SS 24 denim decoding: spotlight on sustainability The 22 November 2022 - Spring-Summer 24 - Denim - Denim Première Vision

Organic cotton is one of the more interesting green alternatives to traditional uses of the fiber. Note that this season, organic cottons tend to be more sophisticated, with clean renderings and dense handles. The season’s 100% organic cottons are playing the quality card with sturdy handles, betting on the durability of the products. Made to be passed down from generation to generation, these products are designed to last. Visuals are timeless, with colors going as far as deep indigo blue.

Made from chemically transformed eucalyptus pulp, lyocell is also found in the season’s blends, especially with other plant fibers such as cotton and hemp. One advantage of lyocell is that it makes handles softer and suppler, for more fluid fabrics, and is even found in ultra-light weights, which are interesting for summer products such as blouses and shirts.

The latest procedures are grounded in a circular approach and make it possible to use the agri-food residues of the fibers to create yarns for weaving. This is the case with soy protein, which can now be spun after processing. Blended with cotton and polyester, the fiber lends an incredible softness to denim. Some of the latest innovations use hemp or banana food residues and transform them into yarns.

Thanks to new optimized processes, today it’s possible to produce fully recycled blends by combining a variety of different types of fibers. Cotton and polyester fibers, both recycled, can be used together to create eco-friendly fabrics with more sophisticated handles. For a more global approach, recycled polyester yarns can be made from plastic bottles or fishing nets recovered from the oceans. The latest technological advances also provide solutions in terms of yarn biodegradability. Thanks to Ciclo® technology, it is possible to incorporate an additive that makes polyester yarns as compostable as certain natural fibers.

New innovations are also being seen in elastane fibers. New, cleaner fibers can be used to replace traditional elastane fibers, which are faulted for, among other things, the micro-particles they release in water during washing. These new elastane fibers give a nice elasticity to products. Other alternatives include recycled elastane.

Pastels in earthy, gray or oxidized nuances punctuate the season’s denims, imagined in more virtuous versions. A first direction uses natural dyes derived from fruits, shells, roots or even clay. When used on organic cottons, vegetable dyes make it possible to obtain very characteristic washed-out colors. This season, vegetable dyes are broken down into quite luminous ranges of pastels. When superimposed in different layers on a garment, they create shades that are, accordingly, more or less accentuated or diffuse. This technique does not rely on bleaching, while the fabrics are dyed directly and retain the irregular nature of the fiber. Another option is the addition of colored recycled yarns that lend an arty effect to the finished product.

To limit the use of chemicals, it’s also possible to use recycled pigments, from fabric scraps, for dyeing and coatings. And lastly, to reduce the water needed to wash jeans, a step that usually consumes a considerable amount of energy, factories are being equipped with more efficient washing machines.