Italy’s Haikure is Deeply Ingrained in Green
It’s become de rigueur of late for fashion labels to flaunt their sustainability efforts, using buzzwords like “ethical” and “eco-friendly” to convince consumers that a dollar spent with them will stop the ice caps from melting.
Indeed, some brands have had no choice but to embrace production processes that are less wearing on the environment. California’s five-year drought, for instance, has forced some of the state’s premium denim makers to figure out a new way to do business after Governor Jerry Brown imposed a 25 percent cut in water usage.
But for Italy’s Haikure, environmental responsibility isn’t an order from the government; it’s a lifestyle that’s been sewn into the denim label since it launched in 2011.
“That is why our brand communication is not just about the product, but also what sustainability means for us, such as environmentally sustainable construction and energy saving,” PR Manager Lara Reck told Carved in Blue.
Owned by C&S Jeans, an Italian manufacturer that’s been making denim since 1981, Haikure’s mission from day one has been to respect the planet and people by promoting a lifestyle where the latest trends go hand in hand with mindfulness, and pursuing continuous production innovation while being up front about the process.
“Because we believe that it should be this way. You can create a product that can be fashionable and at the same time preserve the environment,” Reck stressed.
To that end, Haikure is built on four pillars: empowerment, exclusiveness, innovation, and sustainability with transparency.
The first means that the brand keeps in touch with its customers through social media, even involving them in the development of new accessories or products. On the innovation front, QR code technology allows shoppers to track the production story of each garment. Not to mention, everything is made using environmentally conscious materials, such as BCI (which comprises one-quarter of the brand’s overall cotton consumption); TENCEL®, a cellulosic fiber from Lenzing; and fabric made from recycled PET, to name just three.
Commenting on TENCEL®, Reck explained that pants woven with the fiber have a soft hand feel and a luminous shine. “It’s always had a good impact on our business, especially when selling women’s trousers. Besides, the stores that sell only certified TENCEL® products appreciate the Lenzing certificate,” she added, noting that 45 percent of the 2015 collection was made using the specialty fiber.
Haikure also avoids using chemicals wherever possible, but when it’s absolutely essential to do so, the company takes care to select ones that exist in nature and which don’t waste a huge amount of energy.
One such innovation harnessed by Haikure is the N-Denim system, a nitrogen dyeing technology developed and patented by Candiani. Nitrogen delays the oxidation process and accelerates the penetration of indigo into the yarns, cutting water consumption by 33 percent and halving chemical use by avoiding hydro sulfites and fixation agents.
That’s not all: Rather than relying on harmful processes such as blasting, the company utilizes lasers, ice finishing and eco-aging, in addition to using vegetable dyes made form flowers, roots, bark, fruits and herbs.
When asked about the roadblocks preventing more denim mills from integrating more sustainable practices, Reck pointed out, “The biggest obstacle is the lack of variety of materials, its high cost and especially the little global knowledge in every phase of manufacturing and sale to the final consumer, with small influence on the client.”
Haikure’s Spring/Summer 2016 range, made entirely in Italy, spans skinny jeans and shirtdresses for women to geometric patterned pants for men. Reck noted that the brand’s somewhat minimal image isn’t common when it comes to Italian product. “And that benefits both our domestic and international sales,” she said.
Q&A
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Lara: It’s a way to explain and promote, to the industry and to people, alternatives that consider the environment and which are not taken into consideration.
Carved in Blue: What is the one thing you love about your industry?
Lara: Our authenticity.
Carved in Blue: Where is your favorite city to visit for inspiration and shopping?
Lara: The Nordic countries.
Carved in Blue: Is there a person you would like to collaborate with on a capsule collection?
Lara: Uniforms for the Dedicated.
Carved in Blue: What is the worst trend you’ve seen in denim?
Lara: I do not think there is one thing worse in denim. In denim everything is possible.
Carved in Blue: Old world craftsmanship versus new age technology?
Lara: They have to live together, coexist.
Carved in Blue: Who is your environmental hero?
Lara: We don’t think there is a hero. We believe in the people that want to change the world.