Jeaneration Next

As the pandemic spread in early 2020, lockdowns were implemented in countries one after another. Soothsayers claim that denim’s end is near since the start of the pandemic. People are turning away from denim and towards other comfortwear. Denim is not the only fabric that has been popular.

Since the beginning of the denim pandemic, many soothsayers have claimed that the end is near for denim. People are turning away from denim and towards other comfort clothing. Denim is not the only fabric that has been popular. It is tough, durable, and evolves.

As the pandemic spread in early 2020, lockdowns were implemented in countries one after another. The supply chain was affected by each cog, which had an impact on the up and downlinks. The first thing that happened was the closure of shops, factories, transport, and trade. Each of these then had negative cascading impacts on others in ways that are still being studied.

The fashion trends and buying habits changed as the daily activities themselves changed. For the duration of the lockdowns, at least. All outdoor clothing was put on the shelf. Denim and other categories of apparel like formalwear, ethnic wear, and luxury clothing were also affected.

A survey conducted by KRC Research, based in the US, suggested that denim may be returning to fashion in a number of countries. These findings point to a new style of “business casual,” which is slowly emerging. Office workers (84%) agreed that a wardrobe update was needed. They planned to spend $445 for new clothes. More than 8/10 (82%) said they would purchase new jeans within the next year.

Of whom planned to wear jeans frequently when returning to work. Their jeans were worn out or old (45%) or no longer fitted (32%), or they felt that buying new jeans would improve their mood (34%). The survey was commissioned by Kontoor Brands – the parent company of Wrangler and Lee – but the results are not disputed. This could be true for many countries.

What has happened to the industry in the meantime?

Trade events started to be canceled as economic activity slowed down. Some organizers, with foresight and foresight, deferred or canceled events months in advance; others – not anticipating the situation – dithered until the last minute and eventually had to cancel. Trade events are only just starting to return now that the situation is much better a year-and-a-half after the pandemic. Travel is still a major obstacle to trade events but in their physical form.

A dual event of this kind is scheduled for August 31: Munich Fabric Start and Blue Zone. The first is the most important one, titled ‘the International Denim Trade Show.’ It will be the very first event to reflect the changes and the new way things will play out.

Many questions linger in the mind. How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect denim businesses worldwide? Which was the most affected, the manufacturers or the brands?

Sebastian Kinder, the managing director of MFS, can help put things into perspective. “The effects on both brands and manufacturers cannot be separated.” As with the entire fashion industry model, brands that were unable to sell their collections canceled or reduced their orders. This had a huge impact on the manufacturers. The pandemic affected society in a big way, which also impacted the denim industry.

Many new movements and values have appeared. As an example, take the inclusivity movement. “The denim industry pays more attention to producing and ordering larger sizes, adaptable jeans and genderless styles.”

MFS was affected by the pandemic in a significant way. It wasn’t easy to negotiate, adapt, and adapt to changing circumstances. Then, I have to cancel a number of shows. This is why we can’t help but be excited to see the industry reunited at Blue Zone. This time was also used to create new projects, such as the Blue Zone living page. “A show that features unique content and the most essential industry information for denim lovers.”

A Fact report provides some numbers in this regard. Santosh Kumar is a senior researcher at the agency. He says that global jeans sales have plummeted due to a number of factors, including prolonged lockdowns and supply chain disruptions. Demand declined by 4.5 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year. Demand was impacted mainly in the first two quarters, but a big jump was seen in Q4 2020. Denim production was most affected in the US, Netherlands, and Bangladesh. “While production in the US dropped by 7 percent, it was down by 5 percent in the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Vietnam in 2020 compared to 2019.

The KRC survey on denim shows that the “leap forward” in this study is in line with the KRC’s plans.

What is the new normal?

Denim’s reverses during the pandemic were not unique to this segment. The fact that the entire industry fell to its knees has been extensively documented. It is important to note how different experts in the segment view the future.

One of the many lenses through which to view this industry is sourcing. From the standpoint of fabric and apparel sourcing, two important factors. The first is the China factor. Second, the pandemic. Are the two fabrics (fabric and apparel) affected differently?

