When it comes to sustainable denim, more is better.
German fashion brand Closed has partnered with Italian denim mill Candiani to launch the second collection of its reduced impact denim line, A Better Blue.
The Fall/Winter ’19 collection expands on the sustainability concept, which Closed introduced in 2018. Based on three main pillars—materials, dyeing and washing—and as part of an ongoing commitment to reducing the environmental impacts of Closed products, items in the A Better Blue collection are required to be more sustainable in at least two of the three pillars.
The line tackles water and chemical consumption through several avenues, including alternative fibers and exclusive Candiani innovations. By eliminating virgin cotton and using fabrics made from more sustainable raw materials such as recycled cotton and regenerated artificial fibers, like Tencel x Refibra Lyocell, the company is able to reduce its water and chemical usage.
Each pair of jeans is made with Candiani’s Kitotex technology using a natural and biodegradable substance obtained from a by-product of shellfish. The shells contain a polymer, called Chitosan, which helps bond the dyes to the fabric, eliminating traditionally used chemicals.
The jeans owe their stretch performance to an exclusive, custom-made stretch Roica yarn developed by Asahi Kasei especially for Candiani. Roica is the world’s first recycled elastane made from remnants of the elastane manufacturing process.
The sustainable techniques used during production are printed inside of the garment to communicate its eco-friendliness to the consumer.
“When we started with A Better Blue, our goal was to create a premium, sustainable product with the same aesthetic as the conventional jeans in our collection,” said Uwe Kippschnieder, Closed’s denim developer. “Now, our vision for the next four to five years is a continued relationship with Candiani, with the hope that one day all of Closed denim will be part of our reduced impact line, A Better Blue.”
The new collection offers 14 pieces for women and 22 for men. Highlights include a women’s double breasted blazer, trench coat, worker jacket and Tencel pants. Men’s items span overshirts, slim jeans and tapered jeans.
