Rivet 2020 Denim Circularity Report

C I RCULA R CASE STUDIES • A LT FI BE RS • D E NI M RESALE • RESP ONSI BLE RU NWAYS

IN THE ROUND THE GLOBAL DENIM INDUSTRY PLOTS ITS CIRCULAR FUTURE

EDITOR’S LETTER

WHEELS IN MOTION

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t is hard to believe that it has nearly been a year since I’ve been to a trade show, but one of the only things that I don’t miss about large gatherings of denim experts—besides the overzealous use of blue up-lighting—is how hard the industry can be on itself for not moving the needle on sustainability fast enough. Nearly every panel discussion or presentation at trade events ends with a lingering sense of despair about the industry’s impact on the environment, despite the fact that the room is filled with trailblazers and collections made better than the ones that came before it.

As an editor on the fashion beat, my inbox is a black hole of pitches and press releases touting new product lines, brands and trends, but few are the result of years of innovations and responsible manufacturing (and actual data to back up such claims) like what I see coming from denim suppliers and brands. Trust me when I say, in terms of sustainable progress, the denim sector is probably only second to the outdoor apparel category.

Sustainability, or more specifically, circularity, is the crux of every new fabric, new dye, new zipper and back patch. It isn’t a passing fad or a half-hearted marketing ploy. This year alone, despite a pandemic wreaking havoc on business, players in the industry introduced biodegradable stretch jeans, Cradle to Cradle certified platinum denim fabrics, jeans made entirely of recycled content and jeans that can be traced back to the cotton farm.

They’re actually fascinating, tech-driven stories that companies like Nike, Adidas and The North Face would have a field day with promoting but because these new jeans look almost identical to the more polluting products from decades ago, brands have to work harder to educate the consumer.

We’re also seeing denim brands urge consumers to buy less, or at least fewer new garments. It’s an ethos that was built into the DNA of brands like Nudie and Mud, but now we’re seeing giants echo the sentiment.

In the U.S. Levi’s recently debuted Levi’s SecondHand, a buy-back program to help extend the life of unwanted jeans, while in the U.K. the company bowed Levi’s

by Levi’s, a selection made exclusively of Levi’s back catalog, including faulty and returned garments that couldn’t be sold. Who would have ever thought fashion brands would become advocates for shopping secondhand clothing?

Don’t get me wrong, the passion and the sense of urgency that the denim industry demonstrates is admirable and should serve as a wakeup call to the rest of the apparel industry. More brands—across every consumer product category—should focus less about how much consumers buy and more about whether or not they are buying the best possible version. But the people behind-the-scenes driving sustainable change in the denim sector can be kinder to themselves. You have set the wheels in motion and momentum for a more circular and responsible apparel industry is building.

Angela Velasquez Rivet executive editor

2020 RIVET DENIM REPORT | 1

FOL LOW TH E E L LE N M AC ARTHU R FO U NDATIO N’S J E ANS R E D E SI G N G U I D E LI NE S.

l_____COV E R + TOC : H&M J E AN R E D E SIG N C O LLE C TIO N, THE BR AND’S FI R ST PRO D U C TS THAT

TABL E OF CONTENTS 05 C URAT ED The latest circular efforts and products from global denim brands and retailers.

22 T HE EN V IRO N MEN TA L C O ST O F FASHIO N W EEK The Council of Fashion Designers of America aims to set a new environmental standard for catwalks.

24 WO RK IN PRO G RESS Amidst a pandemic, designers infused sustainability into Spring/Summer ’21 collections and presentations.

30 C IRC UL A R CATA LYSTS The actions taken by HNST, Reformation, Wrangler and more serve as case studies for the denim industry’s circular future.

36 BUIL D IN G BLO C KS Will widespread adoption of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals stack up to right the denim industry’s wrongs?

42 A LT TO G ET HER N OW Denim sustainability experts sound off on what it will take to make circular and recycled fibers the sector’s standard.

46 N AV IG AT IN G T HE PAT H TO C IRC UL A RIT Y Experts from leading denim manufacturers explain how they’re initiating change.

50 PAC KAG E D EA L Fashion brands take on the industry’s plastic problem—one polybag at a time.

54 W HAT ’S O L D IS N EW AG A IN Denim resale is a bright spot in retail.

Saving the DNA of Life upto 80% Water Savings

Waterless and Salt Free Indigo Dyeing + Clean Fabric Finishing

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hen Ellen MacArthur introduced the Jeans Redesign guidelines in 2019, a path for denim brands to create a more circular economy, the initiative served as a litmus test for how serious the industry was about circularity.

The guidelines, set by more than 80 denim experts, established the minimum requirements for the durability, material health, recyclability, and traceability of denim jeans.

The industry responded on cue. From fabric suppliers to household brand names, more than 60 leading brands, manufacturers and fabric mills are using Ellen MacArthur’s Jeans Redesign guidelines to produce jeans this fall. —Angela Velasquez

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A growing roster of companies give Ellen MacArthur’s Jean Redesign a vote of confidence.

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2020 RIVET DENIM REPORT | 5

STATUS CHECK Will 2020 be the year of conscious fashion?

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ustainable fashion arguably had its best year yet in 2019. The UN Sustainable Fashion Industry Charter for Climate launched with signatories Stella McCartney, H&M, Inditex, Levi’s and more pledging to reduce greenhouse emissions. Cottonized hemp emerged as a viable alternative to virgin cotton and Ellen MacArthur’s Jeans Redesign guidelines set a new standard for circular design.

The events of this year, however, such as the global pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and the U.S. presidential election, are evolving the term “sustainable.” Rather, 2020 may be the year that “conscious” fashion gained a foothold. New data by retail market intelligence platform Edited sheds light on the macro themes that helped shape sustainability this year and the categories that are showing the greatest potential for growth.

From buzzwords to sell-outs, here’s a breakdown of sustainable fashion in 2020 by the numbers. —Angela Velasquez

Most popular keywords to describe sustainable products:

1. conscious 2. sustainable 3. eco 4. 100% recycled 5. vegan

43% the number of sustainable products arriving & selling out between Jan.-Sept. in the U.S. 6

11% fewer new fast fashion product arrivals in the U.S. and U.K. combined for Q3 2020 compared to 2019.

108%

417%

more denim described as “recycled” arriving between Jan.-Sept. in the U.S. and U.K combined compared to 2019.

more denim described as “recycled” arriving between Jan.-Sept. in the U.S. and U.K combined compared to 2018.

9%

11%

how much higher men’s eco jeans styles are priced compared to core jeans.

how much higher women’s eco jeans styles are priced compared to core jeans.

Less than

20%

of conscious products cater to “aboveaverage” sizes.

97% more new products made with organic cotton compared 2019.

mentions of sustainability (or equivalent) in brand emails sent in April, the month of Earth Day.

1,722 444% more products arriving in the U.S. and U.K. described as “conscious” since 2018.

WELCOME TO TR ANSNOMADICA Maurizio Donadi brings his world of vintage to the online masses.

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he pandemic, it turns out, was the pause that Atelier & Repairs co-founder Maurizio Donadi needed in order to begin to convert his collection of more than 8,000 garments into an e-commerce trove of vintage gems— inventory, photography, product descriptions and all.

The result is Transnomadica, an online marketplace for vintage, used and archival pieces from denim, military, sports, fashion and iconic 20th century styles.

The business venture is in line with Donadi’s mission to reduce excess garments and to extend the lifecycle of textiles. It is also indicative of how he is applying his more than 30 years of fashion industry experience to help revive upcycling and vintage for a millennial audience. With Atelier & Repairs, Donadi transforms leftover stock into new styles. Transnomadica, however, is about presenting vintage and archival styles in their original state without any alterations unless done by the previous owner.

“In continuing in my search for the most responsible business practices, I see recycling as a natural step,” he said. “My experience with global brands has allowed me to see that good design is engineering solutions with beauty.” Transnomadica, he added, “provides a stage for objects that are beautiful and well-made” and have acquired more value over time.

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Early Evis jeans before the brand became Evisu and pairs of rare Levi’s 501 jeans from the 1920s and 1930s are among the denim treasures shoppers will find on the Transnomadica website. The selection also includes styles from iconic American brands like Ralph Lauren (pre-1993), early Gap, Filson, Eddie Bauer, L.L. Bean and more, as well as a curated range of military jackets.

While many of the garments do not satisfy Donadi’s definition of vintage—garments that predate 1979—styles from

small Japanese brands produced in limited quantities will be the “future of vintage” he said. “Overall, we aim to have about 1,000 items on the website by the end of the year,” he said.

While Donadi describes curating the selection as a complicated, humbling and fun exercise—and at times admittedly nightmarish—the experience, he added, sums up the highs and lows of shopping for vintage. “The beauty of selecting and shopping vintage is that it’s an emotional journey,” Donadi said. “Finding that item or object you love that happens to be in the right size can be a tricky task.” —Angela Velasquez

CHEMICAL RECYCLING IS THE FUTURE OF CIRCULAR FASHION So why aren’t more companies doing it?

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Levi’s and Ganni double up on upcycling.

wo coveted brands on opposite sides of the Atlantic joined forces to launch a new concept that overhauls traditional manufacturing and retail models. Danish fashion brand Ganni teamed with Levi’s to collaborate on an exclusive upcycled rental-only capsule collection called Ganni and Levi’s “Love Letter.” The collaboration consists of three staple denim pieces: button-down shirt, 501 jeans and a shirtdress made from upcycled vintage Levi’s and repurposed denim.

The upcycled designs are an ode to the durability, longevity and heritage of Levi’s denim while incorporating Ganni’s playful Scandinavian signatures like patchwork and voluminous sleeves. The Ganni team handpicked each pair of vintage 501s for the project.

Additionally, all styles have been created to be versatile 10

and offer the wearer multiple styling options, including detachable collars and adjustable waistlines.

“Ganni was the perfect partner to bring this upcycled rental collection to life,” said Karyn Hillman, Levi’s chief product officer. “Our mutual love for denim and desire to creatively reconstruct vintage 501’s was an incredible jumping off point. We infused Ganni’s signature, beautiful spin into our repurposed denim icons, creating something completely new, and something timeless to be shared.”

The garments are exclusively available through Ganni Repeat, the brand’s year-old rental platform, marking the first time the rental service is extended across Europe and the U.S. Rental prices range from $45-$145. Renters can choose to rent for one, two or up to three weeks.

—Angela Velasquez

icole Rycroft, founder and executive director of Canadian forestry nonprofit Canopy, compares current efforts to scale up fashion innovations to “being at an awkward teenage dance.”

“The producers are still trialing it, it’s a new technology, there’s the potential for a bit of a price up for brands and everyone’s kind of standing around at the edge of the room looking a bit wistfully at one another,” she said. “And this is a party where everybody needs to come ready to dance to really help accelerate the space.”

The party Rycroft is speaking of is the Full Circle Textiles Project, an initiative spearheaded by Amsterdam sustainability platform Fashion for Good to tackle a “new frontier in chemical recycling,” with the goal of validating and scaling a closed-loop system that transforms cotton-containing textile waste into new manmade cellulosic fibers such as rayon, viscose, lyocell, modal and cupro.

The first-of-its-kind consortium project, which entered its second, more active phase in October, is a strict no-wallflower zone, bringing together investors such as Laudes Foundation, retail bigwigs Kering, PVH Corp. and Target and supply-chain partners like Birla Cellulose, Evrnu, Infinited Fiber Company, Phoenxt, Re:newcell and Tyton BioSciences to surmount the barriers that have held back most chemical-recycling schemes at the pilot stage.

Chemical recycling, like a lot of innovations in the apparel space, “is not an easy plug-and-play solution,” said Christine Goulay, head of sustainable innovation at Kering. “You often have to get a lot of different stakeholders or people together,” she said. “And so there are pieces of the puzzle that need to join up, from your suppliers to the right operational people, to understanding what you have in your supply chain that you want to recycle, to getting that technology ready. And this is a technology that needs a lot of R&D as we’ve seen.”

By rallying disparate parts of the industry, the Full Circle Textiles Project hopes to surmount all of these challenges. Its timeline, unaltered by the Covid-19 pandemic, sets a target for creating garments made from recycled fibers by next June. After that, the project will discuss “next steps” to widen the initiative’s impact, including broader buy-ins of chemically recycled products by a larger swath of brands.

The coronavirus outbreak may have hobbled many sustainability programs as retailers go into cost-cutting survival mode, but there’s no opportunity like the present, Goulay insisted. “I think the timing is right—now—for the solution.” she said. “There’s so many brand commitments out there about going circular and not sourcing virgin materials. —Jasmin Malik Chua

WHAT’S HOLDING CIRCUL ARIT Y BACK? Consumer bias and sorting issues play a role.

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s many as 60 percent of apparel companies are focusing their efforts on designing and creating their products with reuse in mind, while another 50 percent claim to reduce resources used to produce raw materials, according to a recent survey from Sourcing Journal and Cotton Incorporated. But while the industry is actively doing more to make circularity a priority, there’s still not enough investment in post-consumer Although recycling is one of the basic building blocks to circularity, it remains perhaps its biggest challenge for a variety of reasons that can be broken into social/cultural, technical and financial terms, according to Hilde van Duijn, senior project manager circle textiles, Circle Economy.

T H E R E ’S S T I L L QU I T E A B IG CH U N K O F A L L T H E S E T E X T I L E S T H AT H AV E N O VA L UA B L E D E S T I N AT IO N .”

— H I L D E VA N D U IJ N , C I RCL E ECO N O M Y From a cultural standpoint, consumers have to be re-educated.

“There’s a negative perception on recycled content,” van Duijn said.

“Very often, consumers would see recycled content as if it has a lower value than virgin alternatives. In recent years, there has not [been] that much urgency to address or investigate what could be done with post-consumer textiles, but recently we do see a shift both from the private sector as well as government.”

Steve Hoffman, partner, McKinsey & Company, noted that much of this perception comes from consignment and thrift store shopping, which can create biases among consumers before they understand that products made from recycled fibers aren’t dirty or inferior to newer garments. “My view is you’re going to have to have some type of incentive to start to get that adoption,” Hoffman said. “It could come in the form of a government incentive or local incentive, but we’re really going to have to break down and overcome a lot of the underlying biases that people have.”

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Van Duijn also cited the “ever-changing composition” and the unknown origin of post-consumer textiles as barriers to recycling. In the case of the latter, companies will have difficulty repurposing garments if they continue to add certain chemicals in the production process that make the product harder to recycle.

Many of these products also have parts like zippers, buttons and other accessories that prevent the textile itself from being recyclable. Additionally, the benefits to collecting and sorting these used textiles simply don’t outweigh the costs yet, limiting the pool of upcycled textiles to hit the market.

“There’s still quite a big chunk of all these textiles that have no valuable destina-

tion,” van Duijn said. She said more than half of all discarded garments are not suitable for the secondhand market because they are broken, dirty or out of fashion.

But recycling them is also a challenge because 41 percent of all product labels inaccurately display the fiber composition of the garments, according to Circle Economy. In that case, there’s no way to accurately sort those garments for mechanical recycling. “The good news is that there are chemical recyclers out there that are looking at recycling these materials that currently have no destinations, very often because they have synthetics in them,” van Duijn said. “But the main disadvantage of chemical recyclers is they are simply not there yet at scale.”

—Glenn Taylor

TRAINING GROUND

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Asos takes a plunge into circular design.

sos debuted a 29-piece collection of clothing and accessories developed in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. Unlike its standard offerings, the collection exemplifies the brand’s commitment, made at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2018, to train all of its designers on circular principles by 2020.

The company created and launched a training program with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion (a division of the London College of Fashion), which has since been rolled out and made available to its full design team. The British digital platform also joined with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative, encouraging collaboration between the industry’s prominent voices to create “a textiles economy fit for the 21st century.”

The newly minted collec-

tion was made with eight bespoke design principles in mind, including the use of zero-waste design and pattern cutting methods, employing manufacturing techniques that minimize waste, using materials with recycled input, selecting materials and construction methods that promote durability, designing versatile products that can be styled multiple ways, using the same recyclable material throughout a single product, designing products for easy disassembly and recycling, and using techniques that allow for upcycling at the end of a product’s life.

“With all of our designers now trained in circular principles and our first circular collection out the door,” said Vanessa Spence, Asos head of design, “we’re excited to see how we can take this project forward and use our size and scale to share our expertise with our suppliers but also other brands and retailers.” —Kate Nishimura

SECONDHAND GEMS Zalando adds pre-owned fashion to its assortment.

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uropean e-commerce giant Zalando is breaking ground in the world of fashion resale. The e-tailer recently announced plans for its “Pre-owned” platform, allowing consumers to buy and trade in their used clothing.

