Denim Capsule with Refibra(TM) Fibers Designed by Adriano Goldschmied
A quarter century ago, Adriano Goldschmied recognized the importance of TENCEL® branded lyocell fibers to create designs with the environment in mind, at a time when sustainability was not even a word used in common parlance. Fast forward to 2017, and in recognition of his loyalty to the cause, Lenzing has commissioned Adriano to design and make a capsule collection featuring their fiber innovation, Refibra™ branded lyocell fibers.
The capsule will be unveiled later this month, and will feature 15 garments in both women’s and men’s styles. It will be on view at Kingpins Amsterdam (October 25th and 26th), Kingpins New York (November 29th and 30th), and regional Lenzing offices globally. Adriano tells Carved in Blue that Refibra™ arrives at a time when sustainability in denim is more important than ever.
“TENCEL® fibers have been an important part of my work and the innovation that I bring into design,” says Adriano, who has been designing denim since 1972 and incorporated TENCEL® into his A.Gold E designs after launching that brand in Los Angeles in 1993. “Now TENCEL® fibers are evolving to take a new level of sustainability with Refibra™ fibers. We need to open the minds of designers with sustainable innovations.”
The Refibra™ fiber is a new generation of TENCEL® fiber, the first commercial-scale cellulose fiber derived from post industrial waste. Made from a blend of pulps featuring post-industrial cotton scraps and wood, the revolutionary new fiber exemplifies “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.” Refibra™ fibers recently achieved the Recycled Claim Standard, which certifies that all production processes in its entire supply chain have undergone the necessary steps to ensure the integrity of the final product. Attentive designers and consumers can verify the use of Refibra™ fibers thanks to a special manufacturing process that makes it possible to identify it even in the finished garment.
Lenzing commissioned Adriano, a steadfast advocate for ecologically minded practices in denim, to design this 21st century capsule collection, which showcases fabrics from eight global denim mills and one knit mill with design, production and laundry processing taking place in his Los Angeles studio.
Lenzing worked especially closely with Spanish mill, Textil Santanderina during the initial development of Refibra™ fibers. Other fabric mill partners in this capsule include Advance Denim (China), Artistic Milliners (Pakistan), Blue Diamond (China), Candiani (Italy), Prosperity (China), Orta (Turkey), and Tejidos Royo (Spain). Knitted fabric bases were supplied by Hallotex (Spain).
With the introduction of TENCEL® fibers, and the recognition 25 years ago by conscientious denim designers, Lenzing has remained in the forefront of sustainable denim alternatives. Adriano has never let go of his advocacy for sustainable denim and today, with Refibra™ fibers, the future is here. Breakthroughs like Refibra™ fibers makes Lenzing positioned to advance the goals of designers, brands, retailers and consumers who are increasingly interested in low impact options.
“With the environmental challenges we are facing globally, Refibra™ fibers is one step towards addressing our enormous waste issues,” says Tricia Carey, Director of Global Business Development for Denim at Lenzing. “Adriano has long been an sponsor of environmentally responsible product development without compromising consumer demand for comfort and fashion. Working with Adriano and the Genious Group to develop this capsule in Los Angeles provides a remarkable entry of a new sustainable innovation into the denim market.”