How can the denim industry move towards a sustainable future?

The first GenovaJeans denim clothing exhibition ended successfully last month in Genova, Italy, the birthplace of jeans. This international exhibition is a cultural initiative jointly organized by Italian denim brand DIESEL, Italian fabric manufacturer Candiani Denim, and sustainable development consulting company Eco Age. It has received strong support from the local municipal government and will be held annually in the future to encourage businesses and consumers to promote the sustainable development of the denim industry.

Alberto Candiani, Global General Manager of Candiani Denim, stated in a related statement that denim is considered one of the biggest sources of pollution in the fashion industry. "Therefore, we are honored to return to the birthplace of denim to promote innovative sustainable solutions to promote the industry's' purification 'and continue to pass on classics like denim in a way that does not harm the environment.

It is both a tribute to the origin and a call for change

As the birthplace of jeans, GenovaJeans denim clothing exhibition was founded in Genoa, which is both a tribute and gives this city a new meaning. It is reported that, Denim (denim or denim, French de N î mes) fabric was woven as early as N î mes in France and later sewn into jeans in Genoa, Italy. The English word "Jeans" is commonly believed to have originated from a mispronunciation of the name Genoa, such as "Genes".

Genoa Mayor Marco Bucchi stated about the establishment of this international project, "By emphasizing Genoa's history, identity, and cultural background, and combining these traits with the reconstruction of a part of our history, this is an extraordinary way to restore its origins." He said that this project includes transforming a small alley in the old city center into "Jeans Street" to further strengthen Genoa's international position in the denim industry.

As a new international project in the local area, the DIY GenovaJeans denim clothing exhibition showcases the history, evolution, and innovation journey of jeans through a series of different presentation forms, while also emphasizing the importance of sustainable development in the denim industry.

To pay tribute to traditional Italian denim craftsmanship, DIESEL has replicated the oldest recorded denim fabric in history and showcased this replica series at the Genova denim clothing exhibition. Among them, the replicated fabrics and clothing were identified by art, textile, and fashion historian Marzia Cataldi Gallo to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the Danning replication.

In addition, the DIESEL exhibition starts from multiple dimensions and levels, showcasing legendary works from its private archives along the historic Via Pr è alley in the city. It features interactive experiences and performance installations to create a "La Via del Jeans" (translated as the path of jeans), sharing the brand's unremitting efforts for environmental sustainability in products and production, as well as how to promote denim products to promote the development of the world's advertising industry.

During the exhibition, ArteJeans exhibition was also held, featuring 36 denim canvas works donated to the city by globally renowned Italian contemporary artists before the establishment of the International Jeans Museum; There is also a series of themed roundtable discussions on topics such as jeans and sustainable production, circular economy, social change, and women's empowerment.

Candiani Denim created an information exchange device called "Behind the Seams: How Much Do You Think You Know About Your Jeans?" at the exhibition to explain the impact of denim production on the environment and inspire visitors.

Candiani Denim's Global General Manager Alberto Candiani mentioned in a media interview that the purpose of creating this device is to provide everyone with all the knowledge points on how to make a pair of jeans, helping them make the right choice when buying the next pair of jeans. He added, "Too many people assume they know how to make jeans, but nine out of ten are actually not clear

Sustainability is a consideration throughout the entire lifecycle

The potential harm of denim production to the environment is one of the urgent issues that the industry needs to address. TreeHugger, a sustainable information resource website, points out that the huge amount of water consumed in producing denim fabric makes it one of the fabrics with the greatest environmental impact. Moreover, although natural indigo dye has its advantages, planting a large number of plants that can extract it to meet the current market demand for denim will cause devastating damage to the environment; If synthetic indigo is used instead, the use of toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde in its production also makes it one of the worst replacement options.

