Blue Cast: Jeanologia’s Enrique Silla on the Family Business & Fashion’s ‘Biggest Lie’
Enrique Silla has lived a life filled with denim. He came from a textile family, and has early memories of the scent of cotton and indigo on looms. Family also played a key role in establishing his business Jeanologia, which he co-founded with his late uncle Jose “Pepe” Vidal Royo in the 1990s. A particular passion for him is laundry, such as washing and finishing.
“It’s a family thing; it’s something that I have in blood that has been transmitted by my family—the passion for denim, for textiles, and very specially for laundry,” he said. “The laundry is where denim is transformed from a raw product into a beautiful thing.”
Enrique joined Lenzing’s Michael Kininmonth for the latest episode of our Blue Cast podcast, as part of our series celebrating the 30th anniversary of TENCEL™. The two have known each other since 1995, when Michael was a new hire at TENCEL™, then owned by Courtaulds. Michael’s first business trip was to Morocco, where he was joined by Enrique and the two worked together to develop TENCEL™.
“Enrique turned out to be a most affable and knowledgeable companion,” said Michael. “And little did I know at the time, we would still have a working relationship more than 25 years later.”
One of Jeanologia’s focuses is making denim in a more responsible way. The company has developed technologies that have less water, energy and chemical impact on the environment.
While the technology is available, Enrique noted that companies must get out of the mindset that sustainability is more expensive, calling it “the biggest lie” in the industry. “Our industry is extremely sensible to the cost. But this is the main mistake,” he said. On the contrary, by adopting sustainable measures that cut waste, for instance, firms can actually save money.
Another change in mentality is around growth. Enrique pointed to the challenge the industry is facing to move from a model that seeks scale through more units sold to one that grows despite selling smaller volumes.
In sourcing, Enrique expects to see more production move closer to the consumer. Over the next three to five years, he estimates that 15-20 percent will be onshored, which would mean 100-150 million jeans produced in the U.S. and Europe.
Coming out of the pandemic, Enrique expects that the consolidation and impact of the Covid-19 era will show five or 10 years down the line. “The relation between the supply chain and the brands is going to change completely, and it’s going to be less tactical relationships and tendering relationships and more strategical relationships, and for sure, I anticipate that as a consequence of this huge change, we are going to see less companies, and stronger companies.”
Listen to the full episode here.