Kinder says: “Regarding China, we feel that it is still an important area for fabric and apparel. As we can see, the production costs in China are increasing. We are now seeing an increasing trend of companies diversifying their sourcing to other Asian or European countries. In addition, the pandemic affected our daily lives in many different ways, including sourcing. This is because of the strict travel restrictions and quarantine regulations imposed by the government. Asian suppliers are unable to travel to Europe or other countries to meet with partners or attend trade shows.

Eddy Wong, MFS’s sourcing expert, expects that Asian suppliers will focus on their markets while also expanding their reach to potential overseas buyers through e-business and industry agents. Kinder says that, on the other hand, “we can see that European manufacturers take this opportunity to showcase their power in sourcing, as they are able to visit European brands, and now exhibit at textile trade shows in Europe which will be held in the coming months.” No wonder we will be welcoming many quality-sourcing exhibitors from Portugal, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Romania, and Romania at the upcoming Munich Fabric Start and Blue Zone shows.

Another prism to consider is fibers. Some predict a change in fibers — traditional cotton versus alternatives like hemp. Who would drive this change if it were to occur? Will manufacturers and brands do this? Will the end users demand change?

Tricia Carey is the director of global denim business development at Lensing Fibres. She says, “In recent years, more multi-fiber denim blends have been used to achieve a better aesthetic and a lower environmental impact. Modern denim does not have a single look, style, or fiber. The mix of fibers is diverse, with each fiber serving a different purpose.

Mills plays a major role in innovation, and this is different from other segments. Denim mills are driving change by investing in new developments, from spinning to weaving to finishing and even marketing. Consumers are now asking more about how and who made their clothes. “We are all part in building back better.”

A significant portion of denim is made from elastane, MMF, or regenerated fibers. The role of brands and manufacturers is one thing, but the design process is another. How would the design process change if denim was not the cotton-driven segment? Will the design process be dictated more by market demands (in terms of fibers/fabrics?

Tilman Worobel is a Franco-German fashion designer who has worked for a variety of brands, including Adidas Originals, Lee Cooper Brands, and MFS/Blue Zone. He says: “Yes it will.” He continues: “The brands I work with–they would rather skip a fabric or design if it’s not sustainable. Some brands use rigid denim for sustainability reasons, not because they like the look. CureVac, a Canadian product, could be a game changer.”

[CureVac] is an innovative technology that was developed and patented by Candi and Denim. It uses a plant-based yarn made from natural rubber in place of synthetic petrol-based yarns. The yarn is made from organic cotton that has been wrapped around a core of natural rubber. Candi Ani created a biodegradable stretch fabric by replacing synthetic and petrol-based elastics with a custom-engineered component. This was done without compromising on the elasticity, physical properties, or durability of jeans.

Meanwhile, at the leading industry event Kingspin24 Australia in the last week of June, Carey spoke about ‘Colour-Collaboration-Circularity-Carbon.’ As the issues of fashion, society, and denim have come to the forefront, we examine how we can be part of the necessary change. Tencel Denim focuses on four key topics: color, collaboration, carbon, and circularity.

Kingpins New York, February 23, “We launched our Tencel Modal Indigo Colour Technology on February 23. This product incorporates indigo pigment into the fiber production process, resulting in significant water, chemical, and energy savings.

Collaboration is the foundation of our work as a denim ingredient fiber. Our Bast Recast capsule is being highlighted with Naveen a Denim Ltd., End rime Jean Logia, and other partners. This capsule is inspired by vintage garments and interpreted in blends of Tencel Lyocell & hemp. Jean Logia used laser and ozone technologies to finish the garments that End Rime produced.

“With 50,000,000 tonnes of textiles and apparel waste being thrown away annually, we have a different perspective on design and end-of-use. Tencel Lyocell upcycles waste cotton into a strong, soft fiber that reduces waste.

