Kipas with Sustainability Solutions
With 35 years under its belt, Kipaş is a bit of a heavyweight in the denim industry. The Diesel, Zara and H&M partner is a jack of all trades in denim production, able to handle up to 300 different colors in its rope dyeing and slasher production lines in a factory boasting an annual capacity of 30 million meter.
Now it’s throwing some of that (heavy) weight behind the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as part of the Jeans Redesign Project to show just what’s possible in building a circular economy.
Carved in Blue chatted with Yucel Bayram, Kipaş Denim sales and marketing director, about what it’s like to be one of the largest sustainable yarn, fabric and denim manufacturers.
Carved in Blue: Tell us about your sustainability initiatives—product, process and social.
Yucel: Recently, we have partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in the Jeans Redesign Project. The Jeans Redesign can become a beacon to the fashion industry and show what is possible when we join forces. We have the opportunity to shift from the take/make/waste model of today to a circular economy in which business models increase the use of clothes, clothes are made from safe and renewable materials, and old clothes are used to make new ones. From this shared vision, a set of guidelines has emerged that establish ambitious steps for jeans manufacturing and production. The guidelines provide minimum requirements for jeans on durability, material health, recyclability and traceability.
Sustainable production is in our DNA, and we are committed to make a positive impact in the fashion and textile industry. We believe real change happens through a combination of continuous improvement, innovation and strategic collaboration. Kipaş has invested in long-term partnerships with Lenzing and Unifi for their innovative fibers. Through our conscious production system with environmentally friendly methods and the latest recycling technologies, we are tackling waste and pollution. We optimize our operations and set ambitious targets by seeking innovative solutions and collaborations across the whole value chain.
Carved in Blue: What are some of the highlights from your new collections this season?
Yucel: Our priority is to provide maximum access to sustainable solutions, and Kipaş Denim is committed to developing its collections only with sustainable fiber options. As of Spring/Summer 2021 collection, we will only use recycled polyester and there won’t be any room for conventional cotton. Powered by ready-to-market denim fabrics and open to dialogue service approach, we will deliver a constant stream of innovation to the denim industry.
Some highlights in our Spring/Summer 2021 collection:
- “Heritage” is where we have re-interpreted roots of denim with innovative features.
- “Add-Vantage” is where we provide aligned conditions for effective solutions to preserve resources of our planet, to boost production efficiency and to support growth and a beneficial development.
- “Dynamix” is our concept that is engineered to provide softness, premium denim character and high elasticity all at once. It has been constructed with a network of blends.
For our new collection, all our virgin cotton will be BCI. Half of our collection has recycled content. Eighty-five percent of them are produced by ecological dye, which is almost zero water consumption. Thirty-five percent of the collection has TENCEL™ content.
Carved in Blue: Why do you like working with fabrics using TENCEL™ and REFRIBRA™?
Yucel: TENCEL™ has very good reputation in the market. It has very good technical results on the products, and it’s also very strong on the ecological side. REFIBRA™ is one of the best options for sustainable ideas.
Carved in Blue: What innovations do you see in the next five to 10 years?
Yucel: Automation and data analytics have enabled a new breed of startups to achieve agile made-to-order production. Mass players will begin to experiment next, responding more rapidly to trends and consumer demands, achieving just-in-time production, reducing overstock and making short, small-batch production cycles the new norm.
Carved in Blue: How is the current textile market situation in Turkey?
Yucel: Very stable for now.
Carved in Blue: What do you think the denim industry is missing today?
Yucel: I think technical people. In design, production and R&D, there aren’t enough very good technical people. We have to care about the education of people.
Carved in Blue: Are there influencers in the denim industry that inspire you?
Yucel: Our inspiration is the people from all around world. As Kipaş, we embrace every generation and every texture of society to deliver solutions for everybody. If we really have to state out a name, for our team in Istanbul and Maraş, Ellen MacArthur has been an inspiration for her personal and professional achievements—that’s why we are truly inspired to collaborate in this project.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Yucel: Carved in Blue is a platform that brings industry players together. It is really important for us to focus on sustainable development of the denim industry. As Kipaş, we’re saying that tomorrow is here! And we are in this together. It is up to all of us to change the path toward a better future.