How Artistic Milliners Designs Denim with Circularity
Cotton may have long been the sole fiber for denim, but that has changed as the beloved wardrobe staple has evolved with both the times and the new demands for sustainability.
For Artistic Milliners, making denim is an art and its creative process is centered around sustainability.
“Sustainability is a long-term journey for Artistic Milliners where we continuously learn and improve ourselves; that is why we focus on building a strategy where sustainability is a key element of restorative and regenerative design,” said Ebru Ozaydin, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Artistic Milliners.
Carved in Blue caught up with Ebru to get an inside look in how sustainability is manifesting over at the mill, and to find out more about its Reborn denim collection that forgoes the use of cotton.
Carved in Blue: What do you call your “no cotton” fabric/ marketing?
Ebru: We’ve been introducing “Reborn” concept as of our SS2019, which refers to “regenerative and restorative design” by definition of circular economy. Mother Nature is our inspiration for Reborn in respect of standing in awe of its generosity, wisdom and beauty. It is more of a holistic approach towards a sustainable future for our industry, which unfortunately is the second largest contributor in industrial pollution. It intends to meet current needs without compromising future.
Carved in Blue: Why did you develop a denim fabric with no cotton?
Ebru: There is no discussion that cotton is the white gold being the main fiber of denim fabric. However, the production and the processing of cotton consumes a large amount of water being the largest user of among all agricultural commodities. According to WWF, surface and ground waters used to irrigate cotton fields and the inefficient water management result as water scarcity. Furthermore, the application of fertilizers and pesticides at conventional cotton practices not only threaten the quality of soil and water but also raise a concern for health of farm workers. That is why Artistic Milliners has committed to use of 100 percent BCI by the end of 2018, as well as replacing the traditional cotton with organic and mixing with recycled options in its collections.
Carved in Blue: Why did you use TENCEL™ Lyocell? What other fibers are you using to blend?
Ebru: First of all, TENCEL™ Lyocell is a botanic origin cellulosic fiber which is “Innovative by Nature,” that fits perfectly to the design idea of Artistic Milliners’ Mother Nature inspired Reborn concept. It has closed-loop manufacturing process (which supports the Circular Economy Framework) that aims to conserve Earth’s resources. It is compostable and bio-degradable and has much lower impact on water scarcity of TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers compared to conventional cotton.
Apart from being a renewable fiber, the visual and hand feel aspects add value to denim product with the incredible softness which makes TENCEL™ Lyocell as an inevitable ingredient of design when it comes to constructing “comfy” denim fabrics. It is gentle to the skin, breathable and moisture wicking.
Artistic Milliners offers a wide variety of products mixing TENCEL™ Lyocell with Organic Cotton and Elastane as well Cordura for its SuperCharged Collection. The upcoming SS2019 SuperCharged Lite® collection will focus on lightweight durability with super soft-hand feel. The other bucket is super exciting, “Red Selvedge TENCEL™ Lyocell stretch” fabrics. Last but not least, Refibra will be part of Reborn collection as a part of Kingpins Amsterdam launch.
Carved in Blue: What is the reaction of brands? Does this support their sustainability goals?
Ebru: We have just started to present the brand new Reborn denim using 70% TENCEL™ with Kingpins Amsterdam as our official debut. But so far, the reactions are quite positive.
Carved in Blue: What are the key sustainability initiatives of your company?
Ebru: We craft our own story, piecing creativity, technology and sustainability together. Our goal is to make a difference and have an impact in everything we do for the betterment of a healthier whole. Sustainability is a long-term journey for Artistic Milliners where we continuously learn and improve ourselves; that is why we focus on building a strategy where sustainability is a key element of restorative and regenerative design. As a vertical denim company, we believe the future standard of denim making is “360 Sustainability” which aligns with the Circular Economy Framework. Advanced technologies and new generation materials help us to design smart products and process, but we never forget that it only constitutes a meaningful whole with the social and economic dimensions. Having said that, from ethical sourcing to waste management, working environment (worker health and safety) to gender equity, they complement each other and have the equal importance for Artistic Milliners. The approximate investment of the company will be $80 million by end of 2019, which proves the leadership’s commitment for a sustainable future.