According to Torben Hansen, vice president of re-commerce, the new program will traffic in gently worn items—a solution that does not currently exist at scale in the European market, despite the high demand. “I think Zalando Pre-owned has the potential to completely change the way our customers think about and interact with pre-owned fashion,” he said, “as they are finally presented with one convenient, enjoyable and trustworthy solution.”

The program will accept apparel from more than 3,000 brands, including but not limited to those found on the Zalando site. In order to sell their wares, consumers must take photos of each item they wish to sell and upload relevant information, like category and brand, to the Pre-owned portal. Items that were originally bought on Zalando appear in the wardrobe section of a shopper’s account, so the information is readily available.

After uploading photos and details, users will automatically see pricing offers on their clothing and will have the chance to accept or decline. Once through with this process, they mail in their items (up to 20 at a time), where they’re subjected to quality checks.

The Pre-owned program represents a step forward in Zalando’s ambitions to become more sustainable, Hansen added. “At Zalando we will apply the principles of circularity to our business, by using more sustainable materials and keeping items in use for longer.” —Kate Nishimura

SIDDIQSONS

initiates it's revolutionary modifications

Low Environmental impact Biodegradable organic dyes as well as Analine free dyeing We use organic cotton, recycled yarns, biodegradable polyester, we make sure to source the most sustainable options in our production.

70% Less Water

17% Less Co2 Emissions

23% Less Energy

Less Carbon Footprint

This makes SIDDIQSONS known for its high tech operations and cutting edge innovations along with being one of the most sustainable mills in Pakistan.

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Our 'One glass One

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garment' collection at SIDDIQSONS comes from the first and only laundry in Pakistan.

We use one glass of water instead of 400 glasses to complete garment process.

DISCHARGE PP SPRAY

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BLEACH

MANUAL SCRAPING & GRINDING

It is a laundry process that eliminates all the key elements of environmental issues resulting from denim processing. The key metric is the ability to recycle the water being used. It will use laser technology to reduce chemicals such as permanganate that goes onto garments during dry processing. This technology is also being used to eliminate scraping during dry processing which is traditionally done by hand and in turn is harmful for the environment and employees that work in these units. Additionally, it uses ozone to eliminate the chemicals in bleach so that you are able to pull color o the fabric.

The 5.0 strategy became very important as it bring Siddiqsons into the next level of investments that were going to take place in the denim industry.

VISUAL LEARNERS H&M brings garment-to-garment recycling to the people.

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&M wants its customers to see how old clothes can be transformed into new.

In October, the Swedish retailer launched Looop, a container-sized garment-to-garment recycling system that debuted in one of its Drottninggatan stores in Stockholm, where it will mechanically shred castoffs into fibers, spin them into new yarn and then reknit them into “new fashion finds”— specifically a sweater, a scarf or a baby blanket.

Part of a partnership with the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) and Hong Kong-based yarn spinner Novetex Textiles, the system is similar to a setup that rolled out in the Tsuen Wan neighborhood of Hong Kong in 2018. Like its predecessor, Looop uses no water or chemicals, making the process of remaking garments less of a strain on the environment than creating clothing from scratch. Some virgin material is still needed, but H&M says it will work to make this share “as small as possible.”

GETTING CUSTOMERS ON BOARD IS KEY TO ACHIEVE REAL CHANGE AND WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE WHAT LOOOP WILL INSPIRE.” —PASCAL BRUN, H&M For 100 Swedish kronor ($11.26), members of the retailer’s loyalty club can watch Looop turn “their old garment into a new favorite.” For non-members, the price is 150 Swedish kronor ($16.89). All proceeds will benefit projects related to research on creating more circular materials. H&M did not specify how long customers will have to wait for their new threads, but the Hong Kong system was able to recreate looks in as little as four hours.

As a stand-alone structure that is only nominally pegged to any scaled-up program, Looop, in its current form anyway, is more theater than strategy, and one that would be hard-pressed to keep up with the 29,005 tons of textiles H&M collected in 2019 through its take-back program. But the retailer says it’s part of a bigger ambition

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to become “fully circular and climate positive.” By 2030, H&M aims for all its materials to be either recycled or more sustainably sourced. The figure, as of 2019, stands at 57 percent.

H&M Foundation, the company’s charitable arm, has also provided funding for HKRITA’s efforts to solve one of textile recycling’s biggest challenges: how to tease apart post-consumer cotton-and-polyester-blended fabrics and recover their constituent components. That technique uses heat, water and less than 5 percent of “biodegradable green chemicals” to degrade the cotton fibers into cellulose powder and separate them from the entangled polyester.

“We are constantly exploring new technology and innovations to help transform the fashion industry as we are working to reduce the dependency on virgin resources,” Pascal Brun, head of sustainability at H&M, said in statement. “Getting customers on board is key to achieve real change and we are so excited to see what Looop will inspire.”

H&M, perhaps in response to criticisms about the profligacy of so-called fast fashion, has doubled down on textile recycling, investing heavily in startups like Re:newcelland Infinited Fiber in its quest to crack the code on waste and shrink its virgin footprint. Because of the limitations of mechanical recycling, only 1 percent of all clothing is currently recycled into new ones, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Brands looking to boost their eco bonafides are betting on green-chemistry firms, however nascent, to eventually fill the breach.

“We must innovate materials and processes while inspiring customers to keep their garments in use for as long as possible,” Brun said.

—Jasmin Malik Chua

CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION

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he days of environmentally-friendly fashion looking (and feeling) crunchy, rough and unfinished are long gone thanks to years of investment and innovations. And there’s no apparel category where this progress is more evident than denim. The breadth of variety available from sustainable jeans brands is not only normalizing conscious consumption—its enhancing denim’s cool factor. —Victor Vaughns

8 sustainable and stylish jeans brands to watch.

01.

E. L .V. DENIM Sustainable hardware and upcycled leather patches are just the icing on the cake when it comes to E.L.V. Denim’s approach to sustainable denim. The brand is known for turning pieces of vintage jeans into entirely new garments.

OUTLAND DENIM

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B Corp Certified Outland Denim is extending its knowledge in responsible manufacturing by allowing other brands to use its sustainable facilities.

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AM O + DONNI By partnering exclusively with local women-owned factories in Los Angeles, Amo + Donni keeps its supply chain short and carbon emissions low.

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NU DIE JEANS Resale, repair and recycling are among the ways Nudie Jeans is helping extend the lifespan of jeans.

WRANGLER

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From waterless indigo dye technologies, to establishing sustainable cotton programs in the U.S., heritage brand Wrangler has stepped up to be a leader in sustainable denim.

LACK OF COLOR

07. MAVI

Lack of Color is on a mission to protect wearers and the planet. The brand teamed with sustainable denim brand Boyish for this 100 percent eco cotton bucket hat that will help block out the sun on bright days.

Mavi’s sustainable journey continues this season with jeans made from organic cotton and recycled, pre-consumer cotton.

08. BOYISH A millennial favorite, Boyish is making its supply chain more transparent by adding a blockchain-based transparency plugin to its e-commerce website.

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DENIM TO THE RESCUE Fabrics that might have otherwise been destined for the landfill are helping fill the gap for PPE.

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erhaps the most iconic wearable item of 2020 is the face mask—and for conscious consumers, ones made from upcycled materials hold the most significance. Though low-tech compared with most circular innovations, masks made with deadstock fabric are a simple way to build circularity into productions while providing a solution to the shortage of personal protection equipment (PPE). —Liz Warren

01. ETICA Etica’s face masks are made using upcycled cotton fabrics sourced from mills’ excess inventory. With every face mask purchased, the brand donates medical PPE, plants a tree and provides donations to global environmental causes.

02. REFORMATION Reformation was one of the L.A.-based brands that teamed with Mayor Eric Garcetti to produce masks for the L.A. Protects initiative. Shoppers can buy up to two packs of five masks, which vary in fabric design.

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H U DSON Hudson uses deadstock fabric it had been storing from past seasons’ samples and production. Top sellers include the medium indigo mask and the printed green camo mask—both made of upcycled denim.

CUR ATED

0 4. RE/DONE 0 5. ERDEM Sold in sets of three, Erdem face masks feature overstock fabric from its F/W 20-21 collection.

Prints include the season’s signature Eastbury Blue Floral cotton poplin, pale pink Etty Floral and the Frida Toile De Jouy in white and navy.

Re/Done’s collection of upcycled face masks include quarantine-themed phrases such as “You’re on Mute” and “If you can read this, you’re too close.” Other styles include upcycled denim, bandana and tie-dye prints. With each purchase, five masks are donated to essential workers.

06. SU MMERSALT Summersalt’s face masks are made of recycled fabrics and sold in sets of three. For every set sold, the brand will donate a face covering to a worthy organization—and invites shoppers to recommend charitable organizations via Instagram.

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AS H & ROSE

Ash & Rose face masks are made using remnant designer fabrics.

Producing upcycled face masks is what helped keep the Boston-based ethical boutique afloat when it was flooded during the pandemic and 100 percent of its inventory was destroyed.

0 8. MADEWELL Madewell offers sets of three face masks made from leftover fabric scraps. In partnership with sister brand J.Crew, Madewell donated 75,000 single-use face masks to Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

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THE ENVIRONMENTAL COST OF FASHION WEEK The Council of Fashion Designers of America aims to set a new environmental standard for catwalks.

w o r d s _____ JASMI N MA L I K C H UA

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ow much pollution does New York Fashion Week (NYFW) generate? The answer, as it turns out, is between 40,000 tons to 48,000 tons of carbon dioxide, a “small portion” if not insignificant share of the 1.2 billion tons of emissions annually generated by the global fashion industry.

The number, while not unexpected or particularly industry rattling, was nonetheless hard won. While fashion brands increasingly extoll their sustainability credentials, the catwalks they produce rarely get more than a passing consideration. But earlier this year, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced it was partnering with strategy firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to investigate and elucidate NYFW’s environmental footprint—the impact of event production, logistics, transportation and public relations, included—as part of efforts to create a “playbook for positive change” that would offer easily implementable guidelines to hone the event’s sustainability profile and reposition it for a “viable future.”

Though Covid-19 erupted soon after, throwing everyone in the business of making clothes and footwear into disarray, the effort continued, even taking on new significance as current circumstances called into question the future of capital-F fashion. With buyers, editors, influencers and other front-row fixtures largely hunkered down at home, most runway presentations either took place digitally or were supplanted by virtual showrooms, short films and music videos.

“In February, when the CFDA and BCG launched the focused study, nobody could have anticipated the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA, said in a statement. “The new reality demanded we all radically rethink and reset every aspect of the fashion system, and are resilient and innovative in the way we address the urgent climate change and pollution related impacts of our industry. The study’s findings and recommendations provide useful guidance to fashion stakeholder New York and are also intended to also serve the global fashion industry.”

To develop the report, CFDA and BCG interviewed a slew of NYFW stakeholders, including designers, event planners, production houses and public relations agencies, to glean a better sense of their attitudes toward sustainability. Overall, the responses were “en22

couraging”: More than half of respondents said they viewed sustainability as a social responsibility that fashion show organizers must fulfill, rather than mostly a means to stay relevant to consumers or create value.

Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said that the companies they work for have sustainability targets for the materials they use, waste reduction, partnering with others dedicated to sustainability and energy use. Almost 40 percent of those with such targets, however, said they view them only as a consideration in their planning strategies,

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not as a guiding principle. Among those without targets, 38 percent said that other issues lead decisions about their NYFW operations, and almost one-quarter expressed difficulty setting useful targets without the help of standards or measurement guidelines.

Roughly half—45 percent—of respondents cited the cost of sustainable improvements as the greatest obstacle to greening their NYFW operations. “We’re working on being more energy efficient,” one production house said. “Backstage, we use LED lights everywhere, but we’re not using LED lights on the runway yet because it is very expensive.”

Environmental pain points

l____BEHIND THE SCENES AT F/W 20-21 RAG & BONE

Among the six key impact areas, transportation and lo-

gistics rated the worst, scoring 36 out of a possible 100 points. Most of the carbon emissions generated during NYFW stem from moving people and equipment to and from multiple locations across the city, including travel by air. While some participants have tried to reduce these emissions through carbon offsets (“controversial,” the report described) or by consolidating travel between events or offering shuttles, ferries and other ride-sharing options, only a handful of stakeholders have sought partnerships with sustainable hotels and car fleets to squash their car-

bon footprint. “Driving NYFW toward sustainability requires a united effort from the fashion community and the City of New York,” one IMG executive said.

The next biggest area of impact is venues, which scored 45 points. Some venues, the report noted, have higher sustainable standards than others, notably when it comes to energy efficiency. The good news is many participants have taken steps to reduce waste in venues by encouraging recycling or ditching single-use plastic water bottles. The bad? Few use their runway locations for other events they might stage during NYFW, share venues with other brands to pool resources or work with other brands to minimize the distance between venues.

Public relations, with 54 points, is the third most polluting category, primarily due to the waste that PR activities generate, though agencies can help mitigate their impact by switching to digital invitations, providing recyclable gift bags or eschewing gift bags altogether. Content, an impact area that includes all still and video assets, literature and other materials created for the show and used afterward, performed “fairly well” with a score of 56, but the report identified an opportunity for partnerships between stakeholders to create content that promotes sustainability.

Samples received a “relatively well” 61 points, likely due to the fact that many NYFW participants are small brands that already employ sustainable practices in their design rooms and material sourcing that minimizes waste. Show and event production achieved the highest score of 67 points. Both brands and production houses are working to cut waste by repurposing and reusing set materials, props and decor during and after the show, the report said. In addition, most stakeholders are conscious of how they source their catering and materials, “actively pursuing” organic, natural and locally acquired options.

On average, NYFW scraped by with a just-passing sustainability grade of 53 points—not completely hopeless, but with significant room for improvement.

All this may seem moot; who is even holding in-person fashion shows anymore? Yet running through the recommendations is a clear vein of optimism that Covid-19 can be conquered and that NYFW—and fashion itself—will reemerge, if not stronger, then at least not overly bruised.

“The new, post-Covid reality accelerates the need for the fashion industry to take transformative strides towards sustainability.

The BCG X CFDA study lays out findings and a practical set of recommendations to be used as a guide by fashion stakeholders in the industry,” said Sarah Willersdorf, BCG’s global head of luxury. “We recognize that making NYFW more sustainable is but a mere drop in the bucket compared to the fashion industry as a whole; but it can serve as a bellwether for changes, not only for the many other fashion weeks held worldwide, but also for the entire fashion industry.”

And therein lies the crux of the report: a recognition that for fashion to survive, the environment must, too.

“Sustainability is not a nice-to-have anymore,” Willersdorf added. “It is essential both for our planet and for the long-term prosperity of the fashion industry.”

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WORK IN PROGRESS Amidst a pandemic, designers infused sustainability into Spring/Summer ’21 collections and presentations.

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020 has been chock full of debates over how fashion and the concept of fashion week would change in a post-pandemic world.

Conversations about the impending new world began as early as February—a whirlwind time that saw the usual vital energy of Fall/Winter 2021 Milan and Paris fashion weeks eclipsed by growing fear and uncertainty about Covid-19.

But months later, with cases rising again and parts of Europe entering a second lockdown, what the world watched during Spring/Summer ’21 fashion month was an example of what fashion week looks like in the midst of a pandemic. Designers offered more escapist joy than fashion watchers expected, but the real big reveal was an industry that is working hard to reduce waste, respect the Earth’s ecosystems and lean into—well, being lean.

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y IS A CO M M O D I T Y T H AT S H OU L D B E AT T H E CO R E O F E V E RY FA S H IO N H O U S E .” — L I Z Z Y B OW R I N G , WG S N WGSN head of catwalks Lizzy Bowring reported that the pandemic posed “burning questions” around the traditional fashion system’s long-held expectations and heightened awareness of oft-overlooked sustainable (and often more efficient) alternatives. “Sustainability is a commodity that should be at the core of every fashion house,” Bowring said. “The fact that this pandemic forced its survival out into the open was tremendous.”

To draw a direct correlation between the Covid-19

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pandemic and the sector’s eco awakening on the S/S ’21 runway would oversimplify the inroads designers are making in sustainable fashion because sustainability, if nothing else, is a never-ending work in progress. Every fashion week, designers bring more collections to the table produced with sustainable elements. Each new line is more aesthetically pleasing and offers greater commercial appeal than the last.

In some ways the pandemic was a boon to designers, offering the rare opportunity to stop, regroup and reflect on their own contribution to the industry’s mounting environmental fallout. Just as quarantine for many around the world became a time to reexamine relationships, reconsider career paths and revisit values, Bowring said the pandemic “allowed designers time to reset, reevaluate, and reposition their brands.” The commodity of time offered players the chance to pare back the size and frequency of their collections and become better acquainted with sustainable fibers—those that are

l____MARINE SERRE: REPURPOSED FABRICS

w o r d s _____ ANG E L A V EL A S QUEZ

responsibly engineered or that inherently exist in nature.

