WHAT ARE NFTs?

NFTs are cryptographic assets created with the use of blockchain technology. It allows for the transfer of value across a non-replicable medium. It can be a one-of-a-kind, non-recurring token that cannot be partitioned but can be used to depict real or virtual world items, including the token’s own attributes and ownership, all while staying inside a blockchain representation. This equips NFTs with the distinct characteristics that make them so appealing. Smart contracts, which are software programmes that regulate actions such as authenticating ownership and restricting their transferability, are used to generate NFTs.

When a person creates an NFT, they write the smart software code that governs the NFT’s properties and contributes those qualities to the NFT’s blockchain. NFTs are digital files made as jpg, png,.mov, or 3D fashion files prior to getting minted (connected) to a blockchain. They are more than simply a chase to cryptocurrency. NFTs are controlled and authenticated as digital assets via digital accounting records or blockchains, and they are kept in digital wallets in the same way as cryptocurrencies and other assets are, and they serve as valuable objects sold in the digital environment.

In simple language, NFTs cannot be copied or hacked and are not mutually interchangeable, which means, no two NFTs are the same. They are non-fungible, which signifies that instead of obtaining an actual object that you may wear (and which almost certainly has many replicas in the real world), you will instead receive a one-of-a-kind JPG file that cannot be replicated.

ROLE OF NFT IN FASHION INDUSTRY

The fashion and beauty industries have made a determined effort in recent years to enhance a true and precise knowledge of business developments in order to encourage new terms that are consistent with current corporate practices. Fashion’s the only chance of re-entering the fast-paced digital train was to build NFTs, as it had entirely missed the boat with E-commerce. When e-commerce first emerged, a huge number of businesses were completely disinterested in exploring the new channel. The fashion business has become significantly more cautious since then. Sustainable fashion and beauty is a big incentive for younger millennials and Gen Z market groups. Prestige companies may use NFTs to create unique experiences for their customers, increasing brand awareness, engagement, and revenue. Despite the apparent advantages, however, fashion has yet to find out the ideal way to utilize NFTs.

NFT fever had gripped the year 2021. With the growth in Google searches for NFTs, the NFT business saw $2.5 billion in revenue during the first half of 2021, up from $13.7 million the year before. With the fashion business seeking to unlock the technology’s capabilities, it’s no surprise that Karl Lagerfeld has already stated that another release is in the works after their premiere in the virtual world.

As popular as the Karl Lagerfeld NFTs have been, it’s critical for companies to grasp how NFTs vary from other sectors that are more acclimated to selling digital items. This is mostly due to the fact that conventional fashion firms, who are known for their reluctance to digitalization, are finding it difficult to let go of their physicality. As a result, individuals who follow this business are often left wondering what NFTs are, why everyone is eager to cash in, and what they imply for a market that has stayed steadfastly physical for so long.

PLUSES AND MINUSES OF NFTs IN FASHION INDUSTRY

As a designer, an NFT may produce virtual fashion goods that are separate from real-life products, addressing the problem of digital apparel reproduction. NFT broadens the selection of one-of-a-kind things. A fashion company may utilize it to offer its own show video or customized backstage photos. When it comes to digital copies, the NFT makes it simple for collectors to find the original copy they desire. NFT might have an influence on the resale market not only by keeping track of changes in ownership of a given item but also by paying corporations a premium whenever their goods are sold in the second-hand high-end market, for example.

Regardless of their individual advantages, however, NFTs are still a pretty modern investment strategy that may provide buyers with unexpected challenges. Some issues to be aware of and investigate more before purchasing NFTs, such as the fact that anybody can take a picture of the artwork, upload it to a blockchain, and sell it, therefore purchasers must ensure that they are purchasing NFTs from the artist or that the seller has the authorization to sell the NFT. By themselves, NFTs are unable to link the production or ownership of an NFT to a real person in the physical world or to verify that the NFT’s creator has the fundamental entitlements to connect that NFT with a certain creative work.

BIG FASHION BRANDS JOINING NFT MARKET

Below is a breakdown of the many brand tactics for handling the NFT area in the fashion industry, including specific adjustments, how bitcoin carbon emissions are being mitigated, and what’s next in the space.

