V E R T O R I A L

NO BLUES FOR BLUE JEANS

Global consumers are enthusiastic for authentic cotton denim.

L

IKE JAZZ, the blue jean is an American original with global appeal. And like that uniquely American musical genre, the totality of what we call blue jeans is filled with themes and variations that will create by some projections $130 billion in sales by 2021. To get a sense of where, why, and even when denim is popular around the world, Cotton Incorporated conducted a global consumer survey

in conjunction with Cotton Council International.

The responses from the eleven countries reveal insights and identify what might be surprising geographic pockets for the five-pocket staple known as blue jeans, and point to elements that will influence denim’s evolution as an apparel category.

Globally, consumers own an average of 5.4 pairs of blue jeans. It would be natural to expect that the United States would boast the highest per capita

ownership, given its seasonal temperatures and the fact that it is the birthplace of blue jeans. However, warmer and more humid climates are where denim enjoys greatest ownership and frequency of wear.

In Colombia, for example, consumers own an average of nine pairs of blue jeans, the highest in the survey. This is followed by Colombia’s neighbor to the north, Mexico, with more than seven pairs per person. Germany, an outlier in the hot or humid

A D V E R T O R I A L

PERCENTAGE OF CONSUMERS WHO ENJOY OR LOVE WEARING DENIM 90%

denim zoning, comes in third for ownership with 6.84 pairs per person. Turkey and Thailand come in fourth and fifth, with an average of 6.10 and 5.12 pairs per person, respectively.

Respondents from China, India and Japan claimed the smallest ownership of denim jeans -- an average of 3.72, 3.25; and 3.19, respectively.

The smaller-than-average ownership may reflect comparatively smaller wardrobes, overall; especially with respect to China and India where apparel storage capacity is more limited than in other parts of the world.

Where do these global consumers wear their denim? This varies by geography and culture, of course, but 35% of total respondents cited denim as doable for work, particularly in Mexico (48.5%), Italy (45.5%) and Turkey (41%). For a dinner out, jeans ranked highly among respondents from Germany (52%), Colombia (42.7%) and Thailand (41.3%).

The joy of jeans There is also the why to consider. When wanting to look and feel good in an outfit, denim is the go-to for Colombia, Mexico, India, Germany, and Thailand. Related to this, when wanting to be stylish, denim received top marks from Colombia, Mexico, India, Germany, Great Britain and Thailand.

The comparatively small denim ownership of respondents from China (3.72 pairs) does not suggest apathy towards the category. On the contrary, more than 60% of Chinese respondents agreed that they loved wearing denim on a regular basis. The Chinese enthusiasm for blue jeans falls just behind that

GLOBA L LY, CONSUMERS OW N A N AV ER AGE OF 5.4 PA IRS OF BLUE JE A NS

80%

82.3% 70% 60%

64.8%

81.4% 72.0%

71.2%

68.1%

64.9%

60.6%

50%

55.7%

53.1%

50.6%

40%

United States

53.8%

30% 20% 10% 0% Global Average

China

Colombia

Germany

Great Britain

India

Italy

Japan

Mexico

Thailand

Turkey

United States

Sources: Global Lifestyle Monitor™ 2018, Cotton’s Lifestyle Monitor™ 2018

of Germans (66%) and Colombians (63.3%).

The good news for jeans-related businesses is that around the world, consumers love or enjoy wearing denim. Not surprisingly, the number of respondents claiming to love or enjoy wearing denim is highest among Colombians (82.3%) and Germans (81.4%), the countries with the highest jean ownership. Respondents from Thailand (50.6%) and India (53.1%) represent the lower end of the denim popularity scale.

An expanded series of questions for U.S. consumers, representing the largest economy, point to the future of consumer demand and category opportunity. Most Americans (87%) would pay more for a pair of jeans that fit them ‘perfectly.’

While engineering a pair of jeans with a universally perfect fit may prove elusive, comfort emerged in the survey as a key denim purchase driver for 97% of Americans. Since authentic denim is 100% or predominantly cotton, there is a comfort component built-in.

Performance for the win Results of the survey point to cotton as key to the continuing popularity of the denim category. Perhaps buoyed by a general consumer trend towards authenticity, more than three-quarters of American respondents (76%) cited cotton content as important to their decision to buy a particular pair of jeans. That said, 84% of American respondents cited stretch in their denim as a purchase driver, with 63% claiming that they would pay more for a pair of jeans that were made predominantly from cotton, but with some stretch.

Stretch as a feature of consumer denim preferences is both directional and cautionary. During the run-up of raw cotton prices in 2011, some man-

ufacturers and brands began diluting denim with synthetics to keep costs down, or to showcase novelty fibers for higher price point denim. A study of consumer reviews for these products showed that depending on the ratio of synthetics or novelty cellulosic fibers to cotton, the jeans performed poorly.

While some of the products rightly boasted a soft hand, without the structural integrity of cotton fibers, the garments had poor shape retention and durability, features important to 69% and 79%, respectively, of U.S respondents.

Sixty-seven percent of U.S. respondents claimed that the inclusion of performance features would influence their decision to buy a pair of jeans. This may seem at odds with the caution for a light hand with non-cotton ratios in denim, but the solution could be found within textile chemistry. For example, 40% of U.S. respondents said they would pay more for denim that could repel water. This has been achieved already through the STORM Denim™ technology, a textile chemical finish. Forty-eight percent of U.S. respondents cited moisture wicking as a desirable denim feature that they would be willing to pay more to have.

Again, textile finishing chemistries such as the TransDRY™ technology offer this without compromising the authenticity of cotton denim.

The good news for denim manufacturers and brands is that blue jeans seem as popular as ever with global consumers and, interestingly, are very popular in warmer climates such as Colombia and Mexico. While closet space allocations in Asian markets may hamper ownership totals, the enthusiasm for denim is high. Directionally, authenticity is the watchword, including the thoughtful addition of non-cotton fibers and performance-enhancing finishes to product offerings.

cotton does blazing innovation.

When it comes to innovation, cotton is lighting a fire in the denim category.

Cutting-edge technologies such as lasers make denim finishing more sustainable by reducing the need for water, energy and harmful chemicals. Cotton denim is more than a fashion classic – it’s fashion’s future.

cottonworks.com AMERICA’S COTTON PRODUCERS AND IMPORTERS Service Marks/Trademarks of Cotton Incorporated. © 2018 Cotton Incorporated.

SM

discover what cotton can do.

31

RIVET'S TOP 50 MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN THE DENIM INDUSTRY IN 2018

R

ivet’s Influential 50 serves as an index of the most creative and forward-thinking leaders driving the global denim industry. Handpicked by the Rivet team, the 50 individuals and companies on this list represent the upward direction the denim community strives for with each new collection, innovation and technology.

KEY:

Executive

Designer

Retailer

Influencer

Supply hain

VIRGIL ABLOH l Off-White founder and

Louis Vuitton artistic director of menswear

32

If streetwear’s evolution into luxury had a patron saint, it would be Virgil Abloh. As the founder of the high-end streetwear brand, Off-White, and recently, the artistic

director of menswear for Louis Vuitton, Abloh is the common link between two genres of style that were formerly at opposite ends of the fashion spectrum.

His designs—be it OffWhite’s deconstructed denim and industrial belts, his collaboration with Nike or Louis Vuitton’s rainbow-themed Spring ’19 men’s collection—are influential. But the trajectory of Abloh’s career is what sartorial dreams are

made of.

From Kanye West collaborator and underground streetwear designer, to helming two coveted designer labels, Abloh’s rise represents a changing of the guard in a fashion industry that embraces new ideas, diversity and inclusivity.

—Angela Velasquez

YAEL AFLALO l Founder and CEO of

Reformation

Virgil Abloh

With a tagline that reads, “Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option.

We’re #2,” it’s clear Reformation has spunk, and the brains behind the ecofriendly clothing brand has given it that vibe.

Yael Aflalo, founder and CEO of Reformation, started out running her first brand, Ya-Ya, before a closer look at the inner workings of a dirty fashion

industry brought her to the sustainable brand she now operates. From the factory to a conscious fashionista’s closet, Aflalo is leading a future that sees apparel in an entirely cleaner, more ethical light.

The transparent company, which manufactures out of Los Angeles, uses sustainable fabrics, deadstock and vintage materials. When it comes to denim, the blues get a dose of the sustainable stuff, too.

“Not only are Ref Jeans super sustainable, they also make your butt look really good,” the company notes on its website. —Tara Donaldson

AMAZON Amazon has been steadily—but quietly— encroaching on the apparel sector and denim hasn’t been left out in the lurch. The e-commerce juggernaut has at least 12

private label denim brands with price points ranging from $16.99 to $89.99 that consumers may not know by name, but they’re buying.

“It’s an attractive product at a great value,” said Elaine Kwon, co-founder and partner of Kwontified seller services consultancy and former member of the Amazon Fashion team’s buying and e-commerce management departments. “I think they are trying to find that sweet spot of product that makes it valuable to sell."

Going forward, expect Amazon to continue leading in the space, because there’s one thing no other brand or retailer has been able to deliver quite like the e-commerce king.

“I think it really comes down to one word, which is convenience,” Kwon said. “[Amazon] cuts right to the chase of what’s going to make the customer the happiest, and that’s ultimately how it’s been able to disrupt retail.”—TD

CHIP BERGH l Levi Strauss & Co. president

and CEO

At times, it seems Chip Bergh is the president and CEO of the entire denim industry, but that’s the level of responsibility that comes with being at the helm of the world’s largest and most storied denim brand, Levi Strauss & Co. In 2018, Bergh has spoken out about climate change, equality, worker education, the potential impact of President Trump’s trade war and more, all while leading the company on an upward trajectory it hasn’t seen in nearly 20 years.

Levi Strauss & Co. has a long track record of courageous leadership, which Bergh says inspires him every day to continue that legacy. “I believe that CEOs today have a moral obligation and a social responsibility to speak out

SANJEEV BAHL

l Founder of Saitex

For Saitex founder Sanjeev Bahl, sustainability is about much more than manufacturing responsibly— it’s about innovating to make the world a smarter, safer place for the next generation to inhabit.

“Sustainability is everyone’s sons and daughters. It’s the future we promised them and forgot to keep along the way to creating the advanced world they are going to live in,” Bahl said. “Sustainability is the fuel for my innovation because it’s become a personal responsibility.”

Evolving from the denim factory it started as when Bahl founded it 17 years ago, Saitex is progressing to become a certified B Corp committed

to bettering the beloved blueblood denim industry.

That certification once achieved, Bahl said, positions the company for leadership in environmental and social responsibility, and sets it on the path of fulfilling its vision of becoming a force for good .

