Vicunha Marries Sustainability With Style in Brazil

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Vicunha Marries Sustainability With Style in Brazil

If it’s one thing Brazil always has a hold on, it’s style.

And that style has been informing the denim local textile manufacturer Vicunha has been making for the last half century.

Never sacrificing on quality or aesthetic, Vicunha has also figured out how to incorporate sustainability into the leading indigo fabrics it has come to be known for.

Carved in Blue caught up with German Alejandro Silva, product and marketing corporate director, to get his take on the forward-thinking company to get a look inside Brazil’s denim sector and a taste of what’s to come.

Carved in Blue: Can you tell us a little about Vicunha and what sets the company apart?

German: With 50 years of experience in the market and a global presence, Vicunha is one of the world’s leaders in the production of indigo, twills and printed fabrics. For five decades now, we have managed to maintain the quality and strength of a good pair of jeans. Vicunha fabrics are worn by people of all ages, genders, races, creeds and social classes, in Brazil and all over the world. We’ve also become a point of reference for our customers when it comes to fashion and consumer behavior. We breathe life into our products with fresh interpretations of the latest styles and trends. We also provide our visionary Vtrends magazine, a very exclusive tool that helps our clients identifying key trends that are interpreted into our fabrics.

With modern production units, we are constantly investing in state of the art technology and training our professionals, which number over 7,000. For over two decades our operations include processes that minimize environmental impact, reinforcing our sustainable positioning with our mantra of reduce–reuse–recycle.

Vicunha is always on the cutting edge of the biggest trends in fashion and market behavior. Our fabrics are present on catwalks across the world and feature in collections, ranging from renowned designers to big chain stores.

Carved in Blue: What sets denim made in Brazil apart from what other countries offer?

German: Brazil is a very rich ethnic and multicultural melting pot, and diversity is one of the main elements of our DNA. Here, you can find a variety of biotypes and styles that are translated into a unique and full of personality “jeanswear” way of living—bringing look, perfect fit and high performance as main features. High stretch and excellent recovery are fundamental elements for our worldwide audience who prioritizes fitted shapes that enhance body curves without compromising movement and comfort. It is also important to point out that Brazil is a world leader in BCI cotton production, showing again that we care not only about the quality of our products but also about social and environmental issues. We are part of the “Sou de Algodão” movement that enhance the quality and performance of our main raw material.

Carved in Blue: Speaking of sustainability—how important is sustainability to the company? 

German: Sustainability is not merely a “nice-to-have” concept anymore, it has become imperative for our future sustainability. The changing mindset of the final consumer will determine how fast the retailers will demand ecofriendly/sustainable products, but for Vicunha it is important to be one step ahead, for us this is not merely a trend, it is in our values and sense of responsibility which is part of our culture. We know there are a large body of consumers who are already actively seeking green products and services, the next generation of consumer will be even more conscious, this will reflect in their buying patterns, for this we want to be ahead of the curve.

Vicunha has been involved in sustainability practices for over 20 years so we are already very experienced, most customers 20 years ago were not actively seeking sustainable products except for a small minority, but we believed it was the right approach. Over the years we have invested a huge amount of resources to achieve not only ecofriendly products but also to create a whole sustainable business platform from the development of human resources and production practices to the protection of the environment. In this we have spreading the message for the needs of change and sending the message to our customers.

Carved in Blue: How have you incorporated TENCEL™ branded lyocell fibers into your products, and what made you decide to use it?

German: We identify in TENCEL™ Lyocell a fiber solution that offers comfort, softness to the touch, fluidity and extreme lightness. In addition to that, it has a worldwide credibility plus a certification of Lenzing quality! It is always a great bet for our line of shirts, in which we bring options such as the already established Stanley Light (3.8oz), 100 percent TENCEL™ Lyocell denim, which gives natural shine and perfect fit.

Carved in Blue: What are the trends you see shaping up in denim? 

German: The fashion industry has had a lot of bad press over the years, and they are under a lot of pressure to ensure good practices are used throughout the value chain. Most retailers are well on their way to reaching company targets of 100 percent more sustainable product in store by the year 2020, those who have been slower on the uptake are going to need to catch up pretty quickly. We are expecting an increase of social and environmental awareness from both the retailer and the consumer, and as a result we need to be more and more creative with more efficient procedures in order to avoid waste. The rational use of water resources and control of CO2 emissions have never been so prominent as they are today. Companies with ecologically efficient proposals and conscious practices are truly standing out in their sectors. Sustainability has been practiced at Vicunha for over two decades, our manufacturing model is so interwoven with energy and water efficiency practices that you could say sustainability is in our DNA.

Carved in Blue: What new projects is Vicunha working on for denim? 

German: Vicunha has been strengthening the concept of sustainability in its products with each new collection. For this season, we are consolidating the use of our Eco Cycle label, present in several product lines, as well as the releases of the new collection for S/S 2020, including also the twill products. The labels, Less Water and Recycle, enhance our DNA and demonstrate practices that have been part of the company for more than 20 years in its processes and initiatives.

We aim to expand the product mix, in addition to increasingly meet the needs of the market with articles aligned with the main fashion trends. One of our main focus is to increase the supply of articles with greater width, elasticity and different possibilities of fiber blends like LENZING™ Modal and TENCEL™ Lyocell. All these innovations meet the growing market demand for more comfort, touch, dimensional stability and longer product life. Without leaving behind our concern for efficiency and respect for the environment, these investments are also aimed at shortening processes, saving resources (energy and water) and reducing the use of chemicals.

Carved in Blue: What is your favorite pair of jeans?

German: I like those timeless jeans made of robust and authentic material. A comfortable piece that can be used at all time for any situation, you take it to life! The favorite jeans is also the one that you know which way it has traveled until you get it in your hands, from the cotton harvest to the making of the piece, with a lot of respect for the environment and all the people involved in its production. The combination of having a classic item and also carrying a narrative, with the marks of time wear, is fascinating. Do you know when you look at something and remember many things? This is my jeans, companion and full of stories to tell.

Carved in Blue: What do you think denim is missing today?

German: I do not think that is something missing when it comes to denim, actually to me it’s quite the opposite! Denim has become an extremely versatile and multifaceted item in the wardrobe, with a variety of construction, shapes, finishes and washes! That is why we want it to be more and more present in people’s lives. This has already happened exponentially, but we are sure we will see much more! In just a few years, denim will invade all environments, occasions and lifestyles, without any distinctions, from the street to the work, from the gym to the party, anywhere in the world.

Carved in Blue: Where do you look for denim inspiration?

German: Another strategic point for the company is to keep in line with technological and market updates. To do so, it uses international bureaus style and research institutes, but also uses information locally gathered, at fairs and fashion events around the world. From this gathering of novelties, bets are placed to modernize our products and our own production—including machinery.

What does Carved in Blue mean to you?

German: Carved in Blue is a great source of inspiration, research and knowledge for our market in constant transformation and evolution. In addition, it brings as one of its main topics the concern for sustainability, presenting solid and depth discussions on such an important topic.