Rivet October 2020

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TABL E OF CONT E NTS

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RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

DENIM AS AN ALLY In the wake of George Floyd's murder, it is no longer enough to not be racist. Companies are being called on to be actively anti-racist.

DENIM: THE GREAT ICONIC EQUALIZER Does denim still have a role to play in protest culture today?

RIVET 50 From multi-hyphenated creatives, to long-time execs, meet the 50 most influential people in the global denim industry.

OLD SOUL New Orleans serves as the backdrop for this soulful look at timeless denim fashion.

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES Denim mills are emerging from a pandemic haze cautious yet motivated to change for the better.

REBUILDING RELATIONSHIPS Can the industry patch up partnerships damaged in the pandemic?

REALITY BITES Work-from-home secured the adoption of emerging digital technologies in the fashion industry.

SAFETY FIRST In the time of a global health crisis, the denim industry explores protective textile treatments.

NOW OR NEVER Sustainability is a lifeline for denim brands as they begin to recover from the pandemic.

BLUE BLOOD A regal look at the must-have denim items for Spring/Summer '21.

DATABASE The pandemic is reshaping the denim sourcing map.

PUT ON A HAPPY FACE Face masks are the latest way denim heads can flaunt their love for all things indigo.

FIREWORKS

Angela Velasquez Executive Editor, Rivet Peter Sadera Editor in Chief, Sourcing Journal Jessica Binns Managing Editor Arthur Friedman Senior Editor

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As someone who has never been fond of New Year’s Eve—there’s something about celebrating the passing of time that always puts me in a somber, sentimental mood—I will be outside banging pots and pans or setting off fireworks when the clock strikes 12 on this hellish year. Though a new calendar year does not mean the trials and tribulations of 2020 will scatter to the wind, we all deserve to toast to better times ahead. (While wearing a mask, of course.)

The reality, however, is that a lot of hard work, adjustment and self-reflection will be required of everyone in the global denim sector for business to return to a better normal. The pandemic exposed the industry’s weakest links. Canceled orders, stalled production, retail bankruptcies, layoffs and delayed deliveries were the result of being oblivious to or simply ignoring the rampant inefficiencies and bad sourcing and business practices that have plagued the industry for years. To return to our pre-pandemic habits of overconsumption, low cost/low quality and profiting from fashion at the expense of people and planet would not only be a rare and missed opportunity to correct our wrongdoings, but also foist a crime on future generations.

While critical moments in history tend to stir up feelings of renewal, we know that making drastic and permanent changes is not easy. Decision makers will have to resist knee-jerk reactions and refrain from cutting costs where it matters most: wages, sustainable investments, quality and effective storytelling. The industry also must adapt to consumers who are coming out of this crisis evolved and more critical of the companies they support. And the denim community, which prides itself on being a close-knit family, must work extra hard to maintain those relationships as in-person meetings are put on ice and companies reevaluate their travel policies.

Fortunately, the past eight months or so have been rife with frank conversations online and offline about how key players in the industry plan to establish a better and fairer road ahead. New modes of sourcing have emerged, as well as revenue streams in PPE and other sanitization products. Individuals have discovered new talents and passions that will surely spark originality in future collections.

And new leaders have stepped up, unafraid to call out bad behavior and bring new perspectives to the table.

It took a pandemic to illicit change, but now that the fire has been lit, there’s no stopping it.

Vicki M. Young Executive Financial Reporter Kate Nishimura Associate Editor Liz Warren Staff Writer Christopher Hall Staff Writer Victor Vaughns Market Editor Glenn Taylor Business Editor Sarah Jones Business Reporter Tara Donaldson Contributor Jasmin Malik Chua Contributor A RT DEPA RTME N T

Celena Tang Sr. Designer Arani Halder Designer Shannon Casey Contributor SO U RC IN G JO U RN A L A DV E RTI S I N G

Edward Hertzman Founder & President, Sourcing Journal & Rivet Executive vice president, Fairchild Caletha Crawford Publisher Eric Hertzman Senior Director of Sales & Marketing Leah Lehman Director of Partnerships & Events Allix Cowan Client Services Coordinator Sarah Sloand Sales Assistant P RO DU C TI O N

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DENIM AS AN ALLY

HOW THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS TAKING STEPS TO RIGHT ITS WRONGS. w ords_____ LI Z WA R R E N

eorge Floyd was killed by police on May 25 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. And while this moment in time may appear to have little to do with the denim industry, his death served as a social turning point for virtually every community—fashion included.

News of Floyd’s murder ricocheted through the social media feeds of a world audience suddenly held captive thanks to quarantine, shifting individuals’ and corporations’ attention almost entirely to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Throughout fashion, Instagram feeds went dark, brands postponed scheduled product drops and global corporations made sizable contributions to diversity programs and outlined their initiatives to do better. Even those that had never previously taken a stand on current events were catapulted into the conversation or met with extreme backlash because of their silence.

In the wake of Floyd’s murder, it was no longer enough to simply not be racist—individuals and companies alike are being called on to be actively anti-racist.

“I think it can be very jarring for a lot of these big

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ATTER — Miko U n d er w o o d , O a k & Ac or n fo und er brands to join the conversation,” said Zoey Washington, author of The Zoe Report’s “The History of Denim and Black Activism: America's Uncredited Fashion Revolution” and former fashion director of Brit + Co. “I think the more silent brands are, the wider the disconnect becomes.”

LOOKING BACK Considering the Black community’s contributions to fashion, it’s especially problematic for a brand to stay silent on a conversation surrounding a group from which it benefits—and upon which it was built. As Washington noted in her report, denim is largely known as a classic American fabric, but rarely as a Black creation.

It’s a lesson often left out of the denim narrative, but one that Miko Underwood, founder of denim brand Oak & Acorn—Only for the Rebelles, addresses with her brand. “The history of the American jean is a very diverse one, and it begins with indigo being a commodity of the slave trade,” she said. “In order for me to make an authentic product, I felt a cultural responsibility to share the American blue jean origin story within the denim space.”

During the African slave trade, indigo-dyed cloth was extremely valuable—so much so that is was used to “purchase” an individual to enslave. It was known as “negro cloth,” a lower-quality, indigo-dyed material, and was sewn and worn by slaves as workwear, often in the form of blue jeans and

" I WA S M I S TA K E N FOR THE HELP OR THE I N T E R N B AC K W H E N I WA S A D I R EC T O R O F T H E C O M PA N Y...”

— Ed w in a Kule g o, L ib er t y Fa irs v ic e p re sid ent l_____E D WI N A K U L E GO

" I F E LT A C U LT U R A L R E S P O N S I B I LI T Y T O S H A R E T H E A M E R I CA N B L U E J E A N O R I G I N S T O RY W I T H I N T H E D E N I M S PAC E .”

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overalls. Over time, these pieces were worn by the Black community to show respect for their ancestors, and were viewed by some as an act of rebellion which formed the foundation for denim’s revolutionary reputation.

Knowing this, Solomon Russell, owner of vintage store Lefthand Twill (LHT), also called out the denim industry’s failure to address its origins. But he didn’t attribute the omission to malice. Instead, he chalked it up to a shared sense of discomfort.

“When I started LHT, I put forth a lot of research into vintage and the history of denim alongside building up my archive, and I quickly realized a lot of brands excluded the history of cotton,” he said. “I know slavery can be a painful topic, but in terms of vintage denim, those two things are bound together.”

But times are changing, and people are now engaging in more difficult conversations regarding race and history. According to Underwood, the momentum fueled by BLM and the outrage over the killings of unarmed Black people has universally opened people’s eyes to the Black experience.

“The harsh reality of these incidents, coupled with the ongoing pandemic, has pushed our culture to viral engagement,” she said. “As a result, many Black Americans are using this space to speak to direct experiences within industries, including fashion where we’ve felt marginalized, unseen and unheard.”

BEING BLACK IN DENIM Despite American denim’s Black roots, the industry lacks sufficient representation throughout the supply chain, which, in turn, has created a breeding ground for both conscious and unconscious bias.

“There are so many things I can talk about in terms of how challenging it is to work in our industry, how hard it is to get upward mobility, or how I’m discriminated against either blatantly or subliminally,” said Edwina Kulego, vice president of men’s wear tradeshow Liberty Fairs. “I was mistaken for the help or the intern back when I was a director of the company, for example.”

Kulego added that, as a Black woman, she has to consider details such as how she wears her hair and the ways in which her Blackness will be perceived when she travels internationally. Despite the fact that she has lived in multiple countries, travels frequently for her job and speaks six languages—Swedish, Danish, English, Ga, Twi and Spanish—Kulego still has reservations about “fitting in” abroad.

And she’s not alone in considering geographic reactions to her skin color. Donwan Harrell, the mastermind behind premium Japanese denim label Prps, intentionally left the U.S. to launch his brand in the early ’00s. Harrell unveiled the now-globally recognized label in London where

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" T H E B E S T P R OG R A M S A R E T H E O N E S T H AT P R OV I D E M E N T O R SHIP ALONGSIDE AN INFUSION O F CA S H .”

— Er ic B ro w n J r., B a c kTra c k S D fo und er

he felt people were more likely to welcome new designers regardless of their culture. Still, he made it a point to operate quietly in the background.

“For many years, the industry assumed Prps was designed by some remote Japanese fellow living abroad,” he said, adding that he intentionally took a backseat role at the beginning to let his product speak for itself. “It’s unfortunate that as a Black man in the industry, we have to pursue preemptive strategies to succeed in a biased market.”

Now, as Harrell shifts his sights to his latest denim venture, ArtMeetsChaos, he’s showing more of a presence in his brand to set an example for younger generations. “Today, [I’m showing] my face so that the Black youth who are into fashion can appreciate my involvement and contributions to the industry and hopefully be inspired to pursue a career in fashion as well,” he said.

And leading by example is just one of the ways Harrell hopes to elevate the Black community. His long-term vision is to launch an incubator for young minorities to learn the ins and outs of the industry and provide them with a platform for creative experimentation.

THE POWER OF ALLIES Harrell’s vision of mentoring Black youth with similar experiences to his own is an effective strategy for boosting diversity—and Kulego, who previously worked under Sharifa Murdock, Liberty Fairs’ co-owner, is proof of that.

“I don’t think I would be a vice president at a company unless I had someone like Sharifa who pulled me in and taught me what she knows,” Kulego said. “We need more of that, and not just from other Black people. We all need it from each other.”

Maurice Malone, founder of the Williamsburg Garment Company and once referred to as the “Steve Jobs of denim,” also does his part to

help level the playing field for young Black adults aspiring to a career in fashion. In partnership with online education company Yellowbrick, he created a Black History Month Design Scholarship that’s awarded to five Black individuals under the age of 23 with a household income of less than $50,000.

But promoting inclusivity and accessibility is one thing. Actually implementing it—especially in an industry built on exclusivity—is another. Fashion has gone through an accessibility evolution of sorts, first in price point, when designer goods became available at a discount; then in body type, when brands began offering inclusive sizing. Now it’s happening in demographics. But it will take work.

In order to make fashion more diverse, there must be allies at every stage, from supply chain partners who provide the groundwork for garments, to designers who make the products and fit models who literally shape the pieces, to photographers and other creatives who work on campaigns, and members of the media who cover them.

Most importantly, according to Justin Broxton, founder of apparel startup Broxton Denim, there needs to be capital. Despite lacking any previous fashion experience, Broxton launched his denim brand in 2019 to appeal to athletic and ethnic male bodies. He noted that, in addition to hard work and dedication, he was able to succeed because he had the financial means to do so: The entire time he was building his business, he was employed full-time as an engineer at Google, where he still works today.

“Clothing is a capital-intensive business, especially when you get to the larger scales,” he said.

“You need to either come from money or have access to money to get started. And the way to move up often involves being like the people at the top.”

While there are always outliers—Black people have been able to move up without having access to funding, mentorship or diverse leaders— Broxton explained that the industry needs to look at the average as opposed to the exception.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER

“Just because Barack Obama became president doesn't mean the average African American will become president,” he said. “Until you shift the dollars and have brands that get mentorship and ownership, I think it’ll be very difficult.”

SHIFTING THE DOLLARS

So that’s exactly what some in the industry are doing. Brands like Third Love, Pepper and Spanx are offering support in the form of grants, mentorship and promotion opportunities to Black female entrepreneurs. Tech company Resonance also launched beResonant, a program that, in addition to providing financial support, helps Black designers launch their brands.

Universities like the Fashion Institute of Technology launched ongoing scholarship funds and mentorship opportunities for Black students enrolled in select programs. Notably, Harlem’s Fashion Row launched the Icon360 initiative, which received recognition—and most importantly, $1 million—from Vogue and A Common Thread to help financially support Black designers.

As a result of the global shift, the Black community now has access to funds like never before.

But according to Eric Brown Jr., owner of vintage denim company BackTrack SD, some of the most effective long-term strategies for helping Black-owned businesses are those that offer more than just financial support.

“Initiatives to support Black businesses are great, especially in the short-term, as they’ve been able to provide life-saving capital to some of these businesses that have never had access to capital before,” he said. “I think the best programs are the ones that provide mentorship alongside an infusion of cash. If we never learn how to manage our money for our businesses, it makes it hard to pass that knowledge and wealth down to future generations.”

Enter other organizations like the Kelly Initiative, which exposes the lack of diversity in the industry, and the Black in Fashion Council, which supports and advances Black professionals within fashion companies. Similarly, the 15 Percent Pledge is an initiative that calls for multi-brand retailers and corporations to shift 15 percent—which is the size of the Black population within the U.S.—of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.

Though many helpful initiatives emerged

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LACK — M i c h e l l e B ra n c h , M a r k t & Tw i g s fo u n d e r from the BLM movement, many serve just a small fraction of fashion’s supply chain. Michelle Branch, Markt & Twigs, Inc. creative director, saw this as an unfortunate exclusion of certain groups.

“The problem is that a lot of these organizations are geared toward design, but there are a myriad of Black-owned companies and professionals in this industry beyond designers looking to start a brand,” she said. “There are development and responsible practices consulting firms, marketing companies, graphics companies and retail outlets, to name a few, that would welcome opportunities to grow their businesses and maybe even lend their areas of expertise to these start-up design houses.”

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" I WA S W E A RY O F I T B ECAU S E I F E LT L I K E T H I S R EC KO N I N G CA M E F R O M T H E D E AT H O F A B L AC K M A N .”

—S o l o m o n R u s s e l l , Lef t h a n d Tw i l l fo u n d e r l_____S O LO MO N RU SSE L L

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" R E M E M B E R T H AT YO U C O M E F R O M A L O N G L I N E O F C R E AT O R S A N D TA S T E M A K E R S.”

sity. Others explained that the issue was not with the lists—in fact, they consider the lists essential—but rather that, for many, inclusion efforts stopped there.

Even those who benefitted from the industry’s now-notorious “diversity lists” explained that it came at a price. “I was put on a few lists that kept circulating on social media, and my Instagram following spiked, as did my website traffic,” Russell said. “That’s all fine and good, but I was weary of it because I felt like this reckoning came from the death of a Black man.”

Seemingly overnight, social media swiveled the spotlight on Black creatives. “It wasn’t like one day people caught on to what LHT is trying to accomplish or provide to the denim world,” he said. “Instead, it was like people woke up from a slumber and hit the ‘follow’ button because social media, for a brief moment in time, made the mass majority aware of what Black creatives are doing.”

Regardless of intent, brands’ activity on social media matters. Younger consumers with a reputation for making purchasing decisions based on

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS It’s still too early to measure the efficacy of many of these new initiatives, but the global conversation surrounding diversity triggered a number of immediate changes within the fashion industry—each carrying its own set of issues.

Brands doubled down on—or, in some cases, began—featuring Black models in their campaigns, and Black industry professionals were being inundated with interview requests and job opportunities. And, perhaps most commonly, online publications flooded their homepages with headlines including some variation of “Black-Owned Fashion Brands to Support Right Now.” While intentions were likely good, some took issue with the latter, noting that the act of lumping Black designers with unique experiences into one monolithic story contradicts the entire point of diverRIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

ethics are using their dollars to show their support or distaste for a brand depending on its response to the BLM movement. A study from global data intelligence company Morning Consult revealed that 66 percent of Gen Z shoppers feel a company’s reaction and expression to topics such as BLM will permanently influence whether or not they buy from them.

MOVING FORWARD Now, what matters most is how the industry sustains this momentum. Continuing to have difficult conversations and offering support for people of color is crucial to BLM, which its supporters have famously described as a movement and not a moment.

But continued progress isn’t just in the best interest of the Black community—it’s also essential to fashion’s livelihood. Even the biggest players in the industry aren’t immune to the repercussions of discrimination—Anna Wintour, undeniably among the most influential fashion figures of today, fared heated criticism at Vogue after several employees spoke out about racial discrimination in the workplace.

The industry’s sheer size and influence gives it the opportunity to drive worldwide change. According to Russell, fashion must rally around racism the same way it has for the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and other global issues.

“In the denim industry, we talk a lot about sustainability, about saving the planet from completely falling apart,” he said. “I love to see it, and it’s important. However, it’s hard for me to talk about sustainability when Black people on this planet haven’t been able to sustain a decent life without the fear of being killed by those who swore to protect us. When Black people are fighting for their literal lives just to be here, that should be the rallying cry for people to come together to combat racism.”

For Black creators, maintaining faith that the industry is heading in the right direction, albeit slowly, is key. Branch suggests those who are new to fashion look to their ancestors for the strength to push forward.

“Remember that you come from a long line of creators and tastemakers,” she said. “Hang on to that knowledge when things get tough. Instead of going above and beyond just to stay on par, go above and beyond to honor their legacy.”

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DENIM T H E G R E AT I C O N I C E Q U A L I Z E R Does denim still have a role to play in protest culture today? w or d s _____ KATE NI S H I M UR A

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

s the U.S. finds itself swept up in one of the most turbulent cultural atmospheres in recent history, consumers have been thinking about their clothes less than ever before. In recent months, the panic and anxiety of a global pandemic have been underscored by pain, angst and social unrest. Amid the tension, getting dressed has landed somewhere near last on many people’s priority lists.

