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

For 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.”

Tommy Hilfiger’s Product Innovation Center in Amsterdam strives to set new standards.

MOS MOSH LASER REPLACES SAND- BLASTING

“W e are proud members of the Better Cotton Initiative. Dur ing the first year of membership, we are planning to obtain 70 percent of our cotton from sustainable sources. Furthermore, our denim suppliers are using the newest technologies to minimise the use of water and chemicals. They create vintage looks with laser technology, for example. At Mos Mosh, we are already using sustainable fibres such as Tencel and recycled materials such as polyamide. For our NOS programme, we have converted our bestsellers into 100 percent sustainable products.”

Kim Hyldahl, Founder and Creative Director of Mos Mosh

INCOTEX COLLABORATION WITH GIRBAUD

“F uck Moonwash”, Françoise Girbaud recently shouted at a conference on the subject of sustainability to great applause. He feels it’s his responsibility to correct the mistakes of the past. Françoise and Marithé Girbaud teamed up with the Slowear Group to launch the “Rockin the Fly” collection, which will be on sale from 2020. Roberto Compagno, the President and CEO of Incotex parent company Slowear: “A progressive project that focuses on innovation and mutual exchange between two experts.” The result: 16 pieces in denim with warp-stretch for maximum vertical elasticity and synthetic resin bonded at the leg end to allow a hem-free finish. Technical textiles treated with UV rays and ultrasound, as well as sustainable and environmentally friendly washes that have not been exposed to chlorine or chemical agents.

ANARA HEMP BLUE

Hemp is an excellent material for making jeans. The cultivation of hemp requires a third of the water one needs to grow cotton, at twice the yield. Hemp grows like weed, meaning it grows dense enough to allow farmers to forego pesticides. Sounds perfect? Well, the fibre is also more robust than soft cotton, thus pure hemp jeans would lack the typical feel and look. Anara therefore relies on a blend of 54 percent hemp, 44.5 percent organic cotton, and 1.5 percent spandex. The Canadian-Australian brand strives to replace conventional jeans with a product that is not only more environmentally friendly and humane to manufacture, but also lasts longer. Anara highlights the slow fashion effect of its men’s and women’s jeans. Hemp fabric is more durable than pure cotton and, thanks to its antibacterial qualities, does not need to be washed as often.

Hemp pioneers from Australia: Anara.

MASKA LESS WATER, FEWER PESTICIDES

“W e are working with fabrics that are made from a blend of hemp and organic cotton, dyed with real indigo. It’s appreciated both for its beauty and long life. Hemp is also amazingly comfortable to wear in summer due to its linen-like quality. It is strong and durable, grows fast, and requires very little water and pesticides. In terms of production we avoid heavy washing and bleaching. We’d never ever dream about any sanding for distressed effects. All these treatments shorten the life cycle of the products, sometimes by many years. Recycled yarns are not for us, because they look worse and have a shorter lifespan. Quality is a priority for Maska, so that angle doesn’t work for us. In our opinion, they are perfect for home textiles, but they don’t really hold up in the luxury clothing industry.”

LIU JO DENIM LEADS THE WAY

In its quest for greater sustainability, Italian fashion brand Liu Jo decided to focus on jeans first. “It’s the product category that embodies the brand’s DNA and unites our core values such as femininity, glamour, and quality. It is, however, also the product that creates the most pollution,” says Marco Marchi, the Head of Style at Liu Jo. “Liu Jo denim is manufactured using sustainable techniques. Most of the denim we use is sourced from our partner Candiani. They rely on chitosan, which is a natural polymer made of 100 percent biodegradable crustacean exoskeletons, and a special dyeing technology known as Indigo Juice. The latter prevents the indigo dye from penetrating the fabric too deeply without reducing colourfastness. Jeans aren’t all about denim. We have looked into every detail to find out how we can be ‘greener’: from the labels to the buttons, even including the seams and packaging.”

Marco Marchi, the Head of Style at Liu Jo, firmly believes that the “greener” jeans line Better Denim is merely a first step. The initial findings will be transferred to the label’s entire collection gradually.

Five Fellas has coined the term “Unplugged Denim” in its efforts to be an antithesis to mass production. Naturally, founder Oliver Schulz pays tribute to his roots as a musician.

FIVE FELLAS MATTER OF THE HEART

“S ustainability has always been a matter close to our hearts, not merely a PR gag,” says Oliver Schulz, the founder of Five Fellas. Candiani Denim for all models, be it fashion or NOS, is therefore self-evident. “The core of our brand claim is that sustainability isn’t more expensive. With retail prices between 100 and 130 Euros – at a mark-up of 3.0 – we can deliver a thoroughly honest product. We can achieve this by saving on overhead costs. Instead of investing in expensive machinery, we invest in quality.” Schulz adds: “This message provides retailers with a communication argument that customers find hard to reject. Nobody says no to sustainability. Nobody says no to premium quality.” After many years in the retail trade and at fashion brands, Five Fellas offers Schulz and his associates a chance to express their desire to improve the industry. “Sustainability is an integral part of making things better.”