And from the helm of the company, Bahl leads that charge.

“My role is to bring great minds together, invest deeply into innovation and environmental education, work collaboratively with our associates and research partners to build a technologically advanced organization with a net positive impact balance sheet,” he said. —TD

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

Sanjeev Bahl

FROUKE BRUINSMA

on the important issues of our time and be a positive force for change in the world, even if that means taking an unpopular stand,” Bergh said. —AV

l Director of sustainability for

G-Star Raw

BLUE IN GREEN When raw Japanese denim doesn’t come to you, you go to it. And then bring it back to the U.S. for everyone else to enjoy. Or at least that was the case for Gordon Heffner and Yuji Fukushima, co-owners of Blue in Green in New York City.

“There wasn’t much of a denim scene—as far as the Japanese stuff—going on before we opened the store,” Heffner said. “But then people started to get into the backstory of the product. They wanted to know where it was made, how it was made and the artisanal craftsmanship part of it.”

The retailers work closely with brands to hone and update designs, while spreading the selvedge gospel. “I’ve had so many guys that own denim brands who have come to the store and said, ‘I used to be a customer and I started my own brand,’ or, ‘I used to be a customer and I started my own store,’” Heffner said. “I can definitely see our influence firsthand.”—Mary Avant

THOMAS STEGE BOJER

Rian Buckley

After taking a part-time job at a clothing store in his early 20s, Thomas Stege Bojer couldn’t help but fall in love with the jeans he was selling. So, he did what any true denimhead would do: launch a blog, Denimhunters, to document his growing passion for raw denim and the industry as a whole.

Bojer has since turned his hobby into a book, Blue Blooded: Denim Hunters and Jeans Culture, and a consulting business.

Last year he launched Denimhunters Academy, an online education and training platform that helps retail professionals learn how to create meaningful customer experiences through product knowledge and storytelling. “People come to me with questions all the time,” Bojer said. “So I figured, why not do something professional?”—MA

RIAN BUCKLEY l Founder of Fitcode

l Denimhunters blogger and

denim marketing consultant Rian Buckley left behind a career as a fashion

"I BELIEVE T H AT C EO S T O DAY H AV E A MORAL O B L IG AT IO N A N D A S OC I A L R E S P O N S I B I LITY TO SPEAK OUT ON THE I M P O R TA N T ISSUES OF OUR TIME, EVEN IF T H AT M E A N S TA K I N G A N UNPOPULAR S TA N D.” —CHIP BERGH, LEVI STRAUSS & CO. PRESIDENT & CEO

Frouke Bruinsma

model to address what she quickly discovered was a glaring pain point in the apparel industry: the sizing disparities that all too often make shopping a minefield for consumers who might be a size 6 in one brand of jeans and an 8 in the next.

Since its 2014 launch, her passion project— Fitcode—has helped 250,000+ consumers discover their best fit across a host of denim brands. A Fitcode for men’s denim arrived in December after Buckley’s team had crafted a successful product targeting women’s jeans.

For Buckley, who stepped away in early September 2018 from the startup she launched, it’s a particularly exciting time to be working in denim and in the fashion industry.

“There’s a sea change on the horizon. Brands are embracing size inclusivity,” she said, describing it as a “top of mind” issue. “No body is a bad body, yet many brands still don’t offer a full-size run.”

—Jessica Binns

For Frouke Bruinsma of G-Star Raw, sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint.

Case in point: When she joined the brand as legal counsel 15 years ago, it didn’t even have a corporate responsibility department.

In her current role as the brand’s sustainability director, Bruinsma works to “close the loop” on denim through circular techniques. Her crowning achievement so far? Paving the way for G-Star’s most environmentally friendly jeans to date by developing, in tandem with a group of experts, the first Cradle to Cradle certified Gold denim fabric.

“It was important for us to encourage others to join us towards cleaner and more ethical denim production,” Bruinsma said. “The denim industry is bringing about many great collaborations in the supply chain; it’s great to be part of this process.” — Jasmin Malik Chua

ALBERTO CANDIANI l Owner Candiani

Alberto Candiani was born into the denim business his great-grandfather established 80 years ago.

Now as owner of the Italian mill, he wants to see the entire denim market embrace sustainability—

and not just as a marketing ploy. “To make it tangible it takes investment, science and technology,” he said.

“Nowadays, too many mills and brands, they hide behind the green leaf and you have to investigate and look at your suppliers.”

The necessary changes will come, he said, if denim can ever get the respect it deserves. “Denim doesn’t get the same relevance as other textiles like silk or wool. It’s more popular but it’s taken too much for granted,” he said. “Not many things last as long as denim if you look at society and fashion. It’s an everyday thing that makes our universal society uniform and that’s impressive.” — Caletha Crawford

ALEJANDRO CHAHIN l Founder of Mott & Bow

Mott & Bow founder Alejandro Chahin’s passion for high-quality jeans, and his family’s background in denim, were the foundation for Mott & Bow’s promise to be “the naysayers of $200 jeans.”

The company’s vertically integrated business model allows the entire denim process to be done in-house—from designing and stitching to finishing before the jeans are shipped directly to consumers without additional retail markups.

More categories are coming soon, but Chahin is staying focused on simplicity—something he says shines through in everything Mott & Bow does. “You don’t see back-

Visit our website for e tended profiles sourcingjournal.com/denim/Rivet-50

33

34

JONATHAN CHEUNG

SVP of Levi’s Design for Levi Strauss & Co.

When you’re the head of design for the company that arguably wrote the playbook for good denim design, you might wonder what’s left to perfect. But Jonathan Cheung, SVP of Levi’s Design, is up for the test.

“I remember [Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh] challenging us about certain ‘rules’ and whether they were purely internal-facing and preventing us from adopting new technology,” Cheung said. “You get good answers by asking good questions, and we broke—or rather—added to our tradition shortly afterwards by developing our first ever 01 in stretch.”

Cheung knows there’s room for improvement and new opportunities in the denim space, and that’s part of what keeps him motivated. “For denim, challenges like speed-tomarket or sustainability are highly stimulating, because you have to design your way to solutions. You get into design because you want to create something new, so change is something all designers should have as part of their character,” he said.

“I don’t think we have a right to freeze progress,

so it’s our duty not to get hung up on the past, but to create the future,” Cheung said. “Luckily, when looking towards the future, we get to stand on the shoulders of giants.”—AV

DESERT & DENIM

said. “If you leave with a friendship, you can tailor the collections together. ou can find more meaningful ways to work with one another and have longer lasting relationships in the long run.” —AV

RONNIE FIEG l Owner of Kith

Desert & Denim is in the business of building relationships. The annual B2B event, set in picturesque settings near California’s Joshua Tree National Park, brings together the makers and retailers that prioritize craftsmanship.

And it’s a concept that resonates with denim’s close-knit community.

Founded in 2015 by Hall Newbegin, the event has grown to six-times its original dozen vendors, with exhibitors spanning denim names like BLKSMTH Denim to Levi’s.

“The idea is to spend time together, eat together, party together,” creative director Tobias Hayduk

Ronnie Fieg

Ronnie Fieg has mastered the art of ‘the drop’ with his retail store Kith NYC. The retailer, who cut his teeth in footwear and is known for his covetable collaborations with sneaker giants like Adidas and Nike, is recreating that same level of hype with denim. After a highly successful partnership with Japanese denim brand Ones Stroke in 2015, the retailer officially launched his first denim collection in January 2017. And—no surprise here—many of the styles sold out upon arrival.

In September 2018, Fieg debuted Kith Park, a men's and women's highend streetwear collection featuring collaborations with Levi s, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace and more.

It's that element of surprise that leaves Fieg's loyal fan base anticipating whatever covetable drop he comes up with next.

—MA

Kelly Harrington

DEMNA GVASALIA l Founder of Vetements

Demna Gvasalia

Demna Gvasalia has turned ‘trolling’ into a commercial art form with his own high-end street-

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

KELLY HARRINGTON

l Denim designer, consultant and influencer

Designer. Trend forecaster. Vintage archivist. Street style star.

Stylist. Creative consultant. Instagram influencer. It’d be easier to come up with jobs London-based Kelly Harrington doesn’t do than to try to list off her many roles in the denim sector. With nearly two decades in the fashion business—the majority of which were spent as a print designer, trend forecaster and vintage archivist for Swedish fast-fashion empire H&M—Harrington’s myriad roles share one common thread: an unwavering passion for denim.

Collaborating with everyone from Carhartt and Amazon Fashion U.K. to Paige Denim and Viktor & Rolf, Harrington has made her mark on the industry. She’s taken over the social media for Denim Days festivals across the world, served as a jury member for the Global Denim Awards, and designed looks for Oslo Runway.

One of her most hyped collaborations of 2018 debuted at the end of summer: a highly personal, 15-piece capsule collection for Tom Wood, in which each men’s and women’s design was named after one of Harrington’s family members.

And that’s all without mentioning her powerful role as an Instagram influencer. With more than 45k followers, @kellouhar documents Harrington’s love for all things indigo, while spotlighting under-the-radar denim designers and her endless brand partnerships.

“I like teaming up with unknown designers or new brands that are coming about,” she said, noting her particular love for Japanese and Korean denim. —MA

PHOTO CREDIT: M ATTEO PRANDONI/BFA/SHUTTER STOCK ; SAM DEITCH/BFA/SHUTTERSTOCK

pocket embroidery. You don’t see branding that says to the world, ‘Hey, I’m wearing Mott & Bow,’” Chahin said. “We just want to focus on what makes things good. And for jeans, that’s fabric quality, fit and washing.”—MA

wear brand, Vetements, and as creative director of Balenciaga.

The Georgian designer has tapped into millennials’ fondness for ironic fashion and Instagram-bait with meme-worthy pieces like Balenciaga’s giant jackets, Vetements’ deconstructed denim and a slew of unconventional and pricey collaborations with brands like Hanes, Manolo Blahnik and global shipping company DHL. And Gvasalia is in on the joke, admitting in interviews that he’d rather invest in experiences (in true millennial fashion) than shell out for designer threads. In an interview with The Telegraph, he said, “I don’t think I’m cra y fashion enough to go and buy those things. I’d rather go on holiday. I feel like it brings more use. Holidays are important. Holidays and quality time on your sofa.” —AV

ADRIANO GOLDSCHMIED l The Godfather of Denim

Adriano Goldschmied is a true blueblood—or rather it’s likely at this point that he bleeds indigo. The Italian fashion designer spent a career focused on everything related to jeans. Name any of the top denim labels today and Goldschmied likely either founded them, collaborated with them or inspired them in one way or another.

