Jeanologia’s Carme Santacruz Zaragozá on Denim Street Style & the Sustainability Disconnect
To get a sense of what is happening in the industry, one of the best sources is solutions providers.
Jeanologia specializes in sustainable laundry technology, giving the industry tools to create the looks they want with less impact. As creative director and senior denim designer at Jeanologia, Carme Santacruz Zaragozá has a finger on the pulse of denim trends and denim companies’ sourcing moves. Here, she speaks with Carved in Blue about what styles she is seeing peak, how digitalization intersects with sustainability and why Jeanologia has invested in a U.S.-based facility.
Carved in Blue: How would you describe the denim street style you’re currently seeing in Spain?
Carme: In Spain, you can find a variety of fashion styles. The younger generations are wearing everything from 2000s low-rise jeans to workwear staples. Of course, classic rinse jeans and chinos for a more formal look are always popular. One noticeable trend is the shift towards wider-fitting clothing in general.
Carved in Blue: What are the most popular washing and finishing trends you’re seeing?
Carme: Denim is expanding beyond traditional jeans, truckers and workwear styles to include corsets, fashionable skirts, accessories and evening dresses, with a variety of fits available.
Customization is also a significant focus, with a passion for graphics and patterns transforming denim into fresh and fashionable accessories as well. Lasered denim provides versatility in creating distressed or floral-inspired patterns on garments.
The current trend in denim reflects a Y2K aesthetic with slubby fabrics, distressed looks and metallic effects achieved through lamination or coatings. It’s important to consider how these finishes align with the industry’s focus on sustainability and circularity.
Still, a natural and neutral color palette is a key feature of modern denim, ranging from ecru to beige, camel, ochre and nutshell. There is also a trend towards subtle dusty effects and abrasion that create a timeless and neutral look.
Carved in Blue: How do you see digital tools advancing the industry’s product development processes?
Carme: Working as a fashion and denim designer in a tech company for more than 15 years has given me an insight into product, sustainability and digitalization.
In my opinion, these are the aspects of design key to delivering responsible products crafted with a methodology that implements digitalization to streamline processes. Product, sustainability and digitalization are intimately related to one another and are strategic to advance into a circular industry, by creating innovative products that match the market trends creatively.
Carved in Blue: What’s been the most exciting innovation you’ve seen at trade shows this past year?
Carme: Lycra Fitsense technology for denim has been on my mind since they launched it at Kingpins Amsterdam.
Carved in Blue: Onshoring has been given a boost as brands want to speed up and streamline their supply chains. How are Jeanologia’s U.S.-based facilities helping the industry move finishing stateside?
Carme: Our Jeanologia Miami Innovation Hub provides technological support for the onshoring and nearshoring relocation of production, focusing on hyper-automation, eco- sustainable technologies and digitalization.
We believe in the return of textile production to the United States, with an expected 10 percent increase in production within the next five years and a further 30 percent moving to nearby markets such as Mexico, Central America, Colombia and Peru. The Jeanologia hub in Miami is at the forefront of this change, offering advanced technology and sustainable solutions for brands and designers dedicated to environmental responsibility and serving as an inspiration center for the new generation of American digital designers.
Carved in Blue: There’s long been a disconnect between companies’ sustainability goals and the willingness to invest or pay more. Do you see this changing?
Carme: There has indeed been a noticeable disconnect between companies’ sustainability goals and their willingness to invest or pay more to achieve these goals. Recent events in the industry, such as the unfortunate bankruptcy of Renewcell, highlight this issue.
While I remain hopeful that this will change, the industry needs to make a more determined effort. Greater investment, stronger commitment, a willingness to bear higher costs and a legal framework are essential to truly advance sustainability and circularity in fashion. Unfortunately, the latest examples have shown that we still have a long way to go.