While natural fibers are a seasonal favorite, Fashion Snoops material editor Nia Silva noted the widespread use of organic flax and organic cotton across S/S ’21 collections.

From new youthful labels like Ottolinger, which offered organic cotton smock dresses and rawhem tops, to heritage brands like Dior— which stepped away from its oft-dreamy designs in favor of a collection based on sleek, comfortable and wearable separates—the move to natural fibers reflected the growing demand for easy-care, durable fashion.

Linen’s versatility stood out in collections as well, adding unexpected beauty and tension to designer wares. Fendi’s ethereal linen organza spoke to the simplicity of sustainable fashion, while the perfect imperfections of MSGM’s linen denim embraced the fiber’s natural character. “While the use of organic and other certified cotton options is becoming more mainstream, this season really shone the light on linen,” said Julia Skliarova, WGSN’s senior editor, textiles, adding that the fiber’s “hardwearing practicality” and “sustainable role in regenerative agriculture” make it a viable alternative to cotton.

When speaking of sustainable fibers, materials and best practices, “Stella McCartney rules,” said Mitchell Kass, president and creative director of the trend forecast-

–67.7% S/S ’21 runway shows compared to F/W 20-21

36.5% S/S ’21 were presented with a runway show

ing agency Trend Council. A pioneer in sustainable fashion before it was in vogue, the designer has helped normalize recycled and ethically sourced fibers such as elevated faux fur and leather alternatives at the premium level, he added.

Prior to releasing its S/S ’21 video presentation, Stella McCartney published its “Eco Impact Report 2018/2019” that used capital accounting to measure its environmental impacts. “Positively, our results showed a slight decrease,” the report stated, showing 2018’s 8.22 million euro ($9.69 million) impact shrinking to 8.21 million euros ($9.67 million) last year. The S/S ’21 collection continued this progress. More than half of the sport-themed lineup’s fabrics were “certified” sustainable, including form-fitting silhouettes achieved with ribbed organic cotton knits and scraps of lace stitched into dresses.

In particular, the designer’s seamless shapewear made with Roica Eco-Smart fibers, an elastane produced from pre-consumer recycled content, and Econyl, a regenerated nylon from ocean plastics and textiles, is a fabrication to watch for its dual-gender appeal and readiness for both ready-to-wear and active products, said Benjamin Ayer, lead consultant for Benjamin Bellwether. Stella McCartney is also arguably the most prestigious label among the pack of denim purveyors l____BALMAIN: SUSTAINABLE DENIM

l____BALENCIAGA: UPCYCLED MATERIALS

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of collections used sustainable, upcycled or responsible products or ways of producing.

l____COLLINA STRADA: UPCYCLED T-SHIRTS

integrating biodegradable stretch denim fabrics by Candiani Denim into S/S ’21 jeans collections.

“Stella remains a leader in [terms] of how sustainable business practices can still translate to chic garments,” Ayer said.

Denim, in general, has been hugely important amid the pandemic, serving as the foundation for timeless staples that consumers crave when faced with uncertainty, Silva said. The durable, time-honored fabric was a natural choice for upcycled and patchwork designs.

“This held true for designers as well, with a number of conscious collections honing in on indigo, from Marques Almeida’s upcycled patchwork styles to recycled fibers at Vivienne Westwood,” she said.

Even Balmain—a French label that exudes excess, decided to tackle the eco conversation with its use of denim fabrics, Silva added. Creative director Olivier Rousteing claimed the line incorporated all sustainable denim fabrics for the first time this season.

Upcycled denim popped up in collections by marquee names like Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana as well, tapping denim’s versatility for their mixed-media patchwork and fabric blocking, Ayer said. It was also a part of the S/S ’21 Oak & Acorn—Only for the Rebelles collection, which combined deadstock denim with handdyed indigo West African cotton and fabrics crafted from hemp and recycled cotton.

“Sustainability hasn’t always been top of mind for previous fashion weeks, but I think there’s a noticeable shift happening in the way designers are sourcing and leveraging materials for their collections post pandemic,” Silva said.

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l____OAK & ACORN: HEMP AND ORGANIC COTTON

14.4%

The strongest sustainable messages for the season, she reported, were exemplified by the vast display of material mixing and upcycled fabrics. A number of designers like Gabriela Hearst, Collina Strada and Marni strayed away from virgin materials, instead opting for deadstock fabrics, most of which they sourced from previous collections, as their new upcycled medium. Fashion search engine Tagwalk reported that 14.4 percent of S/S ’21 collections featured sustainable, upcycled or responsible products or ways of producing—213 percent more compared with F/W ’20-21.

Indeed, Skliarova said several fashion houses touted upcycled garments. “Spliced and manipulated fabrics, engineered patchworks and openwork that we have seen as part of tighter edits from the likes of Acne Studios and Marina Moscone emerged as key trims and details for this season,” she said.

For many designers, elevating scraps and deadstock into new fashion became an effective way to fill pandemic-induced gaps in their supply chains. “The use of deadstock and recycled patchworks are by no means a new concept, and trailblazers like Bethany Williams have been using these methods from the ethical standpoint, but the lack of new fabrics due to mill closures during the pandemic has accelerated resourcefulness out of necessity,” Skliarova said.

Using material that already exists is also an easy first step into operating sustainably. “Upcycling and using deadstock were the buzz words for S/S ’21 and a

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THERE IS NOTHING QUITE LIKE THE THRILL OF A L I V E FA S H I O N S H OW, H OW E V E R T H E V I R T UA L P R ES E N TAT I O N S W E R E A S T R O N G S I G N O F R E S I L I E N CY,” — M E L I S S A M OY L A N , FA S H I O N S N OO P S In a poetic message illustrating the fine line between art and waste, Boss printed the artist William Farr’s creations onto leftover fabric. Preen by Thornton Bregazzi followed suit with a collection showcasing at least 70 percent deadstock fabrics and recycled garments. Meanwhile, Phoebe English’s eight-piece “Nothing New” collection exemplified how sustainable apparel (as well as zero-waste pattern cutting) embodies catwalk appeal. “She only uses deadstock fabrics and finds low-impact trims to finish the garments,” Ayer said.

If consumers latch onto the “make more with less” narrative, “it could bode well for designers who can use leftover fabric in limited runs, regional exclusives and more,” Ayer said. “It helps a brand’s CSR practices but also has the added benefit of exclusivity and luxury.” It would also give brands a more creative strategy to market sustainable fashion compared to the traditional “go green” messages that now feel redundant and hollow.

“This type of mentality is good for any fashion brand looking to make their sustainable fashion runway-worthy,” Ayer said.

the sake of “turning in a never-ending hamster wheel.”

The pandemic brought these realizations to light and became the tipping point for big names including Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele to abandon the “worn-out ritual” of fashion seasons and for Yves Saint Laurent to ditch the remainder of the 2020 fashion calendar altogether—decisions that come with sustainable gains if executed responsibly. “The endless seasons have always posed increased challenges to the supply chain with a profound effect on the environment,” Bowring said. “The shorter fashion weeks will also become a normal practice.”

Another positive, Moylan said, was the proliferation of smaller collections. “We finally saw designers scale their collections back to fewer, more impactful looks rather than never-ending parades,” she said. “This is something we’ve talked about a lot at Fashion Snoops; the need in this cultural climate to really take a step back, cut down on the fluff and make sure that every single item in a collection has a purpose.”

The pandemic was the impetus, but the seeds for change were planted well before the crisis struck.

“Discussions prior to March had already been in existence about how to change an already broken fashion system, driven by questions around sustainability, designer burnout, avarice, not to mention the question around how will brands reach out to a newly cognizant audience…,” Bowring said. Fashion watchers, she added, were also questioning if creativity was being sacrificed for

l____PATOU: RECYCLED MATERIALS

Season of change

l____PREEN BY THORNTON BREGAZZI: DEADSTOCK FABRICS

fast way for designers to get on the sustainability bandwagon,” Kass said. Most notable for this, he added, is Gabriela Hearst, who in September won the CFDA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year. The American designer made her Paris Fashion Week debut with a S/S ’21 collection inspired by a shell bracelet given to her by her mother as a child that was made entirely of deadstock fabrics. Her garments also featured QR code labels that share their supply-chain journey from factory to runway.

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The pandemic also sped up fashion week’s digitization. With bans restricting travel and social distancing guidelines in place, the pandemic kicked fashion week’s digital transformation into high gear and forced designers who once turned their nose up at social media’s democratizing influence to embrace the medium to share their seasonal story.

Tagwalk reported that physical runway shows represented just 36.3 percent of designers’ presentations for S/S ’21 with the remaining opting for look books or video presentations of some kind.

In a macro sense, Silva pointed out that the “popularity of virtual shows this season was a huge step forward in cutting back on fashion’s gigantic carbon footprint.”

With the absence of many physical shows this season, Moylan said designers went to great lengths to illustrate the inspiration behind their collections.

52%

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l____PH5: UPCYCLED YARNS

l____PRADA: RECYCLED NYLON

of runway shows took place outside in mostly natural places.

“There is nothing quite like the thrill of a live fashion show, however the virtual presentations were a strong sign of resiliency,” she said. “The crisis pushed designers to new creative and experimental heights.”

Even before the pandemic, Ayer said fashion marketers were asking themselves how they could maximize a collection and online impressions. “With digital show infrastructure being put into place by so many brands, it will provide more opportunities for brands to do just that,” he said. “We may see large conglomerates like LVMH set up digital runway shows for their brands with virtual visitors, while still providing opportunities for in-person shows.”

With a combination of socially distanced or no-audience physical shows and an influx of virtual media that allowed watchers to remotely experience runway collections, S/S ’21 marked “the first truly hybrid fashion week,”

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Moylan said. It’s a strategy that experts agreed has staying power even when Covid eventually subsides. “The digital aspect proved effective to the extent that I think moving forward, most brands will incorporate a strong virtual strategy even when we are able to travel and return to physical shows,” she added.

For designers, Bowring said the interim will serve as a “litmus” test to prove to the world how they can transform a negative into a positive. “The demand to continue in the same positive manner has forced many to reevaluate what they stand for and then look to a new way forward,” she said.

In some ways, hybrid strategies may become the great equalizer. Ayer said he anticipates seeing smaller brands band together to drum up ways to remain competitive during fashion week by hosting events like digital runway shows.

Though there were only 80 S/S ’21 runway shows compared to the 248 for F/W 20-21, Kass pointed out that the fact that any physical runway shows took place as the industry tries to rebuild itself “gives credit to the spirit of creativity.”

And don’t count out the full return of fashion shows just yet.

“Old habits die hard,” Bowring quipped, implying that traditional in-person runway shows will continue to be reserved for buyers, while digital events will be a marketing tool for designers to woo and wow their global audience.

“Fashion shows are a means of conveying the designer’s vision, so the look, touch, feel and taste of a show is critical, adding weight to the narrative,” she said. “There is something quite exciting, dynamic and vulnerable about seeing a show, as well as the social dialogue that exists around collections. These are just part of a fashion show dynamic and one which will be hard to replace.”

S P O N S O R E D CO N TENT

Circularity Always Begins At the Start of the Product Lifecycle

T

here is often a misconception among denim industry players that circularity initiatives should take place at the end of the product lifecycle. But circularity actually begins at the start of the process, and it continues all the way through each stage of production, according to Ebru Ozkucuk Guler, senior sustainability and CSR executive at denim manufacturer ISKO. What’s the most significant step toward circularity that your company has made this year?

Circularity is about designing in a way that uses resources and raw materials in the best possible way: prolonging their lifespan and keeping them in use for as long as possible.

Our R-TWO™ technology encapsulates this idea by recovering waste out of the system and at the very beginning. By putting back into the spinning process that cotton lost during fiber production and then by adding recycled materials to the yarn production process, we are able to make the highest impact in resource efficiency while maintaining quality

and durability, ultimately taking into account the end of life of the product.

What have been the biggest challenges you have crossed in trying to improve the circularity of your products?

There are three main challenges when it comes to improving circularity. These are the collaborations with garment manufacturers, designs and the development of a true circularity that improves these aspects to gain better results.

These need to be improved to gain better results for environmental, social and economic impacts.

Circularity has to be an industry-wide goal. How can forward thinking companies convince their supply chain partners that the topic needs to be addressed?

We work with leading organizations such as the Textile Exchange to provide verification of circularity in our R-TWO™ products. Depending on the composition

of the fabrics, we can provide GRS, RCS, or CCS certificates alongside comprehensive Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs) with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) which account for all our more than 25,000 products.

We work alongside peers, such as garment makers and our suppliers, to be examples and implement changes at all stages for circularity.

Where do you feel supply chain stakeholders are still lagging the most when it comes to developing products and processes designed to further circularity?

It is important to consider the entire production chain, working to improve every step and connect the dots. Reusing and recycling strategies are becoming more and more important as we address this need.

By recycling, you are impacting the very end of the process. Saving the day at the final hour. As an industry, we need to look further than that, to conserve raw materials across all stages of production including water use, chemicals and many other efficiencies.

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CIRCULAR CATALYSTS The actions taken by these pioneering jeans brands serve as case studies for the denim industry’s circular future.

HNST HNST (pronounced honest) is living up to its name with transparent,low-impact denim.

Circularity has been part of HNST from the start, but the company is not resting on its sustainability laurels. In 2017, the brand prepared for its first collection by partnering with secondhand clothing and textile collectors De Collectie and Opnieuw&Co to set up 80 spots throughout the Flanders region of Belgium where consumers could drop off their pre-worn denim. The resulting 6,000 pairs gathered were then processed, and jeans that were not eligible for resale in their current state became the raw material for HNST’s debut denim line.

The company now works with European Spinning Group to combine recycled denim with new cotton and Tencel to create jeans that are less impactful. From there, the sustainable production continues in Europe as the fabric is sent to an Italian weaving mill and a manufacturer in Portugal.

“The textile industry is dominated by big volumes and large players,” said Lander Desmedt, CEO and co-founder of HNST. “In this playing field it has been challeng-

ing to find manufacturing partners that are willing to produce small quantities and engage in a daring and innovative journey of trial and error. Following our intrinsic motivation has allowed us to find partners that believe in our story and are willing to make exceptions on these fronts.”

HNST’s jeans already have a high concentration of recycled denim, up to 56 percent, but the company is working to raise that figure. The brand is creating jeans that can be more easily recycled. Since processing blended textiles can be a challenge, HNST uses only cellulosic materials in its jeans, including natural sewing thread and back patches made of Jacron, a durable paper material that resembles leather. Trims also matter, so the brand uses embroidered rivets and removable buttons that can be unscrewed at the end of life. Further scaling back on trims, HNST forgoes interior labels in favor of printing product information directly on the inside pockets with Cradle to Cradle certified ink.

“The use of metal trims and polyester labels is resulting in material losses of up to 30 percent in most denim recycling chains, since the upper part of the jeans containing all hard parts and labels is being cut off,” explained Desmedt.

Beyond its production process, HNST thinks about how its denim is used by consumers, including the impact of laundering jeans. Currently, the company doesn’t use elastane or other stretch fibers, since they leech microplastics into water during the wash cycle. HNST is working to

develop a stretch denim that does not contain synthetics.

Since starting out, HNST has saved 17 tons of old jeans from being incinerated. And it’s not stopping with denim. The company plans to expand into other categories in the future, which will also be produced under the same circular methods.

“When building a circular product, it is essential to start from the waste and work your way up the value chain. Today the world is being flooded with new materials that are marketed as recyclable,” Desmedt said. “These materials might be recyclable in theory, but in practice this often proves to be technologically or economically inefficient or even worst, impossible. The unrecyclable residue of products and materials it what we consider true waste, and for this purpose solutions must be found.”—Sarah Jones

MUD JE ANS Mud Jeans is on the path to make a 100 percent recycled jean.

When Mud Jeans set out to change the fashion industry eight years ago, denim’s position as an ecological offender made it a prime target. Jeans are highly resource-heavy garments, taking in 1,850 gallons of water for just one pair. Beyond tackling water use, Mud considered every aspect of how jeans are produced to make denim more of a positive force, from removing chemicals to ensuring workers receive fair wages.

“There’s a lot of things that go wrong from the raw cotton until it’s in your cupboard. So, we decided to make jeans in a better way,” said Bert van Son, CEO of Mud Jeans.

Mud’s idea of responsibility also extended to its jeans’ end of life, translating into the use of recycled denim fabric to reduce the environmental cost of its raw materials. Now, almost a decade into the brand’s journey, it is ramping up its circular commitment with

a project to create jeans out of 100 percent post-consumer recycled denim.

Currently, Mud uses a mix of mechanically recycled denim and virgin organic cotton in its collections.