“Climate Action, SDG #13, is one of the biggest challenges that we will have to face not just in the apparel industry but across all sectors. True Carbon Zero Tencel, modal, and lyocell fibers are Lensing’s contribution towards reducing the carbon footprint. We are the first to be able to produce a certified carbon-neutral fiber through reduction, engagement, and offsets.

Athleisure and denim: The “Tussle”

You might think that’s fair enough. This would bring us back to the original point: what people wear. How has the workwear made of tough denim fared? Will the industry be repurposing denim in a post-world?

Frank Junker is the creative director of MFS. He says: “There’s been an increase in demand for comfortable apparel, athleisure and leisurewear, but there’s also been a growth in tough, durable jeans in general.”

The latest search statistics show that denim workwear is in high demand. Think about the latest must-haves: oversized shirts, straight, rough fits, in grey, muddy, green, or brown shades. Denim all-rounders are in demand in various shapes that fit all types of bodies. They can be worn at the office, for after-work walks, or even on hikes.

“Wrobel, our denim expert, also said that the term ‘athleisure” seems to be a little outdated. The demand for bottoms that are very comfortable and have a lot of elasticity will continue, but the designs and looks may change. He expects that these fabrics will be tailored to meet the needs of gamers in a style inspired by their worlds.

Carey is in favor of denim. “While consumer clothing habits have changed, denim has been a tried and true staple for many years.” Silhouettes will be adapted to consumer demand for casual and comfortable looks. Denim will be used to address the hybrid lifestyle, not only for jeans but also for truckers, shirts, and dresses. We want to get rid of the clothes we wore during the months when there were restrictions and lockdowns. “As we return to our offices, events and travel, we will change our attitude toward our style that expresses current optimism and hope.”

There are also trends, such as styles, fabrics, and washes. Junker continues to describe the situation: “Right Now, denim has begun a process of self-reinvention. Denim is a very innovative industry. We are seeing more styles and sustainability than ever before. Think about hemp, the new sustainable super textile, and denim that is completely compostable!

Theresa Walter, who manages and curates the exhibitor’s portfolio at Blue Zone, emphasizes the importance of rigid, loose-fit denim. These styles are more sustainable because they are made from 100% cotton, without any added materials such as polyester or stretch, and are therefore easily recyclable. Wrobel, a denim expert and trend expert, says that the euphoria of this year will be dominated by body-molded fits, as well as a return to low-rise jeans, skinny fits, and other styles.

Wrobel, when asked about his achievements, goes beyond the limits of human knowledge. “My team and myself have participated in a contest sponsored by the Mars Society. This is an American non-profit organization that promotes the exploration and settlement on Mars.

We explained in terms of function, design, and ingredients how we envision denim as a mandatory, ‘human’ material in the workwear for astronauts and space workers on bases on the Moon and Mars in the future. We didn’t get into the finals because the contest was mostly about architecture. “But yes, I do see functional workwear in the future with indigo, maybe not on cotton fabrics, but using natural pigments.”

Sustainability is the top priority.

Through another prism, the keywords remain circularity and sustainability. In this, too, the denim market is not all that different from the textiles-apparel-fashion industry as a whole. Denim is under immense pressure to be circular and sustainable.

Nudie Jeans is a brand of denim founded by Maria Erixon in 2001. Nudie Jeans, based in Gothenburg, SW, Eden, is considered one of the world’s most transparent brands for its work and presentation.

Nudie Jeans’ ethics and operation are often cited as models. Sandia Lang, the sustainability manager, reflects on the evolution of the brand: “The brand statement was not present when we started 20 years ago. It has evolved as we’ve learned more and more about the supply chain.” However, there are still areas for improvement. “There are a few areas where we must focus and work. The biodiversity is just one example. Social dialogue, gender issues, and increasrecycledcled fibers are also important. There are many different areas of sustainability. We have been working on social and environmental issues and have made great progress. It is a never-ending work, and we can always improve.”

