Denim Challenge: Translating Most Creative Trends into More Eco-responsible Approach

Denim is no longer the rough and tough workwear it used to be. We have lycra and a whole lot of other blends, washes, finishes all coexisting with each other. Is there now a trend, trend as it used to be?
Lorenza Martello: Today, the offering is wide. There is no longer just one cut, not just one type of wash, but in shops today there is a huge choice of products: high waist or low waist, skinny or flare jeans… A wide offer for different targets.

There has certainly been a need in recent years to create visually “impactful” clothing, certainly influenced by the world of social media. And, for many seasons, the grunge aesthetic (over distressed, with a lot of washes, interventions…) is little by little leaving place for less complex treatments, but is still very impactful thanks to jarring colour contrasts, or big reliefs in texture

However, there is always an offer based on “authentic denim”, which perhaps some more niche consumers still look for. There is always a product offer that maintains this authentic aesthetic of denim, and cyclically we see it again also on runways.

About fibre blends, we look more and more for comfort through stretch, or mixes with more supple yarns, such as lyocell, that is growing in the collections. This expresses the need for garments to be extremely comfortable and adaptable. Today, we also have examples of steps forward that include more responsible fibres, such as bio-based elastomeric fibres.

In addition to this, the need to find alternative fiberes to conventional cotton: blends with linen or hemp, plants that require less water to grow, or organic, regenerative cotton are more and more common in collections.

Alongside trends, fibre innovation and recycled fibres, are taking place in collections and surely influence the aesthetic of the products, or colours: for example, recycled denim fibre is not dyed, conserving a blue-greyish colour, and we use more and more non-dyed denims, in ecru colour. Also, the washing steps are reduced, influencing the visual aspects and colour of the denim.

With the increasing focus on sustainability, circularity, transparency - how is the world denim coping with it all? What are the noteworthy innovations in the last two years that you think are here to stay? Any new research that you are in the know that could further revolutionize the business of denim in all its avatars? 
Lorenza Martello: As I have expressed in my previous answers, the denim industry has always been in the spotlight, as conventional cotton is one of the fibres that consumes the most water to be grown, and uses more pesticides, so it is one of the industries that has made progress.

There have been various innovations from recent years:

• Alternative fibres, such as hemp/linen/kapok, are now always present in collections, and come from plants that consume less water and use fewer pesticides.
• Bio-based fibres, such as bio-based elastane that comes from corn starch for example, and are an alternative to petroleum-based fibres.
• Organic cotton and regenerative cotton: Regenerative agriculture aims at optimal carbon capture in the soil to address climate change. Regenerative farming techniques include no tillage and no application of synthetic chemical inputs, implementation of crop rotations and cover crops that improve soil nutrient status, and sustainably managed grazing. These practices restore soil fertility, improve water retention and preserve biodiversity. Organic farming imposes rules for cultivation, whereas regenerative agriculture has a results-based focus, and its practices may differ.
• Recycling: from mechanical recycling of cotton fibres, using pre- and post-industrial waste, to chemical recycling of fibers, for example agri-food waste.
• The use of water and energy-saving technologies for dyeing/over-dyeing, thanks to innovative machines or lasers.
• Dyes of natural origins, bio-based coatings, recycled pigments.
• Ozone washes, or other technologies that no longer use toxic substances for bleaching.
• Transparency: today, various technologies allow fibers to be traced, for example, thanks to various software still under development.

However, there is a need to create and develop systems that assess the safety, circularity and responsibility of materials and products.

Today, there are various innovations in every step of production, even if the denim industry is still in development and still needs many efforts to have less impact on the environment.

But, above all, there is a growing need to create quality products for collections that are more durable, and that can stand the test of time. Because for now, one of the most sustainable approaches comes from the desire to consume less, and this is a responsibility that for now remains largely with the consumer, and the way we consume will have a remarkable impact on the sustainable progresses in the future.