• RTFKT’s Virtual Sneakers

The RTFKT brand was founded in 2019 and quickly established itself as a leader in the virtual sneaker market. Early in 2021, the company worked on a project with “Fewocious,” a well-known crypto artist who was only 18 at the time. He created three virtual sneakers that buyers could “try on” via Snapchat before entering an auction to buy them. The top bidder was also given the opportunity to receive a tangible pair of sneakers to try in person. The partnership lived up to the expectations, selling 600 pairs of sneakers in just 7 minutes for a total of 3.1 million dollars.

Since then, RTKFT has expanded its portfolio by collaborating with “The Fabricant” to produce a new collection of seven virtual products, which received $8 million in their most recent financing round.

• GUCCI Selling NFTs

Gucci was the first luxury house to venture into the world of non-traditional textiles. The NFT of the legendary Italian fashion business was inspired by a movie by their “Aria” collection in cooperation with Alessandro Michele, rather than being patterned after fashion products. Christie’s auctioned this four-minute clip for a whopping 25,000 million dollars.

• Louis Vuitton- NFTs collecting Game

On the occasion of its founder’s 200th birthday on August 4th, Louis Vuitton merged fashion and technology by releasing “Louis the Game,” an adventure-style game in which players must navigate around Vivienne’s dollhouse.

Aside from that, gamers flocked to various locations to acquire 200 candles to commemorate the 200th anniversary of their birth. The trip included 30 hidden NFTs and 10 NFTs created in partnership with prominent NFT artist “Beeple.” This game’s NFTs are free to gather and not for sale to the general public.

• Prada’s Partnership With Adidas

In the latest incarnation of luxury in the metaverse, Prada is presenting its first NFT in collaboration with Adidas: an audience digital work in a Beeple-style collage.

Anyone may register to upload an image using a specifically developed filter that will be modified, jumbled up, and 40% of the image erased to make the image anonymous starting on January 24. Three thousand of the individual images will be chosen at random and minted as one-of-a-kind NFTs by Adidas for free. The owner of the artwork will be the person who submitted it, and they will be able to sell their NFT on the secondary market. Zach Lieberman, a digital artist, and creative coder will subsequently merge the selected photographs into tiles into one massive patchwork NFT.

• Burberry With Blankos Block Party

Burberry collaborated with a video game company to create its own NFTs. After the triumph of its own game, B Bounce debuted in 2019, the brand went into the digital world by collaborating with Mythical Games’ Blankos Block Party on a charming shark Blanko that can be acquired, updated, and sold in-game. The Burberry NFT, unlike Ethereum, does not function on the energy-intensive Proof of Work crypto paradigm, but rather on a proprietary EOSIO blockchain protocol that uses a significantly less energy-intensive Proof of Authority methodology.

• Overpriced- Scannable Hoodies

Overpriced, the world’s first NFT-driven fashion business, has created a real-life sweatshirt with a scannable code that allows the hoodie’s owner to show it around. This sweatshirt is being auctioned for $26,000 USD on the NFT site “BlockParty.”

Because most fashion labels, such as Balenciaga and Fortnite, place their NFTs inside closed systems, the concept of a virtual wardrobe that moves across multiple gaming platforms and digital worlds is still a work in progress. Polygon, for example, is attempting to alter this. Dolce & Gabbana, a luxury fashion business, has launched NFTs on the platform, emphasizing the ease with which their clothing may be moved between many digital “worlds.” “There’s going to be a lot of money in the NFT fashion industry,” said Joseph Pallant, the creator of the Blockchain for Climate Foundation and an NFT specialist.

FUTURE WITH FASHION & METAVERSE- UNLOCKING LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH NFT MARKET

The co-founder of stablecoin Tether, William Quigley said, “I’m betting that the revenue model for the metaverse is going to be NFTs.” The Bitcoin pioneer, Quigley, sees the Metaverse as “a massive economic force that will profoundly affect people’s lives in the years ahead.” The fashion industry must grasp that NFTs are all about digital item ownership, and the Metaverse is merely extending that notion into one or more virtual worlds in order to prepare for the metaverse’s future. Despite the fact that the Metaverse as a business model is still in its infancy, NFTs are turning this creative playground to life.

