Denim Report: The Revivalists
Ultimately, the key to reducing our impact on the environment through denim is a combination of small changes in our everyday choices and more significant systemic shifts that need to occur within the fashion industry. Whether we are making conscious decisions about what we buy or pushing for more sustainable practices throughout the manufacturing process, our efforts can have a tangible impact on protecting the environment and the future of our planet.
One of those small changes? A "refurbishing" of denim. Below is a guide to the brands at the creative forefront of the upcycling and repair of denim.
Items have limited availability due to the nature of the development process.
Atelier & Repair @atelierandrepairs
"Our purpose is to lead the movement of excess reduction in the apparel and textile industries by responsibly connecting creativity with sustainability. Our approach is circular: we re-engineer and re-design reclaimed garments and textiles, fostering each item's existence at the highest value possible - for as long as possible. Our responsibility is to partner with innovative thinkers, brands, and manufacturers - across industries - to scale the effort by working within and thinking beyond the status quo. Our commitment is to collectively redefine a viable and global standard of a circular system - a new vision for social and environmental impact and transparency."
The offering: Refurbished vintage, as well as regenerative denim using recycled cellulose fibers.
Read More: Atelier & Repair.com
clothsurgeon @clothsurgeon
"clothsurgeon is a London-based bespoke streetwear brand founded by Rav Matharu in 2012. Merging two worlds of sportswear and Savile Row tailoring, Clothsurgeon combines the nonchalant aesthetic of streetwear with classic men's silhouettes to create a timeless yet contemporary wardrobe. The unique bespoke service allows customers to create whatever they wish from whatever fabrics they desire. Drawing on the world-renowned menswear street heritage, clothsurgeon bespoke focuses on quality craftsmanship while enabling you to create a more relaxed garment. Everything is made in London, England. An off-the-peg offering is also available, which continues the same narrative of blurring the boundaries, unifying casual, and tailoring in a beautifully meticulously considered way. clothsurgeon is the first-ever bespoke streetwear store on Savile Row."
(di)vision @di_vsn
"(di)vision was founded in late 2018 with the ideology of "creating from what already is" (di)vision work in multiple forms of sustainable fashion design and production, mainly in reconstructing, upcycling, cutting and sewing production, and creative sourcing. (di) vision's collections take inspiration from classic silhouettes with a conceptual and multifunctional DIY aesthetic. Using only high-quality deadstock fabrics discarded from exclusive designers and existing materials, they are trying to break new ground in the fashion industry. (di-) is a word-forming element meaning "two, double, twice." In other words, (di) can be described as one becoming two. There isn't a specific definition of what (di)vision stands for - it's how you see it. Either take one jacket and make it two, or take two thoughts and make it one vision."
Read More: (di)vision
FADE OUT Label @fadeoutlabel
"FADE OUT Label is a unisex line of exclusive clothing and accessories made from deconstructed vintage using handicraft methods. The patina of used material recombined freshly and differently creates new unrepeatable alchemies. FADE OUT Label embodies a dump-to-hanger ethos and celebrates responsible recycling of materials and innovative designs. The two designers, Andrea Bonfini and Nicola Gomiero do not believe in the fashion system's timelines but in the timeless creativity and originality of every single idea and item. They, therefore, create permanent collections to which new items are added every season. They create comfortable, unisex garments, which due to the use of recycled material become hand-crafted one-offs, repeatable but always different."
Read More: FADE OUT Label
Lee Jeans Archive @leejeans
Lee has launched a new vintage shopping vertical on its website, the "Lee Archives." The 133-year-old denim company has a rich history; worn by cowboys, workers, and movie stars alike and includes vintage designs like the Union-All, the Rider Jacket, and 101 Rider Jeans. An homage to vintage lovers who scour shops and flea markets for Lee relics, bringing secondhand looks to the forefront also taps into Lee's larger sustainability mission. The first products to launch in the Lee Archives are the Lee Storm Rider Jackets, likely produced in the 1960s and '70s. Defined by its signature details, including a corduroy collar, blanket lining, and Lee zig-zag stitching, many will recognize this jacket as worn by Marilyn Monroe while filming The Misfits in 1961. The Rider Jacket dates back to 1948, when it was originally designed and advertised to cowboys, while the Storm Rider (a lined version) was introduced in 1953.
