Circularity is at the heart of Monki’s new denim collection.
Ahead of the back-to-school season, the H&M Group-owned brand will debut its first products that follow Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign project, a set of guidelines established in 2019 to improve garment durability, material health, recyclability and traceability based on circular economy principles.
To ensure durability and longevity, the collection is made with “a more sustainably sourced mix” of 20 percent post-consumer waste cotton and 80 percent in-conversion cotton. Key features include bar tacks instead of rivets and aluminum buttons that require no electroplating. Traditional polyester thread is replaced with EcoVero thread which is a blend of recycled polyester and more sustainably sourced cotton.
Additionally, the pocket bags are crafted from 100 percent organic cotton instead of a standard cotton and polyester mix, making the garments 100 percent cellulosic and more easily recyclable.
The collection, which will be available in August, features three “all-time community favorite jeans fits” including the wide-leg Yoko jean, the slim Monokomi jean, and tapered ankle Taiki jean. A classic Trucker jacket is also part of the collection. All four pieces come in a deep indigo wash.
“We’ve looked into every detail and aspect of each garment in accordance with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign guidelines,” said Caroline Carlryd, Monki head of design. “This is just the beginning of our journey with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation towards H&M Group’s ambition to design all products for circularity by 2025.”
In 2020, Monki’s sister brands H&M and Weekday launched Jeans Redesigns products of their own. H&M introduced a men’s denim workwear-inspired collection, while Weekday debuted a unisex regular fit jean.
Monki’s Jeans Redesign collection is another step towards a more sustainable and transparent future. The brand recently began publishing product supplier information on its website. This information includes details on specific products’ country of production, factory addresses and number of employees at the production facilities.
Monki’s previous circular projects include a 2020 capsule collection made from upcycled denim. Each item was constructed from denim patchwork taken from leftover organic cotton denim garments.