In May, the 8 minute and 46 second snuffing out of George Floyd by Minnesota cops prompted backlash not just against police brutality, but also the deeply ingrained social constructs that have allowed systemic racism to prevail for centuries.

The event forced a reckoning for institutions of all kinds, from state and local governments to cor-

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porations and even consumer brands. Feelings of desperation proved strong enough to pull tens of thousands of people fearful of pandemic infection from their homes and onto the streets.

Protesters wore black as an homage to the Black Lives Matter movement. And many of them, perhaps subconsciously, made the decision to pull on a pair of jeans.

Denim’s role in protest culture is well documented. But its role in grassroots movements was planted more than 10 decades ago. It’s hard to envision the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 1960s and early ’70s without seeing hordes of bellbottom or denim jacket-clad young people calling for change. But denim’s unshakeable role in American culture began to solidify nearly a century earlier, according to Levi Strauss & Co. historian Tracey Panek.

“Denim, especially blue jeans, has been a longtime symbol of rebellion and youth, but that ethos is a relatively modern concept,” she said. The brand released its first pairs of denim jeans in 1873, and they were crafted for hard labor, not as statement making. “They were worn by ordinary people at the bottom of the economic ladder,” Panek said.

These origins solidified denim jeans’ role as the “ultimate grassroots garment,” Panek added.

Movements throughout history have been led by ordinary people—and ordinary people have always worn denim.

Levi’s well-known cowboy iconography began to show up in its advertisements in the 1930s, underscoring denim as an all-American fabric made for the toughest and most rugged. But toward the end of the decade, everything about the culture began to shift as World War II saw young American men drafted in droves.

“I think if we go back and look at World War II, conscription really changed the way America viewed America,” said Mark-Evan Blackman, men’s wear professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. “When people from all different backgrounds were drafted and had to work together for the greater good of the country, they were exposed to one another, and they realized they all wanted the same thing.”

According to Blackman, denim became the army’s fabric of choice, and consequently, a great equalizer among the troops. The sturdy fabric was both durable and comfortable, adding to its appeal. “We had a ton of denim in the U.S. and it was cheap, and it was issued to everyone,” he said.

“For many people who did not grow up on farms, it was the first time they were introduced to it.”

The war stoked awareness of denim across the RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

l_____POLI C E ARRE STIN G A PROTESTER PR ESIDEN T RI C HARD NI XON'S 1973 IN AU GU R ATION .

culture at large, he said, though the fabric retained a utilitarian sensibility throughout the remainder of the 1940s. That all changed over the course of the next decade, when television and movies became nearly inescapable pop-culture influences.

When Marlon Brando depicted a dock worker with dreams of becoming a prize fighter in his Oscar-winning role in1954’s “On the Waterfront,” his blue jeans lit up the screen—even in black and white. Men who had returned from war a decade before saw in Brando an everyman and an ally, Blackman said.

“Marlon Brando wore a T-shirt and jeans, and all his co-stars had on T-shirts and jeans, and they were the downtrodden good guys,” he said. “A fire was lit, and everyone was watching.”

Just as those moviegoers—many of them former service members—received the message that they could put down their chinos and slip

" [J E A N S] W E R E WO R N

BY O R D I N A RY P EO P L E AT T H E B O T T O M O F T H E EC O N O M IC L A D D E R ."

Photo Credit: Previous Page: Levi Strauss & Co. Archives; This Page: Nick Machalaba / WWD

—Trac e y Panek , Le v i S t ra us s & C o. histor ia n back into their well-worn denim, a younger generation also began to take note. By the time “Rebel Without a Cause” was released in 1955, its magnetic young breakout star had already been killed in a tragic car crash. But James Dean, who at 24 had embodied an angsty teen searching for meaning within the confines of his humdrum suburban life, would live on as a legend forever, canonized in a pair of blue jeans, white T-shirt, red Mattson's Sportswear jacket—and that smoldering stare.

The film’s influence and Dean’s posthumous celebrity cannot be overstated, Blackman said.

Rebel “reinforced what ‘On the Waterfront’ presented,” he added, “but instead of a longshoreman, we’re seeing a troubled high school kid.”

According to Tonya Blazio-Licorish, assistant archivist for Women’s Wear Daily, Dean’s bigscreen sartorial choices represented “a moment that changed youth culture, and youth ambivalence.” For young adults, seeing Dean clad in denim reinforced their own rejections of “the RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

stuffiness and buttoned-up nature” of their parents’ generation.

The ensuing years solidified denim’s place not just in the mainstream, but also as a part of the upending of social norms that seized the 1960s.

Then Vogue editor Diana Vreeland coined the term “youthquake” to describe the tectonic force of the era’s young voices, who redefined music, culture and fashion throughout the decade.

“By the 1960s, denim and blue jeans had become a symbol of rebellion and youth with meaning that still seems to resonate today,” Levi’s Panek said, characterizing denim as “a canvas to express one’s point of view, from style to politics.”

Levi’s archives are home to a number of relics from the 1960s and ’70s, Panek said, including blue jeans sewn and stylized with American flags and peace signs, which became a popular anti-war symbol. Young people adopted denim as their clothing of choice, she said, because blue jeans were cheap and transformable.

Many photos of the 1960s protests are black and white, obscuring the living color of their subjects and their wardrobe choices. According to Blazio-Licorish, the reality would have been more vibrant—and often, more blue.

“It was not unusual that many young adults were often clad in their blue jeans at rallies and protests as a sign of the social movement of the times,” she said. Denim was simultaneously becoming the symbol of a new working class and acting as a visual memory of America’s heritage.

“People dream in their denim,” she added.

Denim’s role in rebellion grew, not just in the U.S., but across the globe. Decades after the civil rights movement and the women’s liberation movement, hundreds of youth dressed in blue jeans sat on top of the Berlin Wall as it fell in 1989. The moment demonstrated “the continuous symbolism of denim,” Panek said. “For those young Germans, denim represented youth, rebellion and freedom—a fitting way to mark the end of the Cold War era.”

This year, young Americans flooded streets across the nation. Some wore masks. Many wore denim. As summer arrived in June, downtowns and main streets across the country’s biggest cities and small-town communities brimmed with bodies of all colors, chanting calls for change. And while the crowds have contracted, the movement remains.

“Denim is there at these protests,” Blackman said. “You can take a cross-section of any crowd, with people from age 15-35, and 80 percent of them have on some form of denim.”

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But this time around, young people aren’t slipping into jeans to stick it to their parents or the proverbial Man. Instead, denim has become a second skin for those growing up in the 21st century. “There’s still a cachet to denim, but it’s not in your face,” Blackman said. “It’s not making a dramatic political, countercultural statement the way it once did—it’s evolved beyond that.”

While the fabric has shed its inherent rebelliousness, it’s still often a part of today’s rebel uniform. “People aren’t getting communiques about what to wear,” Blackman said. “Those choices are fundamentally unique, but there’s a lot of overlap.” Americans are still choosing denim in 2020, as they did when they took to the streets in decades past.

"[DEN IM ] T R A N SCEN DS CL AS S A N D S TAT US, A N D PU T S E V ERYON E ON T H E SA M E PL AY ING F IEL D.” — B a r b a ra B und y, F IDM V P of Ed uc at io n

And while jeans are an indispensable part of wardrobes across the country and the world, Blackman believes they can’t be totally divorced from their working-class, grassroots history.

In 2017, the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville brought white nationalists out of the woodwork to terrorize a college town under the guise of defending a historical monument of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. The activists wore chinos and white polo shirts—a polished aesthetic reminiscent of a schoolboy’s uniform, or that of a dad on the job. GQ characterized the look as “The New Uniform of White Supremacy.”

The preppy getup stands in sharp contrast with the garb worn by other protesters marching for human rights, the environment, or virtually any other cause. It’s a conscious rejection of the everyman, and an attempt to elevate themselves above him. “It’s different than what we’re seeing RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

erupting spontaneously around the country now,” Blackman said. Today, protesters “happen to all be choosing garments within a certain vocabulary.”

According to Barbara Bundy, vice president of education at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM), denim’s ubiquity could be key to its continued influence. “You can look at other types of clothing, and they’re synonymous with certain subcultures or income levels,” she said. “But you see denim in every country in the world, at every price range.”

That accessibility has allowed the fabric to “permeate every part of our culture,” whether it’s bought at a swap meet, or from an upscale designer.

Denim is no longer rooted in a rejection of social norms, she added—it’s about democratizing fashion and making its wearers feel as if they belong.

“Denim is a great leveler,” Bundy said. “It transcends class and status, and puts everyone on the same playing field.”

Young wearers may not fully understand denim’s history, but they know the fabric’s heritage gives it some clout, said Amanda Starling, chairperson for FIDM’s International Manufacturing and Product Development program and instructor for the school’s Business of Denim program.

“The generations today want clothes that tell a story,” she said. They’ve become interested in shopping for thrifted and vintage clothing, and raiding their parents’ and even grandparents’ closets for relics of bygone eras. They’ve also become more interested than ever in preserving the planet, she said. The school’s sustainability-focused denim classes are as much about curbing the fabric’s hefty ecological impact as creating the perfect wash.

“The clothes that people choose today make an important statement,” Starling said. While denim has been fingered over the past decade as a major contributor to fashion’s environmental ills, the industry has moved mountains to revolutionize its processes and revitalize its image.

“Denim actually represents the forefront of change in the fashion industry,” she added. It’s one reason she believes young shoppers are still so enamored of the material, and why she believes its influence continues, through changing trends and tribulations, more than a century after it was birthed into cultural consciousness.

“There have been so many other fashion statements that we as a culture have picked up, tried on and discarded,” Blackman said. “Denim has never been discarded—it has traveled with us, and it continues to evolve accordingly.”

Photo Credit: Nick Machalaba / WWD

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RIVET'S TOP 50 MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN THE DENIM INDUSTRY IN 2020 RIVET 50 SERVES AS AN INDEX of the forward-thinking leaders driving change in the global denim marketplace. This year, those individuals were nominated and chosen by the denim industry. More than 12,000 online votes determined who made the list. From philanthropic executives to slow fashion designers, here's a look at who is influencing denim in 2020.

Executive

Designer

Retailer

Influencer

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

Supply Chain

l Artistic Milliners CEO

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As the head of his family-run denim mill in Karachi, Pakistan, Omer Ahmed’s interest in denim began at an early age.

Before he became the CEO of Artistic Milliners, Ahmed graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor of science in textile management, choosing to go back and work at the mill soon after.

Today, Ahmed operates Pakistan’s first LEED Certified garment factory and is renowned for his work in fostering gender equality, enforcing that commitment with a top management team that is 50 percent female. Artistic Milliners is also one of the first denim factories to receive the Fair Trade Certified label for its positive working environment and fair wages. And the company wants to share its knowledge. Artistic Milliners recently held a master class series early in 2020, bringing together denim professionals through conversations with industry authorities and experts.

—Christopher Hall

KATY AL-RUBEYI

a denim industry observer, giving her an eagle-eye view of what the industry was missing. Following four years as the denim editor at WGSN, she founded the sustainability-focused consultancy Denim Forum. In 2013, she and her husband Saeed Al-Rubeyi launched Story Mfg. to make fashion more compassionate.

While much of the industry is chasing zero impact, Story Mfg. instead strives to have a net positive effect. Working out of an atelier in an Indian forest, the denim brand champions artisan craftsmanship and traditional techniques, providing reliable work to locals. On the product side, textiles are made with biodegradable materials and are processed using naturally derived dyes. Cutting back on waste, leftovers from indigo dyeing are used as fertilizer, while cotton offcuts are transformed into the paper for hangtags and stuffing. On a constant quest to make fashion kinder, the brand is also using its platform to combat racism and discrimination. —Sarah Jones l_____KAT Y A L- RUB E Y I

OMER AHMED

BILGEHAN “HAN” ATES l Blackhorse Lane Ateliers

founder

A promoter of sustainable, local denim manufacturing, Han Ates is of the belief that less is more in both the design and production processes. The company he founded, Blackhorse Lane Ateliers, samples and manufactures small quantities locally for British brands like E.L.V. Denim, and produces a line of fit-perfected jeans.

Upon Blackhorse Lane becoming one of 10 U.K.-based companies that received more than 1.2 million pounds ($1.4 million) by the Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology’s (BFTT) Small to Medium Enterprises Creative R&D Program, Ates set out to use the funds to launch London’s first-ever washing lab.

Ates will be working with the Centre for Circular Design at Chelsea College of Arts to develop R&D around sustainable laundering and finishing techniques. —Glenn Taylor

SANJEEV BAHL l Saitex founder

l Story Mfg. co-founder

Before co-founding Story Mfg., Katy Al-Rubeyi was

The sustainable denim industry would not be where it is today without Sanjeev Bahl, the brains behind the “cleanest

denim factory in the world.” His Vietnam-based factory, Saitex, is the first in Asia to achieve B Corp status as a result of its state-of-the-art methods, including turning sludge into non-hazardous waste and recycling 98 percent of the water it uses. It’s a story Saitex’s clients like Madewell and Edwin bring to life in collections and communication to the end consumer.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic throwing off many of the company’s goals for 2020, Bahl remains committed to opening a new mill in Vietnam and a factory in Los Angeles, both by the end of the year. Considered the “factory of the future,” the L.A. facility will incorporate all of the innovations Saitex has mastered over the years in terms of technology, robotics, artificial intelligence and digital assets.

—Liz Warren

LAURA BALMOND l Ellen MacArthur Founda-

tion’s Make Fashion Circular project manager

For the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), jeans l_____MA R Y BRU N O are just the starting point for fashion’s circular future. In 2018, the foundation began Ensuring that denim is its Jeans Redesign iniready for its next life tiative, led by Laura Balbegins with product mond, bringing together development, the use as many as 80 experts of traceable, recyclable in jean production to materials and with duraestablish guidelines for ble design concepts. upcycle-ready denim.

EMF’s circular

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

endeavor is catching on.

Roughly 50 mills and major brands, including Gap, H&M and Guess, have signed on for the project, committing to collectively produce 650,000 jeans that fit

MARY BRUNO

ALESSIO BERTO

JOEL CARMAN

l Life After Death Denim founder and designer

l The Tailor Pattern Support

l Over the Rainbow founder

owner

After more than 25 years working in the denim world at brands ranging from Levi's and Earl Jean to J Brand and Gap, Mary Bruno is striking out on her own with a sustainability mission. While environmental responsibility had been an industry focus, she believed that true change could only happen by founding a label with an eco-friendly DNA. Bruno’s Life After Death Denim considers every step of the production process to reduce the impact of its jeans. This includes sourcing recycled and deadstock fabrics and trims, reducing water consumption in the wash process by almost 90 percent, and eliminating harmful chemicals. Outside of production, the label is rethinking aspects including the amount of packaging needed and how raw materials are transported to limit its carbon footprint. The brand also produces in Bruno’s home base of Los Angeles, supporting the local garment industry. —SJ the guidelines by May 2021. Today, only about 1 percent of apparel is recycled, but this joint effort has the potential to scale circularity and save textiles from landfills or incinerators. —SJ

JAMES BARTLE l Outland Denim founder

and CEO

At its core, James Bartle’s Outland Denim is a label with a purpose.

The men's and women's brand was founded by Bartle in 2011 to provide employment opportunities and living wages to vulnerable populations in Cambodia, using fashion to fight poverty. The company’s decade-long

efforts to combat human trafficking earned it a Thompson Reuters Stop Slavery Award in 2020.

Apart from social initiatives, the label’s commitment to responsible fashion also extends to environmentally friendly techniques, including ozone oxidizing, laser washing and e-Flow chemical transfers.

This year, Bartle allowed the average consumer to buy into the brand’s mission through a crowdfunding initiative. Individuals could own a piece of the company for as little as 250 Australian dollars ($175). The campaign was a success, raising roughly $1.3 million Australian dollars ($904k) from 1,000 micro investors in the midst of Covid-19. —SJ

In a world of fast fashion, Alessio Berto, owner of The Tailor Pattern Support, is here to remind denim makers about the importance of creating garments with good bones.

Berto cut his teeth in fashion in the late ’80s when he started designing dresses inspired by famous fashion houses.

He worked his way up in small companies learning size grading and pattern making alongside senior designers before becoming an expert in his own right and producing patterns for Jean Paul Gaultier Jeans, Chanel, Boy London, Replay and more.

Now, Berto operates The Tailor Pattern Support, consulting brands and designers in the industry on developing patterns and production training. Education plays a large role in his day-to-day, as attention to craftsmanship is falling to the wayside as automation steps in.

Experienced experts, like Berto, are fewer and further between. In 2019, Berto led workshops on pattern making during Denim Première Vision in Milan and London.

He is also working on creating an inclusive suiting pattern that can be worn by all. —CH

For 45 years, family-owned retailer and online boutique Over the Rainbow has been a denim destination for Toronto locals and visitors alike. The shop, known for its expansive wall of premium denim, is run by founder Joel Carman along with his wife, who heads finance, and his daughter and son, who hold management positions within the company.

The store opened in a 450-square-foot space on Bloor Street, a strip known for its high-end shops. While it started out as an alteration service primarily for women’s denim, it quickly grew in popularity and services, causing Carman to move to a bigger location before ultimately settling into its latest 6,500-square-foot home in midtown Toronto which also serves as an online fulfilment center and photo studio. —LW

"A S A N I N DU S T RY, W E N EED T O AG R E E O N T H E C O M M O N GOA L A N D H OW W E CA N AC H I E V E I T T OG E T H ER .

S U C C E S S CA N N O T B E B U I LT

BY N O M A D S.” —JOEL CARMAN, OVER THE RAINBOW FOUNDER that would simultaneously address environmental and aesthetic needs. As head of Hub 1922, Alberto de Conti has helped launch new products ranging from a primer to prep fabric for more efficient laser finishing to a “denim Botox” that prevents jeans from bagging out.