The shredding process shortens fibers, necessitating the addition of non-recycled cotton to offer better material strength. Because of this, the highest recycled content that has been available from Mud to-date is 40 percent.

For jeans with elastane for stretch, the recycled cotton content needs to be capped at 23 percent to maintain quality standards.

As it sets its sights on fully recycled jeans, Mud is going beyond the limits of what can be achieved with mechanically processed fibers by adding chemically recycled denim to the mix. Fibers are broken down into pulp and then turned into fibers. The two resulting materials from the different recycling processes are then woven together in equal parts to create longer, stronger fibers that look like rough denim rather than viscose.

Mud originally planned to launch its 100 percent recycled jeans in 2020, but that timeline has been delayed due to Covid. Most recently, the company and its partners Saxion University in Holland, fiber recycling firm Recover and nonprofit Circular Economy have developed a swatch that is 30 square centimeters in a laboratory. The fabric is currently being tested, and it has already passed for aspects such as colorfastness. The next step is getting funding to scale up the fabric and produce a 10,000-yard run to make jeans out of the material for further assessments.

One element that has made a big difference in the project so far is funding frm the Dutch government. And the Netherlands’ support of circularity is more than financial. Holland has a program in place to establish a circular economy in the nation by 2050 and achieve a 50 percent reduction in its raw material consumption by 2030. This has helped organically raise consumer interest in companies such as Mud. “The government is really trying to implement rules and laws to push recycling, not only in textiles but in other fields,” said Van Son. “So, we feel that we as a company are

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at the heart of this whole development and are profiting off this.”

Another aspect that has enabled Mud to scale up its denim recycling is its jean leasing program, which began in 2013. Customers can pay a monthly fee to borrow a pair of jeans. After the consumer is done wearing the jeans, Mud will take them back to ensure they get a second life.

This circular-minded approach has also translated to the company designing its jeans to be more recyclable by reducing the variety of inputs. This means fewer rivets, a printed back label instead of a leather one and cotton interior tags. Mud has also switched to a biodegradable indigo to avoid toxic chemicals.

“If you really want to change things, and change behavior and change your way of thinking about a company, you have to start at the beginning,” said Van Son. “And that’s how we started eight years ago. We said let’s try to make a pair of jeans, realizing that we know that one day we will get it back and we have to recycle it. So let’s try to make it as easy as possible.” —Sarah Jones

D I ES E L Diesel turns to spin-off brand to launch an upcycled collection.

When Diesel developed the “For Responsible Living” strategy early in 2020 alongside sustainability consultancy group Eco-Age, the brand sought to launch a plan to “be the alternative” to prevent fabric waste. Soon after the partnership, Diesel unveiled the first iteration of its Diesel Upcycling For series dedicated to a more sustainable, circular, fashion industry.

The leader behind the project is Andrea Rosso, Diesel’s sustainability ambassador and upcycling artistic director, as well as the son of Diesel president and founder Renzo Rosso.

Rosso is spearheading the ongoing series with six capsule collections created with different designers and without the use of any virgin materials.

“For me, to use waste is one of the most beautiful things that you can do,” An-

drea Rosso said. “If you can create something and give a second life to a product that is destined for landfill, it’s better to stop and think about doing it. So we did, and the upcycling collection was born.”

The first of these collections, Upcycling for 55DSL, debuted during Milan Fashion Week in February with a launch party at the city’s flagship. Seamstresses within the store put together a live performance, stitching the limited-edition garments as onlookers watched.

As former creative director of Diesel’s experimental spin-off 55DSL brand, Rosso took deadstock, samples and prototypes from the Diesel and 55DSL archives and stitched them together to create new more street-inspired garments for the ’90s-inspired capsule collection, which was designed and sold for the Spring/Summer 2020 season. For example, checked shirts and color swatches may be pieced together into fresh silhouettes, while mineral tie-dye treatments revamp the fabrics.

“We don’t go to the supplier, but instead we go to the warehouse where the yarns and fabrics were already produced years ago to scout out materials that we can bring back to life,” Rosso said.

The collection included 5,555 total pieces from a selection of approximately 30 styles, sold through various Diesel stores and

wholesalers, as well as on their e-commerce site. Retail prices ranged between affordable and luxury, from $58 to $664.

Highlights of the upcycling collection included a hooded jacket made from recycled denim, a shirt crafted from two existing tops—one with a check pattern, the other made from denim—and even a satchel backpack exclusively crafted using existing denim fabric.

To ensure that shoppers get a full sense of traceability regarding the product, a QR code was printed inside each garment so anyone can scan and read its entire history, with a photographic timeline that includes details of the manufacturing process, materials used and the certifications for the product. Additionally, the packaging for the collection is designed to be 100 percent recyclable and consists of a small bag made 50 percent in biopolymer.

Although the capsule collections are designed to be released every six months (two per year for three years), the second collection has not been released, and Diesel and Rosso have been otherwise mum on the details of the collection.

Getting this kind of project off the ground requires education for what materials to seek out and what techniques are most efficient, Rosso believes, as well as a little bit of internal motivation.

“It’s a kind of competition process through which everyone is trying their best in order to bring more innovation, more ideas,” Rosso said. —Glenn Taylor

RE FO R MATION Reformation sets 500,000 garment recirculation goal.

Reformation is a brand that has always put sustainability at the heart of its women’s apparel and accessories business, already developing its products only from sustainable and upcycled materials.

The company also has established an annual sustainability report, invested in carbon offsets and created its own sustainability methodology—the RefScale—which is

shared on every product page of its website to inform shoppers of exactly what impact each garment has on the environment.

But while the brand has a laser focus on sustainability, getting true circularity out of a fabric like denim is a whole different beast to tackle.

“Unfortunately, denim has a large impact on the environment,” said Kathleen Talbot, Reformation’s chief sustainability officer and vice president of operations. “From the quantity of water and pesticides needed to farm cotton to the toxic chemicals used in dyeing and finishing, it has a significant impact on the planet. Given the mass appeal and visibility of denim, increasing circularity in the industry is really important.”

With Reformation joining the Jeans Redesign Initiative by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative, Talbot and her team see a big opportunity to collaborate as an industry and continue to push the conversation further with customers.

Additionally, this cements the brand’s commitment to transforming the way jeans are produced when it comes to durability, material health, recyclability and traceability.

Even prior to the company’s work with the Ellen MacArthur, Reformation has had some major wins in its circularity journey, such as expanding its annual RefVintage collection to additional markets, which are reworked by the brand’s in-house seamstress so they almost look like new, or training its product development and design teams on designing products specifically for circularity.

Reformation is also looking to partner with more companies to spread circularity initiatives across both the supply chain 2 0 2 0 R I V E T D E N I M R E P O R T | 33

W R AN G LER Wrangler’s circular journey begins with farmer education.

and retail. The brand has teamed with a Los Angeles-based fiber recycling solution to cut waste in the product development process and is offering store credit to customers who resell and recycle their used clothing through partnerships with online resale platforms like ThredUp.

“We encourage buying vintage (and sell one-of-a-kind vintage pieces in a few of our stores as well as through online drops), and about 10 to 15 percent of our materials still come from deadstock as well,” Talbot said. “These initiatives encourage and empower circular practices—for us at Reformation and for our customers.”

And with that in mind, Reformation has setting some serious circularity goals. “This year, we also signed the 2020 Circularity Fashion System Commitment Letter, with the goal of recirculating 500,000 garments in the next five years and have already been able to reuse or recycle 357,296 garments this year,” Talbot said.

When sharing the lessons she has learned throughout the process that can help future innovations, Talbot noted that the company now sees more opportunity in collaborating with like-minded brands, suppliers and other stakeholders to try and overcome circularity challenges and create innovative solutions.

“As we consider how to lead even bigger shifts within the industry, we’re moving beyond just thinking about used clothing and deadstock fabrics, and considering the potential for circularity in the fibers, dyes and garments to create a more holistic system to begin with,” Talbot said. —Glenn Taylor

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The Covid-19 pandemic may have caused some to cut corners in terms of quality and sustainability, but for Kontoor Brands-owned Wrangler, 2020 has been a year dedicated to mastering the details.

Though Wrangler signed on as a member of the Ellen MacArthur’s Jeans Redesign program earlier this year, circular design was not a new consideration for the brand.

Becoming a member was a continuation of its circularity and regenerative farming efforts that began years ago. The brand’s circular strategy is organized according to the program’s three principles of a circular economy: design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems.

To tackle the first goal, the brand continuously increases its use of recycled and sustainable fibers, with a goal to use 100 percent sustainable synthetics by 2030 and 100 percent sustainably grown or recycled cotton by 2025.

But its greatest efforts are focused on regenerative farming, which has been a top priority since 2017 when it launched the Wrangler Science and Conservation Program, an alliance of industry experts, farmers and nonprofit partners that sponsors research, farmer workshops and promotes soil health farming practices.

Through Wrangler’s own research, it found that

CASE STUDIES

combining certain farming practices can drive three times the amount of carbon into soil than conventional farming, and can increase yields and decrease the needs for inputs like water and fertilizer—and products created using these principles have already gone to market.

The Wrangler Rooted Collection features traceable cotton grown with regenerative agriculture practices and the Indigood Foam Dye process that uses 100 percent less water in the dyeing process than conventionally dyed denim.

According to Roian Atwood, Wrangler’s senior director of global sustainability, sustained progress requires a universal understanding of the supply chain. “For a truly circular economy, education will be needed throughout the supply chain, from the consumer all the way to the farmer growing cotton,” he said. “When you can provide consumers with information from the farm, the mills, the manufac-

turers, then, you’ll be able to have an informed discussion.”

Most recently, the brand announced a project calling for the world’s most regenerative cotton, which will be used in an upcoming Wrangler Retro Premium “Regenerative Jean” collection. It’s working in partnership with the Soil Health Institute to ask farmers around the world to show documentation of improved soil health and environmental benefits resulting from their adoption of regenerative agricultural systems.

Though full circularity is a lofty goal for the denim industry, Atwood is confident that it can be achieved through hard work, accessible education and continued collaboration. “The denim industry has a complex, global supply chain and it can be difficult to manage the variability of knowledge and systems across regions,” he said. “But, we’ve also seen an incredible number of suppliers who want to collaborate on sustainable innovations. We’re excited about this cross-industry momentum and the push toward sustainability and circularity.” —Liz Warren

S P O N S O R E D CO N T ENT

True Circularity Depends on Third-Party Certifications

W

ithout an official comprehensive circular economy index, circularity can be hard to quantify and measure. Moreover, there’s no sanction if there is a claim or practice that is irrelevant, illegal or non-standard. Therefore, Artistic Milliners believes businesses must work with creditable third-party certifiers, who often have their own methodology, to hold themselves accountable to delivering on circularity goals.

Ebru Ozaydin, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Artistic Milliners, discusses how the company’s partnership with Cradle to Cradle Certified™, a recognized measure of safer, sustainable products, can help the denim manufacturer and the industry adapt business practices to further circularity.

What’s the most significant step toward circularity that your company has made this year?

Our Circular Blue Platform is based on embracing circularity for a more mindful future that stands for the good of land, air and ocean. As a disruptive and holistic approach, it aims to offer a toolkit that helps reduce waste by circulating resources and a

360-degree sustainable product experience from “farm to fashion” level. We are partnering with industry pioneers and global institutions to expand the umbrella of Cradle to Cradle Certified™ products developed with zero-waste design principles.

In developing the world’s first Gold Certified Denim Fabric, we have launched “Crystal Clear 3.0 Technology” which is a clean indigo dyeing process with waterless and salt-free dyeing, empowered by Jeanologia G2 Dynamic Technology, which overall saves up to 80 percent water.

Where do you feel supply chain stakeholders are still lagging the most when it comes to developing products and processes designed to further circularity?

The all-encompassing adaptation of circular economy needs multifaceted involvement. Therefore, collaboration with stakeholders along the value chain is essential. Stakeholders should take corporate social responsibility seriously.

Innovation plays an important role, but for breakthrough solutions, our supply chain struggles to scale up circularity. Limited understanding of circular models is another problem. Communicating standards and practices would increase awareness on the circular model and its benefits.

What role does your company play in educating trade partners, brands and even end consumers about circularity?

We have a training program called “Milliners Masterclass,” which is an interactive platform involving a joint intellectual effort by members of the denim supply chain as well as NGO/ NPO and industry pioneers.

MM is designed to engage denim professionals actively in the learning process through inquiry and discussion with their peers. It is a kind of collaborative learning process through a society of recognized experts, respected industry authorities and renowned personalities in their respective fields of expertise. The goal is to lead in-depth sessions that address current trends and best practices to inspire interactive discussions and group knowledge sharing.

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BUILDING BLOCKS Will widespread adoption of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals stack up to right the denim industry’s wrongs? w or d s _____ JASMI N MA L I K C H UA

F

or James Bartle, Outland Denim is basically the first Sustainable Development Goal—end poverty in all its forms everywhere—decked out in blue jeans.

“Poverty is the root cause of so many issues,” said Bartle, who founded the Australian-based B Corp in 2016 to train and employ women who were sexually trafficked but has since “widened its doors” to include employees of “varying backgrounds of vulnerability.”

Bartle says, however, that Outland Denim is “100 percent pretty much for all the SDGs”—which the United Nations Global Compact laid out in 2015 as a kind of turnkey framework for achieving ambitious environmental, economic and social targets—so much so they buttress the foundation of the business in the form of “pillars” such as opportunity, education, training and living wages.

In the past 12 months alone, Outland Denim has conducted 105 hours of training and education—on topics as varied as health, English language, financial management and self-defense—for its cut-and-sew employees in Cambodia. Some 85 percent of its formerly-at-risk workers, Bartle said, reported a reduced level of risk to exploitation after just six months of employment. And when asked about how their life has changed since working for Outland Denim, 57 percent cited financial security and 43 percent said their quality of life was now higher. For its efforts, the Global SDG Awards honored Outland Denim with its 2019 prizes for SDG 1 (no poverty) and SDG 8 (decent working conditions and economic growth).

Formally known as Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, or the 2030 Agenda, the 17 SDGs replaced the 2000 Millennium Development Goals as a shared roadmap for ensuring all people enjoy peace, prosperity and a healthy planet by 2030. The goals are broken up into 169 specific benchmarks, calibrated to advance issues such as equality, clean water, ocean health and climate action in tangible and measurable ways, and they’re especially relevant to the fashion industry, whose globe-spanning impact leaves a mark on just about every single one.

The denim sector, in particular, has embraced the SDGs as an

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instrument of change amid growing discourse about the harm and pollution generated by the production of clothes, even as some observers question if progress is stalling or if the goals go far enough—two criticisms fashion firms are no stranger to. Their adoption wasn’t immediate. Neither does it remain complete.

When Tricia Carey, director for global business development, denim, at fiber giant Lenzing, started raising the SDGs in discussions in 2018, “people thought I was talking about a disease!” Awareness-raising drives by the denim supply chain trade show Kingpins Show and the Conscious Fashion Campaign soon made a case for them, however. “There is a progression of the SDGs from awareness to acceptance to target setting,” she noted. Lenzing itself was an early adopter and it can “show a connection to every SDG.” With its low-impact production process and use of post-consumer textile waste as an input, for example, its Tencel x Refibra product is responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) writ large.

Now, an increasing number of companies at all stages of the denim value chain are drawing parallels between their sustainability strategies and the vision for a better world that the SDGs enshrine. Turkish mill Calik Denim says it developed its 2025 sustainability targets to be “in harmony” with the SDGs, which it has referred to as “fundamentals for forming a sustainable business model.” Jeanologia, a Spanish finishing firm, wants to leverage the SDGs to help it “achieve the dehydration and total detoxification of the jean industry.” Pakistan’s Artistic Milliners seeks to “maximize positive impact in order to minimize negative impact by mapping SDGs against the value chain.”

In the case of Swedish brand Nudie Jeans, which extends the life of its products through repair and resale, SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production) is “spot on what Nudie Jeans stands for,” said Sandya Lang, its corpo-

l____GAP INC.’S P.A.C.E PROGRAM PROVIDES EDUCATION AND LIFE SKILLS TRAINING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.

rate social responsibility manager, adding that SDG 13 (climate action)—emissions reductions, specifically—remains an ongoing area of focus.

Elevate Textiles, which owns Cone Denim, says it “strategically aligned” each of its 10 “Threads of Sustainability” with a related SDG. The company has pledged, for instance, to reduce absolute water usage by 25 percent by 2025 on a 2016 baseline, which would further the goal of clean water and sanitation, or SDG 6. “By mapping the SDGs to our existing sustainability program, we are able to more effectively assess our program and identify and develop actions for any gaps, allowing us a structure to meet our commitments under the UN Global Compact,” said Jimmy Summers, the company’s chief sustainability officer.

