Toulouse, France: Pili, a French pioneer in biobased dyes and pigments, is proud to announce its partnership with Orta, the Turkish denim mill and Citizens of Humanity, a California-based high-end denim brand known for its commitment to quality and sustainability. Together, they are beginning a transformative shift in the denim industry with the commercial launch of the first products dyed with Pili’s biobased indigo. The first products will debut in January in the Spring 2025 collections of Citizens of Humanity and AGOLDE.
A New Ecological Standard for the Denim Industry In 2024, Pili achieved a major milestone by producing its first tons of biobased indigo, enabling the creation of tens : of thousands of sustainable denim articles. This breakthrough represents a turning point in the company's efforts to decarbonize the textile industry especially denim.
Pili has developed unique processes combining fermentation and organic chemistry to offer a high-performance, eco-friendly alternative to petrochemical dyes. This innovative approach significantly reduces the use of toxic chemicals and fossil resources, while aiming to cut CO2 emissions up to 50%. Pili’s colors development is based on standardized Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), ensuring a rigorous process to measure and minimize their environmental impact.
Pili's biobased indigo offers an uncompromising ecological alternative: it meets the same performance as petrochemical indigo while seamlessly integrating into existing dyeing processes without requiring additional investment in commercial dyeing equipment.
“With our biobased indigo, we are setting a new ecological standard in the denim industry,” says Jérémie Blache, CO of Pili. “We now have a high-performance solution that meets the sustainability, traceability, and decarbonization demands of both brands and consumers! Launching this innovation alongside Citizens of Humanity is an incredible experience, and we and we are proud to partner with a leader in driving industry transformation.”
A Partnership Driving Sustainable Transformation in the Industry: Fiber and dye are the two main components of denim products and also the ones with the greatest impact on their production. The partnership between Citizens of Humanity, Pili, and Orta establishes one of the highest ecological standards in the market with the use of regenerative cotton and biobased indigo.
Our partnership with Pili represents a pivotal moment in our industry's journey towards a more regenerative future,” says Amy Williams, CEO of Citizens of Humanity Group. “As textile manufacturing continues to consume vast amounts of dyes annually (1.3 million tons1), it's imperative that we embrace innovative solutions to mitigate its environmental impact. Pili's technology, derived from renewable resources, not only addresses this challenge head-on but also offers high-performance denim color ranges. We are thrilled to partner with the visionary minds at Pili to bring this innovation to market.”
Pili biobased indigo will make its debut in Citizens of Humanity and AGOLDE’s Spring 2025 collections. This long-term partnership between Citizens of Humanity, Orta, and Pili will continue to expand in future collections. The launch will be exclusive on NET-A-PORTER on January 6, 2025, before being extended to agolde.com, citizensofhumanity.com, and other global retailers.
A Key Step Towards the Decarbonization of the Color Industry: Building on this first success, Pili is accelerating the development of coloring solutions for various industrial applications, particularly in the inks, paints, and polymers sectors. The aim is to decarbonize everyday products using high-performance biobased pigments, with the first applicative tests set to begin this year. Pili continues its mission to decarbonize the color industry, paving the way for a sustainable revolution.
About Pili: Pili is the leader in biobased dyes and pigments. Its unique fermentation and sustainable chemistry processes enable the production of high-performance, and low-carbon colors. Its technology aims at decarbonizing the color industry by drastically reducing the use of chemicals and fossil resources, particularly oil. Its products are designed for the textile, inks, paints, coatings and plastics sectors. Founded in 2015, Pili operates from 3 different sites: Toulouse White Biotechnology (TWB), Paris region and the Roches-Roussillon industrial platform. With roughly 40 employees to date, the company has invested over €35 million since its launch to industrialize its innovative processes.
About Citizens of Humanity Group: Within the Citizens of Humanity Group, you’ll find Citizens of Humanity, and AGOLDE. Two ready-to-wear labels, each of which boasts a uniquely directional voice and clearly carved place in the denim market. Built upon a philosophical foundation of commitment to quality and uncompromising standards, our core values support everything we do. We use only the most innovative fabrics sourced from around the world and facilitate product development in our vertically owned facilities to create denim, knits and outerwear of the highest caliber. We personally and carefully test every fit and fabric, and believe the practicality of a jean is as important as its design.
About Orta: Since its inception, Orta has been weaving a denim heritage passed from generation to generation. Founded in 1953, Orta transformed from a spinning & weaving company to a denim manufacturer in 1985. Today, Orta operates in Turkey with its 1000+ employees, creating a platform for leading manufacturers to step up and reclaim a denim industry where more aesthetics leads to more ethics. While our footprint is what we take from the planet when we consume, our handprint is what we give the planet when we create change for the better. In an era of change, ORTA’S handprint will promote denim manufacturing at the intersection of where people, planet, and purpose matter.