Bilgehan “Han” Ates

ALBERTO DE CONTI l Rudolf Group head of

fashion division Laura Balmond

During Covid-19, de Conti and his team introduced Washless Denim, which is treated to repel spills and odor causing bacteria to allow more time between laundering. Hub 1922 sees this as an overlooked way to reduce denim’s environmental impact since up to a quarter of the total water consumption tied to jeans happens in domestic washing, compared to just 1 percent in industrial finishing.

With a resume that includes more than a decade at Levi's, de Conti is a longtime figure in the denim world. He is also helping shift the industry in an environmentally friendly direction through his work on the board of the Transformers Foundation. —SJ

SALLI DEIGHTON l Denim development

For Rudolf Group, sustainable innovation is centered on science.

In early 2019, the textile chemistry group launched a subsidiary called Hub 1922 to invest in R&D

consultant

Alessio Berto

Salli Deighton has been a mainstay in the denim industry for more than

Visit our website for extended profiles: sourcingjournal.com/denim/Rivet-50

25

Salli Deighton

DAN FEIBUS l Vidalia Mills CEO

26 Juan Manuel Gomez

Ruedi Karrer

20 years, consulting at various denim and apparel firms including Marks & Spencer, Asos, Debenhams and Gas Jeans.

Throughout this time, Deighton has been on the forefront of the push for sustainability within the production process, particularly at the mass merchant level.

With a belief that there is no excuse for not making responsible denim, Deighton is always seeking out the newest fibers, chemicals and equipment capable of creating long-lasting jeans that eliminate waste.

Recently, she has been collaborating with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) to further educate the industry on how cotton has grown and uncover ways to deliver more transparency across

When Dan Feibus started Vidalia Mills Co. in 2019, his aim wasn’t just to be a successful manufacturer of premium denim in the U.S. He wanted to set an example for the sector that Made in America denim can be a reality. The company has invested $50 million in infrastructure and retrofitting its 900,000-squarefoot manufacturing facility—a former Fruit of the Loom distribution center in Vidalia, La.—and is partnering with companies like Temsan and Lubrizol to create cutting-edge yarn and fabrics. The mill exclusively uses BASF’s e3 cotton as part of its pledge to responsible sourcing and sustainable agriculture.

Vidalia Mills is also home to a piece of U.S. denim history. The facility has 40 selvedge denim weaving machines acquired from Cone Denim’s shuttered White Oak mill, and they’re back to producing American-made selvedge.

Contemporary brands with a passion for history like Imogene + Willie and Trinidad 3 are among the first to produce jeans made with the fabric.

—Arthur Friedman

CLAIRE FORD

l_____HOWARD G EE

denim production. Additionally, she has worked with Lenzing in an effort to help eliminate the use of non-biodegradable polyester. —GT

l Claire Ford Consultancy

director

London-based consultant Claire Ford’s expertise in sustainable denim design is evident in the collections of some of the most popular jeans brands among millennial women, including Outland Denim and Reiss.

Ford’s consultancy relies on her 13 years of experience designing denim fabric and advising denim brands and retailers on the best practices for working in the industry. Ford provides creative direction for casual and denim apparel, wash design, trims and other production elements. She also fosters relationships with factories and mills in Turkey, Pakistan and Portugal.

Through these brand and supply chain partnerships, Ford promotes a modern take on classic women’s jeans wear that feels both timeless and current—a mood she translates to her popular Instagram account dedicated to sustainable denim initiatives and design. —CH

JUAN MANUEL GOMEZ

HOWARD GEE

For diehard denim heads around the world, a perfectly aged fade on a

—SALLI DEIGHTON, CONSULTANT

l AB Fits founder

San Francisco native Howard Gee planted a stake in the city’s denim scene more than three decades ago, with the mission of bringing a personal touch to the art of selling jeans. A deep knowledge of fit and fabric earned him a long-loyal customer base, along with a penchant for stocking hard-to-find brands loved by true aficionados.

Located on the historic Grant Avenue, AB Fits stocks a global assortment of denim and clothing, cherry picked by Gee himself. While offerings have expanded since the early days, the goal of putting “people in clothes that embody character and quality” has not changed. —Kate Nishimura

l Artist and Officina+39

creative leader

"S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y IS D EF I N ED BY RESPONSIBLE AND CO N S I D E R E D D EC IS IO N S T H R OU G H OU T T H E S U P P LY CHAIN SUPP O R T ED BY REAL AND C L E A R DATA .”

pair of jeans is like a piece of wearable art. And in the case of denim fan and Colombian artist Juan Manuel Gomez, creating artwork with indigo and denim has led to a career

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

in the denim supply chain.

Having experimented with laundry techniques for his art projects and created original paintings for brands like Denham the Jeanmaker,

Gomez now serves as the creative leader of Officina+39, the Italian sustainable chemical company best known for Recycrom, a system that reprocesses textile scraps into colored powder to dye new garments.

In this role, Gomez creates new concepts for color and dye that are then developed into collections by Officina+39’s technical team.

Along with heightening the level of creativity in the company’s R&D, Gomez leads workshops and special projects with clients that focus on sustainability. —Angela Velasquez

JEAN HEGEDUS l The Lycra Company director

of sustainability

l_____ C LARE AND DAVI D HIEATT

DAVID AND CLARE HIEATT l Hiut Denim Co. co-founders

For 40 years, Cardigan, Wales was home to the country’s biggest jeans factory, which made 35,000 pairs of jeans a week. But when the factory closed in 2002, the town lost a major part of its indus-

try, and more importantly, the 400 jobs that came with it.

A decade later, David and Clare Hieatt sought to revive the town's industry by launching the Hiut Denim Co. and employing some of the machinists who worked in the old factory. The company has been a made-to-order success story ever since, based

on the principle of “doing one thing well,” which the Hieatt’s believe sets the Hiut Denim Co. apart. The company only makes one product: jeans. The brand, however, came to prominence in 2018 after Meghan Markle wore their jeans at a public event, which led to a three-month waiting list sprouting overnight.

ADRIAN JOFFE l Dover Street Market

co-founder and CEO

Before experiential retail had its own term, Adrian Joffe, CEO of Dover Street Market, envisioned a space that tore down the barriers of a standard department store. In

2004, he co-founded Dover Street Market in London, alongside his wife and co-founder Rei Kawakubo, as a way to bring designers together in a shared space and make avant-garde more accessible. Each brand has its own unique space—similar to a pop-up—that showcases key items alongside artwork from photographers, lighting artists and more.

Joffe chooses his collaborations intuitively—and it seems to be working. Dover Street Market has expanded to five additional regions, including Tokyo's Ginza district, New York, Singapore, Beijing and Los Angeles. —LW

DR. ANDREW JORDAN l Jordan & Associates,

consultant

When Field to Market, an alliance for sustainable agriculture, introduced the Trusted Adviser of the Year Award for the first time in 2019, it honored Dr. Andrew Jordan’s leadership as a key participant of Field to Market since its inception, and a trusted adviser to farmers.

Considered a pioneering sustainability advocate for the cotton industry, Jordan has served as an essential conduit for bringing farm-

LUCIE GERMSER l Sphynx founder; The Women in Denim founder

Self-described “Swiss army knife,” Lucie Germser has a trove of talents that she sprinkles around the denim industry. The designer’s creativity has touched Lee Cooper Brands, Bluezone, Advance Denim, Artistic Milliners, H&M, Chanel, Zadig & Voltaire and many more through gigs like fabric sourcing, photo shoots, logo and trade show booth design. Just three weeks prior to the pandemic-prompted lockdown in France, Germser formalized her consultancy business by launching Sphynx, a “cooperative of creative minds” that specializes in product development, branding, communications and scenography.

Germser is also at the helm of The Women in Denim, a network for all women in the denim industry. Through a dedicated Instagram account, LinkedIn group and roundtable discussions held on both sides of the Atlantic, Germser aims to create a global platform for women that promotes community and equality in the industry—from garment works to executives. —AV

l_____L U CI E GE RMS E R

Jean Hegedus has more than 35 years of experience in the textile industry, working first with The DuPont Company and then Invista, before moving to The Lycra Company in 2019. Over the course of her career, she has held a variety of positions in public affairs, marketing, licensing and branding. She began working in the denim sector in 2007, bringing several important innovations to market, including Lycra XFIT, Lycra dualFX, Lycra Beauty and Lycra EcoMade technologies.

It was also her work within the denim industry that heightened her awareness of the need for more sustainable solutions, and in July 2019, she was appointed sustainability director for The Lycra Company. —AF

Admittedly, Hiut Denim Co. is not trying to conquer the world, but the brand thrives on taking on out-of-the-box ideas, like using biodegradable stretch denim to create microplastic-free jeans. —GT

Visit our website for extended profiles: sourcingjournal.com/denim/Rivet-50

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ers along in documenting the sustainability of their operations, and telling the story of the wider U.S. cotton industry. He has worked alongside Cotton Incorporated to lead field tours for apparel brands and retailers, as well as garner grower input on how the Fieldprint Platform can be improved.

Jordan’s list of efforts and accolades is a long one. He assists clients in developing sustainable agriculture as well as environmental and social responsibility plans. He’s a director of Agricenter International and co-owner of food safety firm Secure Food Solutions, and he previously served as vice president of technical services for the National Cotton Council and advisor to its Cotton USA Sustainability Task Force. —AF

Karrer’s love for indigo resonates with players in denim supply chain as well.

He’s partnered with Bluezone in Munich to showcase important archival pieces from his collection. In 2019, Karrer also teamed with Candiani Denim to release his own signature jean in honor of his 60th birthday. The jean, a 15.5 oz. 3×1 left hand twill, featured a green cast and a back pocket inspired by the Piz Beverin mountains Karrer grew up near. —AV

SEBASTIAN KLINDER l Bluezone and Munich

Fabric Start managing director

Sebastian Klinder joined Munich Fabric Start Ltd. as a partner and trans-

RUEDI KARRER

formed the organization from a regional trade show in Germany to an international platform focused on sustainability and innovation. He has since amplified the importance of collaboration and community-building within the denim industry, sharing the show’s platform with initiatives like The Women In Denim, which bolsters female denim designers, executives and influencers, as well as hosting a panel with last year’s Rivet 50 honorees.

Though physical shows as they once were may be on hold in the short-term, Klinder and his team managed to successfully pull off one of the first in-person industry events in September. Fabric Days, a consolidated version of Munich Fabric Start and Bluezone, went off without a hitch. —LW

FATIH KONUKOGLU

l The Jeans Museum founder

l Isko CEO

As the founder of the Jeans Museum in Zurich, Ruedi Karrer is not only the curator of more than 14,000 pairs of jeans, the raw denim purist considers himself as the caretaker of the stories and histories that each pair of naturally faded jeans tell. He shares many of those stories— from jeans that have snow crust fades, to the shopping bag from the store where he bought his first pair of Levi’s in 1977—on his popular Instagram account @Swissjeansfreak.

Sebastian Klinder

Fatih Konukoglu

Yul Ku

Isko is not letting the Covid-19 era get in the way of its brand ethics and ethos, and it all starts at the top with chief executive Fatih Konukoglu. Even as the company had to adapt to supply chain interruptions, Konukoglu ensured that Isko would push through with no layoffs, and also provided an additional financial contribution to all 14,000 employees.

While the company

has continued to innovate for modern times with the production of Isko Vital+ face covers and the development of the R-TWO platform, which is designed to produce responsible performance fabrics, Konukoglu hopes to set a higher standard for the denim industry at large.

In June, Isko launched its first Sustainability Impact Report, which outlines the company’s ambitious targets to continuously develop and improve its environmental impact and provides a deep dive into Isko’s products and end-to-end responsible production process. —GT

YUL KU l AG Jeans CEO

Though the Covic-19 crisis threw a curveball in denim brands’ production and sales and marketing strategies, industry stalwarts like Yul Ku, AG Jeans CEO, has stepped up to the plate in the best way a leader of a premium L.A. denim brand can. At the start of the pandemic, AG Jeans donated $1 million to the Covid-19 LA County Response Fund to help support local clinics and hospitals with their scaling, staffing and testing needs.

The brand also pivoted production to face masks.

This effort to give back is a reflection of AG Jeans’ positive example in the denim industry. Ku told Rivet he hopes to pave the way for other brands, noting that AG is “contin-

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

l_____ A MY LEV E RTO N

AMY LEVERTON l Denim Dudes founder

To truly know a subject inside and out requires different perspectives. For 17 years, Amy Leverton has studied denim in different capacities, beginning as a designer and evolving to trend forecasting before evolving again to author. The success of her 2015 book, “Denim Dudes,” inspired her to launch a website with the same name and build an independent trend consulting business that helped her form partnerships with prominent leaders throughout the industry.

In 2020, Leverton brought her passion for denim to Project’s Denim Room, an educational hub within the trade show, where she led trend presentations, panels and workshops with everyone from seasoned veterans to emerging names in the space.

Most recently, Leverton worked with digital event Kingpins24 to present the complete Fall/Winter 2021 Kingpins Denim Trend Forecast, and she’s gearing up for a year of design projects that bring her back to her professional origins. —LW

waste problem " I F YOU R J E A N S L A S T L O N G E R industry’s with Next by Duer, a new pre-sale method that B ECAU S E T H E Y ’ R E M A D E allows the brand to only move prototypes into W I T H GOO D S T U F F, YOU ’ R E production that have a level of interest from A L R E A DY CO N T R I B U T I N G S I G - high consumers. —CH N I F ICA N T LY T O R E DUC I N G T H E LUIGI A M OU N T O F WA S T E G E N E R LOVATO l Elleti Group founder AT ED BY FA S H I O N .” and CEO

—ROBERT MCMILLAN, DEARBORN DENIM & APPAREL OWNER ually pushing the industry to commit to better practices, including reducing our carbon footprint while increasing our sustainability and philanthropic footprints.” —LW

GARY LENETT l Duer Denim co-founder

that provide consumers comfort, odor control and temperature regulating properties, the brand has a pulse on what active denim consumers want from their jeans. In 2020, Lenett also challenged the

Specializing in denim treatment, dyeing and laundering, Elleti has been focused on sustainable innovation with an Italian touch since 2011.

Sandblasting has been replaced with ice blasting, while lasers are deployed for abrasions and

decorations. Bleaching techniques are accomplished with ozone, and nano bubbles are used to disperse chemicals, allowing for a 70 percent to 90 percent reduction in water consumption.

Elleti Group is also grounded in heritage. The firm was founded in the 1980s, when Italian denim was booming, but its focus on the history of denim goes back further than that. Founder and CEO Luigi Lovato recently put his affection for denim on display by establishing a museum housing more than 15,000 garments dating back to the 1850s. This collection, pulled partly from its own archives, is a testament to the producer’s passion for jeans. —SJ

ROBERT MCMILLAN l Dearborn Denim & Apparel

owner

While the Covid-19 pandemic may have dealt an unfortunate blow to many small businesses, Robert McMillan saw an opportunity to keep his company above water amid the demand for face masks. In true entrepreneurial fashion, when Dearborn Denim closed its four stores in the Chicago area, McMillan pivoted his business from denim to making thousands of fabric masks a day, first for hospitals and later for sale to the general public.

The move to masks embodied the spirit of

MAURICE MALONE

what McMillan, a former bond trader, has sought to achieve since founding Dearborn Denim in 2016, focusing on local, madeto-order manufacturing.

With the overwhelming majority of apparel manufactured outside the U.S., McMillan made it his mission to ensure that his company filled a gap in the market, creating a denim collection that was designed, cut and sewed entirely in the U.S. —GT

WOUTER MUNNICHS

l Maurice Malone creative designer, principal owner;

Williamsburg Garment Company president

l Long John founder and

writer

As the creative mind behind two brands, Maurice Malone and Williamsburg Garment Company (WGC), New York-based denim stalwart Maurice Malone is able to flex his design muscles in a multitude of ways, while bringing a level of expertise and history to the jeanswear category.

Having started his namesake line when he was just 19 years old, the veteran earned his stripes during the ’80s and ’90s designing the era’s baggy jean silhouettes before mainstream labels made it trendy. In 1997, he earned a CFDA nomination for the Perry Ellis Award for Menswear.

Malone’s passion for denim and streetwear hasn’t waned. With WGC, Malone continues to execute raw Made in USA jeans, while the recently relaunched Maurice Malone line puts a modern spin on traditional techniques, serving as the apex where craftsmanship and streetwear meet. —CH

l_____ MAU RI CE MALO NE

Denim is in the genetic makeup of Duer Denim co-founder Gary Lenett.

Though he had a career as a teacher and a lawyer, Lenett ultimately followed in the footsteps of his father, who was an entrepreneur and denim supplier. Lenett took over the family business and went on to manufacture and design denim for Levi’s, Nordstrom, Lee, Wrangler, Gap and more.

With Duer, Lenett now focuses on creating the “best pants in the world” and bringing performance denim to the fore. With versatile stretch styles

Wouter Munnichs

Writing about jeans is just one of the many ways Wouter Munnichs has turned his passion for all things indigo into a business.

As the founder of Long John, an online fashion magazine established in 2011, Munnichs is tuned into the retailers and brands that emphasize craftsmanship, heritage design and storytelling—qualities he favors in his own fashion and that have established Munnichs as an influencer.

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30

With more than 48,000 followers on Instagram, Munnichs has become a valuable source for professional and casual denim finds to what’s new in the denim world.

And when not writing or posting about the latest in denim and fashion, Munnichs is talking trade at industry events like Bluezone, or consulting with brands to create buzz around their products through creative concepts and events. —CH

KARA NICHOLAS l Elevate Textiles vice presi-

dent of marketing

For two decades, Kara Nicholas served as the vice president of product development and marketing for Cone Denim—a name that requires no further introduction for denim industry insiders.