The so-called godfather of denim has had his hand in brands like Diesel, Gap 1969, as well as his

namesake AG Adriano Goldschmied and Goldsign.

Goldschmied, now in his 70s, has racked up many accolades but those aren’t what brings him joy as he looks back at his accomplished career. “It’s not so much about the brands or products I created in my career, but more about the influence I’ve had in changing, elevating and improving the opportunities and working conditions in the countries where I have been working,” he said. “But, most of all, I am proud of the people that I have been able to bring into the denim business and help make them very successful.”—CC

LUTZ HUELLE

aspirational trend themes like “Wild and Wooly” and “Extroverted Street.”

“There’s so much to do with denim, I think even now we’ve only just scratched the surface,” Huelle said. —AV

KAPITAL The Kapital denim collection fuses the best of both denim worlds: Japan's denim capital of Kojima, for which the label is named, as well as vintage American workwear.

Founded in 1984 by Toshikiyo Hirata, the brand has since put its unconventional spin on multiple categories for both men and women without ever losing the heritage

" I F YO U ’ V E GO T A N I D E A A N D YOU ’ R E PA S S IO N AT E , J U S T WO R K R E A L LY H A R D.” —AMY LEVERTON, DENIM DUDES AUTHOR, BLOGGER & TREND FORECASTER

production techniques that harken back to a more hard-scrabble time.

Kapital operates multiple product facilities where the denim is treated, washed and even sometimes downright tortured until it provides the requisite cool.

"We use all sorts of dyeing materials and techniques, not just traditional natural dyes but also synthetic dyes and newer techniques.

As the Kapital brand, we respect the tradition very much, but we also have to enjoy challenging the norm," Toshikiyo’s son and the brand’s head designer Kiro Hirata, said in an interview with the Canadian streetwear destination Haven.

—CC

THE KARDASHIANS & JENNERS Love them or hate them, when the Kardashian and Jenner sisters post an #OOTD, the social media world takes notes.

And with a combined 470 million followers on Instagram—and counting—the influence held by Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall and Kylie bodes especially well for denim brands.

The first images from the sisters’ “Our Family MyCalvins” campaign for Calvin Klein Jeans dropped in January, causing a stir online for both its eerie barnyard vibe and the inconspicuous

l Lutz Huelle designer

When it comes to shape and constructions, London-based, German-born designer Lutz Huelle is a master manipulator.

The graduate of London’s Central Saint Martins reinvents timeless silhouettes so effortlessly that wrap-over jean jackets and column dresses made with denim and lace begin to look like the new normal.

“I’d love if people looked at something we’ve done and feel like they’ve never seen something like it,” Huelle said about his denim designs. “At the same time, it should not lose its democratic, ‘everyday’ aspect.”

This year Denim Première Vision took note, showcasing the designer’s work at the April 2018 show in Paris. Huelle’s avant-garde designs were well suited for the show’s

Amy Leverton

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BARIS OZDEN

ways then-pregnant Kylie hid her baby bump.

And ever the savvy business woman, Khloé launched maternity jeans for her Made in USA denim brand, Good American, timed perfectly with her pregnancy. —AV

36

AMY LEVERTON

l

Baris Ozden

l Denim Dudes author,

blogger and trend forecaster

Some people grow up knowing they want to be a famous author. Others assume the role by accident, à la Amy Leverton.

The designer turned trend forecaster turned author is the mind behind Denim Dudes and Denim: Street Style, Vintage, Obsession—two industry-leading books about the stylish individuals that make up the indigo world.

“I was meeting a lot of people and designers who would talk about what inspired them. A lot of them were very keen on denim and dressing, and a lot of them were very stylish,” Leverton said.

“So I kind of put the two together.”

With a third book already in the works, Leverton is splitting her time between growing her website, Denim Dudes, and her now-solo trend consulting business. Since branching out on her own as an independent forecaster, she has partnered with such brands as Levi’s, Kingpins and Vivienne Westwood. —MA

Product development manager of Isko

Describing Isko as being “like a family,” Baris Ozden is proud to be an integral member of a pioneering enterprise that has helped denim become a musthave staple in wardrobes across the globe.

Rising through the ranks over 20 years with the world’s largest producer of denim, the development manager oversees the 14 engineers and 10 technicians who comprise the product development team tasked with following and interpreting market trends in order to create Isko’s main and capsule collections.

With a new generation of influencers rising, who are “getting inspired by denim,” Ozden expects future industry stars will further innovate on

denim’s enduring adaptability. Above all, however, Ozden wants to see the denim landscape make even greater strides in sustainability and build on Isko’s record as the only mill to have achieved both EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan Ecolabel for Isko Earth Fit, its lowest impact denim collection.

“At Isko, to produce has always meant to take care: take care of the environment, of the people and, last but not least, of the improvement and evolution in our own sector,” Ozden said. “This approach, all oriented around responsible innovation, has allowed Isko to react both swiftly and effectively to the changes needed and to be able to meet even the most stringent criteria.” —JB

GLENN MARTENS

the nonprofit’s Roadmap "O U R H O P E to Zero Programme, evolving framework I S T H AT T H E anof tools, standards and resources that promotes I N D U S T RY chemical-management best practices, supplies training to fill in knowledge I S PAY I N G gaps and unifies expectafor both brands and AT T E N T I O N T O tions their suppliers.

“I think consumers lack T H E H AVOC I T understanding about the value of a denim product,” CA N W R E A K he said. “I would love for to see how many O N OU R EN V I - people steps of work and how many resources go into a R O N M E N T A N D pair of jeans so they see their value and not make them disposable.”—JMC FIND MORE S U S TA I N A B L E MONKI WAYS T O Fast fashion gets a bad P RO DUCE.” rap, but there are players

Frank Michel

l Y/Project designer

Michael Preysman

Scott Morrison

Andrew Olah

Five years ago, Glenn Martens was largely unheard of by anyone other than those in the inner circles of fashion. But today, he’s the industry’s unofficial design darling, thanks to his ascension to fame as creative director at edgy French fashion label Y/Project.

Martens has transformed Y/Project into a witty collection of boundary-pushing silhouettes, eclectic unisex styles and dramatic designs that merge historical references with quirky youth culture.

This year, Martens was tapped as the second designer for Diesel’s new Red Tag Project. His denim-focused capsule collection featured six looks, all inspired by a classic Diesel item and the brand’s new tagline, “Go with the flaw.”

With everything from

oversized shearling jackets to high-waist jeans, each piece was designed with intentional mistakes, such as too-small waists and extra-long jeans rolled up to fit properly.

This perfect imperfection has been a common thread in Martens’ creations for Y/Project, with his funky denim silhouettes and out-of-thenorm designs spanning across each of the label’s collections.—MA

FRANK MICHEL l Executive director of

ZDHC Foundation

Zero just might be Frank Michel’s favorite number.

As executive director of the ZDHC Foundation, Michel helps businesses like Adidas, H&M, Levi Strauss and Nike to eliminate hazardous chemicals in their supply chains.

He does this as part of

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

—MICHAEL PREYSMAN, EVERLANE FOUNDER & CEO

in the field that are using their mass appeal to share positive messages.

Enter Monki, Hennes & Mauritz AB’s youth-oriented women’s brand that has mastered marketing

Stefano Rosso

to Gen Z through irreverent, colorful campaigns with meaning.

In terms of sustainability, denim is a jumping off point for Monki, which aims to use only recycled or other sustainably sourced materials by 2030.

In addition to offering on-trend, 100 percent organic cotton denim, the brand shares water- and energy-saving tips for at-home care and promotes recycling through its in-store recycling program, Monki Cares. —AV

SCOTT MORRISON l Founder of 3x1

3x1 founder Scott Morrison’s passion for denim is evident in his brand’s atelier in New York City, which he opened in 2011 long before most denim brands were talking about transparency.

Housing selvedge fabric from all over the world and a 24-person factory behind glass, the workshop allows consumers to experience firsthand the world of 3x1 jean making.

What’s exciting for Morrison is the next set of opportunities ahead for today’s denim industry.

“We are living in a time where fashion is more democratic than ever, which gives smaller brands an opportunity to have a greater say,” he said.

“Crowdfunding, crowdsourced merchandising, non-traditional retail, direct-to-consumer, the role of the influencer it’s all incredibly exciting and these are just a few of the ideas that have come in

the past five to 10 years.”— Jasmine Glasheen

The brand found a kindred spirit in Saitex, a facility in Vietnam that recycles 98 percent of its water back into its production, runs on alternative energy and turns its denim byproduct into bricks for building affordable housing.

The result is a coveted collection of men’s and women’s denim that has since expanded to include shorts, skirts and jackets, all of which couple premium materials with Everlane’s signature minimalist aesthetic, affordable pricing and yen for “radical transparency.”

“Our hope is that the industry is paying attention to the havoc it can wreak on our environment and find more sustainable ways to produce,” Preysman said. —JMC

ANDREW OLAH l Founder of Kingpins and

CEO of Olah Inc.

Andrew Olah is feeling reflective. Next year will mark 60 years for his company Olah Inc. which began as a general textile company before opting to focus solely on denim.

July 2019 will also mark 15 years of his Kingpins trade show.

Staying nimble enough to capitalize on opportunities is the key to longevity in this business, Olah said. He thrives on new adventures and his company’s Transformers summit series is a prime example. The event focuses on innovation and sustainability—which Olah said are the future of the denim market.

As the “intellectual and spiritual” head, he hopes to accelerate the industry’s movement toward more ethical practices. “I would like to have a law where all the supply chains had to be stated and their behavior had to be public domain,” he said. “Brands don’t want to change, but they’re forced to. We’re moving at a snail’s pace.” —CC

PHARRELL l Head of imagination for

G-Star Raw

“Head of Imagination” may sound like a superfluous title, but there’s truly no better way to describe the role of artist and fashion

TRAVIS RICE l Project manager for

Alliance for Responsible Denim

icon Pharrell Williams at G-Star Raw. After years of collaborating with the Dutch denim brand to design edgy capsule collections and push its sustainability initiatives forward, the Academy and Grammy Award-winning Williams officially bought into the brand back in early 2016, joining the roster as co-owner and injecting his unique perspective into G-Star’s designs.

In the years since, Williams has helped the brand stay focused on innovation—which is certainly saying something for a company that’s pioneer-

ing denim with 3-D jeans and that released the first Cradle to Cradle certified Gold denim fabric into the market in February 2018.

This fall, Williams is bringing fellow artist and eco-friendly entrepreneur Jaden Smith into the G-Star fold, collaborating with the young influencer to release the Force of Nature collection.

