Ravensbourne Denim Project Winners on Their Designs
The Ravensbourne Denim Innovation Project, in partnership with denim trade show Kingpins, turned its attention to sustainability this year.
From October to January, students worked in groups to create a denim brand from scratch, with support from industry sponsors including mills and manufacturers. At the end of the process, the teams were judged by a panel of about 40 industry experts, and winners were chosen in six categories.
Here, students from two of the six winning teams share the story behind their creations and their aspirations.
Decura: Best Approaches to Sustainability
The team behind Decura considered their carbon impact through every part of the supply chain. For raw materials, the group opted for sustainable cotton and hemp, which were then processed using natural dyes. At retail, the brand made its hangtags and packaging from compostable cardboard. Other sustainable touches in the brand plan include made-to-order jeans, denim rentals and repair services.
Barbara Orti Torres and Raya Totzeva from the Decura team spoke to Carved in Blue about their brand.
Carved in Blue: Why do you think your design won? What was the winning edge?
Barbara: We won the “Best Approach to Sustainability” award, and it was an honor to be recognized for a part of the brand that we put so much effort in, to prove that it is not hard or impossible if you really want to be sustainable. I believe that was the key to the judges’ decision. Our sustainability approaches were not the brand’s identity or something we were highlighting for everyone to know. They are just part of our development and process to create our collections because we believe that is the right way to do it. We see it as the brand’s core rather than another selling point.
Raya: It was a great honor winning the “Best Approach to Sustainability” award, as the whole Decura team worked hard to build a mindful and transparent business model. The winning edge was considering sustainability within every single detail of the design and production process. From the very start, we have aimed to create a brand that is truly “the cure to fashion,” with long-lasting garments and materials that educate and uplift the consumer.
Carved in Blue: What social or environmental impact do you think is critical in your design?
Barbara: Everything. One of the key discussions we had with the Decura team was about how it was not good enough to just try to focus on one of the many problems within the fashion industry. If we were going to create a brand, we had to make sure everything was being done ethically and morally correct; we were not taking any shortcuts. That is why we do not only have a very strong environmentally friendly approach to the whole process of creating and distributing our products, but also we are very meticulous on how we would treat and help our workers. We also put a lot of effort on helping and educating the consumer to live a sensitive and happy life when shopping with us, with connections to mental health resources and therapeutic approaches in our collections such as color therapy.
Raya: Our design proposal utilizes the use of hemp, a revolutionary material with unique properties. Like a baseball glove you’ve possessed for ages, hemp fabric becomes softer with use. When grown and processed, the fiber uses a small amount of water. One of the most durable and sustainable fibers on earth, hemp is a key material for the future of denim. Being sponsored by Orta Anadolu, we had the opportunity to create our collection using a material which perfectly ties with our pledge for selling long-lasting, eco-friendly garments. Furthermore, we have introduced a clothing rental service, encouraging circularity within fashion, with hemp being the perfect material for the purpose.
Carved in Blue: What are your aspirations to work in the industry? What company do you want to join?
Barbara: I would like to be part of the change. I want to know that I have made a difference, no matter how small it is. Not only towards more sustainability and sensitivity, but also on how brands have ownership of their craft; for example, being able to decide when to create a new collection instead of being forced to create four (or more) a year.
My goal is to join a small company that shares the same values and goals as me, a brand that I can grow with and that I know I would want to dedicate my life to. Somewhere where the customers’ needs and our creativity work together to create unique pieces and where being sustainable and sensitive is not a burden but just part of our process. Joshua Kane has been my goal for quite a long time now.
Raya: Some of my main goals are to make a positive change within the industry. It is unfortunate how fashion—a source of so much joy—could be so unethical and harmful to the environment. My aspiration is that no matter where and what I work, to make sure I contribute to creating a more transparent, ethical and sustainable future for retail. The Kingpins award for sustainability is an indication that I am going in the right direction.
I have a passion for luxury brands, religiously following fashion shows and designer collections. Currently, I have an obsession with heritage brand Saint Laurent; it is definitely a company I would love to work for in future.
362: Best Marketing and/or Social Media Campaign
Menswear brand 362 was developed as an homage to the sea, with designs that feature cotton garments and waterproof nylon coverings sourced from recycled tents. The idea of “submersion” was the basis for the brand’s logo, which shows a line diving across a triangle. While 362 is inspired by the dark depths of the sea, when it comes to consumer communications, the group wants to be fully transparent. Tags and product information will share exactly where materials were sourced.
Callum Docherty and Timothy Kaivan Khajenouri from 362 talked to us about their marketing approach.
Carved in Blue: Why do you think your design won? What was the winning edge?
Callum: I think it was the approach to transparency, being transparent with the customers through social media and branding. Alongside the strong and cohesive concept through to design and promotion.
Timothy: Personally, I think our brand won best social media because of the use of omnichannel marketing. Our edge was how we were able to introduce a fashionable, sustainable, yet versatile denim piece which could combat all types of conditions.
Carved in Blue: What social or environmental impact do you think is critical in your design?
Callum: Everything within the garment was sourced and made locally. It was vital for 362 to keep everything made in England to reduce the carbon footprint of our garment. Our non-denim materials were all recycled and our hardware was able to be removed and reused for other uses. Our garment was untreated to allow the hard-wearing garment to develop and wear as the environment around it does.
Timothy: Sustainable fashion. By offering a garment with every material and method solely sourced within the U.K., we at 362 believe this is the future of fashion.
Carved in Blue: What are your aspirations to work in the industry? What company do you want to join?
Callum: Personally, I love denim. I think that working more within the denim industry is definitely something I will be doing. It’s a hardwearing fabric with connections to workwear, which is where I pull a lot of inspiration from. I would love to work with designer Reese Cooper in the future.
Timothy: My aspirations are obviously subject to change, however, at the moment I want to run my own business in brand/fashion consultancy. This is because since January, I was lucky enough to work with an unpaid internship at Grey93, who are a consultancy who have worked with figures like Travis Scott and Kourtney Kardashian. They collaborate with various brands and clients to understand their needs and elevate the value of both brands by captivating exciting ideas and design experiences.