Common ground Favorites for these companies include SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (climate action), all of which reflect the continuing struggle for cleaner denim production that uses less water, energy and toxic chemicals and generates fewer carbon emissions. SDG 17—partnerships for the goals—is another that is frequently mentioned. Denim, by nature,

is a collaborative business, and mills maintain longstanding relationships with standards and multi-stakeholder organizations to share knowledge, align objectives and disseminate best practices. The broad and sometimes imprecise scope of the SDGs, though perceived as a weakness by some, allows them to complement commitments with the UN CEO Water Mandate, the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and the ZDHC’s Roadmap to Zero Programme.

Isko, which churns out more than 270 million yards of denim a year, views the SDGs as a tool for honing its focus on the circular economy, a concept the sector is betting on to shake off denim’s reputation for environmental profligacy. Its R-Two concept incorporates reused cotton and post-consumer polyester, increasing resource efficiency and dovetailing with SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 13 (climate action). “By reusing and recycling materials early in the production process, we can have a strong impact in reducing waste and embedding circularity at the very early stage of production,” said Ebru

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NO POVERTY: Economic growth must be inclusive to provide sustainable jobs and promote equality.

ZERO HUNGER: The food and agriculture sector is central for hunger and poverty eradication.

GOOD HEALTH + WELL-BEING: Ensuring healthy lives for all is essential to sustainable development.

QUALITY EDUCATION: Education is key to improving people’s lives and sustainable development.

GENDER EQUALITY: Gender equality is necessary for a

l____GARMENT WORKER AT ARTISTIC MILLINERS

MEET THE 17 UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

CLEAN WATER + SANITATION: Clean, accessible water for all is a human right.

AFFORDABLE + CLEAN ENERGY: Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity.

DECENT WORK + ECONOMIC GROWTH: Societies must create quality jobs and reliable sources of income.

INDUSTRY INNOVATION + INFRASTRUCTURE: Industries need strong foundations to meet sustainable goals.

REDUCED INEQUALITIES: Policies should be universal in principle and support marginalized populations.

SUSTAINABLE CITIES + COMMUNITIES: Cities must provide opportunities and basic services to all.

RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION + PRODUCTION: Sustainable consumption and production can reduce poverty.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Saving lives and livelihoods requires urgent action to address the climate emergency.

LIFE BELOW WATER: This essential global resource requires careful management for future generations.

LIFE ON LAND: Deforestation and desertification pose major challenges to sustainable development.

PEACE, JUSTICE + STRONG INSTITUTIONS: Effective, accountable institutions ensures justice for all.

PARTNERSHIPS: A successful agenda requires inclusive partnerships regional, national and local levels.

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Özküçük Güler, senior corporate social responsibility specialist at Isko.

Somecommitments are more explicit than others.

Though Levi’s hasn’t characterized its sustainability initiatives in terms of the SDGs, a spokesman said many of the denim juggernaut’s key drives, such as its climate and water action strategies and its worker wellbeing initiative, are “consistent with necessary progress toward them.”

Much of Levi’s and the Levi Strauss Foundation’s grantmaking, he said, has centered on reducing inequalities (SDG 10), while its corporate advocacy has promoted peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 15) by championing voting, gun violence prevention and racial justice.

Levi’s Wellthread, SecondHand and Tailor programs, too, “level up” to bolster SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) by embedding eco-friendlier fibers and keeping products in circulation—and away from the landfill or incinerator—for longer.

Over at Gap Inc., the SDGs serve as “guiding principles” for the retailer’s sustainability strategy and goals, said Kirsty Stevenson, its head of environmental and product sustainability. The Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy owner, she said, regularly assesses opportunities to advance progress on the SDGs. “When the SDGs were first unveiled, we worked to incorporate them into our materiality analysis with the help of sector-specific guides, and we continue to review these during our annual report writing process to ensure that any goals and programs align with their recommendations,” Stevenson added. “We are also part of a number of external coalitions and industry groups who have also used the SDGs to drive collective action.”

Kontoor Brands, the owner of Lee and Wrangler, made its SDG alignment official. It published its first-ever sus-

GOALS

tainability report in September, pegging commitments relating to energy, water, worker wellbeing, materials and chemistry to the fulfilment of specific goals such as SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 15 (life on land).

Roian Atwood, senior director of global sustainability development at Kontoor Brands, described the process of establishing the targets as “somewhat inward-outward,” with the company soliciting input from its nonprofit stakeholders about its most material issues before it settled on the 10 SDGs where it could have the biggest impact. The SDGs, though useful as a high-level guidance and a vehicle for global alignment, are not a plug-and-play solution, however.

“In order to make meaningful progress toward the goals, we must customize them to our business operations, develop the right systems for monitoring and management and build partnerships to drive change,” Atwood said.

Other companies agree. Isko says it has accelerated the timelines of most targets, such as the promotion of cleaner water use

(SDG 6) and enhancing labor rights (SDG 8), to ramp up their ambition and achieve progress before 2025. Nudie Jeans uses the SDGs to identify and plug up gaps in its sustainability plan, which was already being rolled out when the goals were introduced. Elevate Textiles freely avails itself of the UN Global Compact’s tools, guidance and webinars, available only to signatories, to help it sharpen its approach to SDG implementation.

Indeed, even world-quaking disruptions like the pandemic have done little to budge these goals—and in certain cases, like that of Kontoor, has spurred companies to commit to them anew. Denim brands and suppliers say they realize Covid-19 will eventually pass but consumers’ calls for products that align with their social and environmental values will only grow more insistent. “Any business that is not taking the SDGs into account will probably not be around in a few decades’ time,” said Isko’s Güler.

S P O N S O R E D CO N T ENT

Why ‘Design Thinking’ is a Must for Circular Product Development

T

raceability can help ensure that the elements involved in manufacturing and delivering a product meet individual circularity qualifications, such as recycled and recyclable materials in fabric and trims, ecofriendly and nonharmful processing techniques used or overall product durability.

But any product or even process development must consider the entire lifecycle of the product; not just short-term thinking about the limited achievement from a singular process in order to effectively create circularity, according to Munaf Hussain, director of Pakistan-based denim manufacturer Denim Clothing Company.

What’s the most significant step toward circularity that your company has made this year?

We’ve made a number of concrete steps toward circularity during this past year—most significant is achieving a LEED Gold Certification for our flagship unit, the installation of a CO2 Recovery plant and establishing a

dedicated unit where we are able to upcycle leftover, rejected or donated garments. In the coming year we hope to embark upon the installation of solar energy panels in our facility, which will create a significant positive impact on our resource use.

Where do you feel supply chain stakeholders are still lagging the most when it comes to developing products and processes designed to further circularity?

The concept of “design thinking” must be incorporated into development of products and processes, using resources effectively and with greater efficiency.

Further creative thinking in researching more durable or sustainable materials, or the ability to replace parts of a garment, all while retaining the commercial viability of a product are all areas which need to be addressed. Here again, collaborative efforts by all stakeholders can play a major role, with not only

suppliers developing newer products but also by brands playing a larger role in spearheading innovative product design vis-à-vis cost effectiveness.

There’s currently little accountability around sustainability claims. How do you go about ensuring your partners are taking meaningful steps in the absence of uniform standards?

As suppliers, it is in our interest to invest in sustainability and ensure standards are met.

With a higher customer demand toward products made with organic cotton, natural dyes and eco-friendly production processes, there is only so much a false claim can do. To be an industry leader, sustainability needs to be incorporated into innovation to succeed.

As suppliers, we constantly monitor ourselves and make sure that our partners adhere to industry standards.

We also keep abreast of innovative technology produced by industry leaders such as Jeanologia and increasingly incorporate these across our own facility.

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l____GAP INC. IMPLEMENTS WATER-CONSCIOUS PRACTICES DURING FARMING.

Learning curve Still, there is “some way ahead” until the SDGS are widely adopted by the sector, said Miguel Sanchez, technology leader at Kingpins Show, which was named a UN partner in March. As a board member of the trade show’s nonprofit Transformers Foundation, Sanchez has been working to coax more denim companies to fold the SDGs models.

Instead of a garment that’s pilloried for being wasteful and polluting, jeans could be reframed as a circular, ecological and socially sound choice for consumers. “We would like denim to be a reference for other industries in the textile, fashion and other business segments,” he said.

Artistic Milliners senior vice president Ebru Ozaydin cautions of the risk of “SDG washing,” which is to say companies that simply wield the SDG label in lieu of developing time-bound and measurable action plans. “We believe business actions determine the success of SDGs and the corporate strategy should be aligning with them,” she said.

Warnings are also sounding about the SDGs losing ground in their so-called “Decade of Action.” In June, a report commissioned by the UN Global Compact found that while 84 percent of its signatories are tackling the SDGs, only 36 percent are incorporating them into their core business. Companies are also limiting the scope of the SDGs by applying them to their own operations. To wit, though more than half (57 percent) of companies are measuring their im-

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A N Y B U S I N E S S T H AT IS N O T TA K I N G T H E S DG S I N T O ACCOU N T W I L L P RO B A B LY N O T B E A RO U N D I N A F E W D ECA D E S ’ T I M E .”

— EB RU ÖZ K ÜÇ Ü K G Ü L ER , IS KO pact in relation to the SDGs, “very few” extend the same diligence to suppliers (13 percent), raw materials (10 percent) and into product use (10 percent). Public enthusiasm for the SDGs has slipped, too. Only 29 per cent of companies now publicly advocate the importance of action in relation to the SDGs, down from 53 percent in 2019.

A report by Washington, D.C., think tank Social Progress Imperative, published in September, concluded that the world will not achieve the SDGs until at least 2082 at its current pace—and that’s without accounting for the post-coronavirus economic scramble, which could force their fulfillment to 2092 at the earliest, or 60 years behind schedule. A lack of legislation or legally binding agreements—the SDGs are strictly voluntary and the UN Global Compact is non-enforceable—could be to blame.

“In many countries, like in Sweden, we still do not

GOALS

have mandatory labor laws for the global supply chain yet,” said Lang from Nudie Jeans. “This would probably be needed to accelerate the work. For now, all brands can do is voluntarily report and integrate the SDGs, and therefore I believe that the work at some companies falls behind.”

Carey of Lenzing sees, however, an opportunity in a “pandemic pause” that could turn the “Decade of Action” into “The Great Reset.”

While she understands that the learning curves for denim businesses are steep and their challenges manifold, it’s crucial for risk-shy firms to “think beyond their usual processes, connect with supply network and support investments in industry to transform.” A vision without a plan, she added, is “just a dream.” It doesn’t have to be a Herculean task, either. In 2018, Textile Exchange and audit and tax firm KPMG identified an “SDG engagement framework” that homes in on eight SDGs where the apparel and textile industry can produce the most enduring results. For brands and manufacturers that don’t know where to begin, or feel stuck in a rut, it offers practical guidance to

help them prioritize and realize the goals.

“We can guess that nobody thought that the SDGs were going to be an easy path to follow,” Kingpins’s Sanchez said. “Goals were set with the best spirit and meant to be realistically achievable. However, the degree of complexity, as well as a certain lack of push by relevant authorities, involved organizations and industry players caused the progress not to be at the level of expectations.” For the SDGs to be successful, everyone in the supply chain needs to be onboard with a unified plan of attack, both brands and suppliers agree. Isolated and piecemeal approaches that don’t result in fundamental changes won’t cut it.

Still, Sanchez remains hopeful. “The SDGs still are, and will be, a great guide to change things for good,” he said.

“Once again, lives and life conditions are at stake. It is about all of us on this planet. I do myself like the sentence “failure is not an option.”

S P O N S O R E D CO N T ENT

Crescent Has Big Plans to Save Water, Incorporate Hemp

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akistan-based vertically integrated denim facility Crescent Bahuman Ltd. has big plans for circularity, encouraging its partners to incorporate 20 percent of denim made with hemp and Tencel into their product lines. The company also has plans to use recycled water for almost 40 percent of its garment wet processing requirements.

But according to Zaki Saleemi, vice president of Crescent Bahuman Ltd., the mill has plenty more circularity initiatives down the pipeline.

What is the most significant step toward circularity that your company has made this year?

We have achieved 3.5 million meters of recycled fabrics, and now approximately 20 to 25 percent of the composition of our fabrics has previously been recycled. We also have developed Naya Denim, which has saved 99.5 percent water within the dyeing stage, and saved 80 percent of water during fabric finishing. The process has been audited and validated by TUV Rheinland, and we want to scale it to 1.5 million pairs of jeans. The Gaia

denim fabric collection has even been Gold-certified by the Cradle to Cradle product standard.

On top of the circularity initiatives, CBL reduced carbon emission by 2,000 tons over the past four years and saved 2.4 million kilowatt units of energy in that time span.

What have been the biggest challenges you have crossed in trying to improve the circularity of your products?

Switching and developing capability of PCW (post-consumer waste) was demanding for us. We have developed a fully equipped in-house capability to recycle PCW. Additionally, building awareness and acceptance of industrial hemp at mass production level was a great challenge. We have had to educate and create awareness in collaboration with the government to create pro-hemp farming legislation.

Circularity has to be an industry-wide goal. How can forward thinking compa-

nies convince their supply chain partners that the topic needs to be addressed?

Companies must devise a robust process of standardization of vendors, and limit their sourcing from supply chain partners who conform to the highest standards of responsible practices. For the last 25 years, we have continuously been benchmarking and trying to improve our systems.

We internally grade system partners to ensure they are compliant to work with us. No one can become a supplier at CBL if it does not meet this compliance standard.

How long do you estimate it will take for circularity to be the norm in the denim industry?

While there’s no concrete answer there, it’s up to industry teams and governments alike to make this a reality. Retailers should make a conscious effort to give pairs of unsold and returned jeans back to manufacturers, matching the total they originally produced. Industrywide legislation should be implemented to consume used garments, not virgin fiber.

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ALT TOGETHER NOW

Denim sustainability experts sound off on the state of alternative inputs and what it will take to make circular and recycled fibers the sector’s standard. wor ds _____ JES S I C A BIN N S

I

f there’s one word in fashion that’s falling out of favor, it just might be “virgin.” Extracting fresh new resources from the planet to create increasingly disposable clothing has taken a devastating toll on the planet and lent urgency to the issue of embracing circular and recycled alternatives. A quick scan of the headlines offers a sobering look at the grim reality of modern consumption’s destructive effects, says Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director of forest preservation nonprofit Canopy.

“Anybody who’s read a scientific journal over the past five years has probably also reached for a bottle of wine,” Rycroft said during an U.S. Fashion Industry Association webinar addressing an action plan for next-gen fibers. A climate that’s heating up faster than expected means the planet is now home to 68 percent fewer animals than it was in the 1970s, she added, and safeguarding forests represent 30 percent of the climate solution. “Protecting forest ecosystems is about stabilizing the health of our planet,” she said.

Razing ancient and endangered forests to pulp trees into the cellulose that produces incredibly soft T-shirts and jeans is just a fraction of fashion’s myriad fiber foibles.

Cotton’s thirsty ways are well documented while polyester keeps much of the denim sector hooked on habitat-harming fossil fuels. Meanwhile, textile waste continues to surge in the U.S., where the growth in castoff clothing and linens outpaces virtually every other waste stream, according to a story by environmental consultants Resource Recycling Systems examining municipal data from 2010 to 2017.

To its credit, the business of making denim has warmed to the idea of replacing first-run fibers with viable alternatives. The sector is making strides with recycled materials that rework waste like plastic bottles or post-consumer cotton, and circular counterparts that convert some combination of textile trash and “traditional” waste into Instagrammable new garments built with environmental bonafides.

Consumers are paying attention, too. The first half of 2020 saw a 19 percent uptick in social media influencers posting about sustainable fashion, according to influencer marketing firm Traackr’s State of the Influence 2020 report.

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Full speed ahead Though the coronavirus pandemic has upended much of the apparel industry’s plans for 2020, many denim brands remain committed to creating jeanswear sourced from low-impact materials. And the crisis is driving consumers to question their fashion choices as well.

“The global pandemic has given many people the opportunity to pause and reflect on their purchasing habits,” said Roian Atwood, senior director of global sustainable business for Kontoor Brands, the owner of Wrangler and Lee. “And as people are spending more time

FIBER

l____WRANGLER

in the digital world, it has given them more time to research products prior to purchase. This increase in conscientious consumption directly correlates with an increase in demand for environmentally friendly, long-lasting products.”

Kirsty Stevenson, head of environmental and product sustainability for Gap Inc., agrees that the Covid-19 pandemic has “amplified” the importance of prioritizing recycled and circular fiber adoption in order to “answer our customers’ demand for more sustainable and lower-impact product.” She’s also encouraged by “significant investment” in startup textile innovators, a development she views as “very promising” for fashion’s circularity push.