This sustainable denim collection features naturethemed designs—which line up perfectly with the ethos of Smith’s paper water bottle company, JUST—and is sure to deliver on Williams’ promise to bring all things imagi-

native into the G-Star’s collections.—MA

MICHAEL PREYSMAN l Everlane founder and CEO

Michael Preysman, founder and CEO of Everlane, didn’t want to sell denim just for denim’s sake. “Denim is a really dirty business that sends toxic chemicals into our ecosystem with little to no regulation,” Preysman said.

Everlane, on the other hand, wanted to “do the right thing” when it launched denim in 2017.

The successes of the Alliance for Responsible Denim (ARD), Travis Rice said, cannot be attributed to him and him alone. But someone needs to coordinate the organization’s sizeable roster of founders, brands and mills.

As project manager, Rice helps create the scaffold around which the ARD can build a “cleaner, smarter” denim industry.

He facilitates the efforts of the two main working groups (denim finishing and post-consumer recycled denim), connects ARD’s work with kindred initiatives, assembles the quarterly plenary meetings, promotes existing members and solicits new ones.

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He’s also a brand cheerleader, or “the gentle nudger,” he said, as he follow up with brands as they set targets and goals and work toward them.

— JMC

STEFANO ROSSO l CEO of North America,

38

Diesel

Since coming on board as Diesel’s CEO of North America in 2017, Stefano Rosso has been tasked with elevating the Italian denim brand’s U.S. image among streetwear-loving, social media-obsessed millennials and Gen Zers. And he’s doing so in ways that stay true to the brand’s collaborative nature and reputation for clever marketing.

In the past year, Diesel has churned out upcycled collections with Los Angeles-based retailer RCNSTRCT Studio and invited up-and-coming designers during New York Fashion Week: Men’s to reimagine iconic pieces from the brand’s archives.

And in its boldest marketing stunt in years, Diesel bootlegged itself (and highlighted the absurdity of hype brands) by opening a temporary store on New York City’s infamous Canal Street to hawk its own knockoffs.

The goods—complete with misspelled logos—drew a streetwear crowd that lined the block in order to own a piece of Diesel history. —AV

JOSÉ RAFAEL ROYO BALLESTEROS

"WE KNEW WE HAD AN O B L IG AT IO N , AS A P IO N E E R I N G CO M PA N Y, TO RESHAPE THE FUTURE OF JEANS W E A R .”

l Sales director for

Tejidos Royo

As sales manager for his family’s business, Tejidos Royo, José Rafael Royo Ballesteros helps develop business outside Europe.

He has made it something of a personal mission to spread the gospel of dry indigo, the company’s waterless indigo-dyeing technology, to companies that can “make a change” and integrate the process at scale.

“Each one of us has the responsibility to do something, probably small, but when you add a lot of smalls, you get a huge trend,” Royo Ballesteros said. “Denim is beautiful, original and will never be out of style. But we can make it in a much responsible way.”—JMC

BRANDON SVARC l Founder of

Naked & Famous Denim

For Naked & Famous Denim founder Brandon Svarc, denim is art and escapism.

Svarc pours creativity into the brand renowned for design as well as the ability to toe the line between quality and kitsch—manufacturing both clean, distress-free Japanese raw denim and novelty pieces such as rainbow fade denim, glow-in-the-dark varieties,

—BART SIGHTS, VP OF TECHNICAL INNOVATION, LEVI STRAUSS & CO. Bart Sights

BART SIGHTS

l Vice president of technical innovation for Levi Strauss & Co.

Bart Sights has what many probably think of as a dream job in the world of denim. Throughout his 30 years in the industry, Sights has had the opportunity to work in design, product development and manufacturing, and is now vice president of technical innovation for Levi Strauss & Co., and has been running the Eureka Innovation Lab for the past five years.

With his Eureka team, Sights’ research revolves around fiber, fabric, fit and finish. But, Sights said, the advent of digital technology in consumers’ work and lives means Levi’s must also think about another “f”—functionality.

“Our denim industry has been at a crossroads in the past few years, and when we built Eureka, we knew we had an obligation, as a pioneering company, to reshape the future of jeans wear,” he said.

The denim expert thinks Levi’s FLX technology could play a significant role in the jeans consumers

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

will be wearing in years ahead. In short, FLX replaces the manual approach to denim finishing with a laser-based approach and also eliminates most of the chemicals involved in creating the effects and finishes consumers have come to expect.

Future winners in denim will prioritize what customers want, but through a “filter of sustainability.” “I am most proud of how our company, and our teams, are working feverishly to build an operating model for the future that is based on consumer focus, authentic agility, and environmental and social sustainability,” he noted.

As the denim sector makes eco-friendly strides, Sights believes the best is yet to come. “I would love to experience a denim industry in the near future that delivers authentic product to the consumer, capitalizing on the value of self-expression, and with zero impact on the environment,” he said. “I truly believe that is possible.” —JB

scratch-n-sniff pieces, blanket-lined styles and a slew of other unique creations.

After 11 years of business, Svarc will next turn his attention to a Naked Famous first a flagship store in New ork City. At a time when much of the brick-and-mortar landscape is contracting, the denim brand is moving forward with this retail expansion. Looking ahead, Svarc said he’s hoping to be part of a trend that sees “less store closings, more store openings.”—JG

JAY SCHOTTENSTEIN l CEO of American Eagle

Outfitters

While other executives have been distracted by the rocky retail landscape and consumers’ penchant for activewear, Jay Schottenstein has remained focused on denim. And it’s paying off.

The American Eagle Outfitters CEO, who has held the title for more than 14 years over two different stints, has been instrumental in establishing the American Eagle brand as it stands today. And having made denim a pillar of its namesake brand, the company recorded its 20th straight quarter of record jeans sales in Q2.

In fact, thanks to denim, American Eagle is right where it wants to be: top of mind for teens. The company’s denim selection and on-point marketing have propelled it to the No. 2 spot for top clothing brands in Piper Jaffray’s

2018 Gen Z survey, Taking Stock with Teens.

“Our strength in this important lifestyle category has been the foundation of our long-term success and the primary reason why American Eagle is a market leader today,” Schottenstein said.

“We remain highly focused on developing the very best new fabrics, fits, and styles to continue to be the leader in jeans.””—CC

ENRIQUE SILLA l Co-founder of Jeanologia

In the 24 years since he co-founded Jeanologia with his uncle, José Vidal, Enrique Silla has worked tirelessly to bring technology into the denim industry for the sake of a finished product that doesn’t wreak quite so much havoc on the environment.

“Our objective is to become the technological partner to our clients, accompanying them through their process of change, and adding value at each step,” Silla explained. Though Jeanologia makes machinery that enables denim production that’s less reliant on water and harmful chemicals to create the classic faded and whiskered jeans looks, Silla said the company really is about “connecting people and ideas.”

Silla hopes designers lose their fear of technology and embrace its purpose of servicing the industry. “Designers just need to adopt it to have creative freedom,” he noted. —JB

RAF SIMONS

influences from both cities.

One part ‘French girl chic,’ Steinmetz’s designs are often based on iconic denim silhouettes with a gamine twist, like a classic Trucker jacket remade in transparent crinkly fabric.

Others serve made-youlook textures that smack of British quirkiness, including felted denim.

For Steinmetz, denim is a democratic canvas for her playful yet elevated eponymous label. And the industry is taking note.

The designer was awarded the 2017 Swarovski Collective Award for her inventive designs. Dazed Media co-founder Jefferson Hack, and one of the award’s judges, said, “Faustine Steinmetz is a designer, a magician, a technician of fabric, so adept at manipulating textures that she is an almost supernatural dreamweaver.” —AV

l Chief creative officer of

Calvin Klein

resenting his first collection for Calvin Klein in early 2017, chief creative officer Raf Simons wasted no time injecting more life, color and nostalgia into the brand.

Through photo-real prints of Americana, Western styling and a collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Belgium-born Simons has put an idyllic stamp on one of the U.S.’s iconic fashion labels.

And consumers are taking note. Not only did sales at Calvin Klein climb 18 percent in Q2—following a 23 percent increase in Q1 to $977 million—but Simons is also doing the most important thing parent company PVH Corp could ever ask for: bringing it back to the forefront of fashion and making Calvin Klein relevant again. —MA

TARGET

FAUSTINE STEINMETZ l Faustine Steinmetz designer

The denim designs by Paris-born, London-based designer Faustine Steinmetz are a hybrid of

Calvin Klein

Target’s Universal Thread line of apparel, footwear and accessories takes the “universal” part to heart. True to its name, the “denim-grounded” collection is designed for all bodies, including those with adaptive needs.

In developing the line, which debuted in January 2018 amid a blitz of private-label launches, Target surveyed nearly 1,000 women across the country to better understand their shopping pain points.

Universal Thread aims to sidestep some of those hurdles by providing multiple fits, silhouettes, lengths and rises in sizes that

range from 00 to 26W—an expansiveness that’s a first for Target.

Universal Thread has a sustainable bent, too.

Certain styles are made with recycled cotton, and a number of jeans feature polyester pocket linings derived from recycled plastic bottles. Jeggings made with Candiani denim are finished with Kitotex, a water-saving technology that uses chitosan from shrimp and lobster shells in the dyeing process.

—JMC

TOOGOOD When well-crafted selvedge denim—the crème de la crème for denim enthusiasts—comes to mind, thoughts will likely turn to Japan or the United States. Toogood founders, sisters Faye and Erica Toogood, however, are attempting to shift that perception with their unisex, British-made selvedge line.

The sisters take a “workwear-inspired” approach to denim creation, “approaching fashion design obliquely, working with architects, product designers and painters to create hard-wearing pieces that are both practical and sculptural,” the company said.

And the concept is catching on in the U.S., of all places. Speaking to the New York Times, Faye said more than half of Toogood’s orders are from the U.S. “You would think it would be like trying to sell coal to Newcastle, wouldn’t you, trying to sell jeans to Americans?” she said. —Alexandra Mondalek

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SAMUEL TROTMAN

l Contributing editor for Denim Dudes

40

Samuel Trotman is the frontier man of denim. He sees an indigo world before anyone else experiences it. As WGSN’s senior denim editor for eight years, Trotman served as a sounding board for the industry by delving into the lifestyles and ever-changing shopping habits of denim consumers around the world. His task: to identify the tiny sparks bound to become the driving forces in the denim sector.

“Most people think of denim as just a pair of jeans, but there is a whole blue world out there with a huge cultural following around it,” he said.

Throughout the years Trotman traveled to major denim cities around the globe, as well as emerging regions, to feed into his consultancy for big denim names. “You really have to be immersed in all aspects of culture to catch the next big thing. It’s really about pattern recognition and connecting different elements, whether it’s coming from art, film, music or on the high street,” he said.

