The path to circularity is becoming clearer by the day, with experts throughout the denim supply chain continuously iterating their best innovations.
Isko presented the second edition of its Light on the Land capsule collection designed in partnership with former Levi’s and Patagonia designer Miles Johnson and Isko’s own Italian style and washing research hubs, Creative Room and Iskoteca. Featuring 32 unique denim pieces created with low-impact materials and responsible finishing techniques, the latest collection builds upon all of the sustainable practices of the original.
All of the fabrics used in the collection were carefully selected from Isko’s R-Two platform, which uses a mixture of reused cotton and recycled fibers. The reused cotton comes from Isko’s own production loss, which is tracked, traced and has the Content Claim Standard (CCS) certification. The reused cotton is then blended with recycled polyester derived from PET bottles. Fabrics can have the Recycled Claim Standard (RSC) certification or Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification depending on the percentage of materials contained.
Light on the Land 2.0 goes a step further in its sustainable design focus, incorporating Cadica’s new and innovative trims made of organic materials, more efficient low-waste pattern cutting and design processes, improved sewing methods, removable rivets for end-of-life and biodegradable thread. The updates help further minimize denim’s environmental impact.
“When we first started working on this project, we knew it was going to be amazing,” said Massimo Munari, Isko Creative Room’s manager and art director. “To design a collection like this, you need to begin with the right mindset and of course, the right materials. R-Two was the perfect ingredient, thanks to the re-used and recycled content. We then aimed to minimize impact at all stages: incorporating sustainable design ideas, washing processes and trims. We are proud to have created such an inspiring and sustainable collection, and to bring our collective vision to light.”
Building off the initial inspirational collection, styles include jeans, shirting and outerwear, some of which are adorned with colorful patches of the earth and green smiley faces.
This announcement underscores Isko’s journey toward better transparency. All of Isko’s products, including the Light on the Land collections, feature Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in line with the ISO 14025 standard that measure their environmental impact. In 2018, it became the first denim manufacturer to do so. More recently, it released its first Sustainability Impact Report, which further helps the manufacturer provide transparency and measure sustainability efforts.