The storied denim mill rose to prominence over more than a century milling America’s favorite denim, and Nicholas brought to life the company’s coveted vintage selvedge styling and its newest eco-innovations, paying homage to denim’s history while paving the path to its future.

Now, as vice president of marketing for parent company Elevate Textiles, Nicholas helps craft the stories of a suite of textile trailblazers, from denim to performance materials and other functional fabrics. —KN

JILL PERILMAN

IDA PETERSSON

l Liverpool Jeans design

director and co-founder

Fashion trends come and go but for Liverpool Jeans design director and co-founder Jill Perilman, fit is the most important consideration when she builds out her line of women’s jeans each season.

Based in Los Angeles, the industry veteran previously operated a trend service company called Denimhead, but ultimately sold her stake in that company to found Liverpool Jeans in 2012 with her husband, Ron. Perilman is the creative force behind the brand’s women’s products. Known for “cross fitting” or sizing jeans using multiple fit models to better serve a wider range of body types, Liverpool aims to offer something for every shape. And it’s that laser sharp focus on fit consistency—as well as an accessible under $100 price point—that has made Liverpool Jeans popular across both wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. The company’s range of products spans traditional denim offerings, including a brand new line of sustainably produced women's jeans and denim jackets, as well as non-denim fashion apparel like trousers, tops and leggings. —CH

l Browns buying director

l_____ PIYU MI PER ER A

PIYUMI PERERA l Hirdaramani Industries’ Hirdaramani Discovery Lab

head of design

It isn’t enough anymore for a denim designer to focus only on aesthetics and creativity. Modern times call for designers who take a deep responsibility in selecting environmentally-friendly materials and finishing processes that result in covetable and sustainable jeans.

It’s a challenge Piyumi Perera tackles each day as the head of design at Hirdaramani Industries’ Discovery Lab (HDL), a co-creation space built to support sustainable product creation for the garment manufacturer’s clients.

Working with global brands, Perera is responsible for leading a team of creatives to generate seasonal collections for key customers, and developing HDL’s own concepts and projects. Perera’s role is an example of how in 2020 being a commercial denim designer in the supply chain also requires being a source of knowledge in materials and technology, as well as being a conduit for new design inspiration. —AV RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

Though London department store Browns has been around for 50 years, it’s picking up clout with younger generations thanks to several pivotal moments: getting acquired by fashion retail platform Farfetch and hiring Ida Petersson.

Now serving as the company’s buying director, Petersson—who originally studied law and fell into fashion—has an innate eye for unique products and emerging designers. She and her team adapted the legacy company to the modern age of intuitive e-commerce sites and engaging tech-enabled retail spaces featuring retail exclusives and in-store events. The modern updates are credited with attracting younger buyers who flock to streetwear—an apparel category that’s seen astronomical growth in the past few years. —LW

FRANK PIZZURO l Brooklyn Denim Co.

founder, creative director and managing partner

With a storied career in merchandising spanning nearly four decades, Frank Pizzuro catapulted from managing a men’s wear boutique in his

home state of Michigan to launching the retail divisions of top brands like AG Adriano Goldschmied, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana and Lucky Brand.

After hopscotching across the Midwest, SoCal, Las Vegas and the East Coast, Pizzuro finally landed in New York with the aim of striking out on his own. In 2010, he opened up shop in hipster haven Williamsburg, filling the newly minted Brooklyn Denim Co. with raw denim and a curated selection of men’s and women’s jeans, outerwear, leather, apparel and accessories from more than 50 different worldwide labels. The denim boutique offers tailoring

"S U S TA I N ABILITY HAS NOTHING T O DO W I T H A P O S TPA N D EM IC WO R L D. I T H A S T O DO W I T H H AV I N G A S OC I A L CONSCIENCE.” —JILL PERILMAN, LIVERPOOL JEANS DESIGN DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

SILVIA RANCANI l The Denim Window founder

and owner

When Silvia Rancani opened The Denim Window in 2018, an Amsterdam-based showroom with a focus on storytelling and collaboration in the denim supply chain, the industry veteran could not have imagined how important curated presentations and communication would become in two swift years. The showroom, with clients that span Berto and PG Denim to Archroma and The Lycra Company, serves as a relaxed, creative environment for designers to discover new materials, trims and innovations, and has become a hotspot for educational and industry gatherings in the denim-centric city.

When Covid-19 threw a curveball at Rancani’s hospitable, hands-on approach to conducting business, she found an even broader audience on social media by hosting “The Denim Window Spritz,” a twice-weekly Instagram Live happy hour. Through the live and interactive chats, Rancani helped keep conversations rolling and comradery high even during the darkest days of the pandemic. —AV

MARIANNE ROMESTAIN l Galeries Lafayette chief

merchandising officer

It’s no easy feat for any 108-year-old retailer to thrive in the current climate, but Marianne Romestain, chief merchandising officer for the famed French retailer Galeries Lafayette, is fine-tuning the conventional wisdoms of Parisian retail. Along with developing the retailer’s omnichannel offerings, Romestain’s team oversees the buying for Galeries Lafayette’s newly minted flagship

on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées—the company’s contemporary counterpart to its stately Haussmann store.

While the pandemic has thrown a wrench in sales forecasts for 2020, and has left the status of luxury and streetwear—as well as the overall outlook on millennial and Gen Z spending—suspended in the air, the 70,000-squarefoot Art Deco department store may have a jump start on what’s to come in retail.

Under Romestain’s guidance the store has become a jewel box of in-demand labels like A-Cold-Wall, Needles, Sacai and more, and it has merchandised a modular environment ready for whatever the fashion gods send next. —AV

MOHSIN SAJID

roundtables and panels, bringing together other experts to open lines of communication and set a plan for the future.

In 2021, he hopes to add published author to his list of experience, as he’s currently writing his first textbook documenting the evolution of denim manufacturing. —LW

l Denim History founder

Educator, designer and now content maker, Mohsin Sajid has a wealth of denim knowledge he’s dedicated to sharing. For the last 18 years, he has worked for top denim and apparel companies in the global industry and has become a regular fixture in many international trade show panels and webinars. Most recently, he’s been a crucial source of reference for the denim industry as it attempts to navigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. He’s helped assemble digital

Kara Nicholas

SAFDAR SHAH l Rajby Textiles group R&D

Frank Pizzuro

manager

Safdar Shah

RENZO ROSSO l OTB Group founder and president

In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Renzo Rosso, founder and president of Diesel and its parent OTB, mobilized group executives to help temporarily out of work employees. In a unanimous show of solidarity, managers donated at least five vacation days, with the monetary value of the time off added to a fund for lower income staff. Rosso also contributed by waiving half of his 2020 compensation.

The company’s focus on doing good includes both people and planet. Diesel kicked off 2020 by introducing a new sustainable strategy developed with Eco-Age that addresses traceability, corporate culture and material innovation. The brand also bowed a new upcycled line, which reworked samples, deadstock and prototypes into new designs.

Diesel’s show of responsibility has also translated into its pandemic response, with the debut of an antimicrobial capsule collection and a digital exhibition space that functions as an alternative to in-person buying appointments, with the added sustainable benefit of reducing travel and sample production. —SJ

l_____ R E NZO RO S SO

and repair by some of the borough’s best craftsmen, and features one-of-akind jeans from First Standard Company, handmade in Brooklyn. —KN

Rajby Textiles is looking at the full lifecycle of its denim. As head of research and development at Rajby, Safdar Shah played a role in the development of Beluga Denim, the first denim textile to boast Cradle to Cradle Platinum Certification. Made of 100 percent organic cotton, the off-white hued denim is 100 percent recyclable and biodegradable.

Rajby previously received Gold certification, but raising its designation to Platinum required more collaboration beyond its in-house operations. For instance, to create a truly zero carbon textile, Shah and his team had to track and offset the carbon footprint created from the transportation of materials. The trickiest part of reducing the impact comes after production, since it needed to prove a closed post-consumer loop. To fulfill this piece of

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31

the impact puzzle, the mill has aligned with retailer C&A on the project, which offers a take back program to complete the circle. —SJ

SEVGIN SICIM C&A fabric manager

32 Fast-fashion retailer C&A wants to normalize sustainable apparel by making it more accessible. As the sourcing manager for denim, Sevgin Sicim is translating this mission to jeans.

In 2018, C&A became the first retailer to introduce Cradle to Cradle Gold Certified denim, which was priced at 29 euros for men and women. Just two years later, C&A had another first with the launch of Cradle to Cradle Platinum Certified

Sevign Sicim

Menno Van Meurs

Enrique Silla

denim through a partnership with Rajby Textiles on its Beluga Denim.

The retailer’s size has enabled it to have an outsize impact on sustainability. In a 2016 report, Textile Exchange named C&A the top user of organic cotton, and it estimated that this helped save 136.8 billion liters of water that year. With roughly 2 million customers daily across Europe, C&A is inspiring them all to #WearTheChange. —SJ

that Jeanologia is using that same technology in a new sanitization chamber called Sanibox, which is certified to eliminate coronavirus from textiles and footwear. It combines ozone technology with humidity control, which is designed to safely and quickly eliminate bacteria and deactivate viruses. —GT

ENRIQUE SILLA

l climate activist

Jeanologia CEO and co-founder

Few people have accomplished in a lifetime what Greta Thunberg has managed to achieve in 17 years.

The Swedish climate activist has led global demonstrations, spoken at the UN Climate Action Summit and earned the title of Time’s Person of the Year in 2019. After infamously leading a global school strike for climate action—along with her appearance at the summit in which she criticized leaders for failing to act appropriately on climate change—she became what Time called an “icon of a generation.”

That generation, Gen Z, is a cohort of young adults known for their unrelenting values—and commitment to aligning their spending with those values. Thunberg embodies the essence of her generation and continues to push for a more sustainable future. —LW

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, sanitization was the name of the game for Jeanologia CEO and co-founder, who said of the pandemic: “Consumers will not buy again if they do not feel safe. Therefore, we must unite all the parties involved in the industry to protect workers and consumers throughout the different stages of the production process by using sanitization.”

Silla made it his mission at Jeanologia to help those in need as the pandemic spread throughout Spain, with the company successfully converting its G2 ozone technology—typically used to sustainably wash down jeans—into a sanitization box for fullface plastic shields worn by emergency workers . In June, Silla revealed

GRETA THUNBERG

l_____ TR ACY SU N

TRACY SUN Poshmark, co-founder and senior vice president of new markets

TONY TONNAER l Kings of Indigo founder

Denim is one of the many products sold on Poshmark, but it is one that is holding a greater role in the resale marketplace’s success. At the heart of that success is Tracy Sun, who co-founded the company in 2011. Poshmark has since raised $160 million and has been valued at $1.25 billion. It boasts 60 million members.

Made to last, denim is a perfect fit for what Poshmark embodies, with the company looking to encourage the resale of pre-worn clothing, both increasing a garment’s life span and eliminating waste. Sellers from mid-March through mid-June shared 60 million listings daily, doubling from 30 million prior to COVID-19. Since the pandemic hit the U.S., Poshmark has seen a 50 percent increase in listings and orders, and a 40 percent uptick in new sellers year-over-year. —GT

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

and CEO

The backbone of the Kings of Indigo (KOI), Tony Tonnaer headed straight for the denim industry after training at the renowned Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AMFI).He worked for Pepe Jeans as a sourcing assistant in 1997 and eventually became responsible for sourcing the majority of the brand’s apparel.

MENNO VAN MEURS l Tenue de Nîmes CEO

The owner of two successful denim stores in Amsterdam, Menno van Meurs has a major passion for denim, but doesn’t pander to trends, holding the belief that clothes in Tenue de Nîmes stores are meant to last. He even goes so far as to encourage shoppers to buy fewer clothes while paying more for quality provided.

Van Meurs said amid the lockdown period from Covid-19, Tenue de Nîmes learned shoppers only need a handful of products, such as a pair of jeans and a few T-shirts to go about their lives. With that in mind, van Meurs feels that during a crisis, consumers will go for quality, not quantity, and their shopping habits will center on products they trust. —GT

JULIE WAINWRIGHT l The RealReal founder

and CEO

A pioneer in the online consignment space, Julie Wainwright’s luxury resale platform The RealReal has emerged as one of the most influential fashion startups. Over nearly a decade in business, the company has earned a cult following that browse the marketplace daily for deals on highly coveted apparel and accessories by brands like J Brand, Frame and Paige, which are authenticated in-house.

After helming tech standouts like Reel.com and Pets.com earlier in her career, Wainwright used her e-commerce acumen to bring the world of consignment—once dominated by brick-and-mortar boutiques—to the online masses. The RealReal has helped democratize the world of luxury, making premium goods more attainable. It has also promoted sustainability through resale, keeping clothing, shoes, accessories and denim in circulation longer.

With roughly 1,800 gallons of water used, on average, in the production of one pair of jeans, The RealReal estimates that to date, denim consignments on its platform have saved 89 million liters of water and counting. —KN

l_____AMY WANG

As the founder of KOI, which got off the ground in 2011, Tonnaer has worked to infuse sustainability and style into the brand’s products without compromising quality. In fact, more than 95 percent of KOI’s offering is composed of sustainable materials. The company produces its apparel with 100 percent GOTS or Organic Content Standard certified organic cotton. In 2020, KOI was approved

by PETA as a vegan brand and, recently, it launched a capsule collection made without using any new cotton fabric. —CH

Tencel and Refibra. Looking ahead, Advance Denim has committed to using more than 90 percent sustainable fibers by 2023.

Amy Wang, the company’s general manager is a force behind this forward-thinking mindset.

While many efforts to curb denim’s eco impact are centered on aspects such as water usage during washing, Advance Denim has taken it a step further by tackling the dyeing process. Under Wang’s direction, the mill has invested in machinery as well as Archroma’s Aniline-free indigo to make dyeing more resource efficient.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Advance Denim has still been able to prioritize innovation with the timely launch of graphene denim, which boasts antimicrobial and other protective properties. —SJ

" I T IS A P ER F EC T M O M EN T T O S EL L L E S S JEANS BUT W I T H B E T T ER QUA L I T Y A N D T R U E 33 ANI WELLS l Simply Suzette owner and S U S TA I N A B L E founder M AT E R I A L S AND PROAni Wells has created a platform for good. She CE S S E S.” launched her blog, Simply

With a degree from Los Angeles’ Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and work with labels like Lucky Brand, Citizens of Humanity, Seven Jeans, J Brand and Goldsign under her belt, Wang uses her expertise and passion to facilitate connections and inspire sustainable change. —KN

Suzette, in 2018 after researching the denim industry’s production methods and uncovering the harmful implications of buying lower quality denim. From that point

VIVIAN WANG AMY WANG

l Kingpins Show managing

director and head of global sales

l Advance Denim general

manager

Advance Denim’s sustainability drive goes back a decade. In 2009, the company launched a Greenlet collection using eco-friendly fibers, including organic cotton, which made it the first Chinese denim mill to receive GOTS and GRS certification. Since then, Greenlet has expanded to incorporate other fibers like hemp, recycled cotton,

Greta Thunberg

A true denim industry devotee, Vivian Wang spearheads all of the Kingpins Shows’ global initiatives, from New York to Amsterdam and Hong Kong. Focused on curating a truly unique and tailored mix of exhibitors that best serve each show and market, Wang pulls from her own history on the brand side of the business to identify the players and trends that will move the industry forward.

Julie Wainwright

Ani Wells

—TONY TONNAER, KINGS OF INDIGO FOUNDER & CEO on, she became committed to bridging the gap between consumers and the denim supply chain to encourage more informed, responsible purchasing decisions.

Recently, she moderated panels for Kingpins24 and the Transformers: Catalysts event, and became the partnerships and digital communications lead for the Conscious Fashion Campaign, which allows her to speak at various partner events and further spread awareness for responsible denim production and consumption.

Wells continues to engage followers through her platform and she started the #DiligentDenim hashtag to encourage consumers to understand the origin of their clothing. —LW

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Figue kaftan, EB Denim jeans, Pamela Love rings and earrings, Jennifer Fisher rings, Lady Gray necklace.

Old Soul Timeless designs bring a sense of comfort and individuality to denim.

Photography by Augusta Sagnelli

THIS PAGE: Tory Burch top, Fleur du mal bra, Polo jean shorts, Lady Grey earrings, Azlee Jewelry and Jennifer Fisher necklaces.

OPPOSITE: Etro cardigan, Max Mara tank, Lee jeans, Be-Low belt.

THIS PAGE: Vince tank, Joie culottes, Alexis Bittar bracelet.

OPPOSITE: Lee shorts jumpsuit, Eres bra, Hirotaka earrings.

THIS PAGE: Figue top, Lee shorts, Etro belt, Pamela Love anklet.

OPPOSITE: Kenzo jean jacket, Missoni pants.

THIS PAGE: Lee flare jeans, Eres bra.

Model: Olantha M. @FT45 Hair & Makeup: Amanda Lee @FT45 Style Director: Alex Badia Market Editor: Victor Vaughns Editor: Angela Velasquez

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES In a year that brought manufacturing to a standstill, tested the agility of its supply chain and pushed new consumer values to the fore, denim mills are emerging from a pandemic haze— cautious yet motivated to change for the better. w ords_____ A N G E LA V E LA S Q UE Z

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

PANDEMIC

W

hen the global denim industry gathered in Munich for Bluezone in late January for two days of fabric innovations, trend forecasting and a pint or two with friends, no one expected it would be the final denim event of that size and international scope for some time.

Hugs and double kisses were shared. The Prosciutto di Parma legs were out on display, beckoning passersby to visit the Italian mills’ booths. Birthday cake candles were blown out, plans for future meetups were made and the energy was very much in line with the intimate feeling that makes European denim trade fairs feel like a family reunion.

But the signs that something was amiss were there. One major red flag was the empty booths as Chinese exhibitors were forced to drop out due to travel restrictions. And there was nervous banter about the coronavirus (as well as the prospect of World War III), but the majority of conversations lacked insight into the severity of the health crisis, how it would spread and the impact it would have on business.