In September, Trotman announced a new venture, joining Amy Leverton's Denim Dudes as a contributing editor and where he'll continue to pursue his passion for denim.

“I’m lucky to say I have a job which I truly love and that makes it easy for me to balance work and life, as it feels like one and the same—apart from when my wife says I need to put down my phone.”

—AV

"MOST P EO P L E THINK OF DENIM AS J U S T A PA I R O F J E A N S, B U T T H ER E IS A W H O L E B L U E WO R L D OUT THERE WITH A HUGE CU LT U R A L F O L L OW I N G A ROU N D I T.” —SAMUEL TROTMAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR FOR DENIM DUDES

TRUNK CLUB Nordstrom has stepped outside of its traditional offering to ease the shopping experience with Trunk Club, a hybrid in-store and online box service that has managed to make shopping for premium denim a relatively painless process.

The company's core denim brands—Paige, Rag & Bone, AG Jeans, Frame and DL1961—target a variety of denim shoppers looking for mid-range to premium denim styles.

Fashion and retail analyst Charcy Evers said box services like Trunk Club lend themselves well to denim shopping. “It’s something many people dread to do—like swimsuit shopping—because it’s not forgiving,” Evers said.

“To have the ability to get styling advice coupled with many styles to choose from and then to be able to try them on in the privacy and convenience of your own home is a win-win all the way around.”—AM

MOSTAFIZ UDDIN l Managing director of

Denim Expert Limited

Samuel Trotman

When you read through the laundry list of Mostafi Uddin’s resume, you might get the impression that denim in Bangladesh is a one-man show—and he’s at the helm.

The self-professed denim enthusiast serves as the managing director for Bangladesh’s Denim Expert Limited, the niche

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

denim production group he launched in 2009. From product development and marketing to production and logistics, Uddin oversees virtually every aspect of the innovation-focused business, which designs denim in-house for international buyers.

“What is heartening and exciting me in the denim industry right now is that the advent of innovations and ecofriendly technologies is making the industry more sustainable than any time before,” he said. “Denim being the leading apparel in global fashion, I believe the next generation of denim influencers will also take the lead in ensuring sustainability in the global apparel supply chain.”—JB

ALEXANDRA WALDMAN l Founder and creative

director, Universal Standard

Alexandra Waldman left a marketing career to co-found Universal Standard in 2015 with the goal of creating elevated essentials to fit bodies larger than what fashion considers to be “sample size.” Today, the company helmed by the size 20 Waldman carries sizes 0-32, including a range of denim in a variety of lengths.

“A lot of innovation lies in places you would not expect,” Waldman said, optimistic about the size-inclusivity movement. “Broadening your understanding of fit across a bigger variety of body shapes and sizes can

lead to amazing ideas and great brands.”

Waldman wants to see greater sustainability in denim, too. “I would love to see more initiatives to recycle denim—both from the consumer and the manufacturing side,” Waldman said. —JB

MENNO VAN MEURS

CEO of Tenue de Nimes

When Menno van Meurs, CEO of Tenue de Nimes, launched his curated denim shop in 2008, his peers thought he was “out of his mind” to start a company in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Nearly a decade later, the retail operation and budding denim brand is leading an enthusiastic community of denim heads in Amsterdam.

This year, the retailer is celebrating its 10th anniversary through 10 collaborations with van Meurs’s favorite brands, including Vans, Red Wing Heritage, Momotaro, AGoldE, Converse and Levi’s.

Still, there is plenty within the industry at-large that van Meurs would like to see change in the next decade—including greater sustainability and transparency. “It kills me when I think about the fact that 73 percent of the globally produced garments end up being landfill. So, to the new generation: Let’s set a new standard. Buy less, pay more. Be mindful about what you make and purchase,” he said. —AM

THE VINTAGE SHOWROOM Celebrating its 10th year, The Vintage Showroom in London, founded by Douglas Gunn and Roy Luckett, is the secret sauce behind period films and photo shoots.

While denim is a relatively small part of the business, it’s Gunn’s favorite and it shows in The Vintage Showroom’s collaborations. Its archive has become a playroom of inspiration for denim players like Abercrombie & Fitch and Turkish denim mill Orta Anadolu, which has tapped The Vintage Showroom duo for creative projects and to curate its own archive.

“We are now reinterpreting some of the fabrics with [Orta’s] R&D and product development team, which has been a lot of fun, and a real learning curve,” Gunn said. —AV

LIBBY WADLE l President of Madewell

Libby Wadle is determined to get shoppers everywhere to think of Madewell when they think of jeans.

While she admits that Madewell went through a few iterations before finding its current, hugely successful identity, she’s said the journey was necessary.

But now the chain has firmly found its footing.

And why denim? Simple.

as EarthColors, a line of Bluesign-certified dyes derived from recycled plant waste such as beetroot and saw palmetto.

Minimizing our impact on the environment just make sense—nobody would be able to enjoy their denim if there wasn’t clean water or air or “the whole nature around us,” Wessels said. “We are all consumers as well, and there is a lot we can do also by taking responsibility for the planet we leave behind.”—JMC

WE WEAR THE PANTS

We Wear The Pants

She couldn’t think of a better way to create buzz.

“When you find a great pair of pants or a great pair of jeans that fit you really, really well, you want to tell people about it. You ask people when you see a great pair of jeans on them, “Where’d you get those ou look terrific,” she said during a recent Glossy podcast. “So just having that conversation start is super important for the business in terms of growth and awareness for the brand.”

That desire to have Madewell on everyone’s lips led Wadle to focus on jeans as her first order of business when she became president in 2017. “We really tried to create a real energy around our denim business and build around that,” she said. —CC

MARK WERTS l Founder of

American Rag Cie

American Rag Cie may sell a slew of different products, from chic dog beds to cheeky ashtrays, but ultimately, the store is a mecca for true denim believers.

Mark Werts is the guy behind what he calls “the best denim store on earth bar none.” But the shop founder didn’t start out with the aim of claiming that title. An avid traveler and skilled linguist, Werts began collecting cool things from far-flung locales. “American Rag was influenced by many cultures and when I traveled to do the buying for this I noticed what worked and what doesn’t work.

Fashion was an accident, as many things are,” he told Entrepreneur magazine.

It’s been a very happy

accident, indeed. Just ask Werts’ customers, especially those like the denimheads who snapped up the $895 Fear of God jeans just moments after they hit the store floor.

Werts is proud to proclaim his locations feature 1,200 jeans styles from 120 denim brands at the denim bar, which runs the length of the store.—CC

ALEXANDER WESSELS l CEO of Archroma

Alexander Wessels wants to help the denim industry use less water—much less water. As CEO of Archroma, a $1.5 billion color and specialty chemicals company, Wessels would rather his clients sip than slurp. The company has invested in several water-saving solutions like Advanced Denim technology as well

Alexander Wessels

Designers Gabriella Meyer and Marta Goldschmied came together this summer to launch a thought-provoking capsule collection, “We Wear the Pants.” The duo founded the collection to address issues of gender inequality, in response to recent cultural and political events and the struggles that have plagued both designers at different times in their respective careers.

The collection features denim with laser-etched newspaper clips about the #MeToo movement.

The bespoke nature of the capsule represents what Meyer loves about denim right now. “I think we are seeing the democratization of the blue jean.

People want the personal, customized look to their jeans, whether that be a custom fit or additive details. The consumer likes to know that they can communicate with the designer to help achieve a vision that is unique to them,” she said. —JG

Visit our website for e tended profiles sourcingjournal.com/denim/Rivet-50

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42 RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

the remix

There’s something about denim that serves as an invitation for designers to deconstruct and destroy.

Patchwork, two-tone denim and hybrid silhouettes are tame compared to the spring season’s

DOLCE & GABBANA

MSGM l_____

MARTINE ROSE l_____

l_____

PROEZNA SCHOULER l_____

new fondness for extra appendages, denim chaps and nonsensical layering.

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RUNWAY TRENDS S/S 19 FACE TASM

Y/ P R O J EC T l_____

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w ords_____ ANGELA VELASQUEZ

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acid test

Denim with high-contrast acid effects are among the fashion relics from the ’80s that are trending once again.

The wash feels fresh on new voluminous jeans, double-layer jean

MIU MIU

PAL ZILERI l_____

XANDER ZHOU l_____

l_____

JOHN L AUR ENCE SUL L I VA N l_____

jackets, child-like jumper dresses and preppy outerwear silhouettes.

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

beach bound Wave effects, bright casts and relaxed pleated silhouettes smack of laidback seaside style, while hibiscus laser

prints, tie-dye and shoe lace belts are bound to resonate with beach bums. The polarizing ‘jort’ lives

LIAM HODGES

STUDIO 189 l_____

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l_____

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here too, returning in ’90s-era, below-the-knee lengths.

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

pocket detector The bigger the pocket, the bigger impression the jeans make. In a season that steps away from traditional workwear,

cargo pockets make an ironic return on ’90s-style wide leg jeans and bulk to slim silhouettes.

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hite’s fisherman vest could double as carry-on luggage.

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RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

color bait

Denim can’t escape millennials’ love for bright colors. Classic denim silhouettes like the Trucker

acket gets a fresh paint ob in yellow, tangy orange and fire engine red.

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The color stories complement the season’s hybrid athleisure too.

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From exposed zippers and dangling straps, to chains and gratuitous metal hoops, hardware brings an

unseasonable edgy look to spring denim. The subversive trims strike the right chord with Gen Z

ETUDES

JEREMY SCOTT l_____

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consumers discovering raver and goth fashion for the first time.

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

frills and thrills Designer denim has no time for basics. Familiar silhouettes like skinny jeans and Trucker jackets get a makeover with jacquards, fur-like fringe and excessive destruction.

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Panels of satin add a luxury sport look, while lace trim brings on the kitsch.

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RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

the factory

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Head-to-toe denim takes on a uniform look, minus the functionality of traditional workwear.

Jumpsuits offer street appeal with patchwork patterns and slouchy silhouettes. Exaggerated

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proportions and pockets enliven button-down denim shirts and coordinating jeans.

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

big deal

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Denimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return to wide silhouettes calls for drapey fabrications and vivid shades of blue.

While sleeves puddle over hands and pant legs swish with each step,

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

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designers show off an impressive level of tailoring and refinement.

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l_____F RO M L E F T: A DA M S E L M A N TO P, A L B E RTA FERRETTI STUDDED JEANS, A Z L E E N E C K L AC E , J E N N I F E R F I S C H E R E A R R I N G , OA K L E Y SUNGLASSES; G M B H TO P, J E A N S B Y A LY X , L A RU I C C I N E C K L AC E , OA K L E Y S U N G L A S S E S ; M S G M J E A N JAC K E T, S AC A I SKI RT, L A RUI C C I RI NG.

