HNST Ushers in an Era for Trendy Sustainable Denim
What if consumers had a way to close the loop with their used denim? That’s an eco-friendly offering HNST wants to provide to consumers so their discarded jeans don’t end up in landfills.
Created by Tom Duhoux, the Belgium-based denim label’s roots involve a 2017 collection campaign, where consumers were able to drop off their unworn or old jeans at more than 80 collecting points in Flanders, Belgium. Following the collection of 6,000 pairs of old jeans from the program, HNST launched its first collection in March made from 56 percent recycled denim.
Every pair of HNST denim has a sustainable component. To start, recycled jean fibers are mixed with TENCEL™ Lyocell, made back into a yarn in Flanders and then incorporated to weave HNST’s sustainable denim fabric, and blended with Greek cotton. Fabric for denim pockets were created with yarn made from recycled white T-shirts and blended with TENCEL™ Lyocell while buttons and embroidered rivets were also incorporated in HNST jeans, making the jean recyclable again.
Creating trendy denim that’s more circular is not the only end goal for HNST. At a time where the denim industry keeps innovating to close the loop, consumers now more than ever need to be part of the greater sustainability story. By revolutionizing denim materials, HNST aims to demonstrate the possibility to reduce the denim industry’s carbon footprint and encourage consumers to make more eco-conscious purchases.
Carved in Blue caught up with Tom Duhoux to discuss HNST’s journey, why a circular model is a good fit for the denim industry and how consumers’ wardrobe choices come into play as a catalyst for change.
Carved in Blue: In your words, what is HNST all about?
Photo courtesy of HNST
Tom: HNST, pronounced ‘honest’, is a brand new label from Antwerp (Belgium) that launched its first collection in March 2018. This collection, that consists of eight different styles, does not only make your ass look fabulous, but is also made from 56 percent recycled denim. On top of that, the collection is designed according to circular economy principles and produced entirely in the European Union in a radical transparent way.
The story of HNST started in September 2017, when we organized a collection campaign where people could drop off their old and unworn denims at more than 80 collecting points in Flanders (Belgium). In two weeks time, more than 6,000 old pairs of denim were collected and sorted out by social economy.
Approximately 50 percent of the collected jeans were not suitable for reuse therefore we shredded and recycled the jeans. These fibers were mixed with TENCEL™ Lyocell and made back into yarn in Flanders by European Spinning Group (ESG). This yarn was used to weave the denim fabric made out of 56 percent recycled denim fibers, 21 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell and 23 percent Greek cotton. The weaving is done by ItalDenim and the production of the jeans also takes place in Italy.
The fabric for the pockets woven in The Netherlands was made from the yarn of European Spinning Group which is made from 50 percent recycled white T-shirts and 50 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers.
Next to the very high amount of recycled denim fibers used to make the new denim fabric, no hazardous substances or heavy metals were used in the dyeing and finishing process, complying with the Greenpeace Detox guidelines. HNST also uses reusable and replaceable buttons and embroidered rivets in the design, making the jeans recyclable again.
Carved in Blue: What gave you the idea for the concept?
Tom: Although most of the fashion industry knows what needs to change, not much action is really going on. Over the past 15 years, innovation in the industry can be resumed as faster, cheaper and more, much more.
Most sustainable initiatives are on the side projects while everything stays business as usual. We believe that true innovation is about a positive impact and a radically new way of thinking. And this innovation starts at the beginning: the raw materials.
In Flanders (Belgium), not less than 50 percent of the clothes end up in our residual waste. A big pity, because the cotton production–the key ingredient of most of our clothes–has a huge environmental impact. Moreover, it’s perfectly possible to recycle it. So why don’t we make use of everything that we already have in our closet?
At HNST, we saw huge potential for improvement in this, and together with our partners, we started designing our radically different jeans. We focused on jeans as this is the fabric product, which particularly combines all challenges in the fields of labor and environment. Think about the use of water and energy, chemical (coloring) additives and all too often appalling working conditions.
Carved in Blue: Why do you use TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers?
Tom: We wanted to raise the bar for the use of recycled denim fibers, but at the same time we did not want to compromise quality or looks of our jeans. To guarantee this quality, the mechanically recycled cotton fibers need to be mixed with new fibers. From a circular design perspective, we only wanted to use renewable and local fibers. Thanks to research done by our partners ESG and Texperium, TENCEL™ mixed with the recycled denim fibers, was the best option to go for.
Carved in Blue: How do you see sustainability in the future?
Photo courtesy of HNST
Tom: I truly believe we have to step away from the linear take make waste model. You do not need to be a visionary to realize this system is not sustainable, living on a finite planet. The bad news is that a lot of big companies that have optimized their way of (linear) working, will find it very hard making that shift. That is also the reason why we do not see a lot of systemic change happening to date. On the other hand, this opens up a lot of opportunities for those who actually do, as a circular system gives room to new business models and other ways of connecting to your customer.
Carved in Blue: Where can we find you at retail?
Tom: We launched the end of March and are only selling in pre-order through our website at the moment. Although our ambitions are big, we are still a startup with limited financial means. The reason for us to launch this collection in pre-sale has two main reasons: we can align our production with the actual demand, thus limiting the risk of overstock, and at the same time we can pre-finance the manufacturing costs as much as possible. So by pre-ordering their jeans, customers really help us to get this project kick-started.
Carved in Blue: What is your favorite jean style from HNST?
Tom: For men I really like the RAKE style, which is the slim fit. That’s also the style I wear the most myself. For women the FESTIVAL salopette is a real eye catcher.
Carved in Blue: What city do you find most inspiring?
Tom: I always like visiting Amsterdam. Not just one of the denim capitals of the world, but also a city where a lot of innovative concepts arise and are put to practice.
Carved in Blue: Do you remember your first pair of jeans? What was it?
Tom: Probably a classic Levis 501.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Tom: As a newcomer to the world of denim, Carved in Blue gives me a great overview of what’s happening as well as inspirational stories.
Please visit HNST here.