Unbeknownst to exhibitors and attendees alike, a domino effect would soon begin to stretch across the global denim industry—first through Asia, then to Europe and the Americas. It would bring production to a halt and press mills to salvage any business that could be had with brands, which would face a whole other set of woes, including sweeping retail closures, the cancelation of tourist dollars and an end-consumer base grappling with drastic spikes in unemployment.

The denim industry, however, is nothing if not resilient. Much like its 147-year-old hero product—the classic blue jean—players in the denim

supply chain have proven time after time their ability to adapt, innovate and sniff out solutions.

Along with filling in gaps for the sudden global demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), mills invested in their digital communication tools to stay connected with suppliers and clients.

And their R&D teams delved into the mindset of the pandemic consumer to develop products that would speak to the new need for protective and durable yet comfortable denim.

Denim mills would come to terms—and even embrace—the so-called reset forced by the pandemic as an opportunity to become more agile, responsible and transparent manufacturers. “No

Hard truths

The pandemic immediately magnified the preCovid weak spots that existed in the supply chain and individual businesses. For the first time, said PG Denim CEO Paolo Gnutti, executives had ample opportunity to identify their glaring inefficiencies. “We had the bad luck of having more time available to understand what was indispensable and not just the frenzy to create in excess,” he said.

With most pain points directly connected to cash flow, the pressure to correct course was paramount. Like most companies in March 2020, Naveena Denim Mills was unprepared for the coronavirus crisis.

Though long-standing stakeholder relationl_____A RARE SIGHT: A PEOPLE-LESS PIAZZA DEL DUOMO ships enabled the PaIN MILAN DURING ITALY'S LOCKDOWN IN APRIL. kistan-based company to pivot its plans for the year, internally, the company scrambled to re-evaluate its books.

“We had to rearrange our cash flow, especially in the first months of the pandemic,” said Aydan Tüzün, Naveena Denim Mills executive director of global sales and marketing.

Bigger companies faced bigger problems. The scale of Soorty’s operations, whose footprint spans Pakistan, Bangladesh, The Netherlands and Turkey, posed a staggering challenge as the company struggled to minimize costs when lockdowns paused production, said Ebru Debbag, Soorty executive director global sales and marketing.

“As with every crisis, we have come to uncompany will get through the pandemic alone, and derstand our vulnerabilities and have developed fashion players need to share data, strategies and instrategies to minimize the impact,” she said. “We sight on how to navigate the storm,” said Deniz Mut[are] structuring our operations to become more lu, marketing specialist for Turkish denim mill Orta. flexible, even at our scale.”

“We are in the same ship with our business partners.

When the government mandated shutCollaboration more than competing is key.” downs in Mexico for manufacturing facilities that RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

45

PANDEMIC

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l_____CORONAVIRUS-INSPIRED STREET ART IN PARIS.

" W E ' V E U SED T H IS OP P OR T U N I T Y TO D IV ER SIF Y OU R P ROD UC T CA PA B IL I T IE S...”

—S te ve M a g g a r d , C o n e D e n i m p r e si d en t

were not considered essential, Cone Denim was unable to operate its facilities in that region for several weeks. “We quickly began working with our sister division, Burlington, on medical fabrics, which allowed us to restart after a few weeks, but the initial lack of having products deemed ‘essential’ in our product mix was a short-term weakness,” said Steve Maggard, Cone Denim president. “We’ve used this opportunity to diversify our product capabilities and prevent this type of disruption in the future.”

Mexico-based Global Denim was struck by the speed of the Covid-induced shockwaves.

Government restrictions created limitations and obstacles for the mill’s R&D, production and sales teams, and putting in place the management and protocols to work from home took some time, said Anatt Finkler, creative director for the mill.

“We learned that we must be always prepared for a plan B, C, D... in case something like this happens again,” she said.

Better, faster, stronger As the pandemic’s dire reality began to set in and outlooks for 2020 fell by the wayside, denim mills relied on their strengths and close-knit relationships to push forward and maintain morale.

When components and garments were tied up at ports, vertical operations became an undeniable asset. Soorty’s standing investments in high-capacity product development infrastructure that included denim mills and garment facilities enabled speed and flexibility at a critical time, Debbag said.

“The pandemic is changing behaviors and this evokes devising longer-term strategies,” she said. “It is essential to understand the dynamics of the consumer, their expectations, their altered lifestyles as well as what a pair of jeans will represent. The manufacturers need to become an active RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

partner to the brands… We will demand closer relations to the brands that we work with so that we can serve them better and build a sustainable ecosystem including the consumers.”

And while many industry experts forecast a return to local sourcing and manufacturing, commanding a global presence in various regions of the world proved to be a major win for several mills. “Having powerful offices in producer countries such as Turkey and Bangladesh enabled us to keep track of every stage of the supply chain, to keep communication strong and to provide the necessary support,” Tüzün said.

Likewise, Cone’s global manufacturing footprint and supply chains in Asia and North America were a tremendous strength. “This versatility provides great advantages to our customers and allowed Cone to deliver product uninterrupted during the pandemic,” Maggard said. “Different geographic areas were affected at different times and to different degrees [but] we were able to keep product flowing to customers and prevent supply disruptions.”

Pre-Covid investments in automation gave Pakistan-based Artistic Milliners a running start when the pandemic forced the mill to accelerate production and streamline its behind-the-scenes workflow. The crisis, said Ebru Ozaydin, Artistic Milliners senior vice president of sales and market-

Better - Responsible - Innovative Denim

Shape yourself ďŹ rst to shape the world then Real change starts from within Global Denim

www.globaldenim.com.mx

Globaldenim_

PANDEMIC

ing, led the company to further reconsider some of its “redundant complexity” in design, sourcing and production.

“That’s why we are actively looking for opportunities to simplify operations throughout our manufacturing processes to avoid wasted time and resources, inconsistency, impact on environment and other negative outcomes resulting from inefficiencies,” she said.

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48

Though trade shows have experimented with online events and individual mills dabbled in various modes of digital marketing prior to Covid, the disruption in day-to-day operations drove the industry to collectively join the virtual bandwagon.

Adapting from in-person presentations to online-only customer interactions was the greatest challenge Advance Denim encountered during the pandemic. “Since we are a very tactile and visual business, it was difficult to shift in such a short period of time to presentations through videos and Zoom calls,” said Mark Ix, Advance Denim director of U.S. marketing.

Six months later, however, Ix expects to see digital communication become a permanent and welcome addition to the Chinese mill’s business strategy. “Even as the pandemic has passed, I feel that there will be less in-person mill weeks and more of a mix of online and in-person small meetings,” he said. “I hope that we will be able to have trade shows again, but large gatherings will be challenging in the near future.”

It’s a sentiment shared across the industry.

The need for contactless communication forced Global Denim to think outside the box and accept digital as an effective means of doing business. “Before this happened we never thought working with fabric remotely could work, but we managed to get the creativity flowing and deliver a new collection that we can’t wait to start showing our customers,” Finkler said. “The pandemic has showed us how we can adapt to changing environments and how we can conduct business digitally and be very successful while doing it. It is teaching us that the merge of both physical and virtual worlds is the key to success.”

Cone’s ability to deliver digital product catalogs and customer presentations that allowed the company to remain in contact with customers and highlight new products even when travel was not possible, Maggard said, was the result of the strong relationships his team has built both internally and externally.

“Our relationships and connection to the

denim community are a core strength of Cone Denim and have been key to staying connected and responsive to customers during the pandemic,” he said. “Our ability to quickly pivot to digital interactions and utilize our strong presence on social media has been extremely important to stay connected with customers and the denim community at large.”

Ozaydin credits clear communication, positivity and a focus on collaboration as the reasons why she believes Artistic Milliners will ultimately emerge stronger from the crisis. The mill kept close ties with its customers, updating them on reopening plans, safety precautions and worker

" W E N E V ER T HOUGH T WOR K ING W I T H FA B R IC R EMOT ELY COU L D WOR K ...”

—A n a t t F i n k l e r, G l o b a l D e n i m c r e a t i ve d i r ec to r

well-being efforts. “We believe in the importance of sharing news, maintaining positive relationships and conveying the message that ‘we’re in this together,’” she said. “Our approach has always been solution-centric, which really helped all parties.”

For Calik Denim, an app it introduced in 2019 became a well-timed, vital tool for the Turkish mill’s communication with clients. The app allows users to match Calik fabrics with the latest global trends, as well as request samples and access editorial and video content. It’s a precursor, said Tolga Ozkurt, Calik Denim deputy general manager of sales and marketing, to how designers will create more efficiently and consumers will shop less, but better, online.

“While there is much uncertainty ahead, we use our extensive experience and innovation to help guide our customers through this unprecedented time and towards a brighter future,” Ozkurt said.

“The technologies we have created which address the coronavirus are so tightly aligned with the other great threat to humanity: the environmental crisis.”

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Product shifts The hardships that came with Covid, however, are leading to better manufacturing practices, smarter fabrics and new business opportunities, particularly in athleisure and at-home fashion. Lockdowns essentially gifted companies the time to develop new projects that will resonate with pandemic-era consumers.

During pre-Covid times, Mutlu said Orta and its partners were already talking about seasonless styles, capsule collections, and eco-conscious materials and circularity. This mindset, she added, is a must-have for the “eco-modern” generation.

The pandemic, however, accelerated Orta’s actions and brought to light the fragility of people and planet. Orta’s new collections address these safety and well-being concerns. Here4Good includes fabrics made with hemp and reclaimed cotton waste, recycled denim and dyes derived from food waste, while Denim Guard offers fabrics with antibacterial and antiviral protection.

“During the lockdown, we realized that we are apart but we are also together,” Mutlu said. “We realized that we need to act on the health and safety of not only ourselves but people around us, our coworkers, our neighbors, the planet more than ever.”

Though 2020 is not the first time the jeanswear industry has been affected by a boom in comfort-driven athleisure, it is better equipped compared to the early-to-mid 2010s when the hybrid moniker began to trickle into fashion vernaculars and consumer closets around the world.

“Denim is taking up this opportunity to rethink the function of the garment and its construction, building it starting from the sustainability of processes and the circularity of materials,” Ozkurt said, adding that natural and recycled fibers, thermoregulation, extreme softness and open and comfortable construction with degradable stretch are among the important developments denim mills will use to shape post-Covid collections.

“The months we spent at home, living in close connection with ourselves and with [our families], working remotely and focusing on basic needs have amplified the demands for comfort and loungewear by the end consumer,” Ozkurt said. This period, he added, was a wake-up call for brands that were not addressing this audience.

New at-home fashion and loungewear will spur denim producers to up their game in regard to soft hand and stretch, Maggard said. Cone Denim is catering to this shift by focusing on how to create fabrics that are suitable for looser, more

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"DEN IM H AS A LWAYS CH A NG ED W I T H T H E T IM E S.” 50

—Ay d a n Tü z ü n , N a vee n a D e n i m M i l ls exec u t i ve d i r ec to r of g l o b a l s a l e s a n d m a r ke t i n g

comfortable silhouettes. “It is an exciting challenge to develop fabrics that capture Cone’s authentic aesthetics, but engineered to be more lightweight, soft, and comfortable,” he said.

Naveena anticipates that the demand for comfortable and functional fabrics will linger over the jeanswear industry for years to come. “Denim has always changed with the times; sometimes it adapted itself to new realities, sometimes it was a frontrunner and symbol of change,” Tüzün said.

“Denim fabrics of today, with new fibers, constructions and treatment technologies, meet this demand perfectly. I think our industry will again be the first to adapt itself.”

To meet the growing demand for athleisure, Advance Denim has introduced Warp Loop, a three-layer lightweight denim that is structured for comfort and breathability. While the pandemic will not cancel jeans altogether, Ix said the mill is bracing for a consumer who wants the iconic look of traditional denim interpreted through a lens of comfort and style.

The allure and comforting appeal of athleisure during a worrisome time are not lost on Finkler, but as re-opening countries and cities begin to return to some semblance of normalcy, she is optimistic that consumers will rediscover the fashion that makes them feel most like their best selves.

“I am very positive that once people start seeing some hope from this situation, they will start leaving behind at-home fashion for their beloved jeans,” she said. “Denim gives some sense of normalcy, freedom, and it’s the most democratic fabric out there. It represents so much and people will want to translate these feelings of change through their clothing.”

2020 revision The start of 2020 brought a sense of discovery to the denim industry. From biodegradable stretch and recyclable fibers and dyes, to a collision of inclusive, vintage and streetwear-influenced designs, denim mills and their partners seemingly had a new set of tools for creative experimentation.

But the pandemic, for all intents and purposes, has put a crimp in many of these endeavors as mills instead focus on recovery plans. “The pandemic itself has already been tough enough, therefore we’ve opted for shifting our energy more on transforming the way we do our business in a way that all parties in the supply chain can benefit [from] and recover better,” Ozaydin said.

Fabric producers are beginning to ramp up their capacity, but the uncertainty of the coronavirus and the quick pace at which new hot zones are springing up weighs heavily on mills’ outlooks for the remainder of 2020. Business developments during the summer have been promising, but Tüzün anticipates that it will take several more months for Naveena to return to full capacity.

Mills are also preparing to be met with a decidedly smaller and more fragile retail landscape.

“The denim and jeans industry will shrink before it can grow, and that future growth may not be volume dependent,” Debbag said. Resilience, she add-

ed, will be key for all players working with complex systems such as the denim and jeans supply chain.

The rash of store closings and bankruptcy filings is causing issues in the supply chain that will take a while to work through, Maggard said. “Uncertainty about the Covid-19 situation as well as the fact it is a U.S. election year will cause brands and retailers to be conservative and adopt a waitand-see approach, placing orders at the last minute and not making long-term commitments,” he said.

“But I also think it is a year of opportunity. The recent challenges have strengthened relationships, and those denim producers that remain viable and continue to deliver on their commitments to customers will be rewarded going forward.”

This unprecedented event has also served as a sharp reminder of how important it is for denim mills to foster strong internal teams. “Our staff is like our family, and providing the safest environment for them to return to work has been our top priority and we have succeeded in this,” Finkler said.

“Globally, I see a hard situation still in the works,” she continued. “This pandemic hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, but in seeing our industry is going back to work, I am hopeful that by the end of 2020 we will hear some good news and start 2021 with a bright new future ahead of us all.”

l_____THE USNS COMFORT SHIP LEAVING NEW YORK CITY.

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REBUILDING REL ATIONSHIPS 52 Can the industry patch up partnerships damaged in the pandemic? w o rd s _____ TARA DON A L DS ON

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o one was prepared for a pandemic. And in some ways, the fashion industry was particularly ill-equipped for contagion to sweep in, shutter stores, stop consumers from shopping and effectively freeze the daily happenings of the industry that outfits the world.

Without precedent for a calamity of this scale and without an existing culture of investing in risk reduction, companies folded under the pressure, many opting to pull out of previously placed orders with factories left to stanch the bleeding.

That move, while it perhaps served to soften the blow to their bottom lines, was detrimental to garment workers in developing countries where pay rarely rises above poverty level. It also revealed a gross lack of partnership across the garment supply chain. Some brands bailed entirely on orders for which factories in places like Bangladesh and India had already purchased raw materials and, in some cases, already put into work on the manufacturing floor. Brands and retailers invoked force majeure clauses, asserting their right to cancel because of unforeseen circumstances. Others sought discounts, presenting their willingness to still accept their orders as a favor to the factory. Some asked to defer payments for as much as upward of 90 days despite the fact that this left suppliers cash poor and often unable to pay workers who rely on these wages for survival.

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“The factories have been hit hard because of the cancellation of orders during this pandemic. According to media reports, as the result of the order cancelation/suspension at least 100 garment factories of Bangladesh were already closed,” said Mostafiz Uddin, owner and managing director of Chittagong jeans manufacturer Denim Expert.

“Many more factories are struggling to survive, a good number of them will fail if the buyers do not come forward to rescue them by immediately taking delivery of the canceled goods and upholding true partnership. It is too early to make solid projections at this point in time, but surely a big number of factories are at the risk of going bust in a year from now. There is too much capacity in our industry and this was an issue before Covid,” he said.

In April, as more and more brands began to skip out on their orders, workers’ rights organizations and other advocacy groups began pressuring brands and retailers to pay up. The aptly named #PayUp petition organized by a community of millennial and Gen Z women called Remake, for one, set out to call on brands to pay for what they’d ordered and under the payment terms they committed to. The movement and other — R o i t Ka t h i a l a , outside pressures did serve to encourage some companies to keep up their end of the bargain, though not in all cases.

In August, certain payments were still outstanding. A Clean Clothes Campaign report released at the start of August said the nonpayment of workers’ wages from March to April, brought on by the canceled orders, has cost workers across the global garment industry to lose between $3.2 billion and $5.8 billion worth of wages.

“Even though our estimates stay on the conservative side, they are quite shocking,” David Hachfeld, of Public Eye/Clean Clothes Campaign Switzerland, said in the report “Un(der)paid in the Pandemic.” “We deduce in Indonesia and Bangladesh workers were collectively withheld respectively over 400 million and 500 million USD in owed wages over three months.”

It’s a loss impossible to stomach in some cases. “As these workers were already living on poverty wages, they had not been able to save anything before the pandemic hit,” Khalid Mahmood, of Labour Education Foundation in Pakistan, said.

"The wage gaps caused by the crisis mean that workers are not able to feed their families properly, they are not able to pay for school fees of their children, or pay for medical expenses and that many of them are in debt. Most migrant workers had to go back to their villages and now it is becoming even more difficult for them to get back to their jobs and survive in big cities.”

The tension between the downstream supply chain and its upstream counterpart has only served to further weaken an industry already in crisis amid a shifting consumer, calls for greater sustainability and retail brands and formats that are teetering on the brink of irrelevance. Emotions have run high but there’s still a business to rebuild—and it will take more than slapping a BandAid on the problem and pressing on.

