Canatiba Proves Brazil is Bringing Joy Into Denim Production
Things are bustling with Brazilian denim.
And if you ask Textil Canatiba’s Fábio Augusto Covolan, that’s at least in part because Brazil is a “happy” country.
That joy seems to manifest in Brazilian makers’ love for denim.
To learn a little more about what makes Textil Canatiba tick, Carved in Blue caught up with the Brazilian mill to hear the latest in happenings at the company.
Carved in Blue: Can you tell us a little bit about the latest things Canatiba is working on?
Fábio: Well, we´ve been working on several different things. We created a new category of products in our line that aims for tailor-made clothing. We´ve invested in the improvement of our 4-way stretch goods with new X-fit technology and, of course, we´re always working on sustainability. Sustainable characteristics, more and more, permeate all our lines with sustainable and/or recycled fibers, ecological dyes and processes that help laundries have a shorter and more efficient washing.
Carved in Blue: What’s unique about denim made in Brazil?
Fábio: Brazil is a happy, sunny, tropical country. People in Brazil tend to take good care of their, health, their bodies and that translates a lot on textiles and of course in denim. The drive of Brazilian denim is innovation. Innovation in performance, in comfort and in visual. People here, regardless of social class, love innovation and are always eager to try new things.
Carved in Blue: What do you think is missing from the denim industry?
Fábio: More integration of the chain of production. Integration to make processes more efficient, to shorten routes of production and more importantly, to share knowledge and make processes smart, saving resources and money.
Carved in Blue: What are some of the new denim technologies you’re embracing?
Fábio: We´ve developed a new denim dye method that reduces 80 percent or more of water consumption. The participation of that dye method is increasing a lot in our line of products.
We are also combining high-performance stretch products with special sustainable fibers such as TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal with superior comfort.
Carved in Blue: What does sustainability mean to you?
Fábio: A sustainable company has to have it rooted in its culture. It is not a trend, not a marketing stunt. A sustainable line of products has to be backed with a sustainable operation behind it. Sustainable in each and every way, from how the company treats its people, where it acquires its raw material, how it takes care of the customers and makes sustainable products attractive, with reasonable prices making its products accessible to the consumers, generates richness and make possible for all the chain to move forward in an efficient and sustainable way. Sustainability has to be a way of life!
Carved in Blue: A little about you now—what’s your first denim memory?
Fábio: I personally cannot remember a life without denim. I was born in 1980 right when Canatiba started denim production. A lot of my weekends, I would go with my father to the mill and he would take me around the factory pushing me in a roll carrying cart. It was a lot of fun spending time with my dad and learning about working, about what our family company was all about and over time, learning about the most amazing textile, denim. I will never forget the first time I entered a weaving room, the sound, the smell, the energy—I feel the same way every time I go there, even today.
Carved in Blue: Where do you look for denim inspiration?
Fábio: It’s a tough question…Mr. Romeo, our CEO, company co-founder and head of product development, travel around the globe seeking new technologies, new chemicals, and new points of view on human behavior and on people’s necessities.
Carved in Blue: When does a jean stop being a jean?
Fábio: Well, when it goes too far from its blue and twill based roots.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Fábio: It means inspiration, and sharing experiences with all our “Blue Blooded” people around the globe.