WHAT'S THE STORY
S u s ta i n + A b i l i t y – i n to t h e b l u e
THE FUTURE IN BLUE
Every 60 seconds, a pair of jeans goes over a counter somewhere in the world. Approximately two billion pairs of jeans are sold every year. The average German consumer has seven jeans in his/her cupboard and wears them for about six years. When blue turns green, the world breathes a sigh of relief. In terms of distances covered and resource consumption, there are very few clothing items that top jeans. Even today, in 2019, all kinds of dangerous processes are still in place. Toxic agents – and even carcinogenic chemicals – are not only a problem in low-wage countries. This will and must change, according to the denim experts style in progress spoke too. Text: Petrina Engelke, Isabel Faiss, Martina Müllner-Seybold, Kay Alexander Plonka, Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Brands
TOMMY JEANS
SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
F
or spring 2019, the Tommy Jeans collection was supplemented with pieces made of 100 percent recycled denim for the very first time. So-called repurposed styles are added on top for the new autumn collection. 90 percent of these jeans are made of stock and material remnants: jeans, skirts, and cargo and trucker jackets. “We all share a responsibility to manufacture in a more thoughtful way, to help preserve our world’s resources,” says Daniel Grieder, the CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Global & PVH Europa. “At our Product Innovation Center in Amsterdam, we are setting new standards for producing denim styles using techniques that can reduce water, energy, and chemical consumption by up to 70 percent. It also allows us to experiment with innovative fabric and finishing techniques in real time, without having to send samples back and forth. Only by continuing to fuel this important discussion through transparency, as well as sharing best practices, can we drive our industry forward for good.”
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style in progress
Tommy Hilfiger’s Product Innovation Center in Amsterdam strives to set new standards.