“We are coming out of the biggest shock to the fashion ecosystem in living memory, so there are strong feelings everywhere,” said Roit Kathiala, a leading global fashion supply chain expert.

“While every factory has been hurt one way or the other (some have been hurt quite badly), some feel supported and some truly feel that their brands partnered to find solutions. I think s u p p l y c h a i n ex p er t this will definitely not only impact long-term relationships, the choices of whom to partner [with], the mix of the brands they want to partner with, but also the cost that each brand will pay for their goods going forward. The perceived risk is always factored into the cost.”

" W E A R E COM ING OU T OF T H E B IGG E S T SHOCK TO T H E FASH ION ECO SYST EM IN L I V ING M EM ORY ”

l_____BANGLADESHI GARMENT WORKERS PROTEST TO DEMAND THEIR UNPAID WAGES DURING LOCKDOWN.

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

What becomes of the brand-factory partnership?

Brands and retailers should be prepared to do some introspection. The “partnership” between brands and factories has often been imbalanced, with the latter getting the short end of the deal.

“We have always talked about our great relationships with factories, but has it truly been great for both parties?” Salli Deighton, denim development consultant, posed. “The brands and retailers are usually on the winning side of that relationship when there are problems. I hope that once all the chaos 2020 has created settles, brands sit down with the suppliers and agree [to] mutually beneficial improvements and ways of working.”

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tive and forward-thinking behavior from factories and retailers will have built trust and helped future proof their supply chain,” Deighton said.

The state of affairs at factories Whether brands will emerge on the right side of things in terms of their social responsibility and ethical capital remains to be seen, but the immediacy of excess inventory may be the first of many hurdles to overcome. Factories are sitting on piles of product, the garments that left suppliers’ hands are sitting in DCs or warehouses, and the pieces that made it to the to-be-sold pile are meeting difficulty getting consumers’ attention—and the scenario has contributed to glut all across the supply chain.

“The inventory overhang is not just in finished goods but goes upstream to even the basic raw materials,” Kathiala said. “It will take at least one to two years to clear, but a lot will depend on how strong the recovery is. This year and next, the biggest question for factories will be managing their cash flow and being able to free cash from their stuck inventory.”

In the interim, factories have been left figuring out how to generate cash to pay people and bills while demand begins its slow climb back up.

“I have had calls from several mills and factories asking me to connect them to new customers. It’s rough out there,” Deighton said. “Some fac-

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tories switched to PPE and other products, which has helped keep lines running and workers paid.

Volumes will not be back to the levels pre-Covid for some time, and factories will have to consider their minimums and being as flexible as they can.”

What may perhaps be an unexpected boon for badly off factories, she said, is sustainability. Eco-friendly products and practices may put suppliers that have invested in recent years in a stronger position to be more flexible, more agile and more in line with what the world now expects from fashion.

“Smart factories and brands will be rethinking the way the supply chain operates and I believe partnerships between long haul and near shore finishing facilities will be very important to reduce risk,” Deighton said.

Avoiding a round two No one may be expecting a second pandemic of COVID-19’s scope, but fashion supply chains at the very least should be working to evolve in a way that prevents the level of detriment done in 2020.

“I am not sure if there is a ‘silver bullet’ for completely protecting against disruption of the scale that we have just seen,” Kathiala said. “However, having adequate protection built in contracts, paying attention to the mix of customers, getting adequate insurance and, of course, building closer and inseparable relationships with your customers is always helpful.”

For Deighton, rethinking the ordering and booking process, focusing collections and creating flexibility with better fabric planning, will be key in shoring up for a less risk-riddled future.

“Simple changes like shifting to laser dry processing templates allows for last-minute graphic changes...there are so many ways we can improve the process,” she said. “Ultimately, a better future comes down to three simple things: respect, trust and teamwork.”

For Uddin, reintroducing widespread use of Letters of Credit—a bank guarantee that a buyer's payment to a seller will be received on time and for the correct amount—will be “vital” for the industry.

“Factories need to do due diligence on who they work with,” he said. “If a buyer has a history of non-payment, then a supplier might want 50 percent payment up front. Factories have had their fingers burnt but they need to learn lessons from this. But the unity among the manufacturers and suppliers will be the key here. United they will be able to do such type of advance payment negotiations with the buyers, divided they will fail.”

Images: AP Newsroom

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Going forward, it’s going to take a much greater level of trust and respect on both sides, plus a willingness to share both risk and reward. It’s going to take work to undo the presently tarnished relationship and evolve it into something much more sustainable over the long-term—because the brand-factory bond is one that can’t be broken despite suppliers’ current sentiments.

“I think many factories were genuinely surprised at the behavior of some brands. Factories are used to buyer behaviors and are prepared for tough negotiations in all situations but some of the discounts and terms requested were unprecedented,” Deighton said. “Some long-term relationships will be damaged, but unfortunately in this climate orders are needed. I think there are very few factories who would decline business at the moment.”

Adding to that, Uddin said, “There are some brands and retailers which have behaved really appallingly and they will struggle to win the trust of suppliers in [the] future. But mainly the dynamics will not change much—as we all know, this is a buyer’s market.”

What factories may do in the future, however, beyond baking costs in according to the brand they’re dealing with as Kathiala noted, is be more selective about the companies they agree to do engage.

“The brands and retailers who worked in partnership with their suppliers will be the sought-after customers for the future. Collabora-

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REALITY BITES Change has been percolating for years in the denim sector.

Covid is rewriting priorities.

l_____BEHIND-THE-SCENES AT CENTRAL SAINT MARTIN'S DIGITAL CATWALK

w o rd s _____ JE SSIC A B I N N S

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harles Darwin’s theory of evolution nailed a timeless truth about what it takes to stay in it for the long haul. “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive,” the British biologist is paraphrased as saying, “but those who can best manage change.”

And if nothing else, 2020 has left the denim sector reeling and scrambling to secure footing on shifting sands, foisting change on brands and retailers struggling to make sense of what in many ways looks like a brand-new world. Roadmaps that once peered years into the future suddenly became the blueprint for the here and now.

Virtual victory For many players in denim, 2020 has turned virtual into reality.

In June, Diesel responded to the health emergency by launching the Hyperoom, which CEO Massimo Piombini described as the “ultimate virtual buying experience.”

“One must look for silver linings whenever and wherever possible,” he said of the digital space, which is modeled after the Italian denim label’s Milan showroom and offers mood videos

highlighting Spring/Summer ’21 collections. “2020 has sparked an urgency to accelerate what we can offer and accomplish in the digital space.”

Though Tommy Hilfiger isn’t new to digital showrooms, the pandemic prompted the PVH-owned label to reimagine the experience in a world where countries instituted travel bans aimed at containing the contagion. “In light of the new normal, we quickly pivoted our physical Digital Showroom appointments into our remote Virtual Showroom Experience for customers unable to travel,” said Anne-Christine Polet, senior vice president of digital ventures for PVH Corp., crediting the company’s recent innovation investments for its ability to quickly adapt.

Tommy Hilfiger enhanced its business-to-business web store “where customers can now make new purchases as well as re-order, creating a broader buying ecosystem that meets a wide variety of our customers’ needs,” Polet said, noting plans to commercialize the digital showroom experience through PVH’s in-house technology startup Hatch and “bring other brands into this way of working.”

Spanish fast-fashion brand Mango similarly migrated online, showcasing its Fall/Winter ’20 RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

collections in a virtual experience for the first time, with separate “rooms” for men’s, women’s, kid’s and plus-size label Violeta. With buyers unable to book in-person appointments, Mango recreated the showroom experience with high-resolution imagery of new styles outfitted on mannequins and merchandised on racks and tables, just as they’d appear in a real-life setting. Visitors to the digital space can seamlessly zoom in and out of each curation and explore “hot spots”—areas that offer greater detail about Mango’s story for the season.

Migrating the showroom from bricks to clicks means capturing the essence of what users value most. “At the heart of our Digital Showroom is the ability to provide customers with a guided experience that is fully tailored to their needs,” Polet said, describing the sales journey as “visually intuitive and user friendly, so buying is quick and easy regardless of the size or variety of the order.”

Moving forward, she added, Tommy Hilfiger’s most pressing priority “will be to further elevate the brand experience while simultaneously adapting it to the increasingly remote nature of our selling and buying processes.” Embracing the

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showroom’s virtualization can advance sustainability goals, too, cutting back the brand’s dependence on samples for wholesale orders. “3D design has also reduced the need for physical samples and photographing them, in turn reducing shipping impact,” Polet noted. “By hosting Digital Showroom appointments virtually, we are also cutting down on travel, and the associated carbon footprint for everyone involved in the process.”

Though digital showrooms might seem like a short-term Covid solution, they could be poised to take hold in denim and in fashion. Technology, Polet said, helps to foster a “more efficient and faster value chain, while at the same time reducing much of the waste that we previously thought unavoidable—and in today’s sociopolitical climate, this is more important than ever.”

Doubling down on digital Whether it’s selling new collections to buyers or catering to quarantined, Covid-wary consumers, digital is denim’s way forward, especially as retailers grapple with physical-store challenges.

Though Levi Strauss & Co. maintains a robust digital presence, the San Francisco-based denim giant has also expanded the ways it connects with quarantining consumers. A new virtual concierge service that launched during the pandemic offers at-home consumers the opportunity to “have one-on-one interactions” with Levi’s stores, according to CEO Chip Bergh, who noted that the new feature drove “strong conversion rates.” The company has “pulled forward” critical omnichannel investments like buy online, pickup in store, he added, leveraging digital innovation to maximize its brick-and-mortar assets.

The rise of digital is a common refrain across the sector. Tom Heacock, chief financial officer for The Buckle, outlined how the coronavirus crisis “has really accelerated the demand” for digitally led commerce, whether consumers choose to purchase online and pickup products in one of the denim-centric retailer’s nearby stores or have orders shipped to their doorsteps.

Meanwhile, Guess Inc. CEO Carlos Alberini lamented a Salesforce software implementation for having “a negative impact on traffic” and hampering the denim brand’s digital growth in Europe and North America, which reached 9 percent for the second quarter of fiscal 2021—a far cry from the double- and triple-digital numbers other apparel companies reported. The company plans to reverse

Wouldn’t it be great, the executives, indie course with its “conservative” digital marketing designers and retailers wrote, if the industry conbudget for the remainder of the calendar year, he solidated shows into a twice-a-year January/Februtold financial analysts, to attract consumers while ary and June catwalk cadence and released product store traffic remains challenged. when it stimulated demand?

Specialty chain Francesca’s, whose denim The public plea garnered attention, but its assortment falls into the $80-and-under range, had long-term impact to “play a bit of remains to be seen. catch-up,” CEO London, New York, Andrew Clarke told Milan and Paris investors, after long all hosted womunderinvesting in en’s shows during digital. A mobile their usual spot app launch, slated on the September for October 2020, calendar, previewcomes after 74 pering warm-weather cent of shoppers — M a s sim o P iom b ini, Die s el CEO spring fashion at on the retailer’s a time when consite were new to sumers were startthe brand in Q2, ing to swap out while 67 percent of shorts and sundresses for sweaters and scarves to e-commerce purchases came from customers who pair with seasonally appropriate denim. Presentahad previously only shopped in stores, Clarke added. tions may have been smaller, some staged with social distancing in mind, and many livestreaming to Fixing fashion’s calendar a larger audience, but the pressure to show the new Though change has come quickly on some fronts, and next—instead of the now—remains. others might take a while to take over, if at all.

That, the consortium argues, must change Roughly two months after lockdowns shut if fashion wants to “preserve the beauty, creativiU.S. retail, a consortium of fashion stakeholders ty, and craft of our industry, while building solid, from Amiri and Frame to Fear of God and Y/Projsustainable businesses that can survive the current ect unleashed an open letter on rewiringfashion. storm—and beyond.” org, calling for the industry to rethink “outmoded” fashion shows that aren’t “optimised for this new instant, digital world where fashion imagery travels at lightning speed.”

"O N E M U S T L OO K F O R T H E S I LV E R L I N I N G W H E N E V ER A N D W H E R E V E R P O S S I B L E.”

l_____TOMMY HILFIGER DIGITAL SHOWROOM

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SAFETY FIRST 58

In the time of a global health crisis, the denim industry explores protective textile treatments. w ords_____ LI Z WA R R E N

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s scientists race to develop a vaccine to protect the world against the coronavirus contagion, could specially treated jeans solve the spread of Covid-19? Probably not. But antimicrobial finishing technologies offer a multitude of hygienic and environmental benefits for the denim industry—and some of the sector’s top manufacturers, brands and chemical companies are coming up with solutions to cater to increasingly health-conscious consumers.

PG Denim, Artistic Milliners, Diesel, Warp + Weft and DL1961 are united in a common goal: ensuring peace of mind for people pulling on denim.

“We are seeing that there is a growing demand for durability, protection and hygiene from the denim consumer, both for adults and children,” said Murtaza Ahmed, managing director for Pakistani denim mill Artistic Milliners. “Although people can only spend a limited time outside, they want to be more active,” he added, and “need to feel protected” when venturing from quarantine confines to explore the outdoors.

New concepts As the coronavirus crisis mushroomed into a full-blown global pandemic in the middle of March, Italy’s PG Denim debuted the aptly named “F-word Bacteria” capsule collection, which first hit the market offering twin technologies from German chemical company Rudolf Group. One textile tech borrows a hospital-grade formulaRIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

tion tasked with staving off bacterial infections, leveraging a microstructure wrapped in metallic structure that prevents the troublesome microbes from flourishing. The other, a fluorine-free water repellent innovation used by the likes of G-Star Raw, thwarts droplets of bodily fluids from adhering to treated surfaces.

In September, the fabric developer launched a full collection under the same name, this time working with Italian mill Berto and Swedish chemical company Polygiene to develop a fabric offering both antibacterial and antiviral properties. Polygiene’s ViralOff technology, coupled with another water-repellent solution, eliminates 99 percent of viruses from the fabric’s surfaces within two hours. The technology meets the ISO18184:2019 textile standard that enables a company to claim antiviral efficacy.

PG Denim founder Paolo Gnutti says the F-word Bacteria concept means retailers have another way disinfecting garments, and gives consumers a measure of confidence that their jeans are less likely to bring bacteria and viruses home from public spaces.

Rudolf Group also branched out into antiviral territory when it enhanced its flagship antimicrobial product RUCO-BAC AGP earlier this year.

R&D director Dr. Dirk Sielemann said the company’s proprietary silver-covered microstructures produce a “virtually infinite protective shield” for textiles, offering antiviral performance tested to be effective against viruses known to cause a range of animal and human diseases.

Environmental Health In addition to shielding against bacteria and viruses, the denim industry’s protective technologies fall in line with another top-of-mind imperative: sustainability. Denim created with Calik Denim’s new Washpro technology and Functionage fabrics include antimicrobial and self-cleaning properties that mean jeans stay fresher for longer, allowing wearers to reduce water consumption through fewer launderings.

Tolga Ozkurt, Calik Denim deputy general manager of sales and marketing, says it was the environment—not the coronavirus—that inspired the innovations. “Our most important source of inspiration [for launching this collection] is to reduce the impact on the environment by contributing to the reduction of microfiber pollution in oceans and seas,” he said.

The Turkish denim mill next plans to conduct more rigorous testing, and investigate new antiviral fiber innovations that provide additional benefits. “Our next focus will be on the functionality of our fabrics,” Ozkurt said. “Fabrics have the potential to make your life better. Your garment doesn’t just cover your body—it needs to do more.”

LF UDO ITH R W D E .

AT AGP S TRE BAC _JEAN 'S RUCOl ____ P U GRO

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Tested and proven The Covid-19 outbreak has heightened awareness of and interest in solutions that can protect against this new strain of the novel coronavirus, especially while scientists have yet to develop a widely available vaccine.

Tests conducted with Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia indicate that Swiss textile technology firm HeiQ’s Viroblock technology is 99.99 percent effective in just 30 minutes against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Artistic Milliners partnered with HeiQ to launch Protech, a suite of silver-based technologies applied on masks and jeans. Within the Protech umbrella, the Pakistan-based, vertically integrated denim company offers four different technologies: Eversafe, which features an anti-bacterial barrier; Everguard, which includes a mosquito and insect shield; Everfresh, a sustainable bio-based technolo-

gy combining climate and anti-odor technologies; and Evercool, which merges climate and antimicrobial technology and uses a bio-based cooling technology activated by body temperature.

However, geography dictates the claims HeiQ is allowed to make about its products, and even how they’re branded at market. The U.S. market, for example, knows HeiQ Viroblock as HeiQ V-Block.

“What claims can be made very much depends on which jurisdiction the product is selling,” said Hoi Kwan Lam, HeiQ’s chief marketing officer. “For example, in the U.S., we do not claim its antiviral efficacy, nor do we use the name HeiQ Viroblock on finished products, just to avoid implying that the product would give wearers a health benefit.”

In most other countries, manufacturers are able to describe the antiviral efficacy of their finished product as long as they have tested their products against their claims, Lam added. Still, HeiQ Viroblock’s technology has garnered interest from Artistic Milliners, Arvind Limited and Artistic Denim Mills, while brands DL1961 and Warp + Weft incorporate the textile tech in their Fall/Winter 20-21 collections.

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Setting Expectations In an industry familiar with the damaging effects of misleading claims and greenwashing, experts must use caution with the messaging they include in their products.

Case in point: Diesel found itself the subject of criticism from experts quoted in a Business Insider article calling out the brand’s “virus-fighting denim” developed with Polygiene’s ViralOff technology. Health experts denounced the product as simply a “marketing ploy” that fails to protect individuals against the virus that causes Covid-19. Diesel declined to comment on the article’s claims.

However, the majority of protective finishing technologies currently on the market don’t intend to protect the wearer—they are designed to protect the fabric. Gnutti says it’s crucial that consumers understand the difference.

