Kicking Denim Sustainability into High Gear
Denim may be awash in a sea of sustainable green, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a lot of work to do.
Jean Therapy, the Denim Sustainability report produced by Rivet, takes a hard look at what’s currently being done in the denim industry to better the environment that it took so much from, for so long. Weaving in details of the latest material and tech innovations that are helping brands, mills, retailers and fiber companies create in more eco-friendly ways, the report also delves into what we should expect when it comes to sustainable denim—and what still needs to be done.
While progress is being made, the entire fashion industry is in a state of transition, “where the need for urgency for ‘detoxification’ comes directly from consumers as they push us to clean up our act,” said Artistic Milliners managing director Omer Ahmed.
ADM CEO Faisal Ahmed echoed this, noting that consumer education is paramount to rapidly advance sustainability.
“Consumers need to have both the knowledge and interest in the product,” Ahmed said. “The final consumer has the power, because we can produce the most sustainable products in the world, but the final verdict comes from our end user. If they’re not aware, then it will be fruitless.”
“Retailers need to lose the low-cost mentality and instead champion products with solid value propositions,” said Richard Tobin, vice president of sales and marketing at Kaltex America, “allowing them to raise pricing to offset the cost of manufacturing more sustainably.”
To be sure, we’re witnessing a time of concerted effort, with brands publicly announcing goals and standards for more responsible denim production. However, it will take a much greater financial investment if we ever wish to see the brands achieve these ambitions.
“Over the past two years we have seen many commitments and goals set by brands. It’s wonderful to see, especially the material strategies,” said Tricia Carey, director of global business development for denim at Lenzing. “What we don’t see is the financial investment required to achieve these goals. Who’s paying for this—is it the brand or retailer making the investment? The next shift we need is financial investment. Without it, brands and retailers cannot achieve their goals.”
Click to read the full Jean Therapy report from Rivet.