Neuno, created by Natalie Johnson, sees the promise of NFTs as well. Neuno is urging the fashion industry to reach a digital utopia where one may possess a unique piece of “fashion history” by bridging the gap between the actual world and NFTs.

You can’t discuss NFTs and the Metaverse without mentioning the recent emergence of NFT markets, which provide users with a location to purchase and trade NFTs. Investors such as billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, music tycoon Jay-Z, and Google Ventures, which give seed, venture, and growth-stage capital to digital firms, have taken notice of some of these sites. The vocabulary of the future will revolve around NFTs, cryptocurrency, blockchain, skins, and metaverse.

Circularity has been discussed by Dame Ellen MacArthur since 2010, although the concept has only lately gained popularity. After retiring from sailing 12 years ago- MacArthur being the first woman to solo around the globe- she founded the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to bring together the worlds of business, education, fashion, agriculture, and beyond to conceive a dramatic transformation to a “circular economy.” A circular economy, in contrast to our existing linear concept of creation, consumption, and disposal, entails reducing waste, keeping items in circulation, and renewing nature.

MacArthur launched the book on the 2nd of December, 2021, at Business of Fashion VOICES. Circular Design for Fashion was created in honor of fashion’s enormous potential to change to a circular economy, as well as its creatives – enthusiastic disruptors who are always looking for new ways to innovate. The book introduces a new design approach and inspires designers to think about how they might help shape a more resilient and successful fashion sector that addresses climate change and biodiversity loss. Investigate the challenges of creating with three concepts in mind: reducing waste and pollution, cycling products and resources, and renewing nature. The book presents an assorted mix of voices, well-known names like Stella McCartney, Gabriela Hearst, and Eileen Fisher, as well as upcoming designers like Bethany Williams and Duran Lantink, upcycling professionals like ADIFF’s Angela Luna and Loulwa Al Saad, regenerative agriculture assets like Fibershed and FarFarm, Gucci and its parent company Kering, and some of the industry’s most successful corporations like Inditex, Fast Retailing, and H&M.

SUBSISTENCE BY CIRCULAR DESIGN

Many firms and designers in the fashion field have begun to take initiatives to remove waste and pollution from their product lifecycles in recent years. Elodie Rousselot, the strategic design manager at Ellen MacArthur Foundation says, “I think we’re witnessing a beautiful moment in the industry, where many are actively looking at how they can change their businesses and the way they design products to be fit for the circular economy.” The goal of circular design is to create goods and services that don’t have a linear life cycle with a beginning, middle, and conclusion. The goal is to create goods that can “be produced to be made again,” as ex- CEO of IDEO, Tim Brown phrased it.

The move to a circular economy (CE) presents designers with a variety of new issues and necessitates particular knowledge, tactics, and methodologies. The CE idea broadens the scope of the design process and encourages the incorporation of new knowledge domains and abilities. Throughout all phases of the design process, substantial engagement with stakeholders and specialists is required for the CE to be implemented successfully in reality. Design firms have responded to the CE by forming dedicated CE research and design workgroups, facilitating information flow, constructing their own circular strategies and techniques, and pursuing long-term client relationships that encourage designers to become involved in the lifecycles of crafted artifacts rather than viewing design projects as one-time events. Many designers have taken the initiative too. Amongst such designers are the six contributors, highlighted by Rousselot in MacArthur’s book, who are at the forefront of the movement towards the circular fashion industry.

ORANGE CUTURE BY ADEBAYO OKE-LAWAL

Adebayo Oke-Lawal creates gender-neutral clothing with a 90 percent indigenous Nigerian supply chain that includes everything from material procurement to dyeing and printing. The designer tries to guarantee that money stays in the community through his Lagos-based label Orange Culture, while also training his suppliers and staff about sustainable manufacturing processes so that they may apply what they’ve learned to other initiatives.

“They’ve also begun encouraging shoppers to return undesired clothing so that it may be turned into new outfits and sold again. It’s more than just a repair service. It’s almost as though the clothing had a new narrative to tell.” Rousselot said, “Orange Culture uses the offcuts from its manufacturing process to form new products or elements such as lining.”

