Sustainable processing and products are without doubt driving developments in the global denim industry at present, along with a new-found simplicity in design.
“In general, we’re seeing a return to much more simple and subtle designs, with a lot of use of tone-on-tone effects and delicate features,” says Marion Foret, a design trends specialist for Denim Première Vision. “Denim is taking a rest from vintage looks and there’s much less emphasis on elaborate finishes such as laser effects and prints. Everything is in the patterning, and jacquard weaves are featuring prominently. There’s not as much extensive stretch in evidence now either – it’s being employed much more sparingly – although the demand for comfort remains as high as ever.”
“There’s definitely a move to less stretch,” agrees Muhammad Aamir, head of product development for Azgard-9, a denim manufacturer headquartered in Lahore, Pakistan. “Whereas last season we were asked for as much as 80% stretch, now the demand is for 30-40%, and Zara, as one of our major customers, is even requesting rigid fabrics. There’s also much more of an emphasis on dobby and jacquard designs, rather than surface effects.”
The denims manufactured under Azgard-9’s Eco brand are typical of a blanket approach now being taken by all the major denim manufacturers, in requiring 70% less water, 40% fewer chemicals and 30% less energy in their production than conventionally-finished products.
“We have adopted all the processes that are efficient at reducing consumption,” says Aamir.
Adnan Feroze, head of marketing and promotion for Karachi, Pakistan-headquartered Rajby Industries, adds: “There is simply no room for companies that are not adopting the latest sustainable processing techniques.”
Rajby has a 10,000-strong workforce, with a monthly production of 3.2 million metres of denim and 1.3 million finished garments. “We are at an advanced stage in our fabric manufacturing in terms of sustainability and are now looking at what we can do in terms of the laundry for our garment making-up department,” says Feroze.
He also notes that there are new technologies in the laundry area that will allow the company’s garment manufacturing to be as eco-efficient as its fabric manufacturing.
“We have made great strides in minimising our water usage and recycling the water in our fabric finishing operations, and now want to do the same in garment manufacturing.”
Setting the bar even higher in both denim-fabric finishing and garment laundering are the new Elwood RFTPi jeans manufactured by another Karachi-based company, Artistic Milliners, along with Vietnamese garment maker Saitex, for the Dutch brand G-Star RAW’s spring/summer 2018 collection.
These are the first denims to be Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Gold level certified and were developed by analysing each part of the denim design process and exploring how to reduce the environmental impact at every step.
Together with chemicals leader DyStar, G-Star RAW and Artistic Milliners have formulated the cleanest indigo technology to date. Called Crystal Clear, it employs an organic fixing agent which results in 70% fewer chemicals and no salts. It also produces no salt by-products during the reduction and dyeing process.
The process creates brilliant indigo shades with enhanced sheen and is applicable to both indigo and sulphur dyeing.
G-Star RAW worked with Saitex to make and wash the garments, and by employing sustainable technologies, good chemistry and renewable energies, 98% of the water is being recycled and re-used and the other 2% is evaporated, leaving no water to be wasted or discharged into the local environment.
Only 100% organic cotton is used and all other components not conducive to easy recycling are removed – rivets and zippers have been replaced with eco-finished metal buttons and all labelling and carton packaging is responsibly sourced.
G-Star RAW is now working with Artistic Milliners to provide open-source access to fabric development processes through Cradle to Cradle certification.
“Our new denim fabric and its revolutionary indigo process will become an open source for the rest of the industry to use,” says Frouke Bruinsma, corporate responsibility director at G-Star RAW. “We would like to invite others to join us in working towards cleaner and more ethical denim production globally.
Artistic Milliners director Omer Ahmed adds: “We have pioneered a new dyeing method, which is water-free and salt-free. This is perhaps the most radical change to the indigo dyeing process since its industrialisation. Even though this formula is in its infancy we are hopeful that in due time it will be adopted by the denim industry at large as there is an unprecedented environmental/water-saving potential in using this method.”
In a parallel development, the new Alliance for Responsible Denim (ARD) has been formed in order to address various sustainable challenges relating to denim production.
One of its current projects involves developing a preferred industry buying standard and defining a business model and roadmap for the introduction and scaling up of post-consumer-recycled denim (PCRD) production.
ARD defines PCRD as a fabric or product with a minimum content of 5% post-consumer fibres and urges brands and mills to use it in order to reduce their dependency on virgin materials and drive impact savings across all areas, from electricity to water.
PCRD denims have already been introduced by ARD members Kilim of Turkey and Tavex of Spain for spring/summer 2019.
Both companies receive special recycled cotton yarns for denim from the Spanish company Hilaturas Ferre, which began recycling textiles 70 years ago and in 2015 introduced the Recover Upcycled Textiles System.
This is designed as a circular system through which yarns can flow for many life-cycles. Hilaturas Ferre collects and sorts textile waste resources from all around the world and upcycles it into new Recover yarn via cutting/shredding and spinning.
The company ensures the quality and colour of its Recover yarns is consistent, replicable, and free of harmful substances through optimised waste management systems, strict testing and certification policies, as well as its proprietary ColourBlend process.
“There are around 92 million tons of textile waste generated each year and there’s a real need to try and introduce more recycled fibres,” says Hélène Smits of ARD, who also promotes the Ferre Recover Upcycled Textiles System. “Recover recycled cotton is the lowest-impact cotton option available today and there are immense impact savings to be achieved with it, not only because we limit the use of virgin cotton and the associated impacts, but also because we do not add water or chemicals to the cotton to get the colour. Together this means you can save up to 15,000 litres of water when you use 1kg of Recover recycled fibre instead of 1kg of conventional dyed cotton.”
Source: www.wtin.com