Artistic Milliners echoes the idea that the coronavirus crisis has

only “accelerated” the interest in and demand for sustainable and circular fibers that was already trending upward before the pandemic struck. The Pakistan-based mill, which makes for brands like G-Star Raw, says its year-old Circular Blue platform serves as a “direct reflection of our philosophy seeking new approaches for crafting fabrics that employ recycled and circular fibers—cumulative efforts to minimize waste, energy and water footprint by closing the loop.”

“We’re proud to be part of such transformation as a denim fabric mill who offers both circular and recycled fibers,” says Ebru

Ozaydin, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the vertical denim mill.

Kontoor Brands-owned Wrangler views recycled and circular fibers not as an “either/or” scenario but as “very similar parts of an overall sustainable materials strategy,” Atwood said.

“Whether from plastic bottles or old jeans, our industry should continue to push for innovative solutions to waste,” he said. “It does seem that synthetics made from non-textile waste like plastic bottles certainly have a lot of momentum, but recycled cotton and recycled polyester have been around for a long time. What the industry has been missing is the infrastructure for post-consumer apparel recycling.”

Wrangler doubled down on its circularity commitment in October by partnering with Finnish innovator Infinited Fiber Company to “take the next step toward a more holistically circular apparel industry,” Atwood said. “This is a significant technology evolution because we are using a preferred chemical solvent to reduce solid textile and non-textile waste.”

Climate consciousness prompted Bestseller, owner of brands including Vero Moda and Jack & Jones, to create the Fashion FWD innovation lab with a “special focus on supporting innovators with circular, more sustainable solutions,” says Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, sustainable materials and innovation manager for the Danish clothing company. Bestseller is exploring several options on the market, tapping forward-thinkers and piloting projects with not just Infinited but also H&M-backed Swedish textile innovator Renewcell, which decomposes the cellulose in cotton and viscose into the circular fiber Circulose, and Finland’s Spinnova, whose ecological breakthrough technology manufactures cellulose-based fibers.

“Of course, the pandemic gives challenges as the entire world is affected by it,” Skjønning Jørgensen said. “But we are determined to keep working with this agenda.”

Gap Inc. sees the momentum shifting toward circular fibers, according to Neil Bell, director, denim fiber and fabric R&D for the San Francisco-based denim maker, with promising advancements happening in “chemically recycled fiber technologies that will enable higher quality fibers from waste-based inputs.” He’s encouraged by the growing availability and scale of mechanically recycled cotton versus its relative scarcity just a few years ago.

Atwood agrees that circularity has propelled forward.

“Bringing an innovation to market is not easy,” he said.

“Over the past five years, the technology behind circular fibers has matured and proven to be commercial-ready.

There is no longer a technical challenge, instead the biggest challenge is the industry infrastructure, but as companies like Infinited Fiber scale up, we believe it will become easier 2 0 2 0 R I V E T D E N I M R E P O R T | 43

l____JACK & JONES

to integrate circular fibers into the established denim supply chain.”

He’s careful to point out that Wrangler doesn’t see recycled or circular fibers as being “at odds” with each other. “As technology advances, we look forward to continue to use both in our supply chain along with cotton grown with regenerative practices,” he added.

“And, that’s the beauty of a circular economy—that materials can be kept in use as long as possible as we collaborate within our supply chains across industries. This is an opportunity to design consumer goods in a way that dramatically reduces waste and pollution while concurrently regenerating natural systems in agriculture.”

High-wire act Opinions vary widely on what constitutes the prime ratio of circular and recycled inputs to virgin, which some believe offers performance benefits compared with second-run fibers.

The sky’s the limit, according to Artistic Milliners, which helped G-Star Raw create its Zero Waste Denim using 100 percent recycled fibers. “In fact, there is no optimal ratio but more the design idea and the storytelling behind the concept,” Ozaydin said.

Many brands are taking the slow-and-steady approach, and starting by swapping out a small share of virgin for an eco-friendly fiber. Bell says analysis proves that using 10 percent mechanically recycled cotton is the “sweet spot” for most denim blends “because we aren’t willing to trade off quality” characteristics like strength and durability—though Gap Inc. is “exploring innovative ways to increase the percentage.”

However, fabric blends further complicate the tricky issue of textile recycling and creating new materials using post-consumer fiber, says Alice Hartley, director of product sustainability for Gap Inc. “For many textile recyclers today, polyester content in denim (whether virgin or recycled) is problematic and they would prefer 44

to work with 100 percent cotton garments, a specification that conflicts with the type of soft and stretchy denim that consumers want to buy,” she explained. “We are working to address this fundamental challenge via innovation with our partner HKRITA, to find ways to separate and recycle blended fabrics so that we don’t have to trade off fabric performance characteristics with circularity. Solving this issue is a key hurdle toward creating truly circular denim fabrics that can be widely recycled.”

Wrangler, too, acknowledged the delicate balancing act of addressing environmental concerns while delivering the denim fit and feel that meet shoppers’ standards. “Our designers work to increase the sustainability of our fabrics and finishes while maintaining the fit and durability that consumers expect,” Atwood said. “We see recycled cotton, recycled synthetics and sustainably-grown cotton as the three key fibers for future products. One of the principles of the circular economy, as defined by our partners the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is ‘regenerate natural systems,’ so we do see the opportunity for regenerative cotton in a circular future. However, we are moving away from virgin polyester, with a goal to be at 100 percent sustainable synthetics by 2030.”

Skjønning Jørgensen says the question of considering recycled or circular versus virgin is akin to a question of fantasy versus reality. “We need to distinguish between optimal and realistic,” she says. No one disputes that denim garments wholly made from recycled inputs are—or should be—the denim industry’s goal, and incorporate “mono materials” or just minimal amounts of mixed materials that innovators can re-use at end of life.

“Realistically, we need to look at what quality level we can keep when we blend in recycled fibers, and that depends on various things, like the quality of the waste input and if it’s mechanical recycling or chemical recycling,” she added.

Though denim is improving its uptake of eco-friendly fibers, “moving from a linear to a circular model requires large-scale systems change,” says Gap’s Stevenson. To truly move the needle and wean denim from its virgin addiction, the sustainability czar says “multiple levers need to be pulled”—from ensuring demand for circular fibers to scaling the materials at competitive quality and prices. But she also urges “sound policy and economic incentives to accelerate the pace of adoption,” adding that progress in material technology solutions will go a long way toward persuading more denim brands to get onboard.

Ozaydin also identifies the challenge of scale as a “threat” to denim’s conversion to circular and recycled options, noting that “some circular fiber companies are still startups” while a number of denim brands “are not ready to pay the upcharge that is currently inevitable for certain fibers.”

FIBER

Scale, says Skjønning Jørgensen, “takes time, investments and resources from the entire value chain. Moreover, we need well-functioning waste collecting systems to capture the waste, sort the waste and make sure it is used as a feedstock for new fibers.”

Circular storytelling Denim also needs to figure out how to explain to consumers why sustainability matters.

“We need greater awareness of what goes into making our customers most loved pair of jeans, how to care for them, and also how to extend the life of them” by repairing and reselling items before casting them into the waste stream, Stevenson says. “The benefits of recycled and circular denim fibers directly impact the health and wellness of our customers—by buying [more] sustainably, we are all creating a more healthy planet for our families and communities.”

Ozaydin gives brands credit for using their stores and

websites as sustainability storytelling opportunities “but still there’s lot to do to educate the final consumer.” Denim labels, she says, must “communicate through their product,” including labels, hangtags and packaging, while also leveraging their blogs, smartphone apps and social media pages.

Transparency, says Wrangler’s Atwood, is inextricably linked with sustainability and circularity. “Both educating consumers on the denim supply chain and sharing metrics with them around impacts of processes and materials will allow consumers a complete view of their own impacts and help them make a more informed decision,” he added.

If denim purchasers aren’t aware of what a sustainable jean’s higher price tag really means, it’s because brands aren’t getting the message across. “Consumers need accessible and clear communication on the environmental benefits of recycled and circular components,” Skjønning Jørgensen says. “Today, most people outside the industry don’t know how important fibers actually are [from] a sustainability perspective.”

S P O N S O R E D CO N T ENT

How A Lifecycle Assessment System Powers Traceability at Bossa

A

s a pioneer of change for five years, Turkish denim manufacturer Bossa has sought to improve its circularity capabilities by increasing the use of recycled fibers.

Onur Duru, general manager of Bossa, explains some of the company’s most recent innovations in circularity, and shares how Bossa takes a lifecycle assessment (LCA) approach to textiles.

What’s the most significant step toward circularity that your company has made this year?

Bossa’s R&D department has worked to produce first-class yarn from recycled fibers, reusing all its textile waste in the raw material blend required for denim fabric.

Bossa has transparently explained its production figures for the last three years in its “Towards Zero Waste” booklet, and will continue to annually report its production values.

The principle has given way to the company’s solar power investments. With investments in solar panels covering 46,000-square-meter roof area, and a cogeneration system, Bossa

produces 50 percent of its total energy need by themselves.

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced in trying to improve the circularity of your products?

The length of recycled fiber, product variety, changing proportions of fibers in the blend and difficulty in contacting the source of fibers and yarns all pose challenges to developing and producing sustainable products.

Traceability is becoming a larger part of the denim ecosystem as shoppers demand to know where their products are sourced. What role does traceability play in helping circularity become a tangible feat across your supply chain?

We focus on the different steps in the lifecycle of the product that are high impact and identify key changes that need to be made. This whole approach, dubbed Bossa Cares, includes every step in the lifecycle both inside and outside the company, from design to the disposal

of the product and the design again.

We are using a lifecycle assessment system to measure every article’s impact and share the numbers with our customers. It is a closedloop, stable and sustainable system in which natural resources are renewed and waste is designed to never accumulate.

To provide trust, transparency and traceability to our consumer base, we have collaborated with Fibretrace, Healixia and Retraced.

We are organizing webinars and meetings to educate them on the partnerships and the technologies so they gain a clearer view of our supply chain. This is the future!

How long do you estimate it will take for circularity to be the norm in the denim industry?

Fashion’s new must have is sustainable, circular products. Leading brands and retailers are working toward 100 percent sustainable by 2025. Companies like Inditex and H&M promise all their clothes will be sustainable by 2025. So by 2025, sustainability will be the norm in the denim industry and also the fashion industry.

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NAVIGATING THE PATH TO CIRCULARITY Experts from leading denim manufacturers explain how they’re initiating change and share some of the challenges they face. w o r d s _____ L IZ WARR EN

Danielle Arzaga sustainability manager, Candiani Denim

On investing in new circular technology: Today, our research and development is entirely centered around the discovery of innovative circular solutions. A key focus has been on raw materials sourcing since we view this as the first and most fundamental step of a circular economy.

On navigating challenges in circular production: The primary challenge is the discovery of materials that have a performance and aesthetic quality, on par with, if not better than their conventional counterpart. We find there are more options on the market today, but options that hit all three criteria—circularity, performance and aesthetics—continue to remain very rare. Another challenge is the absence of end-of-life solutions. Under current technologies, denim can be successfully recycled only once before the cotton fibers are too short to 46

be rewoven into a quality yarn.

That means that despite containing recycled content, jeans will still eventually end up in a landfill or incineration. Many of the jeans that end up in landfills are stretch, made with petroleum-based synthetic elastomers and these fibers can take up to hundreds of years to decompose. Candiani has addressed this issue with Coreva technology, which uses a plant-based yarn obtained from natural rubber to replace synthetic, petrol-based yarns. This revolutionary technology aims to completely change the entire world of denim production.

Gary You

director of strategy and product development, House of Gold On investing in new circular technology: We are investing in post-industrial and pre-consumer recycled cotton. We take our post-industrial waste and put the cotton fibers back into our spinning to create our recycled cotton yarns. We don’t

outsource this process, as we want to control and maintain our waste. Simply put, we want a consistent product where we know the source of our raw material from a fiber level.

Another way we are recycling is with our excess 100 percent cotton tested fabrics, which we recycle into indigo yarns. Since these were already dyed, we are just spinning and weaving them into fabric without another rope dye process. When blended with undyed cotton, this gives you a unique grayish blue shade. Our efforts have allowed us to join Ellen MacArthur’s Jeans Redesign program. We were one of the first mills worldwide to bring attention that the strategies for circularity needs to start sooner than the brands’ initiatives. We need to have the raw materials available for the brands to design and strategize into.

On navigating challenges in circular production: The stretch component remains a challenge from a denim fabric standpoint. It takes a lot of effort and energy to separate the stretch fibers. After separating, we have to partner with a stretch fiber company to recycle the stretch fiber processed. This is more of a collaborative effort where multiple parties need to come together for a better solution.

We are using recycled polyester fibers from Lycra, Poole and Unifi.

From an economic standpoint, the effort needs to not offset the cost too much. From a textile company standpoint, we are trying to educate our clients on the best way to design and source smarter from the start.

THOUGHT LEADERS

Sedat Sualp

sales and marketing director, DNM Textiles

On investing in new circular technology: In the production process, DNM is one of the most water-efficient denim mills in the world, with a sophisticated water treatment plant that enables us to purify, recycle and re-use 84 percent of our water back into production.

This is a simple but perfect example of circularity within our process. In a broader sense, we are using recycled cotton fiber which is fed into our yarn spinning process to make new denim fabrics. We are using Circulose fiber from Renewcell, which takes discarded jeans and other cotton apparel to create a pulp and turn it into fiber.

In a separate development, we collect our solid waste which is incinerated to produce heat energy for our production.

On navigating challenges in circular production: The two key issues for circularity depend on both supply and demand. The most important challenge facing us is to convince the consumer of the benefits of circularity and sustainability in general. There are many confusing messages and different schemes which make it hard for the consumer to un-

derstand, and nobody is going to buy a jean simply because it is circular. As an industry, we need to explain more clearly what we are doing and why.

Consumer understanding and acceptance is critical.

The second limitation is to do with the availability and quality of fibers. Recycled cotton is inevitably not as strong as virgin cotton, so usually they will be used together as a blend, rather than as 100 percent recycled cotton. There are also limits on the amount of recycled cotton capacity, either as fiber or reprocessed like Circulose, so this could be a constraining factor in the future.

Ebru Ozkucuk Guler

senior sustainability and CSR executive, Isko

On investing in new circular technology: We decided to focus on the very beginning of the process, at the raw material sourcing stage. This is where the whole denim adventure starts, and it is very important to keep this in mind, as it’s where circularity truly kicks in and then continues all the way through each stage of production. We are investing in our R-TWO platform improvements, as this technology is

proof of how the implementation of reducing, reusing and recycling strategies can positively affect overall performance. The platform perfectly embodies our commitment to the development of an increasingly better production chain and represents a great example of how over-sourcing can be reduced by introducing reused and recycled materials in the denim supply chain, cutting down on waste production throughout the making process with technology investments.

On navigating challenges in circular production: When we see resistance in the production system, we don’t like to define them as challenges. We would rather consider them opportunities, as they push us to develop new technologies and social solutions for peers as well.

Ebru Debbag

executive director, global sales and marketing, Soorty On investing in new circular technology: Technological advancements are delivering circular innovation, and we are using less water both in indigo dyeing as well as in garment finishing.

Our recent collaboration with Garmon on our Smart Blue concept achieves progressive finishing using less water and chemicals. Being a vertical operation, we also focus on key and lock projects for our laser friendly Smart Care concept.

Our recycling plant enables us to use both post-consumer and post-industrial waste in developing circular products. Relating to our extended manufacturing responsibility approach; we are collaborating with Scircula; a data technology aimed to help brands eliminate waste, on our Re-Sync concept which is offering a size solution for jeans. We believe that collaborations will help speed impact and solutions.

On navigating challenges in circular production: Circularity is what we need to embark on as an industry. It is our responsibility.

We also have to work in partnership with brands to build the right communication for consumers. Gen Z has a better understanding of circularity, however we still need to do a lot of work in educating and informing all of the stakeholders.

Asif Ali

managing director, Siddiqsons On investing in new circular technology: We have invested in post- and pre-consumer waste, recycled polyester and elastane and water recycling through Jeanologia 5.0 Laundry. We also grow our own organic cotton with 2 0 2 0 R I V E T D E N I M R E P O R T | 47

traceability, and gathering used jeans and using them to regenerate cotton.

On navigating challenges in circular production: I feel the biggest challenge is to collect used jeans. Brands need to create campaigns that draw awareness to this so they can avoid the landfill and toxic waterways. Impacts of the hazardous chemicals used in the apparel industry should be highlighted with each pair of jeans so that circularity can be driven by the end consumer rather than the supplier.

Circularity has its cost. If not communicated to end users, then it won’t be sustainable.

Designers also need to play a vital role here as circularity could demand some compromises on product aesthetics.

Color ways and hand feel can vary from what we used to have with fresh materials.