As stated on the official GenovaJeans website, "Genoa's fabrics have completely changed the fashion industry and become a symbol of the times. However, the denim industry is facing new challenges, which further emphasizes why denim needs to be a part of sustainable development efforts

At this exhibition, Candiani Denim showcased its latest Coreva technology, a sustainable and innovative technology with minimal environmental impact. It is also a compostable (or biodegradable) stretch denim fabric that uses 100% natural rubber yarn instead of synthetic fibers. According to European regulatory requirements, Coreva fabric has undergone multiple testing stages to evaluate its six month biodegradability. It is understood that it does not release harmful compounds underground and can even fertilize the soil. Candiani Denim obtained a patent for this technology in 2019 and has recently launched this fabric on the market, collaborating with multiple brands including Stella McCartney Dondup、Closed。

Renzo Rosso, Chairman of the OTB Group, the parent company of DIESEL, mentioned in a media interview, "All the historic changes made by DIESEL are a great transformation, and Candiani's material brings sustainability and modernity He pointed out that although many people may not be aware of it, the production of denim has already brought serious pollution. "Therefore, studying this material and its history, as well as how it will develop in the future, is a very good thing

Renezo Rosso, Chairman of DIESEL's parent company OTB Group, attends Genova denim fashion exhibition in Italy

The denim fabric industry is also calling on manufacturers and brands to obtain relevant industry certifications to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development. For example, the ISO 1400 series of international standards, in which ISO 14001 provides multidimensional environmental management system specifications for relevant organizations, while ISO 14040-ISO 14043 is based on the idea of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), requiring control of environmental factors throughout the entire process of product design, production, use, waste disposal, and recycling.

The Higg Index, a sustainability assessment tool proposed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), is used to measure the environmental and social impact of clothing and footwear products throughout their entire lifecycle, including environmental, energy, water resources, waste, wastewater, and chemical management. Advance Denim, one of the first denim factories in China, has also joined the alliance, with its Higg index consistently higher than the industry's global average.

There are also global industry certifications related to sustainable development, such as the ZDHC Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals program and the EPD Environmental Product Declaration. Many denim fabric manufacturers, such as Orta Anadolu and Calik Denim, have joined the ZDHC program, and ISKO, a leading global denim manufacturer, is not only a signatory of the ZDHC program but also the first denim fabric manufacturer in the world to obtain an EPD Environmental Product Declaration.

Many manufacturers and brands have also joined the sustainable ranks by adopting less wasteful manufacturing technologies and more effective recycling programs. ISKO has introduced the groundbreaking R-TWO concept, which uses recycled cotton and recycled polyester in its denim fabric production process. The ISKO R-TWO eco-friendly denim fabric, woven by blending the two, not only does not increase costs, but all fabric characteristics and hand feel are also fully preserved. This provides a new direction for the sustainable development of denim fabrics and offers another affordable and responsible innovative option for more brands.

Saitex, an international denim manufacturer based in Vietnam, is recognized by the industry as the "world's cleanest denim clothing factory". The factory obtained LEED green building certification in 2017 and, with its unique enclosed water supply system and spray washing equipment, recovers 98% of the water used in denim production, of which 2% is evaporated, achieving zero emissions. According to the official website of Saitex, the factory can save 430 million liters of water annually, equivalent to the annual water consumption of 432000 people. At present, the factory has established cooperative relationships with multiple well-known brands including Everlane, Outerknown, J. Crew, and Madewe.

The well-known denim brand Levi's has also started using cotton linen blends to reduce the carbon footprint of denim production. Many countries are also focusing on innovative equipment and circular economy: Shasha, a denim manufacturer in Bangladesh, has produced nearly 1.5 million yards of denim by reusing consumer waste; Mexico is adopting cleaner washing methods for denim jeans.

Uniqlo stated that through newly developed technology, advanced equipment such as laser processing and nano bubble ozone cleaning machines, as well as the professional knowledge of designers, can reduce the water consumption in denim fabric manufacturing by up to 99%

This year, DIESEL and its creative director Glenn Martens announced the launch of a new environmental project called "Diesel Library" as part of the brand's new sustainability strategy "For Responsible Living". This project will promote a more environmentally friendly lifestyle through gender free design, organic and recycled fabric made denim products. Among them, the project will adopt innovative technologies to significantly reduce the use of water and chemicals, leather trims and other treatments will use chrome free tanning processes, and metal buttons will not be electroplated to avoid the possibility of contaminating the water supply system.

Genova Jeans was founded with a focus on sustainability and environmental innovation, allowing the former birthplace of jeans to play a new role in the new era, exploring and promoting cutting-edge denim textile technologies that can reduce environmental impact. In a world where resources are dwindling and landfills are filled with discarded clothing, in addition to biodegradable and compostable materials, we also need to look for renewable resources, "said Alberto Candiani, Global General Manager of Candiani Denim

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