Sustainable Brands – Latest News –
G-Star Raw launches latest collection ‘Dyed by Nature’ collection
Image credit: G-Star Raw
G-Star Raw — which has long been at the forefront of sustainable fashion,
having released its first “Renewed” collection, made from recycled jeans, in
2012; releasing one of the industry’s first line of jeans incorporating
upcycled marine
plastic,
in 2014; and releasing the world’s first Cradle to Cradle certified gold
denim
in 2017 — has announced the latest product of its ongoing collaboration with
EarthColors® by Archroma: a collection of garments dyed with upcycled saw
palmetto leaf leftovers and upcycled beetroot waste.
G-Star was the world’s first denim brand to collaborate with Archroma and create
a collection of jeans dyed with circular, plant-based dyes — the C2C-certified
collection — in 2017. EarthColors® by Archroma are dyes derived from upcycled
plant waste that are traceable from earth to product. Now, the denim brand is
extending its EarthColors® by Archroma range with styles including jeans, denim
jackets, shirts, t-shirts and sweats for both men and women. The range is
available in three colors: one colorway originating from upcycled beetroot food
waste; and two originating from saw palmetto leaves, leftover from the herbal
industry.
G-Star says it takes a holistic approach to sustainability, combining optimized design
with eco-friendly fibers — such as organic cotton, recycled cotton and TENCEL™ —
with EarthColors® by Archroma dyestuff and sustainable washing techniques. Since
2006, G-Star has been on a mission to future-proof denim, by investing in
sustainable innovations, aiming for a circular approach to how denim is
made-and-used, in a transparent manner.
The Dyed by Nature collection is available in-store and online as of July 2019.
Gap Inc. set to release waterless dyed denim in 2020
Image credit: Gap, Inc
Meanwhile, Gap Inc. has announced an initiative to produce denim using a
waterless, indigo foam-dyeing technique, starting with a partnership between
Banana Republic and Spanish denim mill Tejidos Royo.
The new process, called Dry Indigo®, can reduce water usage by up to 99
percent, while also using 89 percent less chemicals, reducing energy usage by 65
percent, and eliminating water discharge when compared to
the traditional slasher indigo (or sheet dyeing) process.
“Leveraging this revolutionary new dyeing process directly supports Gap
Inc.’s manufacturing
goal to
conserve 10 billion liters of water by the end of 2020, as well as Banana
Republic’s recently unveiled sustainability
goals to
produce eco-friendly denim, reduce water impact and promote cleaner chemistry,”
said Gap Inc.’s EVP of Global Sourcing, Christophe Roussel. “Tejidos Royo is
a trusted partner and true pioneer in sustainable innovation. We are thrilled to
work with them on this exciting new venture and have no doubt that this will
change the future of denim manufacturing.”
Gap joins the likes of
Patagonia
and
Wrangler,
which have also been working to optimize dyeing processes and technologies in
order to minimize water use and environmental impacts. Utilizing a foam dye that
adheres to yarn, the transformative Dry Indigo® technique produces a denim
fabric that is comparable in hand-feel, aesthetic, performance
and washability to traditionally dyed denim. The Banana Republic denim with Dry
Indigo® will be available through a special collection for both men and women in
Spring 2020. Both lines will include selectively sourced and sustainable
pocketing and trims, such as 100 percent Global Recycle Standard
(GRS)-certified recycled poly zipper tape. The manufacturing will be done
at Saitex — a state-of-the-art, sustainable factory that recycles 98 percent
of the water it uses.
Currently, the Dry Indigo® process is exclusive to Tejidos Royo, and Banana
Republic is one of the first brands to pilot the technology. Creating the
ground-breaking process required ten years of collaborative research with
Gaston Foam Systems and Indigo Mills Designs before its launch. The
foam-dyeing technique occurs in a space of less than 65 feet — compared to the
hundreds of feet that is typically necessary for a traditional dyeing machine —
thereby significantly reducing energy needs.
The apparel industry is one of the largest and most intensive users of water. In
response, Gap has worked closely with supply chain partners to implement
numerous water-saving initiatives. In 2016, Gap
brand introduced Washwell™ — a smart denim wash program that has enabled the
company to save over 229 million liters of water compared to conventional wash
methods; the company recently announced it has saved 5.7 billion liters of
water through combined efforts so far. Banana Republic is set to
adopt the Washwell™ program in 2020.
Earlier this month, Gap Inc. announced that it will derive 100 percent of its
cotton —
across all brands — from sustainable sources by 2025. The initiative will
include sourcing cotton from the Better Cotton Initiative that is organic, recycled and
verified as American or Australian grown. In addition, Gap CEO Art
Peck recently announced that Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic are
launching denim with 5 percent post-consumer, mechanically recycled
cotton content.
Gap and Old Navy will launch their recycled cotton denim in Holiday 2019, with
Banana Republic launching in Spring 2020.
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