For eight decades, Candiani Denim has been driving denim innovation and design, and this year it’s marking that milestone with a series of 80th anniversary celebrations.
Here’s a look at how life at 80 looks for Candiani.
Candiani 80th Anniversary Collection
In March, Candiani will launch its 80th anniversary collection designed by Atelier & Repairs creative director Maurizio Donadi with artistic direction and assistance from Denim Dude’s Amy Leverton. The collection will showcase Candiani’s newest sustainable fabric innovation, Re-Gen.
The fabric is composed of 50 percent Refibra fibers, Lenzing’s post-industrial cotton waste and wood pulp fiber blend, and 50 percent of Candiani’s recycled fibers in both the warp and the weft. The composition means all yarns in Re-Gen denim are made from regenerated material instead of virgin cotton.
What’s more, the fabric is dyed using a combination of Kitotex and Indigo Juice technologies, which allows the mill to achieve reductions in water, chemicals and energy in both the fabric production and jean washing process.
Derived from Chitosan, a naturally occurring polymer obtained by recycling the exoskeleton of shrimp, Kitotex technology allows the mill to replace harmful substances and pollutants, drastically cutting the use of chemicals in the dyeing and finishing process. Indigo Juice, a water saving dyeing technology developed by Candiani, keeps indigo superficial on the yarn, which requires a fraction of water, energy and chemicals to wash down and achieve contrasts.
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Combined, the technologies reduce water usage by 75 percent and chemicals by 65 percent in the fabric production and wash process.
Candiani will present the collection at its design center in Los Angeles on March 22, along with an anniversary video reflecting the mill’s past 80 years, which will be directed by Leverton.
INK Collection
Candiani aims to reset the standard for a no fade, raw aesthetic with its new INK Collection debuting at Kingpins Amsterdam April 18-19.
Short for indigo, nitrogen and Kitotex, INK combines Kitotex with the mill’s in-house developed dyeing technology N-Denim. The technology uses one dyeing bath instead of the traditional seven, which cuts chemical usage by 30 percent.
Additionally, the fabrics in the INK collection are made with high percentages of sustainable fibers, including BCI and Tencel and uses dyestuff that is 100 percent biodegradable sulfur and mineral dyes.
Open Mill Day
In May, Candiani will open its doors to invited guests who wish to experience the Candiani mill, located in the Ticino Park just outside of Milan, for themselves.
In an effort to educate guests about sustainable production practices, the visit will offer a completely transparent view of the entire mill including where they spin, weave, dye and finish their denim.
During these open mill days, guests will be given a full immersion in Denim 101 and a behind-the-scenes tour of Candiani’s denim production. The goal of this event is to inspire questions, and show that there is a difference when a company commits to innovation and invests in sustainable practices.