Four companies sensitive to the sustainable cause–Avalo, Neela, The Lycra Company and Soko–have collaborated to Naturalls, a new denim capsule collection designed to highlight sustainable innovation across the supply chain.
The new plant-based, low-carbon denim collection will debut at a next Climate Week NYC happening on 20-27 September in NY. The event is one of the world’s largest climate gatherings, disclosing new solutions that can face present times’ water scarcity, extreme weather, oil and fertilizer shortages–and what roles can be played across all levels of the supply chain.
Designed by expert denim designer Gordon Muir of Labor Made Inc, the Naturalls capsule wants to deliver innovation and sustainability from start to finish. It is made with soft touch denim by Neela by Sapphire Fibers Inc.only using plant-based materials and sustainable processes. The collection includes work pants, jackets, aprons, and other workwear-inspired pieces, taking its inspiration from the practical clothing worn in the fields–where the fiber’s life begins.
Fabrics are made with Avalo Low-Footprint Cotton, that uses zero irrigation, 75% less fertilizer, and creates half the emissions of conventionally grown cotton. It is developed by Avalo, a US Al-power crop evolution company based from Durham, in North Carolina, founded in 2019.
They also incorporate Renewable Lycra stretch fiber, made with 70% renewable content, an alternative that reduces the carbon footprint of the fiber by up to 45% compared to equivalent Lycra fiber made with fossil-based resources.
Soko, a textile finishing innovation company, applied two of its proprietary technologies to the collection’s finishing process. The first is Hydrogel, an innovative technology that transforms water into a gel, allowing multiple finishing treatments to be performed in a single bath, while reducing water consumption by up to 85%, energy use by up to 68%, and processing time by up to 50%. It also used Rare, its collection of naturally derived mineral pigments.
“Every piece of clothing starts in a field, with a farmer and a plant working harder than most people realize to keep up with a changing climate. Naturalls is our way of putting that reality in front of the designers and product developers. Sustainability in this industry doesn’t have to be a tradeoff between innovation and impact,” commented Tricia Carey, CCO, Avalo.
“Lycra fiber transformed denim decades ago by making it more comfortable, versatile and relevant to everyday life. Today, we’re continuing that journey with Renewable Lycra fiber, helping bring renewable content into stretch denim without compromising the fit, comfort and performance that consumers expect,” commented Ebru Ozaydin, product category director, Denim and Ready to Wear, The Lycra Company.
“Garment finishing plays an essential role in shaping both the look and the environmental impact of denim. It is also a stage where significant amounts of water, energy and time have traditionally been consumed. With Naturalls, we wanted to show how innovation in finishing can significantly reduce these resources while preserving the authentic look, feel and character that make denim unique,” added Luca Braschi, marketing & technology manager, Soko.
“We’re living in a collaboration era, and that spirit became the driving force behind Naturalls. As the mill behind this collection, our intent was to create something bigger, smarter, and more natural. This collection is designed in a way that represents innovate fiber solutions and eco-friendly manufacturing with a strong focus on fabric aesthetics, hand feel and visual appeal,” commented Zeeshan Ahmed, GM, business development, Neela.
”Our vision was to develop a new take on functional workwear, inspired by the workers who do the unsung jobs, the farmers who created the fibre used in the collection-–these are the real heroes. The Naturalls Collection began there,” said Gordon Muir, Labor Made Inc.