During the last edition of Kingpins Amsterdam, the Brazilian denim specialist Vicunha has disclosed Malva Denim, a new development made with Amazonian malva fiber, a 100% natural, renewable, and biodegradable raw material that is both environmentally and socially sustainable.
The new fabric connects Amazonian biodiversity, adding a new value to local knowledge and a positive social impact with textile innovation thanks to this new natural, renewable, and biodegradable fiber.
The result is a distinctly Brazilian origin denim that combines a rustic-contemporary aesthetic with environmental responsibility.
Malva is actually cultivated by riverside communities in the Amazon and follows the region’s natural cycles of drought and flooding. According to the project, the cultivation of the malva plants takes place without deforestation, artificial irrigation, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. Rainfall and river flooding provide natural irrigation and fertilization, allowing the crop to coexist with local flora and fauna.
The fiber is processed by Castanhal Têxtil in Pará, in Brazil. Its environmental attributes include a very low footprint, no soil degradation or water contamination, preservation of biodiversity, and CO₂ capture during the plant’s rapid growth. At the end of its life cycle, the natural fiber is biodegradable.
Moreover, behind every meter of fabric made with malva fiber is a network of families and knowledge passed down through generations.
The malva production chain supports riverside communities in Amazonas and northeastern Pará. It generates local income, it helps communities remain in their territories, and it strengthens the Amazon bioeconomy through renewable natural resources.
“Developing fabrics with an Amazonian fiber is more than innovation: it is a way to connect environmental conservation, social responsibility, and the future of denim. Malva gives us the opportunity to bring the Amazon’s knowledge and biodiversity into a product with a strong identity and a meaningful story for the global fashion industry,” said Maria Rodriguez, marketing manager, Vicunha.
Malva Denim matches with Vicunha’s wider sustainability initiatives, including the use of wind energy and reused water in production, as well as regenerative and recycled cotton. Together, these initiatives reflect the company’s ongoing work to combine innovation, responsible production, and new material solutions for the jeanswear industry.
Within the new project, Vicunha also involved some local designers and asked them to create some outfits using Malva Denim. Their choice includes an exclusive hand-embroidered outfit by Amarpo, a texture that recreates the extraordinary abundance of the environment where Malva grows, and the colors, rhythms, and textures of the Amazon’s landscape: layered, imperfect, exuberant, and constantly in motion.
Designer Carolina Ronderos took her inspiration by the quiet metamorphosis of a butterfly, as her creation explores transformation through fabric. She transformed the fabric—layer by layer—into a living surface, rich in movement and texture. The threads respond to the body like fragments in motion, echoing the constant evolution found in nature.
Camilo Alvarez, instead, pointed out how in a world obsessed with highlighting differences, this design celebrates what brings people together. By designing gender-neutral silhouettes and decors originating from the meeting together of craftsmanship and industrial production.