WARRIORS High-end streetwear takes denim to the next level.

ST YL E D B Y WWD STAFF /

P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y T I M OT H Y SM I T H

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l_____FAUS TI NE ST E INME TZ SL E EVE L E SS J E A N JAC KET AND SI L K C OL L AR , Y/PROJECT J E A NS, PO PPY L ISS IMA N S UNGL A SSE S, B -LO W T HE B ELT BE LT, FE ND IE B OOTS.

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RIVET NO.5 / MARCH 2018

l_____F RO M L E F T: U N R AV E L JAC K E T A N D S K I RT, P O P P Y LISSIMAN SUNGLASSES, PAU L A N D R E W S H O E S ; D E N I M JAC K E T A N D J E A N S B Y G M B H , RO B E RTO C AVA L L I S N E A K E R S , OA K L E Y S U N G L A S S E S , L A RUI C C I NE C KL AC E .

l_____F RO M L E F T: Y/ P RO J E C T O N E - P I E C E JAC K E T A N D TO P, C I E J E A N S ; I C E B E RG JAC K E T A N D PA N T S , F E N D I FA N N Y PAC K , JAC Q U E M U S B U C K E T H AT, R I N G S B Y P Y R R H A , L A RU I C C I A N D R J G R A Z I A N O ; Y/ P RO J E C T D E N I M JAC K E T A N D J E A N S , M S G M S H I RT, B O OT S B Y C A LV I N KL E I N.

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l_____U N R AV E L JAC KET, G M B H S H I RT, M A RTINE ROSE J E A N S , B E LT B Y H E RON P RE S TO N , RO B E RTO CAVALLI S NE A K E R S , R I N G S BY P YR R H A , L A RU C C I AND RJ GR AZ I AN O.

l_____A M I R I S H I RT A ND JEAN JAC K E T, J E A N S B Y F ENG CHE N WAN G.

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l _____U N R AV E L JAC K JEANS E T, O S , B E LT MAN B Y B -L B E S L T, OW TH FENDI E B O OT S .

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

l_____FRO M L E F T: A DA M SELMAN TO P, A L B E RTA FERRETT I J E A N S ; M S G M JACKET, S AC A I S K I RT WORN OV E R R 1 3 J E A N S , GUCCI SU N G L A S S E S ; GMBH TO P, A LY X J E A N S , OAKLEY S U N G L A S S E S , PALM ANGEL S SNEAKERS.

Photo Assistant: JD Barnes Models: Gytis Gedvilas at One Management, Gabriel Gomieri at One Management, Nya Kong at Supreme Management, Chen Xi at Muse Hair by Luisa Popovic Makeup by Asari Duke Market Editors: Luis Campuzano, Emily Mercer, Andrew Shang, Thomas Waller Fashion Assistants: Kayana Cordwell, Victor Vaughns

STREETWEAR

S

ST R EE T SM

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ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S MARTS 71 ST R EE T SM A R T S STREETWEAR

STREET SMARTS

From Middle America to Iceland, streetwear is becoming the category to watch.

HOW STREETWEAR IS STEALTHILY OVERTAKING FASHION

By Judith Russell GIANNA D., A 20-YEAR-OLD college sophomore from suburban Michigan, transitioned gradually, during high school, from a repertoire of Lilly Pulitzer dresses and Sperry shoes to Vans, bomber jackets, baseball caps and graphic T-shirts. She wouldn’t dream of going back to the conservative style she embraced in adolescence. For her, showing her individuality with a side helping of attitude has been an empowering and liberating step toward maturity. “Having this new way to dress has helped me work through who I am and how I want to be perceived,” Gianna said.

Multiply this by the millions of young consumers who have embraced a similar sentiment, and it’s no wonder streetwear and fashion have become virtually synonymous. Once the domain of the alternative and the rebellious, street style has exploded as a mode of youthful self-expression.

Despite the rumors that younger shoppers have eschewed buying stuff in favor of investing in experiences, a recent Piper Jaffray study on teen spending concludes that clothing remains the No. 1 category for young women, at 25 percent of total spending, and No. 2 for young men (after food).

The study showed that street labels like Vans, Adidas, Gucci, Supreme and Champion all rose in the ranks in the past year, while Ralph Lauren and Nike fell. In other words, teens are pouring more of their money into street-inspired hoodies, tees and sneakers than into polo shirts and khakis.

Matthew W., a 24-year-old Californian who’s been wearing brands like Kanye West's Yeezy and Kith for the past several years, is wondering how long his streetwear wardrobe will last him. “The question is, how should I be thinking about style for the next phase of my life? Can I dress like this when I am in the real world, with a real job?”

The answer, it turns out, is an enthusiastic yes.

Garments adorned with simple graphics and pop culture references have made their way onto the runway, into the office and even to formal events without eliciting so much as a second glance.

“What we feel about streetwear is that it is a movement, not a moment," said Leslie J. Ghize, executive vice president of TOBE. “While preppy may have been a lifestyle-driven style–a trend, if you will–streetwear is being worked into everyone’s style, whether they know it or not.”

The strength of the movement, according to Ghize, is in timing and influence. “Timing in that casualization and comfort have steadily gained steam and are here to stay. Influence in that the most dynamic designers and creatives in fashion, music and art are unconventional rule-breakers.

They live, dress and create on their own terms.”

Some of the oldest and most venerable design RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

houses are today being driven by (and stealthily appropriating) this style look. Gucci, Balenciaga and Chanel are joining the club. There's almost no brand in the designer segment that doesn’t have a luxury sneaker, and virtually all have streetwear design cues threaded through their collections, including things like monogram logos, high-low collaborations, track pants and sweatshirts.

This is giving a sizable dose of legitimacy to the aesthetic.

Leaders in the space One of the most successful streetwear brands today is arguably 24-year-old Supreme, the underground label with a cult following and only a dozen stores.

It has bypassed traditional marketing strategies, instead relying on word-of-mouth and collaborations to generate consumer excitement—and that excitement is palpable.

Visit Supreme’s store in New York’s Soho neighborhood at any hour of any day of the week and there will be a line to get in. It's a scene virtually unheard of in today’s heavily disrupted teen apparel retail space in which brands like Abercrombie and Fitch are struggling to attract traffic, and Aéropostale and American Apparel have filed for bankruptcy protection.

Unlike traditional brands, street players give social media-savvy millennials and Gen Zers connection to a community that embraces authenticity, peer recommendations over agency-produced commercial messages.

STREETWEAR

"[STREETWEAR IS] A MOVEMENT, NOT A MOMENT.” — L ESL IE J. GHI Z E, TOBE E V P. who worked as Kanye West’s creative director and was hired by LVMH as creative director for Louis Vuitton in early 2018, has been called a fashion/ streetwear hybrid, reminding some of Yves Saint Laurent’s introduction of couture-influenced ready-to-wear items in 1966.

Companies like Revolve have also increased offerings of streetwear brands, including Australian label I AM GIA, a fashion label loved by millennial ‘It’ girls Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski for its edgy style.

"I think mainstream girls are starting to embrace streetwear mainly because of the casual, comfortable nature of the outfits," said Lucie Fink, producer and lifestyle host at Refinery29. "The clothing is generally oversized and is extremely functional while still being expressive."

What's up next for streetwear In June, the Council of Fashion Designers of America named Supreme the “Best Menswear Designer of the Year.” Given that the last three winners have been Raf Simons, Thom Browne and Tom Ford, the recent win for streetwear is huge, and proves the trend won't be going away anytime soon.

According to TOBE’s Ghize, there's a whole new crop of streetwear 2.0 labels on the horizon.

“Some of our favorite newer brands are Ader Error,

ST R EE T SM A ST R EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM ST R ST R EE T SM A R T S Mad Happy, Perks And Mini, Kid Super, and Aimé Leon Dore.”

She hastened to add, “But we still love Palm Angels, Supreme, Gosha Rubchinskiy, Golf Wang, Noah, Kith and Off-White, although we see these collections growing up a bit, and we like that.”

power, the millennial and Gen Z consumers have played an integral part in driving the growth of streetwear,” Trendalytics said. “The hunt continues for the most Instagrammable products, and consumers looking for unique and exclusive items are willing to pay.”

A global outlook

STREETWEAR TAKES CUES FROM A MYRIAD OF SOURCES

By Angela Velasquez Streetwear has been shaped by influencers, long before “influencers” became a job. And while streetwear’s dominance on the runway and its evolution into luxury offers a new narrative, the category itself has had nearly half a century to percolate.

In a recent report, trend forecasting firm Trendalytics outlined the evolution of streetwear from its start as a 1970’s California social movement defined by the laidback surf style of Shawn Stussy, the founder of Stüssy, into a mainstream global category estimated to be valued at $309 billion.

That evolution has been fueled by influencers—be it celebrities, athletes or the masterminds behind hype machine brands like Ronnie Fieg and Virgil Abloh—and the prevalence of social media as a branding tool for both brands and individuals.

“As digital natives with significant spending RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

Over the course of 50 years, streetwear has traversed the world to become the urban uniform for city dwellers. Yet, spots that typically fall off the fashion radar, like say Kazakhstan, have become unlikely hotbeds for streetwear, putting their own spin on the category. In Kazakhstan, fakes come first. In response to Vetements’s 2016 “Official Fake” collection, Trendalytics said Kazakhstanis have taken to making DIY fakes by painting jean jackets and making spoofs of popular logos.

In Iceland, it's vintage that rules. There, classic skate brands like Thrasher and Stüssy are paired with retro furry jackets and sweaters. In Nigeria, streetwear is a blend of Western fashion like jeans, T-shirts and Vans, and native elements like colorful patterned cotton textiles.

Streetwear in South Korea and Mexico have punk and rock undertones. Combat boots, leather jackets and piercings make up streetwear in Korea, while Mexico skews toward goth and logo T-shirts.

Social and streetwear Rather than splashy ad campaigns and celebrity spokespeople, social media has become the de facto platform for consumers to discover streetwear

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Supreme’s most popular items are those featuring its logo. Items disappear rapidly, and the dearth of merchandise creates a longing similar to one generated by a sold-out concert. Is this a broader theme for Gen Z and millennials?

The young have grown up with boundless information and resources at their fingertips, so perhaps elite streetwear is filling an inherent need to covet things that are in limited supply. In 2017, Supreme sold a stake that reportedly valued the company at $1 billion to private equity firm Carlyle Group. This staggering valuation spoke directly to the power of streetwear.

