4S Combines Technology with Vintage Flair
How do you make a premium jean more sustainable while maintaining the comfort, stretch and softness the market demands? That’s the question Lenzing TENCEL® and sustainable technology company Jeanologia set out to answer with the latest 4S collection set to debut at Kingpins Amsterdam April 13-14.
The collection, a three-part capsule collection of men’s and women’s jeanswear, emphasizes the importance of softness and stretch, as well as the investment in the science behind it, explained Lenzing Project Manager Michael Kininmonth. “We worked with Jeanologia because we’ve known them for many, many years and they’ve really carved out a niche for themselves as far as being seen as the leading technology company for making sustainable products,” he said.
The making of the 4S collection was a global affair, combining Spain-based Jeanologia’s laser technologies with TENCEL® fabrics, as well as Lenzing Modal®, ProModal® and MicroModal® Air fabrics from Advanced Denim (China), Atlantic Mill (Thailand), Blue Diamond (China), Orta (Turkey), and Toray International (Japan).
“We are trying to employ modern fabrics and modern laundry techniques and create some new ideas,” Kininmonth said. In a market with a lot of indigo and non-indigo styles with minimal finishing, Kininmonth says, “We’ve tried to change that with the themes we’ve got running through this collection.”
To better display the versatility of these fabrics, three different capsule collections were designed for the 4S line.
The “Deconstructing Denim” capsule utilizes modern laundry techniques, including lasers and cellulosic fibers, to create contemporary stylized looks culled from art movements like Surrealism, Op Art and Pop Art. Key styles include a fitted dress, high-waisted pencil skirt, skinny jeans and a women’s fitted denim jacket.
The “Tech Artisan” capsule, a combination of men’s 5-pocket jeans and women’s skinny jeans, combines elements of both new and old by creating handcrafted looks with Jeanologia’s modern technology.
The “Dude Ranchers” capsule features a strong retro theme inspired by the old American West, incorporating subtle fading down and ring-spung, crosshatch and nappy effects created by a laser. Western silhouettes, including women’s flare and fitted denim jackets and basic 5-pocket men’s jeans amplify the story.
Tried-and-true 5-pocket men’s jeans may seem like an unlikely ‘It’ item in a collection based on innovation and newness, but as stretch has become increasingly common in men’s jeans, Lenzing and Jeanologia hoped to surprise customers with how soft and comfortable the style can be while maintaining the look of a traditional denim characteristics.
“We have many different washes to show how the fabric performs not only in terms of comfort, but also in terms of washing,” said Carme Santacruz, Jeanologia designer. “Three or four years ago you would have never imagined creating men’s fabrics with 30, 40 or 50 percent stretch in them. So the men’s styles we’ve created, we’ve tried to make them look like you’d see with traditional vintage jeans, but in terms of touch and how they wear they’re totally different.”