How TENCEL™ and Regenerative Cotton Blends Cater to Denim’s Current Trends
As the fashion industry seeks out sustainable material options, TENCEL™ Lyocell and regenerative cotton are a perfect match.
TENCEL™ fibers are made from responsibly sourced trees. Preventing harm to ancient and endangered forests and protecting biodiversity, Lenzing solely sources wood from “semi-natural forests,” including its own plantations. Among its managed land is a 40-hectare forest surrounding its Austrian production plant, which houses wildlife. Trees are renewable resources that also pull carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. Because the fibers come from natural wood, they can also go back to nature through biodegradation and composting.
Regenerative agriculture takes a similar approach toward resource management. Rather than just doing no harm, the practices within regenerative agriculture seek to have a positive impact. One of the key pillars is protecting and strengthening soil health through the use of cover crops, crop rotation and reduced tillage, enabling the soil to sequester more carbon from the atmosphere. Additionally, regenerative agriculture cuts down on harmful chemicals that could enter soil and water.
“The denim industry has always been highly reliant on cotton as the main raw material,” said Tuncay Kilickan, head of global business development, denim at Lenzing. “With the increasing pressure to address sustainability concerns, the denim industry has started to rethink a new way of cultivating cotton, which traditionally requires large amounts of land, water and chemicals, which not only harm the environment but also farmers and their communities. By using regenerative cotton, denim brands can align with consumer preferences and differentiate their products in the market.”
Lenzing’s TENCEL™ x Regenerative Cotton collection combines these two lower impact raw materials into a denim line. In collaboration with 18 denim mills around the globe, we created styles like ribcage jeans, jackets, chinos, baggy workwear and more. The garments have a wide cost range, catering to different retail price points.
In addition to being sustainably in sync, blending regenerative cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell creates denim that has a soft and luxurious hand feel. Since looser, rigid styles are trending, this material mix can achieve this silhouette and provide comfort in an authentic denim look.
“There is a clear message to align with the existing trend, which is more towards authentic wide silhouettes,” said Tuncay. “The overall outlook of the collection is very fresh as it emphasizes a change after a long duration of the stretch skinny jean trend.”
Something else cotton and TENCEL™ fibers have in common is durability. In joining these two fibers with strong tenacity, companies can create garments that can stay in consumers’ wardrobes for a long time. Ensuring multiple wears of an article of clothing is one of the best ways to reduce fashion’s environmental impact.
This is just the latest example of Lenzing’s collaborative strategy to drive sustainability forward by engaging the supply chain. “At Lenzing, we regard ourselves as change agents; through collaboration with value chain partners, we are prepared to catalyze change,” Tuncay said. “As a leading producer of specialty cellulosic fibers, we have a particular responsibility and an ambition to drive the adoption of sustainable practices in the textile sector, including denim.”
Visit the Lenzing booth in Blue Area #41 at Kingpins Show next week to see the collection in person.