Denim Special Edition
Visit Carved in Blue, a blog produced and curated by the denim team at Lenzing.
© Richard Cordero
Carved in Blue Wins Prestigious Content Marketing Award
Since its start four years ago, Lenzing’s Carved in Blue blog has sought to connect the denim world through storytelling. The Lenzing Denim Team is pleased to announce that Carved in Blue has been named Best Topic-Specific Blog at the 2020 Content Marketing Awards. Out of a field of hundreds of entries, the judges picked winners in around 80 different categories. “We are thrilled to receive the CMA for Best Topic Specific Blog, and this recognition shows Lenzing’s leadership in marketing activities across various industries,” said Tricia Carey, director of global business development at Lenzing. “For more than four years, we have been probing into the inner workings and innovations of the global denim world. Personally it has been a rewarding project to develop a platform for discussions of the challenges, achievements and opportunities the denim industry faces today.” “We are grateful for the support of the denim community in sharing their stories, photos and videos with us and the many people behind the programming, writing, and graphics of Carved in Blue,” she added. Carved in Blue is in good company. Some of the other finalists for the Content Marketing Institute’s awards include Microsoft, Verizon, Salesforce, TD Ameritrade and Delta. Our category win also makes us eligible to be nominated for one of seven top awards. The finalists for these categories will be revealed on Sept. 9, and the winners will be announced on Oct. 14 during Content Marketing World 2020.
© Richard Cordero
Think This Is the Demise of Denim? Not So Fast
Over my more than two decades in the apparel industry, I’ve seen the sales volume fluctuations between jeans and chinos give way to an alternation between jeans and leggings. The past six months of COVID-19 have ushered in an increased desire for comfort and casualization, as “normal” business life ceased to exist and people began an isolated existence working from home. With Zoom calls replacing in-person socializing and business meetings, suddenly getting dressed was only focused on the waist up. In March, esteemed trend specialist Li Edelkoort predicted that people would be wearing knits for a sense of coziness, safety and security. Since the stay at home orders began, numerous trend articles have been published sounding the death knell for denim, as jeans are traded in for sweatpants. Market stats are also trending down. The value of denim imported to the U.S. in the first six months of 2020 was down 37 percent from the figures for the same period of 2019. What is happening with denim? Disturbed by these articles proclaiming that jeans might be on the way out for good, I sought to find out if this beloved garment is really at risk of enduring a serious decline or simply poised for another period of reinvention.
© Markus Spiske
The Financial Case for Science-Based Targets
As the fashion industry works towards this goal, a growing number of brands and suppliers are adopting science-based targets. Centered on the benchmark of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, these commitments translate the broader need for climate action to a corporate level. The “Setting the Bar: Science-Based Targets” panel at Texworld USA on July 21 delved into how these targets work and how companies are using these goals. Moderator John Mowbray, founder and editor of Ecotextile News, was joined by panelists from Lenzing, Nordstrom and the World Resources Institute. During the discussion, Krishna Manda, senior manager sustainability integration at Lenzing, explained that the company was the first cellulose-based fiber producer to have Science Based Targets approved in November 2019. Lenzing is working towards a long-term vision of being net zero, with full corporate engagement. “If we don’t work on climate change, our bottom line is going to get affected,” Krishna said. “Whether it’s through water scarcity, whether it’s through the disruption of our own value chain.”
© Advance Denim
Advance Teams with Paolo Gnutti on Innovative, Responsible Denim
Denim weaver Advance Denim is blending Eastern and Western aesthetics by joining forces with Italian denim specialist Paolo Gnutti. Known for his innovative creations, such as denim with metallic threads and 3-D designs, Paolo brings an artistic touch to the partnership. Along with design creativity, the collection also reflects both parties’ shared commitment to sustainability, which has manifested in responsible raw material usage. The first Advance Denim by Paolo Gnutti capsule will launch starting in October 2020 with a total of about 40 fabrics. Catering to both a U.S. and Asian audience, the line will feature textiles that are targeted to the different regional markets. Keeping the price competitive, Advance is producing the collection at its facility in Vietnam.
© Sadia Rafique
The Strategy Behind Bossa and Boyish’s Transparency Push
The fashion industry has traditionally been opaque, but that is changing as consumer pressure forces companies to be more open about the origins of their products. “In my opinion, transparency is certainly a key step to enable sustainability or sustainable action,” said Tai Ford from Retraced. “Transparency offers you proof points, offers you some honesty. It offers and implores you to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.” But as brands seek to go beyond greenwashing by showing their work, they can’t do it alone. Unlocking transparency requires collaboration throughout the supply chain. A webinar hosted by Bossa on Aug. 13 delved into the denim mill’s collaboration with Boyish Jeans on traceability through supply chain transparency solution Retraced. The startup acts as a centralized repository for sustainable information, allowing supply chain partners to more easily collect and manage documentation such as certificates. Almost two years since its launch, Retraced has about 35 brands on its platform.