Tommy Hilfiger adds its name to the growing list of denim brands introducing garments aligned with Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign, an industry-wide effort to put circular jeans on the market.
The guidelines provide minimum requirements for jeans on durability, material health, recyclability, and traceability—qualities that the PVH Corp.-owned heritage brand achieved by rethinking the design of jeans.
The collection, made with 100 percent organic cotton fabric, replaces metal zippers with detachable buttons, uses bartacks instead of metal rivets and eliminates traditional leather back patches in favor of ones made with denim. In an effort to increase the durability of the products, each piece features wash and care instructions on the pockets, along with advice on how to repair, donate or recycle the product after use.
“As a leading fashion brand, we have a responsibility to drive the transition to a circular economy and we are proud to work alongside the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to achieve this,” said Martijn Hagman, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Global. “This shift requires a full rethink of the fashion value chain, and these pieces are a testament to the skill, expertise and dedication of both teams as we continue to push the boundaries in both design and manufacturing.
The Jeans Redesign collection, he added, is just one step on its path to creating fully circular products and highlights Tommy Hilfiger’s ongoing commitment to eliminate waste.
To date, Tommy Hilfiger has trained more than 80 percent of its designers on circular design principles and recently launched Tommy for Life, its first circular business model. Under the Tommy for Life program, the company takes back items from customers and partners, and cleans, repairs and resells them, keeping products in use longer.
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The brand aims to drive “transformative change” in the denim industry, producing more than two million pieces of lower impact denim, which is finished through a process that uses less water and energy than traditional methods. It became the first major company in the denim market to use 100 percent recycled cotton at scale.
“As a denim industry leader, and one of the first brands to sign up to Jeans Redesign, Tommy Hilfiger is demonstrating how we can all work together to redesign fashion’s future,” said Francois Souchet, Make Fashion Circular lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The denim range is available now online at tommy.com and in select Tommy Hilfiger and Tommy Jeans stores. There are seven pieces in total, however, only three are available in the U.S.: women’s mom jeans, a men’s denim jacket and regular fit jeans. The line retails for $119.50-$159.50.