Also, where there is no traceability, there is no circularity. The whole supply chain from cotton to carton must be verified through independent bodies for traceability.

Sanjeev Bahl founder, Saitex

On investing in new circular technology: We are approaching circularity with both upstream and downstream 48

investments: upstream into upcycling textile waste into furniture, and downstream into a denim mill which will produce materials built to be recycled and upcycled. These investments will allow us to close the loop and convert us into a fully integrated manufacturing system.

On navigating challenges in circular production: Building a circular economy that is restorative and regenerative by intention and design involves social, natural and economic capital. The shift from the current linear model of production and consumption needs a brand-new system such as circularity to replace it, which in turn requires a new foundation of infrastructure, investments and talent. These foundational tools continue to be a work in progress and are far from maturity.

Sedef Uncu Aki director, Orta

On investing in new circular technology: Orta is deeply rooted in recyclability. We have been leading in the eco-engineering of pre- and post-consumer recycled cotton—a golden standard towards longevity in denim, what we call “immortal denim.” Like Silicon Valley and venture capitalists that are investing in the race to extend human lifespan, Orta is investing in the next generation sustainability platform that will drive more technological advancements in reaching our goal for endless use and reuse of everything involved in making our denim. We have partnered with Levi’s and Renewcell,

using the breakthrough technology that dissolves used cotton and other natural fibers into a new, biodegradable raw denim material.

The beauty of blending the Renewcell material into denim is that it can be recycled again and again. If one kilo of denim is recycled instead of being produced from virgin sources, it saves thousands of liters of water and decreases emissions of both CO2 and chemicals.

This partnership is just one way Orta is transforming the denim industry from a recycled process to a never-ending loop.

On navigating challenges in circular production: The biggest challenge is to implement greater circularity that helps us as an industry to design for a world without waste. And this involves getting to the root of changing behaviors and processes. We developed the Golden Ratio, an innovation that combines sustainably circular production with durable construction for denim that stands the test of time. By taking the best features of all Orta products, we [construct a 30 percent recycled cotton blend] with more strength and durability than a regular cotton-blended fabric. It finds the optimum ratio of circular materials while achieving a durable construction for wearing performance without compromising its durability or quality.

Here, the biggest challenge is finding the best recycled material to incorporate into your system without creating negative impacts on your resource consumption within your facility. We also need to consider the recyclability of our product as well.

Ebru Ozaydin

senior vice president sales and marketing, Artistic Milliners On investing in new circular technology: Artistic Milliners launched the Circular Blue platform last year for new approaches to engineering fabrics that employ recycled/degradable materials and circular technologies. As a part of Circular Blue, we have the Respect collection which uses post-consumer, pre-consumer and industrial waste fibers and dye with Crystal Clear, our clean indigo dyeing process. Our recent innovation in circular technology is called CC 3.0; where we save up to 80 percent water as a combined wet process that is also powered by G2 Dynamic by Jeanologia. Furthermore, we’ve joined forces with fiber companies that use closed-loop production processes.

We installed a biological plant eradicating the hazardous chemical sludge at the source. By end of this year, we will be recycling 2 million gallons of water per day across our major units. We signed a memorandum of understanding with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard implementation in Karachi. Our goal is to achieve AWS certification by 2021, fundamentally expanding our responsibility from internal water management to collective action stewardship.

THOUGHT LEADERS

On navigating challenges in circular production: We need consumers to return their unused clothes to feed the circular production algorithm. Material sorting for recycling can be complex for certain blends.

Another challenge is scalability and the limited supply for closed-loop fibers, since some circular fiber companies are still startups. At a consumer level, there is a lack of education about the benefits of circularity.

Some brands are also not ready to pay the upcharge that is currently inevitable for closed loop produced fibers.

Burcu Dalaman Özek sales manager, Bossa

On investing in new circular technology: Circularity is important at all stages of production. We adopted the following procedures aimed at reducing our environmental impact: re-usage, sustainable materials, energy efficiency, water saving, process engineering, collaboration, co-creation, certification, ecological dyeing and social responsibility.

Currently, we are developing a zero-waste life cycle to

close the loop, which we call Towards Zero Waste. We are also installing a solar power and cogeneration system.

As a result of these investments, we are now producing 50 percent of our energy on our own and are reusing water, dyestuff and chemicals.

On navigating challenges in circular production: We believe the underutilization of used garments has to be considered in order to extend the lifecycle of garments. Every year, a significant number of garments are thrown away, and if we can increase the percentage of reusing these garments and can keep them in use, we will add a lot to circularity.

S P O N S O R E D CO N T ENT

Calik Denim Establishes Three Pillars That Define Circularity

C

alik Denim defines its overall sustainability strategy as “Passion for Denim, Passion for Life,” focusing on the purpose of making a positive impact for a better life. With the help of the cumulative know-how gained after more than 30 years in the industry, the denim manufacturer has developed innovative and sustainable concepts and technologies to reduce its environmental footprint including E-Denim, Washpro, Blue H, Dyepro, Denethic, D-Clear, Oxygene and Transparency Monitoring System (TMS).

But the manufacturer has gone out of its way to focus on circularity as well. Tolga Ozkurt, deputy general manager of sales and marketing at Calik Denim, shares three pillars necessary for a successful circularity approach.

What’s the most significant step toward circularity that your company has made this year?

In partnership with appliance manufacturer Arçelik, Calik Denim unveiled the “Compojean,” a polymer composite material that contains five percent indigo-dyed pre-consumer cotton. With this innovation, all indigo-dyed pre-consumer cotton waste generated during

denim production now has the opportunity to be upcycled.

Under our strategy, we defined 2025 sustainability targets under four main titles: Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Raw Material Procurement, Innovation and Thought Leadership, Internal and External Stakeholder Rights.

Some of our 2025 targets are related to circularity: • Reduce water consumption per unit production by 30 percent.

• Reduce waste emerging from production processes by 30 percent.

• Increase the use of sustainable (Organic, BCI and recycled) cotton up to 60 percent.

Where do you feel supply chain stakeholders are still lagging the most when it comes to developing products and processes designed to further circularity?

The fast fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Its linear model of ‘produce, use and throw away’ is accountable for significant global waste.

Considering these factors, we are aware of the requirement and responsibility of conscious companies to move from the linear approach to the circular approach and we’ve created processes for this. The circular model challenges the standard idea of ‘produce, use and throw away,’ and should instead inspire end consumers to recycle their denim products.

Circularity has to be an industry-wide goal.

How can forward thinking companies convince their supply chain partners that the topic needs to be addressed?

In our understanding, it can be said that the industry is getting more circular every day. We think that three pillars are important in the circular approach: transparency and solidarity, effective business structure and efficiency.

We have very close business relationships with our supply chain partners. Without this type of partnership, it is very difficult to advance and improve your circularity capabilities. This builds solidarity and is only possible with full transparency. Publishing sustainability reports and setting smart targets in line with Sustainable Development Goals and prioritizing circularity among sustainability material issues are also adequate steps to take.

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PACKAGE DEA Fashion brands take on the industry’s plastic problem—one polybag at a time.

w or d s _____ JASMI N MA L I K C H UA

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here’s no getting around it: the fashion industry is drowning in plastic, and the single-use polybag is a big part of the reason.

Thin, lightweight and derived from low-density polyethylene, roughly 180 billion of these bags, both large and small, are employed by the apparel supply chain every year to protect stock in warehouses and distribution centers or to cosset online orders as they traverse vast distances by truck, ship or plane to someone’s porch.

The polybag is so ubiquitous, in fact, that it “unites every fashion brand”—from fast fashion to luxury—“regardless of whether the customer sees it or not,” said Kathleen Rademan, innovation director at Amsterdam-based sustainability initiative Fashion for Good.

Bags made from low-density polyethylene are “technically recyclable,” yet their rate of uptake remains fairly dismal, particularly since inks, paper labels and stickers—all hallmarks of online orders—can foul up existing recycling technologies, Rademan says.

And though packaging represents a “very small part” of garment production’s overall impact, the problem has grown more acute with the pandemic-driven e-commerce boom. IBM’s U.S. Retail Index predicts online sales to swell by 20 percent in 2020 in the United States alone, accelerating pre-Covid-19 retail trends by nearly five years.

The appeal of the polybag is clear. It’s an effective way of shielding shoes, clothing and accessories from moisture, which can promote mold and cause damage. Even better, it’s cheap. But plastic, made from nonrenewable resources such as crude oil and natural gas, contributes to climate change at all stages of its life cycle. It takes centuries to break down, and despite long-running ad campaigns extolling the benefits of recycling, most plastic waste is landfilled, incinerated or left to clog up rivers, lakes and oceans.

This is a worrisome situation across the board—not just in fashion. Of the 86 million tons of plastic packaging produced globally every year, less than 14 percent is recycled. But fashion isn’t doing the issue any favors. With the industry’s colossal waste and climate footprints facing mounting scrutiny, tackling the polybag has become an imperative for many businesses.

“There’s a real threat to the social license to use plastic packaging,” said Adam Grendell, associate director of the Sustainable 50

Packaging Coalition, a Virginia-based organization whose members include 3M, Avery Dennison and DuPont Biomaterials “It’s more visible than ever before [and] people are being more visceral about it than ever before.”

With no universally agreed-upon solution, however, fashion’s efforts to cut down on plastic has manifested itself in various, often disparate ways. One tentpole initiative is the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which has rallied more than 450 brands, retailers and organizations, including household names such as Asos, Burberry, Stella McCartney, H&M and Zara owner Inditex, to pledge to eliminate “unnecessary and problematic” plastic packaging, ensure that remaining plastics are reusable, recyclable or compostable, and circulate all plastic items “in the economy and out of the environment” by 2025.

T H E R E ’S A R E A L T H R E AT T O T H E S OC I A L L ICE N S E T O U S E P L A S T IC PACK AG I N G ,” —A DA M G R E N D E L L , S U S TA I N A B L E PACK AG I N G COA L I T IO N Together, brands have promised to increase the recycled content of their packaging from a current global average of 2 percent to 25 percent.

Annette Lendal, project manager for the New Plastics Economy, would like to see less of a focus on recycling and more on elimination and reuse, though she understands why it’s so difficult for brands to quit the polybag entirely. “I was talking to a big brand and they said, for example, that the reason they used polybags was because the factories were so dirty,” she said. “[My first thought was] we can actually clean the factory. Of course, it’s usually more complicated than that. You need a holistic perspective when you’re thinking about packaging; there is often a reason why it’s there.”

l____BETTER PACKAGING CO. COMPOSTABLE BAG

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There are other tweaks polybag users can make. Companies like Gap Inc., Toad&Co. and Kontoor Brands, which owns Lee and Wrangler, have experimented with decreasing the thickness and size of their polybags, a process called “lightweighting” that whittles the amount of plastic used.

For polybags to be truly circular, however, they need to be recyclable not just in theory but also in practice. Most recycled polybags on the market, according to Fashion for Good, consist of post-industrial—read: pre-consumer—sources, such as offcuts from the plastics industry because they’re a purer feedstock. To that end, it’s teaming up with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition to work with technology startups like Spain’s Cadel Deinking to flush away contaminants and create a “suitably clear” recycled polybag from a high percentage of post-consumer polybag waste.

Better design can also boost the polybag’s reusability, resulting in less waste. Each of Lee and Wrangler’s new plastic mailers, for instance, features a secondary adhesive strip that eliminates the need for separate packaging for returns. To make its polybags easier to reuse, say as waste-pickup bags for dogs, Toad&Co took the ventilation hole, which is typically situated near the bottom of the bag, and moved it next to the opening. “It’s just a very small change, but now you can reuse this,” said senior marketing manager Steven McCann.

For some of its deliveries, Toad&Co works with LimeLoop, a startup that replaces disposable shipping packaging with reusable mailers made from recycled billboards.

Customers can choose the option at checkout at no extra cost.

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l____PRANA ‘S PAPER PACKAGING

After their delivery arrives, they can return the LimeLoop mailer through the post. Compared with conventional packaging, LimeLoop’s reusable mailers are estimated to save roughly 70 trees, 90 gallons of water and 200 gallons of oil for every 10,000 shipments, according to co-founder and CEO Ashley Etling.

Asos, perhaps borrowing a page from LimeLoop and Finland’s RePack, has developed a reusable “bespoke prototype mailing bag” it says it will trial soon.

On the distribution front, Boyish Jeans has started working with a new company called Boox that makes reusable shipping boxes that “can be flattened and returned back to us to keep reusing them over and over again,” said director of marketing Aubrey Christensen.

Still, denim can present its own challenges when it comes to packaging, such as concerns with crocking, particularly with raw jeans. “These require a physical barrier in transit and during processing in our distribution centers,” said Kirsty Stevenson, head of environmental and product sustainability at Gap Inc. The retailer, which owns the Athleta, Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy brands, previously piloted a polybag replacement derived from tissue paper, but the bag didn’t hold up to the performance requirements of its distribution system. “We are constantly exploring new materials for B2B and B2C packaging, and the challenges posed by this issue are an additional aspect we need to evaluate,” she said.

Jeans have other packaging quirks, said James Bartle, founder and CEO of Australia’s Outland Denim. “With shirts, when you produce them in bulk, they’ll be packaged into a cardboard box together with maybe one plastic wrap around,” he said. “Whereas with denim, every single piece is individually packaged [in plastic].”

For the past few years, Outland Denim has been shipping its jeans from its Cambodian factory in ComPlast bags made from cassava root, a natural organic starch that biodegrades so quickly, it readily dissolves in a jug of boiling water. Otherwise, “it can go straight into the trash,” Bartle said. Outland Denim originally dispatched its e-commerce orders in recycled cardboard mailers, but that route proved too expensive. Now, it uses Better Packaging Co.’s home-compostable “courier satchels,” engineered from corn and other plant-based materials, that come emblazoned with the words “I’m a Real Dirt Bag” and instructions for what to do with them.

While choosing biodegradable or compostable packaging is a way for companies to decouple from fossil-fuel feedstocks, picking the right one can be fraught with pitfalls. Not only do many types only break down in industrial composting facilities, which are not readily available to most people, but they also cannot be recycled through conventional waste streams. It’s for these reasons Bartle opted for packaging that doesn’t require a lot of fuss to dispose of. “If we can produce something that is hassle-free and easy for the person on the other end receiving the package to discard responsibly, then we believe that’s a big win,” he said. “People don’t need more complica-

tions or anything else to do.”

Biomaterials, of which there are innumerable varieties, are not without their critics. Those derived from plants require land to grow, potentially competing with cropland for food. Then there’s the fact they’re designed to disappear.

“Generally, recycling things is a good thing to do because you recapture the value of the material and you incorporate it into new products again,” said Ashley J. Holding, a circularity consultant and a former innovation manager for Fashion for Good. Some kinds of compostable packaging, he warned, can include blends of bio-based plastics and petroleum-based plastics.

With few available options on the market, some brands are eschewing off-the-peg choices and co-creating their own.

By next fall, Outerknown will have transitioned all its suppliers from polybags to envelopes made with Vela, a Forestry Stewardship Council-certified paper vellum it describes as durable, weather resistant and recyclable. New products will be made at a factory, sealed inside Vela bags and then shipped to a distribution center to be processed for their final destination, said Meg Stoneburner, director of sustainability and sourcing at the California-headquartered eco-lifestyle brand, which was founded by champion surfer Kelly Slater.

The process of bringing Vela to life was a collaborative one. Outerknown teamed up with fellow brands Mara Hoffman and Prana to work with Seaman Paper to develop

PACKAGING

the product, which will eventually transition to recycled content “so we’re using waste rather than virgin material,” Stoneburner said. But even as is, Vela makes recycling “extremely accessible and easy for all to participate in,” she said. Customers and suppliers won’t have to overthink its disposal: Vela can go straight in the paper recycling bin because that’s exactly what it is—paper.

Rachel K. Lincoln, director of sustainability at Prana, also based in California, said giving consumers a paper-based “tie” that they already understood was important. Just as important is not keeping Vela to themselves. In August, the brand, whose tagline is “clothing for positive change,” launched the Responsible Packaging Movement, an initiative that will allow it, Outerknown and Mara Hoffman to share their learnings with other brands and “inspire and create industry-wide change.” Toad&Co. is a member. “I think the biggest pain point in any supply chain is socializing big change,” Lincoln said.

One polybag alternative slowly gaining steam is no polybag at all. For denim shipping, Everlane, which has promised to nix all virgin plastic from its supply chain by 2021, removes all polybags at the distribution centers so they can be properly recycled. Jeans

are mailed to customers in thick kraft-paper mailers sans plastic sleeve. Prana sometimes bundles its garments into raffia-wrapped “sushi rolls” when it ships its orders. Patagonia, too, has linked arms with retailer Surfdome to trial the removal of polybags from its clothes during transit, though attempts in the past have produced mixed results, including soiled clothing.

