Overview
Enrique Silla is working to help retailers regain trust with Covid-era consumers.
Deep Dive
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, sanitization was the name of the game for Jeanologia CEO and co-founder Enrique Silla, who said of the pandemic: “Consumers will not buy again if they do not feel safe. Therefore, we must unite all the parties involved in the industry to protect workers and consumers throughout the different stages of the production process by using sanitization.”
Silla made it his mission at Jeanologia to help those in need as the pandemic spread throughout Spain, with the company successfully converting its G2 ozone technology—typically used to sustainably wash down jeans—into a sanitization box for full- face plastic shields worn by emergency workers.
In June, Silla revealed that Jeanologia is using that same technology in a new sanitization chamber called Sanibox, which is certified to eliminate coronavirus from textiles and footwear. It combines ozone technology with humidity control, which is designed to safely and quickly eliminate bacteria and deactivate viruses.
What will the denim industry be like in the next 18 months?
The world’s lifestyle in the next 18 months will be dominated by the Covid-19 crisis and the demand for proper sanitization. That will likely be followed by an economic crisis and in some countries by social turbulence.
As always, denim will be part of a new revolution that needs some anchorage to authentic values. Denim will remain the most iconic product the next 18 months, but this time the industry will have to go back to basics. Comfort will be more important than sexy. Quality and durability will be core elements, and authenticity will represent a familiar face in an oversaturated fashion market. It will be like a familiar face in the crowd.
What change would you like to see in the denim industry as a result of Covid-19?
Digital design and digital wash. Designers will need to design products using a combination of physical and digital. Those who cannot embrace the digital design era quickly will be left out of the picture.
How do you define sustainability in a post-pandemic world?
The focus will be on substantiality practices that reduce cost. That means elimination of any discharge and a drastic reduction of chemicals, water, energy and transport trough technologies. Denim indigo dye, fabric finishing and washing will be the focus.
At Jeanologia, we call this challenge Mission Zero, or the total dehydration and detoxification of denim production. That means no more water or toxic chemicals used in a single pair of jeans around the world by 2025. The main concept is that the way we manufacture a product is as important as the product itself, but cost cannot be increased.
Describe your dream jeans.
A jean that lasts forever so I can experiment the effects of the past on my blue jeans.
What is your most worn pair of jeans, and why?
My old 501s. Now they are shorts that I use only to sail. With this pair, my two passions are combined together: blue jeans and sailing the Mediterranean.
Name one word that best describes denim.
Passion.