Kings of Indigo’s new collection is a nod to happier (and more sustainable) days ahead. The Amsterdam-based brand just launched an exclusive summer collaboration with ’70s-era icon, Smiley.
With the tag line “propaganda of positivity,” the collaboration serves retro denim pieces and beach-friendly basics.
In line with the growing trend for tie-dye loungewear, the co-branded collection smacks of relaxed ’80s California vibes with pastel pink and blue tie-dye T-shirts and sweatshirts in regular fits for men and cozy, drop-shoulder cuts for women. Each top, made with 100 percent organic cotton, has a water-based chest print of Kings of Indigo’s signature Mount Fuji artwork with a Smiley update.
The collaboration also includes the Bangja, a women’s high-waisted wide-leg short with a light marble wash inspired by classic festival fashion. Made with organic cotton denim from Orta, a vegan back label and recycled trims, the jean shorts fall in line with Kings of Indigo’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing.
The brand’s “Five Pillars of Sustainability” is a framework for best practices related to topics like water use, transportation, waste, social responsibility and planet-friendly materials, which currently makes up 95 percent of the Kings of Indigo line. Goals for 2020 include providing an Environmental Impact Measure score for all of its denims and ensuring living wages at production facilities in “high risk” countries.
Kings of Indigo was named “PETA-approved” in 2020 for using vegan alternatives to traditional trims materials. It also introduced a line of biodegradable stretch denim and eliminated PP spray from its denim collection.
Earlier this year, the brand debuted a men’s, women’s and kids’ collection of denim garments made with Candiani’s Re-Gen selvedge, a fabric made with 50 percent recycled cotton fibers and 50 percent Refibra.