Even so, Lendal from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation encourages brands to think outside the polybag, so to speak. Perhaps different companies could share the same reusable packaging, so when a customer returns an empty polybag or mailer, it doesn’t head to, say, H&M or Inditex, but to the closest distribution center, where it can be redeployed by any other brand.

“Shifting the burden to another material is not necessarily the solution we’re aiming for,” she said. “Maybe we can get creative… maybe there’s a reason for needing polybags that we can accommodate in a different way, like cleaning the factory.”

S P O N S O R E D CO N T ENT

Circular, but Durable: The Key to Producing ‘Immortal’ Denim

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he mindset behind circularity shouldn’t just involve incorporating recycled fibers into products using recycled materials. At Turkish denim mill Orta Anadolu, the goal is to create long-lasting, good-quality fabrics combining circular production with durable construction, to develop what it calls “immortal” products, says Dr. Sedef Uncu Aki, director at Orta.

To incorporate the optimal amount of recycled materials into its designs without compromising their performance or look, the company aims to identify first how denim fibers are grown or produced, how these fibers are transformed into a fabric and then a garment and how one wears and washes their clothes and disposes of them.

What’s the most significant step toward circularity that your company has made this year?

Orta Anadolu is on a path to create a denim “ecolution”—an eco-modern revolution that is deeply rooted in ethical innovation, circularity, transparency, authenticity and ultra-per-

formance. To achieve this, we have implemented a Golden Ratio standard to deliver Orta’s commitment to designing a world without waste.

The Golden Ratio standard is our benchmark for using the most durable and eco-positive amount of recycled fabrics and yarns to innovate with new standards in fiber blending and alternative material usage that stands the test of time.

What have been the biggest challenges you have crossed in trying to improve the circularity of your products?

The idea behind Golden Ratio is to find the optimal balance of circular materials, while achieving a durable construction for wearing performance without compromising its durability or longevity.

Here, the biggest challenge is finding the best recycled material to incorporate into your system that not only doesn’t have a negative impact on resource consumption in your facility, but also doesn’t

generate more waste, create a low-quality fabric or even contaminate your product.

Traceability is becoming a larger part of the denim ecosystem as shoppers demand to know where their products are sourced.

What role does traceability play in helping circularity become a tangible feat across your supply chain?

Today, consumers are hungry for innovative, high-performance and eco-conscious products coupled with as much information they can have. But here, where and how a jean is produced is not enough for the growing, eco-conscious Gen Z consumer. They want comparable and quantifiable information that would affect their decisions.

That is why apart being a very transparent production facility; we invested in an environmental impact assessment tool and methodology called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

With this tool, we determine our designs’ and creations’ environmental footprint and share the results with our customers through simple QR codes on product hangtags.

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WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN Denim resale is a bright spot for pandemic retail. w ords _____ K ATE N I S H I M U R A

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efore shoppers even had a chance to transition into their spring wardrobes, a global lockdown forced them to stay in their homes. As the weather cools down and leaves begin to turn, many are still occupying the same places on the couch and wearing the same fashion, months later.

While spending has undoubtedly contracted over the course of 2020, the industry hasn’t had a total meltdown. Some bright spots, like comfortable, casual apparel, have emerged as winners at retail. And during this moment of relative pause, shoppers have become more conscious, both socially and ecologically, of the impacts of their purchasing decisions.

Secondhand retailers have benefitted from this shift in perspective. Consignment boutiques and online resale channels have emerged as pandemic winners. While categories like suiting and dress footwear may have a challenging time finding a zealous buyer in 2020, denim

only gets cooler with age. Gen Z’s obsession with ’90s style (an easier time when many of them were mere zygotes) has fueled a lust for vintage denim jeans and jackets that seems to be insatiable.

Now brands, boutiques and e-tailers are rising to meet the onslaught of new demand. “Consumers are looking to make more conscious, more intentional decisions about what they buy and what they really need,” said Jen Sey, chief marketing officer at Levi Strauss & Co., of the new appetite for circular business models like resale.

“That’s part of why the re-commerce market is booming right now,” she added. Sey pointed to numbers from ThredUp’s resale report that revealed that the $28 billion industry is slated to grow to more than $60 billion over the course of the next few years.

Having had an ear to the ground on the growing popularity of resale for seasons now, the heritage denim label announced the launch of Levi’s SecondHand in early October. The buy-back program is designed to extend the life of the company’s pre-worn denim. Levi’s shoppers can return their used garments to any company store for a $15 to $25 credit toward a future purchase—or up to $35 for vintage styles—and shoppers can buy products at much-reduced prices on Levi.com. The microsite’s used denim will range from $30 to $100.

While the new program is in its infancy and sales numbers are scant, Sey said that Levi’s iconic 501 jeans have been the most-searched item on the site. Before SecondHand’s launch, Levi’s marketers also saw “vintage 501 jeans” trending as a key search term on Google.

Predictably, the team also tapped a Gen-Z-heavy roster of influencers and celebrities to promote the new effort, including Levi’s Spring 2020 campaign stars Hailey Bieber and Jaden Smith.

On the back end, Levi’s has teamed with Trove, which facilitates the cleaning of the used garments, along with

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managing inventory and fulfilling orders. The operation has worked with brands like Patagonia, Eileen Fisher and Arcteryx, along with Nordstrom on facilitating their own take-back-and-resell programs.

The SecondHand offering couldn’t come soon enough, according to Sey. “Gen Z are shopping resale more than any other consumer,” she said. One reason for the uptick in thrifting or buying used is their interest in sustainability, “but they also love the hunt, and they love that they can find something truly unique.”

These young shoppers also appreciate authenticity, she added, eschewing replicas or styles that simply reference eras past. “Rather than buy a remake of a ’90s style, they’d prefer to buy original ’90s items,” Sey said.

That purist tendency works in the favor of brands looking to push circular solutions. According to new data published by Levi’s, buying pre-worn denim has just 20 percent of the carbon impact of a new pair of jeans, and each garment put back into the circular economy saves about 700 grams of waste. “Buying used or recycled or upcycled is the second most sustainable choice you can make,” Sey said. “The first is simply shopping your closet.”

While retail therapy has become a necessary expense for many homebound shoppers, a Los Angeles husbandand-wife team makes it possible for consumers to mine their own wardrobes for perfectly good pieces that could benefit from a little TLC. Fox and Jeff Garza, who own Foxhole L.A., have built a business on denim repair and customization, along with the sale of rare, vintage pieces.

While the couple’s business has changed over the course of the Covid crisis, going from two storefronts in Silver Lake to one consolidated, appointment-only studio, they said that the business has been thriving since it reopened in July. By summer, many consumers had already bought up all the tie-dye joggers and Lululemon leggings they would need for the duration of the pandemic, and the Garzas believe they were itching for a bit of normalcy.

“At first I believe there was a surge in loungewear, but now people are sick of being sloppy and lazy and want to get back into a pair of denim,” Jeff Garza said. Spouse and partner Fox’s specialty is custom tailoring, which helps sell shoppers who are “looking for an easy, but flattering, fit.”

“Since people have had lots of time at home we have had a lot of custom projects to do,” Fox confirmed, adding that “clients have been going through their closets and wanting to make use of old denim, and revitalize it.”

Folks who come into Foxhole looking to shop the vintage collection have also received more personal care and attention from the Garzas than ever before. This quiet time has allowed the duo to hone their personal shopping skills for each customer that comes through the door. “They can buy vintage denim, get it custom fitted, and buy a cool vin-

P E R H A P S T H IS WA S T H E F I R S T T I M E CO N S IG N O R S H A D T H E C H A N C E T O D EEP C L E A N T H EI R CLO SE T S...” — N O E L L E S I ACCA , T H E R E A L R E A L tage tee to complete the look,” Fox said.

Most of the studio’s recent shoppers have been looking for roomier, straight-leg styles as they head into the fall season, Jeff said, “being that they have been a bit less active” in recent months.

Further down the road at an unassuming spot in Northeastern L.A., Tommy Dorr’s unmarked Mothfood showroom—an exclusive, appointment-only collector’s haven favored by stylists to the stars— is going strong after retail’s unsteady start this year. “I haven’t seen any change,” he said of business in a post-Covid world. “If anything, the vintage denim business is still rapidly growing in popularity.”

While Dorr was forced to shutter Mothfood for three months during the mandatory retail lockdown, he spent that time building out his e-commerce site. There, he showcases one-of-a-kind finds, from denim jeans and coveralls to vintage dresses, T-shirts, letterman jackets, outerwear and more. “This really helped get me through the uncertainty of the beginning of Covid times,” he said.

The trend away from office garb to easy-wearing, practical apparel has also likely helped, not hurt, categories like denim, he said.

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While people have indeed changed their habits, Dorr said denim ranks among the top picks for “casual, comfortable clothing that people are living in right now, like Ts, sweatshirts, fleece and loungewear.”

When it comes jeans, Dorr has seen an uptick in popularity of ’80s and ’90s styles and washes in mostly relaxed fits, echoing Garza’s assessment that shoppers are looking for comfort with a hint of polish. “The last few months I’ve worked with mostly apparel brands and stylists, and it seems to be what most clients are gravitating towards,” he said.

When asked whether the pandemic had generated any new trends in spending or consumer appetites, Dorr said he believed that “people are way more conscious of how they are spending their money during these times,” and aren’t throwing down dollars on fleeting trends. That newfound conscious consumerism could be a boon to businesses like his, which deal in pieces that are sometimes many decades old. According to Dorr, shoppers are “buying less, but are more willing to purchase secondhand or vintage with the idea that it’s something they’ll wear and keep a long time.”

Across the country in the hip East Village neighborhood of New York City, vintage boutique Duo NYC is seeing one denim style fly off the shelves, and co-owner Larae

Kangas is sticking to what works.

“For us it’s the classic 501 Levi’s that is the most solid seller, always,” she said. The high-waisted, button-fly silhouette has continued to resonate with the city’s shoppers, even through New York’s hardest months. “It’s that classic, straight cut with the fly up to the belly button” that every girl is looking for, she said.

“Pandemic wise, sales have been consistent,” Kangas said of her vintage denim offerings, though loungewear’s influence continues unabated. “Sizing has gotten a bit bigger, because quarantine [weight gain] is real,” she said, but the Levi’s 501 is still the store’s overall top-selling item.

According to Kangas, Duo NYC closed for 98 days beginning in March, finally reopening its doors to shoppers at the end of June. The time away from the shop gave Kangas and co-founder/sister Wendy time to build out the shop’s airy, minimalist website—and start selling on social.

“We’ve found Instagram to be huge for us,” she said, adding that posting photos of one-off vintage items on the platform is much easier than creating dedicated product pages on the store’s e-commerce site. Shoppers simply comment or direct message the shop to reserve an item, and they’re sent a digital invoice for their purchase.

Kangas said that trends in washes “seem to be staying standard” with what she’s seen in the past—lighter washes and whites in the warmer months, and darker indigoes and charcoals for fall.

In the online realm, similar patterns persist, according to Noelle Sciacca, editorial lead for The RealReal’s women’s business. The premium and luxury resale marketplace deals in everything from designer handbags to contemporary looks and of course, denim.

“Iconic denim styles from the ’90s are having a moment right now,” she said, along with straight leg jeans from companies like Re/Done, and wide-leg silhouettes from names like Rachel Comey and Khaite, which are trending on the site. Whether the

RETAIL

styles are new or old, they’re all forgiving to pandemic pounds.

“Jeans will forever be a wardrobe staple—what we see changing is just the desired silhouette,” she added. Now that comfort is a priority, relaxed denim is rising to the top. “So much of what we wear on a daily basis now is dictated by what will be visible on our small video screens,” Sciacca explained, “so it’s no surprise that during Covid we’ve seen an increase in pant consignments.”

For The RealReal, skinny jeans was the number one overall consigned item at the beginning of the pandemic, she added. “Perhaps this was the first-time consignors had the chance to deep clean their closets and get rid of the popular mid-2000s style,” she postulated, “or maybe they just preferred to swap them for less restrictive pairs.”

Over the course of recent months, shoppers have also demonstrated a new interest in flared jean styles, she said, supplementing the boyfriend styles and straight-leg, high-rise denim that has been popular for seasons.

Spokesperson for resale marketplace ThredUp Natalie Tomlin reported that flared jeans were seeing a major resurgence—in fact, they’re the leading style on the site, selling 25 times faster over the past month than the same period last year. Some of the leading brands for flares include Hudson, Levi’s, Citizens of Humanity and 7 For All Mankind, she said, adding that the uptick in sales reflects “a broader trend for ’70s fashion” across categories.

Active styles like leggings have surely seen augmented sell-through compared to pre-pandemic levels, she said, but interest in denim has remained fairly steady, suggesting that jeans enjoy a special, indispensable status in consumers’ wardrobes. “While the demand for athleisure and comfy clothes spiked during Covid, it never replaced the demand for denim,” she added.

S P O N S O R E D CO N T ENT

Communication is Crucial for Circularity’s Success

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preading the word about circularity across supply chain stakeholders is almost as important as the process itself, according to Asif Ali Khan, managing director at Pakistan-based denim manufacturer Siddiqsons.

Khan says that brands’ sales teams, designers and suppliers all should speak one language to make the end consumer more aware of circularity, since the demand for circularity and the reuse of recycled materials are ultimately driven by shoppers.

What’s the most significant step toward circularity that your company has made this year?

There have been major investments by the group in materials such as post-consumer and pre-consumer waste (PCW), recycled polyester, recycled elastane, as well as in water recycling capabilities through the Jeanologia 5.Zero Laundry plant. The plant has enabled us to trace water and air consumption for ozonic processes and chemicals usage in the denim production process.

We’ve also been growing our own organ-

ic cotton, and we have made a serious effort to gather used jeans from brand partners and regenerate more cotton from the used jeans.

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced in trying to improve the circularity of your products?

Well, I feel the biggest challenge is to collect used jeans. Brands need to launch serious awareness campaigns for returning their jeans to avoid sending them to landfills and toxic waterways.

The impacts of hazardous chemicals used in the apparel industry must be highlighted with each pair of jeans so that circularity can be driven by the end consumer instead of a supplier’s push for the same. Circularity has its costs—if it is not communicated to end users then it won’t be sustainable.

Traceability is becoming a larger part of the denim ecosystem as shoppers demand to know where their products are sourced. What role does traceability

play in helping circularity become a tangible feat across your supply chain?

No traceability, no circularity. The whole supply chain, from cotton to carton, must be verified through independent bodies for traceability. Every year, landfill records and pollution indexes can also be used to verify if the ecosystem is getting better or not after adopting circularity.

What role does your company play in educating trade partners, brands and even end consumers about circularity?

As the first denim industry player to initiate usage of aniline-free indigo, we invested a large amount of money to create awareness amongst partners and end consumers by displaying our circularity approach through traceability.

Every garment and fabric that leaves Siddiqsons has a QR code sharing the complete DNA of the product’s cotton field, indigo used, water and utility consumed, alongside an Environmental Impact Measuring (EIM) score showing its impact on humans.

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PRICE CHECK A new receipt shows the environmental impact of fashion.

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nderscoring how fashion is made at the expense of the environment, Stockholm-based men’s wear brand Asket recently introduced The Impact Receipt, a consumer-facing calculation that breaks down and shares the true eco impact of their garments.

The receipt plays a key role in how the startup intends to share the results of its two-year Life Cycle Assessment with the Research Institute of Sweden to calculate the impact of garments in its permanent collection. Through the printed receipt, Asket shares data about how much water and energy is consumed in the production of the garment as well as how much carbon dioxide is emitted.

To begin, The Impact Receipt is available for Asket’s top-selling T-shirt, oxford shirt, chino pant and merino knitwear. The brand intends to have information on its entire collection, including denim, complete and available by mid-2021.

Asket has been on a mission to end overconsumption and restore value in the apparel industry. Designing durable, season-less collections with a transparent supply chain has been part of the brand’s DNA since launching in 2015. The brand also phased out traditional “made in” tags in garments. In 2018, Asket introduced itemized labels that share the full journey of a garment—from where the fibers were sourced, dyed, woven and finished, to the origin of its trims.

With The Impact Receipt, however, Asket is now asking customers to acknowledge the impact of their purchasing decisions— and even dissuade them from adding more to their closet.

“By launching The Impact Receipt, we want to show the true cost of a garment’s production and encourage not only ourselves but also our customers, and the industry as a whole, to think about the environmental debt we’re creating,” said Asket co-founder August Bard-Bringéus. “We need to understand that we can’t shop our way out of the problem, no matter how enticing a brand’s messaging is—we must acknowledge our impact, shop less and wear our garments longer.” —Angela Velasquez

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