8 Sustainability-Minded Labels Doing Denim Right
These labels will make you feel better about that purchase.
Known to be resource-heavy and highly pollutive, denim requires massive amounts of water—we are talking 1,800 gallons for a single pair—energy, and chemical-intensive processes to make. And let's not go into details about what's needed to harvest all that cotton.
While it's best to shop vintage or pre-loved given the negative environmental impacts of the denim industry, we know it would be challenging to quit buying brand-new jeans altogether. Ahead, eco-minded labels that will make you feel better about that purchase.
Sustainability is built into Nudie Jeans. From its high proportion of eco-friendly materials to free repair service and complete transparency on each product page, the Swedish label is perfect for the conscious consumer.
Since 2012, all Nudie’s denim has been made with 100% organic cotton, and today, eco-friendly fabrics such as certified organic and Fairtrade cotton, reused denim, TENCEL™, recycled wool and more.
With a mission to bring sustainable fashion to everyone and an aim to achieve Climate Positivity by 2025, cult label Reformation tracks their environmental footprint and calculates the impact their products have on the environment.
This year, the brand launched a Circular Denim line by working with sustainable and innovative manufacturers Strom and Bossa. Fabric scraps are combined with FibreTrace Cotton and organic cotton to keep denim in use and out of landfills. Plus, all pairs of jeans are 100% recyclable.
Committed to sustainable and fair manufacturing practices with a focus on fit and comfort that doesn't compromise on style, FRAME has evolved from making hand-crafted denim to offering ready-to-wear staples in the finest natural materials. Founded in 2012, the LA-based label boasts an expansive range of denim styles for both men and women.
Its recently launched (Bio)Degradable jeans, in partnership with Milan-based denim producer Candiani Denim, is made from 100 percent cotton that is 100 percent biodegradable. Featuring innovative fabrics which degrade respective to stretch content, the jeans also undergo Candiani’s micro plastics-free dying process and follow FRAME’s four pillars of responsible washing—no bleach, no potassium permanganate, and no stone-washing, while using water-saving machinery.
Earlier this year, the brand also introduced a circular denim capsule collection comprising two classic pairs of jeans and a denim jacket, designed as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign project.
PANGAIA—the science-forward loungewear brand focused on eco-conscious materials—has launched its first-ever denim line you'll want to live in. Crafted from Wild Himalayan nettle and organic cotton sourced from India, PANGAIA Denim marks a new chapter in denim history—the first time selvedge denim has been made with Himalayan nettle.
The new material was created as a rare left-hand weave that makes the material softer by balancing the strength of the nettle with softness that comes from reversing the direction of the weave. Highly durable and weavable, the Himalayan nettle denim is also coloured using Italian fiber spinner Candiani Denim's state-of-the-art water and dye saving process.
Comprising straight-leg denim jeans, a 90’s vintage-inspired jacket and high-rise straight-leg jeans—all available in rinse and mid washes—the collection also features digital passports designed to help accelerate greater transparency, traceability and circularity in the industry, while inspiring responsible consumer choices.
Related article: PANGAIA Launches Sustainable Activewear With An ’80s Inspired Campaign
Luxury fashion retailer Farfetch has launched its very own in-house brand, dubbed There Was One, in partnership with New Guards Group (NGG) which includes Off-White, Heron Preston, Opening Ceremony, and Palm Angels.
Made from certified eco-friendly materials—a detailed description and material composition for the first and second drop are listed here—the line of elevated wardrobe classics are designed with longevity in mind and draws from the platform's data-driven insights on what customers search for and buy on Farfetch.
The brand will be operating on a drop versus seasonal model to minimise overproduction. Purchases will also be shipped to customers with minimal compostable or recyclable packaging.
With a mission to keep heritage brands relevant and create sustainable, mindful fashion, LA-based denim brand Re/Done started upcycling vintage Levi's in 2014, and has since diverted over 225,850 garments from landfills into covetable pieces. Over the years, Re/Done has expanded into other product categories, from recycled heritage cotton T-shirts (via a collaboration with US brand Hanes) to upcycled leather jackets, reduced-water denim and sneakers handmade in Italy.
Besides offsetting carbon emissions from every order placed and offering free denim repairs for life for customers who register their pieces online, Re/Done also ships orders in reusuable and returnable packaging. Earlier this year, the brand launched Re/Sell, allowing customers to sell their Re/Done denim in exchange for store credit. We love a brand working hard to reduce its environmental impact in all ways.
Related article: How To Care For Your Denim, According To An Expert
Furthering its commitment to the environment with the release of its most sustainable denim collection to date, H&M launched its Recycled Denim collection, a 10-piece range that includes baggy jeans, loose straight-leg jeans, a trucker jacket, oversized overshirt, a bucket hat and shopper.
Made from 100% recycled denim fabrics, the '90s inspired collection uses partly recycled metal zippers and trims, pre-consumer recycled cotton from industrial waste cuttings and post-consumer recycled cotton from collected garments, recycled polyester and fabrics re-used from production rejects. Each denim piece also washes free from harmful chemicals, and fabric dyes used save 65-95% of water consumption as compared to conventional dyes. For this collection, H&M also shared Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data, focusing on water, energy and CO2 impacts throughout the production process.
This comes after H&M's sustainable denim collaboration with American denim legend Lee. Incorporating renewable practices at every stage of design and production, the collection sees updated workwear essentials—from H&M’s first-ever 100% recycled cotton jeans and overalls made from 80% post-industrial waste and 20% post-consumer waste, to faux-leather backpatches crafted from cork and jacron.
Mother denim has taken a step towards sustainability with 60% Mother, a collection that incorporates overstock materials from its own deadstock collection (accounting for 60% of the collection) and discarded fabrics from wholesale vintage recycling plants in Los Angeles (the remaining 40%). The result? One-of-a-kind pieces—think: patchworked jeans, jumpsuits, skirts, dresses—that are responsibly made.
This October, a second installment of the capsule in collaboration with model and environmental activist Carolyn Murphy was unveiled. Using vintage finds, deadstock and Mother’s overstock, the 14-piece collection called Homegrown is an ode to Mother Earth. The brand is also donating $50,000 to the Sierra Club to support its work and efforts to protect 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
Related article: Mother And Carolyn Murphy Collaborate On A New Sustainable Collection