“One misconception is that the technology might protect the wearer from getting sick,” he said of his company’s latest protective technology.

“However, the technology only protects the textile from being contaminated with bacteria and viruses—there are no medical health claims regarding the wearer.”

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PANDEMIC

61

NOW OR NEVER Sustainability is a lifeline for denim brands as they begin to recover from the pandemic. w ords_____ JA S M I N M A LI K CH UA

he Covid-19 pandemic has thrown fashion retailers in a state of frenzy, and the denim industry is no different. Shoppers aren’t as eager to crack open their wallets for non-essentials, let alone splurge on bottoms that aren’t visible on Zoom calls. The coronavirus doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon, either.

With resurgent cases in countries like Germany, Spain and South Korea, where rates of infection were previously on the decline, a second wave that ushers another spate of lockdowns and store closures seems all but inevitable.

Denim companies must then make a decision, experts say: to see sustainability as either an albatross or a lifeline. While brands in survival mode might be tempted to jettison their sustainable investments, especially if they’re part of a stand-alone strategy that doesn’t have repercussions for other parts of their business, doing so would be a fatal mistake, according to Laura Balmond, program manager of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular Jeans Redesign initiative, which aims to make denim production less wasteful and polluting.

T

“The pandemic has shown the fragility of today’s fashion industry and the risks it faces in the long term if it does not change,” she said. “The only way to ensure businesses can be resilient enough to tackle this type of situation without sacrificing their other priorities—like addressing climate change, waste and pollution—is to...put them at the core of their brand.”

In short, Covid-19 is only one tremor that has rattled supply chains. Bigger, more existential threats still loom on the horizon. Brands that incorporate sustainability as part of their rehabilitation, positioning the prolonged global pause as an opportunity rather than a catastrophe, however, may be better positioned for future upheavals such as those caused by a warming, increasingly overcrowded planet.

“As we emerge from this crisis, we have a choice: to rebuild the fashion industry as it was before—wasteful, polluting and fragile—or to redesign it, and to create an industry that helps us to thrive in the long term,” Balmond said.

For denim purveyors, whose own copious use of cotton, water and potentially toxic dyes and chemicals is an open secret, the contagion has accelerated a social and environmental reckoning RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

long in the making. Covid has underscored both the glaring economic inequities that are endemic to the apparel supply chain and the benefits of a world where humans aren’t polluting all the time.

“Denim is one of the most universal, loved and enduring subsets of the fashion industry, but it’s also one of the dirtiest,” said James Bartle, CEO of Outland Denim, which sources organic cotton and employs women who have experienced sexual exploitation. “The pandemic has forced every industry to adapt and find new ways of moving forward, and it's my hope that denim brands can work together to lead the way for fashion into a more sustainable future.”

The crisis has created an opening for more innovative business models. Outland Denim, which suffered a hit when brick-and-mortar partners like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s shuttered during mandatory lockdowns, is now moving from two seasonal collections a year to six smaller capsule lines that will generate less risk associated with long-lead forecasting, less deadstock and more newness to consumers with a “considered, sustainable approach.” It’s also bringing its purpose-led mission to other quarters, crowdfunding nearly $1 million in investments for a new venture

PANDEMIC

62

that will manufacture clothing for outside brands.

“This is a chance to expand our business, our social impact and our impact on the fashion industry,” Bartle said.

On top of that, the pandemic is breeding a different type of consumer who realizes that less just might be more. A recent survey commissioned by biotech firm Genomatica found that 85 percent of Americans have been thinking about sustainability the same amount or more since the outbreak. In another poll from Brandwatch, 57 percent of respondents expressed a desire for businesses to strengthen sustainability efforts in 2021.

The brands themselves are witnessing this pivot in real time.

“We are seeing that consumers are realizing that they can disconnect from the habit of buying when each season or collection lands in store, and can thus align their decision on factors such as durability, the sustainability commitments brands have made and their alignment with a company’s values,” a Levi Strauss spokesperson said. Consumers, as Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh said in a July earnings call, now crave both “value and values.”

Levi’s is pushing forward with its 2025 Water Action Strategy and on product innovations such as its recent collaboration with recycled-cotton producer Re:newcell, which yielded what the denim giant has dubbed the “most sustainable, most circular garment” it has ever made.

“We know that in this moment, even as we shore up the business from a financial and operational point of view, we have to earn the right to be the brand consumers turn to, not just because of what we make, but because of how we make our products and how we conduct ourselves as a business,” the spokesperson said. “As consumers trend toward more conscious consumption and the pandemic convinces people—especially young people—that it’s better to buy fewer, more versatile products of value, we are well-positioned to meet their expectations.”

Gap Inc. agrees that brands, if they plan to stick it out, need to accommodate this new consumer. “The current situation means consumers are being more thoughtful with how they spend.

We are seeing a shift to trusted brands, and those that align with their personal values, which we think is a good thing,” said Kirsty Stevenson, head of environmental and product sustainability.

“Brands whose value proposition includes a deeper purpose, we believe, will emerge as winners.”

Gap Inc., which has faced its own pandemic-inflicted woes, is staying the course, announcing in June a partnership with Spanish denim mill Tejidos Royo to create denim using a waterless, indigo foam-dyeing technique that slashes water usage by up to 99 percent and produces zero water discharge compared with the traditional sheet-dyeing process. Gap Inc. is also working with Arvind, its longtime sourcing partner, to establish a new water-treatment facility at a denim mill in India that will eliminate the use of freshwater, saving 3 million liters by the end of 2020.

" B R A N D S W H O S E VA L U E P RO P O S I T IO N I N C L U D E S A D E E P E R PURPOSE, WE BELIEVE, WILL E M E RG E A S W I N N E R S.” — K irst y S te v ens on, Ga p Inc.

“If anything, the pandemic has reiterated the importance of being prepared for supply-chain disruption and the need to break our dependence on water supplies,” Stevenson said.

Similarly, the concept of circularity, where nothing becomes waste, remains top of mind.

The retailer is continuing its work with the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel to separate spandex from used garments and decolorize denim for recycling. “We continue to drive toward progress on our commitments, participate in industry-led initiatives and drive forward key investments that we’ve made in denim circularity and water quality,” Stevenson added.

Spending already limited funds without the expectation of immediate financial returns isn’t easy. Guess CEO Carlos Alberini said that Covid has not only posed a financial challenge but it has also affected morale and the company’s “creative spirit”—more so, in fact, than previous recessions in its nearly 40-year history.

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

He expects further shrinkage of the denim industry as a result of numerous bankruptcy filings by the likes of G-Star Raw, Lucky Brand and True Religion. The silver lining, however, is that a more consolidated industry allows for greater leverage over the environmental requirements of the denim supply chain, “and therefore the industry overall,” he said.

In Summer ’21, Guess will launch its first “circular, recyclable, transparent” denim. Before that, it plans to expand its garment take-back and recycling program and create a quarter of its assortment using more sustainable materials and practices. This fall, the brand will submit Science-Based Targets for climate change that will “lead Guess to a low-carbon future.”

“Sustainability remains the pathway forward for Guess, even during the pandemic,” he said. “At Guess, we want to inspire our customers to feel confident and passionate about their style and their future, knowing that we are committed to making this world a better place.”

Despite fears that denim will cede ground to athleisure, eco-friendly denim continues to drive growth, according to predictive data platform Trendalytics, whose March 2020 top trends report noted that online searches for “sustainable denim” and “sustainable jeans” have ticked up 123 percent and 195 percent year over year, respectively.

“Denim remains one of our most sought-after products, and we are more determined than ever to implement best practices when it comes to the processes and materials we use,” said Martijn Hagman, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe. “Through our strategic partnerships with vendors and denim industry leaders, we have remained on-track with our goal to create more sustainable products, and we’ll continue to push industry boundaries to create the most sustainable denim possible.”

Come Spring ’21, more than half of Tommy Hilfiger styles will feature more sustainable elements such as recycled and deadstock materials.

The Tommy Jeans collection, Hagman added, is “leading the way,” with more than 80 percent comprising more sustainable styles. “Covid-19 has and will continue to change consumer behavior for the foreseeable future,” he said. “More than ever, consumers are focused on what their products are made of, where they were made and who made them.”

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Blue Blood The women’s trade show Coterie rolls out the red carpet for the best of Spring/Summer ’21 denim.

Photography by Jenna Greene Styled by Alex Badia

THE JUMPSUIT ONGOING UTILITY AND ’70S TRENDS ROLL INTO THIS SINGLE CHIC MUST-HAVE FOR S/S ’21.

DL 1961 JUMPSUIT, GAIOS HEADBAND, CAPRICE DECADENT EARRINGS AND RINGS WORN THROUGHOUT.

THE THROWBACK THE ’80S AND ’90S REMAIN A SOURCE OF NOSTALGIC FASHION INSPIRATION FOR WOMEN’S DENIM. JOE’S PLEATED JEANS, NICOLE MILLER DRESS WORN AS A TOP OVER A MARINE LAYER LONGSLEEVE SHIRT.

THE MINI SKIRT AFTER SEASONS DOMINATED BY MIDI LENGTHS, THE MINI JEAN SKIRT MAKES A FASHIONABLE RETURN. HUDSON DENIM SKIRT, BLANK NYC FAUX LEATHER JACKET, THE KOOPLES TOP.

THE SHIRT A LIGHT-WASH BUTTON-DOWN JEAN SHIRT IS AN EFFORTLESSLY COOL FOUNDATION PIECE FOR S/S ’21 WARDROBES. DL 1961 DENIM BUTTON-DOWN SHIRT, MAVI CULOTTES, CAPRICE DECADENT NECKLACE.

THE JACKET ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY, THE JEAN JACKET GETS A FEMININE UPDATE WITH A CROPPED FIT AND PUFF SLEEVES. BLANK NYC PUFF SLEEVE JEAN JACKET, GREY STATE TOP, JOE’S JEANS.

THE SHORTS SLEEK DENIM BERMUDA SHORTS STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND PLAY. NYDJ BERMUDA SHORTS, NICOLE MILLER VELVET BODYSUIT.

THE SKINNY THE WARDROBE STAPLE IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER, REIMAGINED WITH NEW SUSTAINABLE FINISHES AND FABRICATIONS. LIVERPOOL SKINNY JEANS, GREY STATE PUFF SLEEVE T-SHIRT, GAIOS HEADBAND.

COATED DENIM KEYS INTO THE DEMAND FOR SUBVERSIVE YET WEARABLE LEATHER LOOKS. HUDSON COATED BOOT-CUT JEANS, FRENCH CONNECTION T-SHIRT WORN UNDER THE KOOPLES VELVET DRESS, SEYCHELLES BOOTS, GAIOS HEADBAND, CAPRICE DECADENT EARRINGS.

Model: Adot Gak @APM Models; Hair: Taichi Saito; Makeup: Amanda Wilson; Market Editors: Emily Mercer, Thomas Waller; Editor: Angela Velasquez

THE COATED JEAN

THE DRESS THE SIMPLE JEAN DRESS GETS A YOUTHFUL UPDATE WITH DRAMATIC SLEEVES AND SWEET TIE DETAILS. AMPERSAND HEART DRESS.

SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHI CELEBRATING THE UNION OF COTTON & DENIM IN A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

C O T T O N

I N C O R P O R A T E D

ING NEW Newness drives the denim category. This widely-held and often-repeated maxim has proved true time and again. Consider the evolution of the blue jean from work pant to an unofficial teenage uniform in the 1950s; and the elevation of the rockand-roll mainstay to designer denim status in the 1980s and beyond. Styles, too, have expanded significantly since Levi Strauss patented his rivet; boyfriend, baggy, and boot cut to name but three. But at the heart of denim’s ongoing newness is something very old indeed—cotton. This year, Cotton Incorporated celebrates 50 years of operation and its special relationship with denim.

Cotton Incorporated, the non-profit research and promotion company for cotton, was established in 1970 to help staunch the incursion of synthetic fibers into core cotton apparel categories.

Since denim is by definition cotton, this category was of keen interest to the company. One of the first print advertisements from the company stated the case concisely and clearly, “If it’s not 100% cotton, it’s not denim.” But the company did more

than plant a promotional flag in the ground. While it stressed cotton as an essential element of denim to consumers, the company also provided a wealth of support to the denim category; and continues that practice today.

Over the decades, Cotton Incorporated has showcased a range of celebrity talent in its commercials, sometimes onscreen and sometimes lending their vocal talents to narration or song. Emmy award-winning actors, Grammy-award winning singers, championship athletes, and even political pundits—of both major parties—have appeared in the company’s television commercials. The advertising has also celebrated the diverse population of the United States. As Cotton Incorporated Senior Vice President, Consumer Marketing Kim Kitchings puts it: “Cotton Incorporated commercials have illustrated how cotton touches our lives all day, every day; regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or income. And of course, many of our commercials also feature non-celebrities because a cotton shirt doesn’t care who washes or wears it.”

S P O N S O R E D

S E C T I O N

THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Take a trip down memory lane with the most memorable Cotton Incorporated slogans of the last 50 years.

The Fabric of Our Lives ® The Fabric of My Life™ Discover What Cotton Can Do™ Life Can Feel Uncomfortable.

Your Clothes Shouldn’t.™

INSPIRATION & INNOVATION

"

Denim is a fabric that is a canvas for self-expression.

COTTON INCORPORATED FABRICAST TM 100% COTTON DENIM CONSTRUCTION COLORED WITH DYE MADE FROM THE COTTON PLANT

C O T T O N

Cotton Incorporated’s support takes many forms, including dedicated denim fashion forecasts to help designers and brands anticipate “the next big thing.” Denim trends tend to originate in the streets. As the Cotton Incorporated trend forecasters travel the world making presentations and trendspotting, they keep a keen eye on denim trends poised to percolate into mainstream musthaves. Sharing these insights helps decision makers keep abreast of emerging denim trends in color, silhouette, and embellishment; providing a vital resource to the brands and designers, especially those that might not have in-house trend experts.

I N C O R P O R A T E D

“Denim is a fabric that is a canvas for self-expression,” reflects Linda Defranco, director of fashion marketing for Cotton Incorporated. “Over the years, it progressed from just a bottom weight into shirting, dresses, suiting and even evening and formal wear. It took on unique and innovative washes and colors and really became the canvas to express personality and creativity.”

To further inspire denim designers, Cotton Incorporated’s extensive FABRICAST™ library of cotton and cotton-rich constructions includes more than 800 “recipes” dedicated to denim, with new additions each year.

S P O N S O R E D

S E C T I O N

Cotton Incorporated also helps to keep denim current through innovation and collaboration, helping brands and retailers meet consumer needs. Some of those innovations include: • STORM DENIM™ technology: a waterand wind-resistant finish for cotton that offers protection from rain and snow, while maintaining the natural comfort and breathability of cotton • EarthColors: a collaboration with Archroma, that redefines 100% cotton in a collection of 100% cotton denim, colored with dyes derived from cotton harvest byproducts

98%

Important Features in Denim Jean Purchase Decisions

97% 96%

2020 Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey

95% 94% 93% 92% 91% FEMALE

90%

MALE

89%

TOTAL PRICE

For more than 25 years, Cotton Incorporated has kept a finger on the pulse of consumer habits and preferences through its Lifestyle Monitor™ surveys. In spite of the popularity of athleisure apparel, Monitor™ data from March 2020 reveal that nearly three-fourths (71%) of U.S. consumers say that denim is their first pick in casual wear. More than four in five consumers (84%, flat compared to 2019) say they plan to purchase the same (69%) or more (15%) denim jeans over the next year.

The same survey shows that consumers have a preference for cotton in their denim. Nearly three in four consumers (71%) say they prefer their denim jeans be made from 100% cotton or

DURABILITY

QUALITY

cotton with stretch. Their rationale encompasses well-known characteristics of cotton. For example, survey respondents say cotton-rich jeans are the most comfortable (89%); durable (80%); and fashionable (80%), compared to manmade fiber blended jeans.

By contrast, the data show consumers find manmade fiber blended jeans have the biggest itchiness (57%) and odor issues (43%), compared to cotton or cotton/spandex jeans. More than onethird of consumers say that they do not have a very positive feeling about having polyester (38%) or rayon (34%) in their denim.

To help consumers readily identify cotton-rich home textiles and apparel, including

COMFORT

FIT

denim, Cotton Incorporated introduced the Seal of Cotton trademark in 1973. While the icon is also an identifier of the company, the primary purpose of the Seal trademark is to indicate high cotton content. According to the Seal of Cotton Study conducted in 2016, more than eight out of 10 consumers recognize the Seal logo, and 94% say that it helps them identify cotton products. Although the Seal of Cotton trademark is not a quality mark, 82% of consumers feel that brands utilizing the Seal trademark care more about quality than those that do not use the logo.

MARKET ANALYSES & MARKETING

C O T T O N

I N C O R P O R A T E D

SUSTAIN ABILITY The sustainability of fashion in general and denim in particular continues to be of interest to the apparel industry and to consumers. According to Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ survey, consumer interest in purchasing sustainable apparel has increased from 46% in 2011 to nearly 50% (49.7%) in 2020.

The good news for the manufacturers and sellers of authentic cotton denim is that consumers perceive cotton to be a sustainable choice.

According to Lifestyle Monitor™ data, 91% of U.S. consumers perceive cotton as safe for the environment; and 84% characterize cotton apparel as sustainable. Consumers did not have as high an opinion of manmade fibers, with 77% saying that clothing made from manmade fibers take the longest to decompose in a landfill.

Consumer perceptions are in keeping with environmental gains the U.S. cotton industry has made over the past 35 years. Insecticide applications are a prime example. Often mischaracterized as an insecticide-intensive crop, Informa estimates that global cotton production accounts for roughly 5% of all pesticide sales. U.S. cotton growers made only two and one-half insecticide applications in 2019, according to the Mississippi State University Cotton Crop Loss Database.

