How AGI Denim’s Accessible and Sustainable Collection Tomorrowlab Uses TENCEL™
As it marks its 30th birthday, Pakistan-based denim manufacturer AGI Denim is making a sustainability statement. The mill’s Tomorrowlab collection, launched last month, is a creative collaboration with former Levi Strauss design head Jonathan Cheung with the aim to bring affordable eco-friendly denim to the masses.
A number of the nine fabrics from the collection feature TENCEL™ and REFIBRA™. One blend mixes 42 percent regenagri cotton, 30 percent Renewcell viscose, 20 percent organic hemp and 8 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell. Another uses 52 percent regenagri cotton, 20 percent Circ Lyocell, 20 percent organic hemp and 8 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell.
“Lenzing is the OG, the godmother of recycled cellulosics, and the most affordable and practical way for us to use these materials,” said Jonathan. “For the Tomorrowlab project, TENCEL™ Lyocell and REFIBRA™ were used principally in two ways. TENCEL™ added softness to balance out the roughness of hemp, and REFIBRA™ we used to add strength to our fabrics using post-industrial and post-consumer waste.”
The collection is split into three categories. The New Cellulosics includes recycled cellulosic fibers from Infinited Fiber, Renewcell and Circ, combined with regenagri regenerative cotton, organic hemp and TENCEL™ Lyocell. Unwasted leverages fibers from pre- and post-consumer waste, including TENCEL™ with REFIBRA™ technology and Creora Regen spandex. Future Colors spotlights sustainable dyeing solutions Nature Coatings Black, Natural Earth Pigments by TS Jeans Care, and Huue Indigo, lab-grown bio-indigo.
Although nine fabrics were made for this collection, AGI Denim can work with customers to alter them to suit their needs. For instance, the textiles can be made in a lighter weight or have stretch added. The mill intends for this to be a “thought-starter,” jump-starting collaboration.
For AGI Denim and Jonathan, this was an exchange of ideas that moved innovation forward. “Here, sustainability is not just a buzzword – it is the essence of our journey,” said Hasan Javed, executive director of AGI Denim. “Collaborating with Jonathan Cheung has allowed us to combine our decades-long expertise with fresh perspectives, resulting in the Tomorrowlab collection that redefines responsible denim.”