Read More: Lee Jeans Archive
Levi's Secondhand @levis
"We're committed to making better choices and better clothes. Because when we make better, you can buy better. And what you buy better, you can wear longer, so you can buy less and global colleagues are committed to protecting and wasting less. We launched our Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign in 2021—a mantra and movement encouraging more conscious purchasing decisions. Most importantly, as we look at our resource consumption, we're making strides to improve the circularity of our products. These pioneering innovations can scale to drive positive change across the industry. Designing clothes for circularity means using recyclable and renewable materials that can be made again and limits the use of resources in the production process. Check out how we're preparing to be circular-ready. With Levi's® SecondHand, we invite you to join us in a more sustainable future. Levi's® tells the story of a life well-lived. They only improve with every rip and tear. So get out there and make them your own. It's your turn to write the next chapter."
Read More: Levi’s Secondhand
Nicolo Puccini @nicolopuccini
N.P. is an upcycling fashion brand founded by the Italian designer Nicolò Puccini was launched in 2015 in Empoli (Florence). The core of is business are the reworked vintage jeans, whose collections are organized in limited drops. "I research and select the best vintage & secondhand garments, making sure that the degree of wear of each one is minimal. However, there may be minor signs of wear, signs of recovery (machining, stitching, mending), or tiny stains on the garments. These elements help to make the garment even more unique and authentic. I always guarantee a very high quality of materials and craft. Before being available, the garments are washed, sanitized, and ironed."
Read More: Custom Denim Design
Rag & Bone Denim Recycling @ragandbone
"Drop off denim from any brand to any Rag & Bone store to receive 25% off your entire denim purchase that day. Have an old pair of jeans? Let's put them to good use. Since 2017 rag & bone has been proudly working with Cotton's Blue Jean Go Green™ denim recycling program, improving the world one pair of jeans at a time. Are you eyeing the latest Rag & Bone jeans? Go for style and sustainability—bring in any denim from any brand to be recycled. Authentic denim is made from cotton, a sustainable fiber, which can be broken down to its natural state and recycled into something new. By diverting denim away from landfills, you'll be making the world a little greener."
Read More: The Denim Recycling Project
RE/DONE @shopredone
"We are determined to continue being part of the active change for a better future in which the fashion industry plays a positive role in the lives of all people involved. From the beginning, we partnered with suppliers that respect their workers, improve their living conditions, and provide them with a good working environment. That is why we focused much energy on finding suppliers in Europe that work under the same values. The M'89 Apple's red accent is made from apple waste from the food industry. The leftovers from making juices, jams, and other products are turned into powder which is then used to substitute oil derivatives (such as PU) and make a new material from 100% organic industrial waste."
The material choices here are impressive: apple, cactus, mango, and a general vegan selection. They also sell cleaning kits to extend the life of your kicks and organic cotton socks so you can keep your pair fresh.
Read More: +290,000 Trees Planted
SLSupply Paris @slsupplyparis
"We come from humble homes, from all cultures. We roam the streets of Paris and elsewhere. SLSUPPLY wants to supply a new world where we treat each other respectfully. Where we can consume while being respectful of the crafts and our environment, it is with humility that we try to find goods from everywhere around the world, with suitable fabrics, a specific pattern, well made, to upcycle them. Everything is upcycled in Paris by local artisans. We put our logo in these pieces like a signature and give them a Second Life. Learn lessons from the past and build a better future. This is SLSupply Paris culture.”
Read More: Join Our Closed Loop Future
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