PEPE JEANS CONSISTENCY

Tru-Blu is a new, innovative Pepe Jeans project involving different techniques and processes aimed at making jeans more sustainable. It includes models that are hydrosulphite-free and use less water and chemicals. Other styles are made of organic cotton, maize, or hemp-based fibres, as well as recycled fibres. Also part of Tru-Blu: a footwear capsule called No.22. The sneakers are coated with titanium dioxide. The aim is to eliminate up to 80 percent of the harmful nitrogen oxides that are produced on the shoe when it is subjected to UV light.

Fewer chemicals, reduced water consumption, and alternative fibers from hemp or corn: the sustainability formula of Pepe Jeans.

Alberto Candiani believed for many years that he was “talking to a brick wall” about his sustainability efforts. Today, the interest is greater than ever.

CANDIANI DENIM RE-THINK!

Nobody wanted to buy recycled fabrics or hemp denim ten years ago.

What about today?

Alberto Candiani, owner of Candiani Denim: Things are changing. I used to think I was talking to a brick wall, because nobody was interested in sustainable innovations. The topic is currently a top priority among many weavers and brands. All too often it is, however, merely marketing-related storytelling. If it is cultivated responsibly, cotton isn’t really the problem. 75 percent of cotton merely requires rain water to grow. It doesn’t need artificial irrigation. The sustainability movement has distorted information that needs to be clarified.

You presented a fabric made of recycled fibres only in 2018. What is so special about it?

We have developed a fully waste-based premium material with the assistance of Lening’s Refibra. It consists in equal parts of production waste and regenerated lyocell. It’s the first denim fabric that is both “greener” and better than conventional denim. That’s why we were presented with the ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award. The fabric is dyed with indigo and Kitotex. The latter is based on chitosan extracted from crab shells and replaces quite harmful chemicals. This saves washing water and reduces pollution.

What will the future of denim weaving look like?

Circularity is the only way forward. Redo, recycle, reuse, and rethink are terms that will play an important role in the near future. We need to develop new “re-denim” fabrics without quality loss and minimise our CO2 footprint. I firmly believe in the regenerative concept, based on natural fibres that can, at best, be composted after use.

WUNDERWERK LESS WATER

When it comes to resource-sparing denim production, Düsseldorf-based label Wunderwerk is among the pioneers. “Merely using organic cotton is not enough to be truly sustainable. Fair working conditions, the avoidance of toxic substances to protect people and nature, and energy-efficient production are decisive for environmentally friendly products,” says owner Heiko Wunder. As of autumn/winter 2018, he has been able to significantly reduce the already low water consumption once more. “All washes consume less than 10 litres per pair of trousers. That’s less than a tenth compared to conventional production. Now we have three models that only require 0.7 litres,” Wunder explains. More importantly, the water is no longer wasted, but treated and reused thanks to a new high-tech laundry system at the label’s production partner. This guarantees a closed cycle. Wunderwerk has always avoided chemicals such as chlorine or potassium permanganate, especially as they need to be rinsed out again with plenty of water. Instead of laser technology, which damages the elastane fibres and causes the items to lose elasticity and durability, the label creates used effects by means of oxygen bleaching (ozone), mechanical manual work, or stone-washing.

Wunderwerk has lowered its water consumption to 700ml per wash.

WRANGLER INDIGOOD – DYEING WITHOUT WATER

Wrangler has launched the first foamdyed denim as part of its nine-piece Icons collection. It features an “Indigood” add-on. In addition to water and energy conservation, the focus is on the use of up to 30 percent recycled cotton. The colourants are transferred to the yarns by means of foam, thus completely replacing conventional water tanks and chemical baths usually necessary for indigo dyeing. Water waste is almost completely avoided. Compared to conventional denim dyeing, the foam-dye process requires 60 percent less energy and creates 60 percent less waste. The technique was developed in collaboration with Texas Tech University. Wrangler’s denim factories in Asia and North America plan to use the technology on a larger scale.

Sus tain + Ability – Salvation Army Y C L E C Y C L E . C Y C L E C L 2 SUSTAIN + ABILITY SALVATION ARMY FASHIONTECH ARMY It’s time to act – not only with fashion, but also for fashion. Business as usual is no longer an option. Every step must be questioned. Every decision must be scrutinised for its environmental aspects. Consumption and growth in harmony with ecological and economic sustainability should no longer remain a utopia. The journey is the destination. After all, sustainability isn’t a status quo, but a process.