Supreme is not the only major player in the industry. Off-White, founded by Virgil Abloh,

STREETWEAR

Collaborations are clutch Social media has certainly helped heritage streetwear brands stay relevant and given up-and-coming labels a foothold. However, a buzz-worthy collaboration can be just as impactful.

Trendalytics named Chinatown Market, Rokit

EE T SM A R T S ST R EE T SM A R T S T SM A R T S

MARTS

" T H E IM PAC T OF S T R EE T W E A R ON LUXURY CA N NOT B E U N DER S TAT ED.” —T R ENDA LY T IC S and Spaghetti Boys as emerging brands with "explosive growth" in terms of buzz. The social media interactions of all three brands have grown sixtimes over last year, but they have also benefited by teaming up with well-known personalities like Lebron James and brands like Off-White.

When Fear of God partnered with Justin Bieber for a line of shirts, the brand got an automatic in with all 102 million of his followers on Instagram.

Same with Puma, which has tapped into Selena Gomez’s and Rihanna’s loyal and vast followings through long-term collaborations.

Collaborations are also a way for streetwear brands to evade the deadly notion of “selling out,” Trendalytics pointed out.

If Supreme churned out $100,000-plus steamer trunks on its own, its base may have raised an eyebrow. But an ironic collaboration with Louis Vuitton, the label that epitomizes luxury and old-world allure? Well, that makes said trunk a sought-after collector’s piece for both sides.

Trendalytics said products from these high-level types of collaborations can sell out within 15-30 seconds, underscoring the importance of selecting the right partner.

If collaborations have proved anything it's that streetwear loves irony. The past year welcomed a string of nonsensical collabs like Vetements x DHL and Virgil Abloh x IKEA; which leads to a new question: could streetwear have a place in home goods?

Luxury goes street The Supreme and Louis Vuitton relationship could be a case study that demonstrates RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

how luxury has warmed-up to streetwear. In 2000, Louis Vuitton sued Supreme for unauthorized use of its trademark. Today, the former dueling brands are the forces behind the collab that future “highlow” partnerships will likely be compared to in terms of sales, buzz and the ability to cross genres.

And don’t underestimate the influence highbrow interests have on streetwear. Contemporary artists tend to be authentic collaborators with streetwear labels. After all, while on the surface streetwear has been about surf, skate and hip-hop, Trendalytics said it has always been about more than just clothes—it encompasses art and culture.

For example, ’80s artist Jean-Michel Basquiat was known for combining high and low aesthetics by pairing streetwear and thrift store finds with formal wear—a style that still inspires streetwear influencers like Jay Z and Kanye West.

Meanwhile, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami has a developed new fan bases through his long-running and colorful collaborations with Louis Vuitton and subsequent artwork collaborations with artists like Kanye West and Kid Cudi, Trendalytics said. The artist is also working with streetwear labels like Billionaire Boys Club.

“The impact of streetwear on luxury cannot be understated,” Trendalytics said. And that influence is poised to grow as the spending power of streetwear-loving millennials surpasses older generations.

WHAT DOES THE STREETWEAR TREND MEAN FOR DENIM?

By Angela Velasquez Fashion’s present embrace of streetwear bodes well for the denim category. Whether it’s transformative designs made from deconstructed denim, or back-to-basics high-waisted mom and dad styles, jeans are a likely pairing for streetwear’s core items: graphic logo tees and sneakers.

And that’s what makes this strain of streetwear different from previous iterations—it’s democratic, in that when it comes to denim, anything goes. “There’s a broader idea of what streetwear is nowadays,” Karen Moon, CEO and co-founder ofTrendalytics, said.

Whereas in the past street was solely about youth culture, Moon says the current look for denim as streetwear runs the gamut from wide and baggy, to fitted, stylized and even tailored. “It’s

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and its influencers.

Instead of relying on endorsed posts, labels like Vetements, Bape and Palace Skateboards saw the most engagement from their own brand postings, Trendalytics said, indicating these brands have enough brand power to stand on their own.

That’s not to say that star power is waning. An endorsed post by a celebrity or influencer with an 'organic feeling' has its benefits.

While millennial celebrities like Zayn Malik, The Weeknd and Ansel Elgort have the highest total social post engagement from their branded posts, Trendalytics said top influencers gaining social buzz include surfers Laura Enever and Kelly Slater, each capturing more than 10-times the engagement per mentioned post than Kanye West.

And those deeply immersed in the world of fashion are influencing the category. Designers Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston, and model Luka Sabbat— who is described as a “young creative entrepreneur” on his website—lead Trendalytics’ list of the top three fastest growing streetwear influencers on Instagram.

3 x1.us

3 x1.us

supima.com

supima.com

Supima by 3 x1 Everyday Reimagined Honoring brands that bring passion and artistry to reinventing the essentials; making the everyday exceptional.

Photography Scheltens & Abbenes

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individualistic,” she said, noting that as streetwear becomes more mainstream, it will create new opportunities for all markets—especially denim.

The rise of streetwear has certainly invited new opportunities for women’s denim brands to experiment outside the confines of the skinny jean. For one, the trend has created a shift in women’s silhouettes, Katie Smith, retail analysis and insights director for Edited, said, adding that “a wider and more square aesthetic is now leading.”

What’s more, Smith said, “Layering has become more playful and innovative, with a mixing up of weights and lengths.”

For Spring ’19, Kelly Helfman, vice president of UBM Fashion, sees women’s brands going in one of two directions: boss lady chic with man-tailoring, or full-fledged street. “Women wearing menswear suiting will continue to be strong, but denim will stay,” Helfman said. “Designers will take more risks with street inspiration.”

From drop crotch to baggy denim, Helfman said the voluminous denim shapes are already in

"DESIGNERS WILL TAKE MORE RISKS WITH STREET INSPIRATION” — K EL LY HEL F M A N, UBM FA SHION V P stores and their presence there will grow.

And as mass market increasingly adopts streetwear, Smith says brands are finding more ways to reflect the trend in the denim category. “We’re seeing that come through as an increasing number of nonjean denim garments, such as denim jackets, coats, shirts, vests, skirts and dresses. These garments are innovative with pockets, fastenings and silhouettes, but still give off that nonchalant streetwear aesthetic thanks to the casual feel of the fabric,” she said.

The style is really a continuation of the ’90s fashion revival. That influence, Smith said, is seen through shapes, like cargo pants and washes, specifically the mid-blue wash that was so popular throughout the decade.

Cosigning that, Helfman said, “With the ’80s and ’90s influencing fashion, denim is getting wider and streetwear is influencing our looks more than ever…Wider legs are not going anywhere.”

Streetwear also lends itself well to the ongoing buzz surrounding the genderless fashion category.

As Smith pointed out, street has pushed a less gender-defined aesthetic, which is influencing both the men’s and women’s markets.

“Street garments have cross-appeal, with women shopping from menswear lines and some brands catering to this with unisex lines,” she said.

Across genders, Smith says she sees a general loosening of silhouette, with wider fit jeans, puffed-out jackets and longer-line top. “Playing with these proportions is how streetwear will continue to reinvent and remain relevant,” she said.

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NOIR IS THE NEW BLACK The SUPERCHARGED NOIR DENIM collection

Join us as we unveil a new chapter in durable, responsible denim.

STRONG | SOFT | SUSTAINABLE | STAYS TRUE

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SUPERCHARGED NOIR COLLECTION AT CORDURA.COM

©2018 INVISTA. CORDURA® is a trademark of INVISTA for durable fabric. TENCEL™ is a trademark of LENZING AG. All other marks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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A D V E R T O R I A L

THE TRANSFORMERS SUMMIT TALKS INNOVATION The next editions of the denim conference will uncover the ways in which the industry can work together to bring about processes that are more responsible as well as commercially viable.

T

he denim industry is on a quest to make the production process faster, safer, cleaner and smarter, and the jeans themselves more comfortable and stylish than ever. An evolution on that scale only comes one way: through innovation.

That’s the thinking behind the next editions of the Transformers denim summits, which will take place in Amsterdam on October 23 and New York on June 4, 2019. The conference, which was launched by Andrew Olah, a denim industry veteran, will welcome speakers from a slate of companies that includes Lenzing Fibers, VF Group and Indigo Mill Designs.

Olah selected innovation this time because he’s keenly interested in change and more specifically, how those companies that survive adapt to new circumstances, create new workflows and influence those around them—all while sticking to their ideals.

While Olah would characterize the rate of change in the denim market as sluggish to say the

least, he admits he’s seen an evolution since launching the Kingpins trade show over a decade ago.

For instance, sustainability, while still in its infancy in many ways, has evolved. “There was no talk about sustainability 15 years ago. There were green rooms and segments at shows, which was a marketing ploy, but no companies changing the way they were doing business,” he said.

Environmental Evolution These days, he sees a much higher level of awareness and willingness to make ethical choices. “It used to be that a good factory was cheap and fast, and cheap and fast means they’re probably not making [the product], he said. “Today, people want to be working with factories that are the actual factories that are making the goods and are sustainable and deal with their workers in a proper manner and a company that the brand would be proud for their public to know they’re buying from.”

While she agrees that denim has a way to go

to keep up with environmental needs and consumer demands, Tricia Carey, Lenzing Fibers’ director of global business development for apparel, has noted marked improvement when it comes to things like fiber innovation, new technologies and sustainability efforts over the last five years.

“For denim, I find the recent developments around more sustainable indigo dyeing like foam dyeing very interesting,” she said, adding apparel at large is working on some intriguing new innovations as well. “Overall, I think the technology for body scanning is amazing and will be key to the apparel industry in the future.”

And Carey is proud to be a part this dynamic market. Lenzing specializes in environmentally responsible fibers but Carey is especially excited by its latest innovation Tencel x Refibra, which is created through a closed loop process that combines fabric waste with wood pulp. “This is a true innovation for man-made cellulosic fibers. The ability to produce a strong, quality fiber with recycled waste, which is equivalent to virgin fiber is true innovation,” she said.

Tencel x Refibra also demonstrates another characteristic Carey says is important when evaluating new processes or technologies—how well it’s adopted in the industry. In just 18 months on the

A D V E R T O R I A L

market, Lenzing has secured global partners like DL 1961, Inditex, Eileen Fisher and Patagonia.

A Coordinated Effort

dustry operates changes more than just the impact.

It changes the paradigm, and that’s rare,” he said.

But even given his enthusiasm for the huge potential for foam dyeing, he’s careful to note that smaller scale improvements are important as well— if they are part of a comprehensive plan for continual improvement. “This is how the bulk of sustainability work is achieved, and incremental improvement on scale can be really meaningful,” he said.