Lang explains the importance of this: “We believe we have created a solid structure for our transparency efforts with the online public list of suppliers, production guides to view the supply chain by product category, and transparency at the level product. With that structure, we can add many more KPIs if we want to socially and environmentally, starting with launching CO2 emission and water use per product data later this year. We want to focus on the things that are important and understandable for consumers. It will not be a massive information overload, and it won’t be transparent just for the sake of it.

Nudie Jeans is a trendsetter in more than one way. Lang also agrees that Nudie’s transparency factor has become a popular trend. Our work in paying living wages and our concept of repair and reuse are two areas where we were pioneers, and others have since followed. We are in a constant dialogue with brands that source from the same suppliers. Many want to know how we work with a living wage, transparency, or our reuse concepts. We are probably most appreciated or known for our willingness to act first and then talk.

“For our manufacturing partners–many of whom appreciate what we do, that we’re trying to do things better, and they sometimes use us to market themselves to other possible clients. The end-users, on the other hand, are appreciative of the quality of our work, not only in terms of the products but also the customer service and the sustainability efforts. We would love to inspire our customers to adopt a slower fashion and to prolong the life of their garments. This applies to both brands as well as us.

Are brands ready to make the big leap into sustainable materials yet? Many brands have only one or two sustainable products (implying that the other lines are not sustainable). Christine Ricci, a denim expert, said in an interview with a magazine last year that “other challenges are convincing clients or brands to use sustainable materials.” They are often only concerned with the margin and bottom line and choose cheap raw materials that never give the right look.

Ricci adds to this remark, “I believe mill and fiber companies have made great efforts to pivot toward more sustainable initiatives, but when you speak honestly to them, they will tell you that the first thing brands/customers want is low prices.

Imagine that if a denim factory only produced a few sustainable products and offered these as the only options available, then the volume and price would both go down. I have the same feelings about single-use, which is far more polluting in the denim industry and fashion at all levels of the supply chain. Bioplastics are made of materials that don’t pollute the Earth. Scientists have found that plants’ sugar can be broken into molecules, which can then be linked together to create plastics. This reduces our dependency on oil, and therefore the carbon footprint, by a great deal. “Bio-compostable bags can be made using cotton and other by-products from the agricultural industry.”

Ricci is not apologetic about her conclusion: “I’ve been writing on this topic for more than three years, and the bags are going to degrade in less than a month. Cost seems to play a role in sourcing eco-friendly, sustainable raw materials. The brands use little green leaves to market one or two styles while offering a large selection of non-sustainable items. The denim industry has a responsibility to push this process toward full sustainability by 2030. Look at the “organic food” industry, where organic foods are now cheaper than non-organics. It is unrealistic to tell people not to buy new clothes. Then what? The whole sector will fold. Circularity that is transparent, cooperative, and sustainable is the way to go.

I said that factories and mills need to “drive” the boat and help the planet while satisfying their customers. Sustainability must be at the forefront of all decisions. Money spent on marketing could be better used to fund sustainable initiatives. Nesli and Sable Under, Rota’s sustainability specialist, examine what has changed. “I’m relatively new in the denim industry, but I have worked on sustainability for more than ten years. I’ve seen a huge increase in greenwashing, which is mostly caused by a lack of standardization and controls.

Brands and retailers have increased their pressure on denim, specifically in terms of emissions, energy-water usage, and the use of alternative fibers. These targets are often set at a high level without any solid basis, which places more pressure on the denim supply chains. For many years, the sector has worked to resolve the problem of excessive chemical and water usage in production.

“Some traditional solutions are being implemented through the denim supply chains, and we expect to see good results within the next few years. Other solutions, such as those that are based on biotechnology or circularity, for example, remain at the R&D or lab stage or don’t reach consumers because the sector is rushing to adopt the latest innovative solution when it launches, and this doesn’t allow these projects to grow. “I think that this is really hindering the creative stage for start-ups and innovators.”

Designers also have a part to play, as Wrobel points out: “It is fun to watch how great designers embrace this new culture of sustainability for years and work with circularity in mind.” Sustainability and circularity should not be viewed as a trend but rather as an important design element of denim that is more or less a recycling trend.

Recycling will be a crucial issue.