Cotton’s water use, too, is often exaggerated. Cotton is an efficient user of water; 50% of the world’s cotton crop relies on rainfall alone to meet water needs. In the U.S, 60% of the cotton crop relies only on rainfall. This is due in part to water-use efficiency technologies that U.S. growers have implemented on their farms.

To better demonstrate the sustainability of cotton as a textile ingredient, Cotton Incorporated conducted the first life cycle analysis of cotton fiber and fabric in 2010, with an update in 2016. The comprehensive dirt-to-disposal study was shared with sustainability data platforms to aid sustainable textile decision makers. Based on the data contained in the analysis, the amount of water required to produce enough cotton for a pair of denim

S P O N S O R E D

INCREASE SOIL CARBON

30%

LAND USE EFFICIENCY

13%

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

39%

WATER USE

SOIL LOSS PER ACRE

50%

18%

ENERGY USE

15%

DECREASE

S E C T I O N

jeans is approximately 567 gallons, if grown in a high-yielding production system such as conventional. To illustrate this point, from 1980 to 2010, the predominantly conventional U.S. cotton growers reduced irrigated water applications by 40%, while increasing fiber production by 60%, according to data from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

U.S. cotton growers, not content to rest upon their laurels, established sustainability targets to achieve by 2025. These include increasing soil carbon and land use efficiency, and decreases in greenhouse gas emissions, soil loss, and water and energy use.

“These country-wide goals will help drive continual improvements and reduce the industry’s environmental footprint,” says Dr. Jesse Daystar, Cotton Incorporated vice president and chief sustainability officer. Daystar explains that achieving these goals has benefit for manufacturers, brands, and retailers of cotton products. “For example, when the cotton industry reduces greenhouse gas emissions, brands sourcing this cotton will have a reduced scope 3 emission, helping them meet their sustainability goals as well.”

Transparency has emerged as an offshoot, or perhaps pathway, to sustainability for the textile industry. Sourcing Journal’s 2019 Transparency Report, sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, reveals that across the board, 35% of respondents said consumer demand has made transparency a focus for the industry. Another 29% said it’s on the radar because it’s needed to measure sustainability progress.

7.0

6.0

5.0 Irrigation Water Use (m3ha-1)

"

Over 30 years, U.S. cotton growers reduced irrigated water applications by 40%, while increasing fiber production by 60%

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0.0

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

C O T T O N

U.S. Cotton Growers Applying Less Water to Grow More Fiber USDA-NASS Quick Stats; USDC (1984 – 1990); USDA-NASS (1994; 2003; 2010; 2014; 2019)

I N C O R P O R A T E D

An equal number (14%) said the issue has been raised both because it’s a way to help protect businesses and make a connection between quality and transparency.

According to the survey, 56% of the industry respondents cited raw material sourcing as the primary focus of their sustainability efforts. To aid that focus for cotton sourcing, the U.S. cotton industry has begun implementing the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

The new system will provide annual data for six areas of sustainability in line with the U.N.

1000 900

700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

2005

2010

2015

2020

Five Year Running Average Yield (kg per ha)

800

S P O N S O R E D

S E C T I O N

Sustainability Goals. This year-over-year data, available for the first time, will allow brands and retailers to better measure their progress toward meeting sustainability commitments.

“One of our goals in developing the Trust Protocol is to give brands and retailers greater confidence when including U.S. cotton in their sourcing mix,” said Ken Burton, executive director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “Participating brands and retailers will now be able to demonstrate measurable progress in reducing their environmental footprint and in achieving sustainability targets.”

The program uses independent third-party verification to validate sustainability progress.

Through a collaboration with Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture and Control Union Certifications North America, the Trust Protocol enables brands and retailers to better track the cotton entering their supply chain.

Brands that become members of the Trust Protocol will have access to aggregate year-over-year data on water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, soil carbon and land use efficiency.

What Consumers Do With Jeans They No Longer Wear

Cotton Incorporated’s Blue Jeans Go Green™ program has been helping to divert denim from landfills for more than a decade. The program collects unwanted denim through collection drives on college campuses and at participating retailer locations, corporate donations, and through individuals mailing in their denim.

The collected denim is converted into UltraTouch™ housing insulation by program collaborator Bonded Logic, giving old denim new life.

Over the life of the program, more than 3,500,000 pieces of denim have been collected. This represents more than 1,750 tons of denim that has been diverted from landfills and upcycled into more than 6,000,000 square feet of insulation. In 2019, recycled denim insulation was provided to more than 50 Habitat for Humanity affiliates and other civic-oriented organizations for building efforts across the United States.

DON'T KNOW 11% KEEP 7%

DONATE TO CHARITY 37%

SELL 7%

Lifestyle MonitorTM, 2020

GIVE AWAY 10% THROW AWAY 13%

Denim Jean Ownership and Retention

REUSE IN A DIFFERENT WAY 15%

10

Cotton Incorporated 2020 Durability Study

7.0 5.9

5.6

5.3

5.0

4.7 4.2

3.9

4.5

2.7

2.8

AVERAGE NUMBER OF JEANS OWNED US

UK

INDIA

GERMANY

MEXICO

CHINA

AVERAGE YEARS KEPT

GIVING OLD DENIM NEW LIFE

C O T T O N

I N C O R P O R A T E D

50 YEARS FORWARD Fifty years ago, Cotton Incorporated was established to secure the future of cotton and core cotton categories such as denim. Over the past five decades it has helped denim businesses and denim as a category through research, marketing, innovation, and education. As the company looks towards its own future, the future of denim will continue to be a focus.

S P O N S O R E D

S E C T I O N

DATABASE

NEW ER A 84

The pandemic is opening up sourcing opportunities for nearly every country but China. wo r d s _____ A RT H UR F R I EDM A N

Predicting future sourcing patterns in any business segment during the time of coronavirus is daunting—even for the all-American denim jeans market. And because the global pandemic came on the heels of the U.S.-China trade war and uncertainty over the transition from the North America Free Trade Agreement to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), that has clouded the outlook even more.

Denim imports have been hit hard thanks to retail’s pandemic-prompted pause and the effects that had on trade.

“But we also see another important trend—a shift of sourcing from China to other suppliers, which is part of the industry response to the trade wars,” said Julia Hughes, president of the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA). “Imports from China dropped substantially this year, down by 49 percent for men’s denim jeans and down by 47 percent for women’s denim jeans.”

Asian denim suppliers outside of China have benefitted the biggest from the fallout.

“Vietnam and Cambodia, in particular, are selling more denim to the U.S. today,”

Hughes said. “Outside Asia, women’s denim imports from Turkey are growing, and the largest surge in denim imports comes from duty-free AGOA supplier Ethiopia. Imports of men’s denim jeans grew by 297 percent and women’s denim jeans grew by 128 percent.

We see this growth as a positive indicator for the rebound in consumer demand.”

49% how much China's men's denim jeans imports decreased in 2020 In the first half of 2020, U.S. denim apparel importers slashed orders to the point of bringing down the value of shipments entering the country by nearly 38 percent to $1.08 billion compared to the first six months of 2019, according to the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles & Apparel (OTEXA).

Cambodia, with a nearly 40 percent increase, and Vietnam, with a less than 1 percent rise in jeans imports, were the only top 10 suppliers without significant declines in the period. With the coronavirus sweeping through the country starting in March, most stores were shut until May or June, and mas-

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

sive unemployment caused even online shoppers to curtail purchasing, leading brands and retailers to cut back on their production around the world.

OTEXA data shows imports from top supplier Bangladesh fell 23.04 percent to $190.14 million in the period, while second-place Mexico’s shipments were off 54.9 percent to $184.94 million. No. 3 Vietnam was able to squeeze out a 0.67 percent increase in the half to a value of $143.57 million, while imports from Cambodia jumped 39.52 percent to $64.03 million.

Much of that market share is being taken from China, which saw a 67.38 percent plunge in first half imports to $120.82 million. China’s market share was cut in half for the year ended June 30 and now holds just a 14.52 percent piece of the jeans import market pie.

Vietnam, by contrast, saw its market share for the 12 months increase 13.54 percent to 12.14 percent, and Cambodia’s market share rose 32.87 percent to 4.69 percent.

In the first half, imports from Ethiopia increased 10.97 percent to $9.36 million in the six months and shipments from Tanzania rose 37.02 percent to $6.59 million.

“Anybody that is still in China is looking to get out,” said Gail Strickler, president of global trade at Brookfield Associates, who said several of her clients make denim in Africa and Egypt, as well as Vietnam. Lesotho, she noted, produces its own denim fabric, as

18.78%

17.19%

14.52%

U.S. Denim Imports Market Share by Country

12.14%

2020

85

does Egypt, so they would be most likely to pick up new business. “However, China will continue to be the largest denim fabric supplier,” she said. “When it comes to the quality and colorfastness and different treatments, the Chinese mills are the best. I also have clients sourcing denim in India, Turkey and Pakistan, but China is going to emerge as a major player in textiles.”

10.97% how much Ethiopia's imports increased in 2020

Pakistan

Vietnam

China

Bangladesh

Mexico

7.81%

Go west “In the Western Hemisphere, where prices have been notoriously high and manufacturing options fewer and further between, Strickler said “everyone is going to be looking for opportunities to cut costs.”

“The problem is there are limited sourcing of denim in this region,” she said. “I think you will see a return to Mexico, whereas there really isn’t another source of denim supply in Central America. You do have some in Colombia.”

Mexican manufacturers are poised to get a large percentage of any Western Hemisphere denim production for U.S. companies looking to source closer to home thanks to duty free benefits afforded under the USMCA. What may happen as more companies look to nearshore as access to the greater world continues to be restricted, is that

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

the industry may reorganize itself around regional manufacturing hubs, according to Robert Antoshak, managing director at textile consultancy firm Olah Inc. “That doesn’t mean the days of the 20,000-mile supply chain are over. That’s always going to be part of the business, but the one thing I have noticed is more emphasis on hemispheric production, closer to market,” he said. “Whether that’s the future of the business or whether that’s a temporary Covid-inspired response, time will tell.” Already, Antoshak noted, he has seen signs of this shift at U.S.-based Vidalia Mills, where nearly all of its production is for the U.S. market.

Mexico and Colombia are most likely to see increases once business gets going again, and the Dominican Republic, Antoshak said, “will be back in a major way.”

The future of denim sourcing boils down to whether the industry will go back to its old ways of chasing cheap and manufacturing wherever affords that, or if it will adapt to conscious consumers’ desire for products that have a story and a transparent supply chain built on sustainability and ethics. If these new consumer values stick, Antoshak said, the old way of doing business won’t do well.

“A new business will come out that will be a lower-volume kind of model and more predicated on speed to market,” he said.

DATABASE

HARD TRUTHS 86

The economic shutdown and depressed demand sent the global cotton industry into a downward spiral. wo r d s _____ A RT H UR F R I EDM A N

Cotton production hasn’t been spared from the coronavirus. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has significantly decreased its global production estimates for the 2020-21 cotton season that started Aug. 1, bringing it down by 2.5 million bales to 116.2 million after a 2019-20 season that saw 123 million bales produced.

When the USDA lowered its forecast for planted acreage this summer, Cotton Incorporated senior economist Jon Devine said it promoted a major change to the U.S. balance sheet. That led to a decrease in the U.S. crop forecast and reversed the outlook for U.S. ending stocks in the new crop year.

“Instead of a sizable increase in warehoused supply, the USDA now calls for a decrease,” Devine said. “On top of the reduction in acreage, the U.S. crop is also facing some weather issues. West Texas, which is the largest growing region in the U.S., has been

2.5million how much the USDA has decreased its global production estimates (in bales)

facing very hot and very dry conditions. This may cause abandonment and lower yields, and could pull the national harvest lower. A smaller crop suggests lower warehoused supply.”

India is projected to be the largest producer of cotton in the 2020-21 season with 28.5 million bales, down from 30.5 million in 2019-20. China, will follow with an expected production of 26.5 million bales compared to 27.3 million the previous season; the U.S., with 17.5 million bales, down from 19.9 million bales the prior season; Brazil will fall to 12 million bales from 13.2 million; and for Pakistan, cotton production is expected up 300,000 bales to 25.2 million bales.

In its July report, Cotton Incorporated said that despite the uptick in new cases of Covid-19 around the world, forecasts for global mill use, or consumption, were flat at 114.3 million for 2020-21. The only notable country-level revision was for Mexico, which is projected to see consumption down 100,000 bales to 1.7 million.

China’s mill use is expected to increase, reaching 37 million bales in 2020-21, up from 33 million last season. India’s consumption is forecast by USDA at 23 million bales compared to 20 million bales the previous season. Pakistan will see a slight uptick, going from 9 million bales last season to 10.3 million, and Turkey’s consumption is expected to rise to 6.9 million bales from 6.4 million.

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Slowdown ahead Mills are already using less cotton, and demand for the fiber may not soon ramp up.

According to Devine, existing forecasts for global gross domestic product (GDP) call for a healthy increase in economic activity in 2021, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicting a 5.4 percent bounce in 2021 after a 4.9 percent contraction in 2020, based on June estimates.

“However, Covid case incidence has accelerated since those figures were released, and risk to projections appears weighted to the downside,” he explained. “This comes on the heels of a spring when case counts were falling and a V-shaped recovery seemed possible. The back-and-forth in expectations is a reflection of how little is known about the trajectory of the pandemic and therefore the global economy.”

World Cotton Production million bales July 2020

China USA Brazil Rest of World Pakistan India

China

37

India

23

Pakistan

For cotton—as well as textile fibers generally—this means the possibility of a prolonged slowdown in demand, Devine said.

“The sudden and steep onset of the crisis has already meant a massive buildup of inventory at each stage in the supply chain,” he said. “Consumer spending on clothing has become less negative in most major markets.

However, outright demand growth has been scarce so far, and it will take months of growth to clear accumulated inventory.”

With less cotton expected to be harvested, U.S. cotton exports will shrink, too, Cotton Incorporated said. The reduction in production was twice the size of the decline in exports, resulting in a significant decrease to the forecast for 2020-21 U.S. ending stocks.

The same is true for the rest of the world. USDA projected global stocks for 2020-21 to reach the second-highest volume ever at 102.8 million bales.

India is another country where supply has accumulated, and the country is expected to set successive records for ending

26.5

17.5

12

9

28.5

6.5

10.3

Bangladesh

7

Turkey

6.9

Vietnam

6.8

Brazil

3.2

Uzbekistan

3.1

Indonesia

3

USA

2.8

stocks in 2019-20 and 2020-21, doubling the previous record of 10.5 million bales set in 2014-15, according to Cotton Incorporated.

USDA lowered global trade expectations for 2020-21 by 1 million bales to 41.8 million. For imports, the largest revisions were for Pakistan, down 600,000 bales to 3.9 million; Mexico, off 250,000 bales to 650,000, and Turkey, declining 100,000 bales to 4.1 million. For exports, changes to 202021 estimates were dominated by the 1 million bale reduction for the U.S. to 15 million.

Supply and demand For the new crop year, monsoon rains in Asia have been early and plentiful, Cotton Incorporated said. These rains have facilitated planting and the Indian Department of Agriculture said the plantings are currently double what they were a year ago.

Pakistan has also benefitted from favorable weather. Pest infestations are a persistent threat on the subcontinent, but early supportive rainfall suggests the possibility of healthy yields in both countries.

The International Cotton Advisory Council (ICAC) said in its August report that lower world cotton prices are expected in the 2020-21 crop season, after the sharp decrease in global consumption and global increases in production put pressure on prices in 2019-20.

RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

87 World Cotton Mill-Use million bales July 2020

At press time, U.S. spot prices averaged 58.37 cents per pound for the week ended Sept. 10. This was down from 58.92 cents per pound the prior week, but up from 55.97 cents a year earlier.

Price projections for the year-end 2020-21 A Index, an average of global cotton prices, was 62.8 cents per pound as of August, according to ICAC. That was down from the 71.33 cents per pound for the 2019-20 season that ended in July.

“Current expectations for economic growth and cotton consumption are built on the idea of a solid rebound,” Devine said.

“Even with those assumptions, global cotton stocks are forecast to reach a near-record level in the coming crop year. The existence of so much supply, along with so much uncertainty regarding demand, makes a sustained rally in cotton prices appear unlikely. Rather, current conditions suggest cotton prices should be stable and could be susceptible to further declines.”

HAP

PUT ON A DENIM BRANDS PUT THEIR OWN SPIN ON FACE MASKS. Among the unexpected twists and turns of 2020 is the mainstreaming of face masks in the Western part of the world. Manufacturing for medical and non-medical masks, or personal protective equipment (PPE), swept across the global fashion industry beginning in March as apparel and textile companies halted regular production or shifted their resources to produce masks for Covid-19 first responders and the general public.

G-Star Raw, Isko, Levi’s, Madewell, Raleigh Denim, Zace Denim and a team of L.A. mainstays including AG Jeans, Joe’s, Mother, Citizens of Humanity and more, were among the denim companies that responded to the new demand for face coverings. And many continue to offer them as a fashionable yet essential accessory introducing new fabrics and style choices.

For some, incorporating a fashion element to PPE is one way to help cope with and humanize this new reality. Masks can also serve as a silent but powerful new platform for self-expression.

For others, face masks are a new opportunity to upcycle deadstock and excess fabric.

“The average person understands that Covid-19 will be with us at least until a vaccine is developed and widely spread, so we expect to see face masks in the assortments for the next 12-18

months,” said Benjamin Ayer, founder of trend forecasting firm Benjamin Bellwether.

And with PPE expected to triple its 2019 revenue to $33.4 billion by 2027, according to Allied Market Research, the fashion industry could win a major share of the non-medical face masks market.

“Given how quickly consumers have adopted the face mask out of necessity and how brands have responded to that by offering face masks as a new product category, we absolutely see this continuing to be a key item in collections for brands at all price points, from fast-fashion retailers to independent brands to luxury designers,” said Hallie Spradlin, Fashion Snoops accessories director. —Angela Velasquez RIVET NO.10 / OCTOBER 2020

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