VF has been turning over every rock to find ways to make the denim-making process better—

Bringing new ideas to market in an environment where cost is king is challenging, however. That’s why Ralph Tharpe, founder of Indigo Mill Designs, said too often the industry shies away from what could otherwise be disruptive technologies.

Instead of sidelining innovation that could require costly R&D, he suggests the industry find ways to collaborate to bring them to market.

An example of how that could work is IndigoZero, a process that’s designed to greatly reduce the amount of water used in the dyeing process. While Indigo Mills was at the forefront of developing the technology, the project, which has cost more than a million dollars, is the result of funds from the Walmart Foundation Innovation Fund, the Wrangler® and Lee® brands of VF Corporation and Texas Tech University matchTricia Carey and daughter ing grant funds from the at Transformers NYC state of Texas as well as support from Gaston Systems Inc., which pioneered the initial concept.

Though the price tags for projects like this are hefty, Tharpe says the rewards can outweigh the risks, if done properly. “A true innovation creates value where it did not exist before,” he said.

And that’s exactly what Roian Atwood, director of sustainability for VF Group, sees as the ROIAN ATWOOD, DIRECTOR future of IndigoZero, which purports to eliminate OF SUSTAINABILITY FOR VF GROUP about 99 percent of the water and chemicals needed for conventional dyeing methods. “Just standing beside the old and new technology is enough to realize how dramatic the new technology is,” literally. The company has teamed up with U.S. he said. “Compared to a 100-yard-long dye range farmers to develop best practices in soil managewith eight to 12 water baths, the new technology is ment. “It’s our view that the supply chain begins downright tiny. It uses foam to dye the yarn instead with the land and the family farmers who produce of multiple 1,500-gallon boxes of water.” our cotton, and science tells us that soil has treAtwood expects the new technology to “revomendous potential to improve environmental and lutionize” the industry and exemplify what true ineconomic outcomes,” he said. novation is. “Innovation that changes the way an inThat dual benefit is what it takes to get the in-

"Innovation needs to save money and resources to truly be sustainable and commercially viable."

dustry on board with change in Atwood’s opinion.

“Innovation needs to save money and resources over the long run to truly be sustainable and commercially viable,” he said. “Cost will always be a key concern for stakeholders, but one of the challenges is an over-fixation on cost without recognizing that there is value to be unlocked through innovation and sustainable product developments.”

Atwood wants the industry to get behind innovation that’s designed to address real world problems like sub-surface drip irrigation as well as variable-rate herbicide application—both of which could “significantly transform” the supply chain from his perspective.

Drip irrigation also makes Tharpe’s list of intriguing innovations along with waterless mercerization using liquid ammonia and automating laser abrasion at higher speeds.

But whatever the industry comes up with next, he said the key will be for teams to work together to come up with the best solutions.

“Fabric production and garment production and wash all need to get in the same silo,” Tharpe said, adding it would help root out redundancies. “The solution is a free and open exchange of ideas.”

That call for better communication and collaboration is exactly what Transformers was established to facilitate. “Collaborating with industry colleagues on sustainable innovations is not a common occurrence,” Atwood said. “To have the Transformers forum to cross-pollinate ideas, learn from one another, and advance our collective thinking on shared industry problems is inspiring and a valuable use of our time.”

Carey, too, is excited to network with industry colleagues at the upcoming summits. Her goals are to educate, inspire and learn. “We can’t sit behind our computers sending emails—that’s not going to drive change,” Carey said. “We are in a people business and Transformers gives the platform for people to connect ideas.”

To learn more, please visit: kingpinstransformers.com

BLENDE The latest fiber innovation yields multi-tasking denim for discriminating consumers. wor ds_____ J U D ITH RU S S ELL

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nce the exclusive domain of cotton, denim is now an area of fertile innovation and tremendous growth opportunity for man-made fibers, too. The renewed interest in what goes into the clothing consumers wear, and how it can improve their lives, has inspired man-made fiber and fabric makers to develop some of the most comfortable, eco-friendly and high-performing denim the industry has seen.

Rivet caught up with several of the industry’s leading specialty synthetic fiber producers to get their perspectives on evolving consumer demands and how aesthetics, performance and sustainability are figuring into the next generation of hybrid textiles for denim and other casual bottom weight fabrics.

SUSAN LYNN, FIBERVISION GLOBAL

wants apparel that balances form and function by incorporating fabrics that are comfortable, lightweight, packable and faster-drying than all-cotton denim. And unlike earlier versions of polypropylene fiber, which were limited by the necessity to solution dye at the spinning source, CoolVisions works well with complementary fibers and dyes easily in fabric form.

According to Lynn, CoolVisions outperforms other fibers when it comes to moving moisture and drying quickly, and it’s also durable and abrasion resistant, which gives it greater longevity and an ideal sustainability profile. What’s more, its cradle-to-factory carbon footprint is among the lowest of all synthetic fibers.

CoolVisions is being used by Taiwan weaver Da Kong for its line of cotton-blend denims in varying weights and by SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR HerMin in styles blended with cotton and nylon.

Active lifestyle The comfort and ease-of-movement qualities that consumers got accustomed to during the athleisure boom have become the price of entry for denim makers.

“Make no mistake—performance textiles are here to stay,” said Susan Lynn, global sales and marketing director for Fibervisions, which makes CoolVisions dyeable polypropylene. “We’re seeing significant interest in CoolVisions fiber for its inherent softness, easy dyeability and performance attributes.”

The product’s benefits have been attracting the attention of urban dwellers, commuters, business travelers and outdoor enthusiasts, according to Lynn.

In its research, Fibervisions found that today’s young urbanite

Beyond durability The demand for style and comfort is hardly limited to the fashion space. Even consumers who wear denim for more practical safety and protection purposes want their jeans to look and feel good.

And the trend has resulted in a spate of new product development at Invista’s Cordura nylon division.

“In 2010, Cordura was the first fiber brand to launch technical performance denim, a natural progression from our military fiber heritage,” said Cindy McNaull, Cordura global brand and marketing director. “We worked with denim mill Artistic Milliners and apparel brands in the core ‘protection’ segments of workwear, motor cycle

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94 26 of Sensil premium nylon 6.6. clothing and climbing gear.”

Nilit is working with several mills, including Brazil-based McNaull explained that as the demand for durability expanded Vicunha Textiles, on performance bottom weights that combine beyond those early adopters to more style-driven segments like chilthe authenticity of denim with the performance and aesthetic feadren’s jeans, skateboarding pants, outdoor apparel and women’s tures of Sensil premium nylon 6.6. The resulting fabrics have an workwear, comfort and aesthetics have become more important. appealing drape and luster, a soft, light hand, plus inherent colorThe newest generation of Cordura denim is actually a co-defastness and moisture management. Specialty variants of Sensil, velopment with Cone Mills that combines the strength and like Breeze offer cooling properties, Heat offers warming propdurability of Cordura with the exceptional stretch and recovery erties, Innergy provides a dose of muscle invigoration, Aquarius of Cone S-Gene high-performance dual-core technology. The adds moisture transport to its list of properties, and the BodyFresh resulting fabrics have a softer hand and more comfortable fit—as variant of Sensil provides well as the durability and added odor-resistance. quality standards Invista’s “Summer jeans fabrics Cordura brand demands. made on cotton warp with The range will be offered filling yarns containing in authentic indigo and Sensil Breeze reduce the black colors in a range of body temperature by an weights from 10.75 ounces entire degree, providing a to 11.75 ounces, with cool and comfortable option varying stretch, from 14 for travel, casual Fridays, and percent to 32 percent.

TRICIA CAREY, LENZING'S DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL everyday city life,” Fabianne The best technical BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Pacini, Nilit’s marketing denim fabrics today, manager for Latin America according to McNaull, are said, commenting on what’s become one of the most appealing those that contain what she calls the “hidden science” of durability.

Sensil performance products. “The benefit is so evident that consumThese fabrics don’t “scream in your face,” but do their job behind ers feel the freshness as soon as they touch the garments.” the scenes while softness, light weight and great stretch and recovThe Vicunha fabrics have created lots of excitement in denery remain front and center. Carhartt, Dovetail, Levi Strauss & Co. im-obsessed Brazil. And Nilit’s Berardi sees summer jean fabrics and Marmot are some of the brands McNaull considers to be taking taking off in the U.S. and Europe, too. performance to the next level of style and comfort for denim.

“The lighter weight, enhanced aesthetics and superior performance benefits of Sensil in denim will give today’s savvy, multiPerformance plus tasking consumers a solid return for their investment by providing As consumers’ lifestyles become increasingly varied, they want jeans that feel great, look great, and make their lives better without their denim to do more to suit. harm to the planet or its inhabitants,” Berardi said.

“We are living in an era of what some call the ‘24/7 life,’ for which we need multitasking apparel that can take us from early in Sustainability 2.0 the morning until late at night without compromise of comfort or Denim is also starting to embrace its more sustainable side. style,” said Pierluigi Berardi, VP of global marketing at Nilit, maker

"(M IL L EN N I A L S) WA N T TO K NOW HOW A N D W H ER E T H EIR J E A N S A R E M A DE.”

RIVET NO.6 / OCTOBER 2018

FIBER

According to Tricia Carey, Lenzing's director of global business development, which produces Tencel fibers, younger consumers who value sustainability are behind a big push for eco-friendly innovation.

“There are 80 million millennials in the USA driving sales of denim,” Carey said. “They are seeking comfort and great fit, and they want to know how and where their jeans are made. They are becoming aware of environmental impacts and want to buy from authentic companies they can trust. It is easy for the consumer to spot an imposter that is only greenwashing.”

In 2017 Lenzing launched Tencel x Refibra branded lyocell fiber, made from pulp collected from post-industrial cotton waste that’s combined with wood pulp for softness, sustainability and high tensile strength. Refibra is also fully traceable. With a fiber identification added in the production process, Refibra can be detected in fiber, yarn, fabric or garment form—even with

blended fiber contents.

Refibra technology is Lenzing’s latest step in advancing a more circular process to avoid adding to the global glut of post-consumer waste. And the concept is catching on quickly.

“In a short 18 months we were able to bring programs to consumers with more than eight global retail partners, including Country Road, DL1961, Inditex (for Zara), Eileen Fisher, Mara Hoffman, Marc O’Polo, Patagonia and Reformation,” Carey said. “That’s not only true innovation, that’s true commercial innovation.”

Carey attributes this success to moving beyond fiber to the consumer value proposition.

“At Lenzing, we do not just make fiber. We go from ‘fiber to storytelling’ for brands and retailers,” she said. “We package the entire product for the retailer, telling the value proposition to the consumer, going beyond ingredient branding to drive consumer purchase.”

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