One element within the sustainability/circularity approach is recycling. Three res recycling explored recycling technologies as a potential new way of engineering products in a chapter entitled ‘UnRecyclingg Denim Recycling: A Quantitative Analysis with Lifecycle Assessment Methodology,’ published last year for the peer-reviewed open-access book Waste In Textile and Leather Sectors. The researchers argued that the fiber growth stage had a greater than 90% impact on the final score, especially for water and recycled. The use of recycled cotton reduces both effects by 50% by 50 percent.

It is therefore necessary to use recycled material to reduce the environmental impact primarily of water and land usage.” Questions galore would then spout forth: what wrecycledentage of recycled content do we see Today?

What is the ease/difficulty of implementing technology that will deliver this? What is practical and feasible: Shorecycle manufacturers recycle themselves, or do they use recycling companies specifically?

This is explained to the T by Under: “Today, we use recyclables where recycled fibers are used in denim in a wide range from 5-recycled to This recycled content can be recycled consumer recycled, and made of cotton, polyester, or a mix of bio-based solution recycled are many recycled fibers available in denim. How easy or difficult is it to incorporate these solutions into a product recycling on the recycling technology? Therefore, the quality of recycled fiber and the majority of recycled cotton on the market comes from mechanical processes. Production wastes, such as cut-offs or post-consumer clothing, are reduced to smaller pieces and then shredded and torn, reducing the fiber lengths. The fiber strength is also affected by this process.

It is a challenge for spinnrecycled to use recycled cotton. We need to combine it with virgin fibers of high quality in order to increase the strength of the yarn. We can also achieve greater efficiencies during the subsequent production stages, such as dyeing and weaving. Werecycledhat by using recycled cotton, it is possible to achieve good performance in dyeing, weaving, and finishing after spinning. A good spinning efficiency is also important, which means minimal breakages, low production of waste, optimal virgin fiber, and efficient energy use. We do not want other parameters to be compromised by incorporating recycled cotton in our products. We believe that there must be an equilibrium when we include such fibers in production. This requires good design and a well-established communication system between production units.”

Recycling means that recycling companies produce recycled fiber because it’s a different specialty and process. It is a waste-management business where you have to follow laws and rules that are different from what we are used to. While you’re producing a textile product out of waste, you may also be generating waste that needs to be further processed for safe disposal. We have machines and systems that we use to process our waste fibers. These wastes are clean and of high quality, so we are confident in re-feeding them into our production.

Under and her co-workers also listed a number of challenges. These challenges murecycledercome if recycled content is going to be used. What steps are companies/associations taking to overcome those challenges? What is being done is certainly not enough.

Her response was: “The biggest issue is recycling quality recycled cotton due to the technological shortcomings in the mechanical textile recycling system. New advanced chemical recycling can overcome this. There are also new tech companies that work on bio-based solutions.

The biggest recycling to the recycling of fibers is the waste management and collection systems around the globe. The current laws allow for the return of pre-consumer textiles to the economy. Post-consumer textile waste is the main issue, as consumers throw it away with household waste. This makes them unrecyclable or reusable. Brands and NGOs now work on educating the consumer and taking back programs to establish better collection and management systems.”

Researchers also made a crucial point: “The more complicated the composition, then the more drecyclet it is to recycle jeans mechanically.” However, as they had already pointed out, more than 50% of jeans are composed of elastane, MMF, or regenerated cellulosic fibers. It seems that it will become more and more difficult for fibers to be recycledcted into recycled fibers. This is still a major problem.

Under agrees: “That’s the downside of denim.” Manufacturers are forced to use synthetic fibers or blends due to the pressure of pricing and special requirements such as high performance. This affects recyclability to recycle via mechanical systems. The major recycling systems can handle 98 percent cotton and 2 percent elastane blended fabrics. This is not enough if you consider the entire denim cycle. Therefore, there are studies, working groups, and collaborations that work on content scanning/detecting/separating systems recycling systems, similar to viscose production, which extract cellulosic from the feed. We are very interested in bio-based technologies as well as solutions.