RAEBURN BY CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN

Whilst pursuing fashion design in London in the early 2000s, Christopher Raeburn began working with excess fabrics and clothes, purchasing unworn military coats from the 1950s for £1 apiece and reworking them into new outfits. Since then, he’s pushed to expand the use of reused materials in mass production with his own British Fashion Award-winning label Raeburn, along with switching ‘Timberland’ to regeneratively cultivated leather as creative director for the footwear company.

“He was one of the first to bring this practice to a commercial scale, in a way that is attractive and different from what you would expect from an ‘eco brand,” Rousselot said.

ICICLE BY YE SHOUZENG AND TAO XIAOMA

Icicle, a Chinese company founded in 1997 by husband-and-wife team Ye Shouzeng and Tao Xiaoma, uses five primary materials – cashmere, linen, wool, silk, and cotton – that is sustainably sourced and lightly treated to preserve the attention on the fibers’ inherent beauty. To maintain transparency and protect the welfare of garment workers, the company does all of its design and manufacture in-house at its own facilities.

Rousselot quotes about the innovative couple- “They are bringing this different perspective to a circular design, which is based on traditional Chinese philosophy and runs counter to the Western idea that we’re born, we die and then that’s it”

MARINE SERRE

Aside from her signature crescent moon motif, French designer Marine Serre is recognized for using repurposed materials such as household linens, carpets, and towels in 50% of her designs. Serre’s work, which was awarded the esteemed LVMH prize in 2017 and is distributed by big shops like Selfridges and Browns, demonstrates that waste materials, notwithstanding their nasty reputation, may have a place in the premium fashion industry.

“She’s extremely cutting edge in the way she designs with these textiles,” Rousselot said. “In fashion design, usually what students are taught to do is to define a color palette that will guide their collection and then find the fabrics to match.”

FIBERSHED

Fibershed is a non-profit organization that assists businesses in gaining access to hyper-local textile supply chains by employing regenerative agricultural techniques that retain carbon in the soil rather than releasing it. Designer Phoebe English recently produced a line of outfits for the COP26 climate conference in conjunction with its regional arm in South East England, for which all fabrics were farmed, dyed, spun, and processed within a 250-kilometer radius of her London studio.

Rousselot quotes- “This approach means you are not growing hectares of cotton, you’re growing different types of crops that naturally thrive in the area such as nettle or hemp.”

NKWO BY NKWO ONWUKA

Nkwo Onwuka, a British-Nigerian designer, created Dakala, a new African textile that looks like hand-loomed fabric but is manufactured by stripping and putting together discarded denim pieces. She currently instructs indigenous women in Abuja to use their traditional textile crafts abilities to manufacture new garments from the heaps of garment trash transported to Nigeria from western nations, with the goal of “weaving waste into prosperity.”

“She’s also started looking at sourcing cotton locally,” Rousselot explained. “Nigeria doesn’t grow a lot of cottons but unlike in Kyrgyzstan, where it’s a cause of desertification, in Nigeria, it can grow rain-fed so it doesn’t require extra irrigation.”

CIRCULAR FASHION: THE CURRENT SCENARIO

The circular fashion industry is being embraced by more than just independent or eco-friendly apparel manufacturers. 64 of the world’s largest fashion brands, including Adidas and Inditex, inked a pledge in January 2018 to speed the transition to a circular business model. Adidas, for example, decided to address the issue of materials by gradually implementing a 3-Step Loop Strategy, in which Step 1 is to use recycled materials, Step 2 is to make those recycled materials part of a loop that can be reused, and Step 3 is to bio-fabricate the materials of the future so that when they come out of the loop, they are biodegradable and can be returned to nature without endangering it.

Denim is a wardrobe must for millions of individuals all over the world. The manufacture of a single pair of jeans in traditional way consumes 3,781 liters of water, which is a fact that the majority are unaware of. However, of late, we have seen that Ellen MacArthur foundation and other initiatives in the industry have ensured that the industry moves firmly in the direction of circularity and we hope to see huge changes very soon.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation had created The Jeans Redesign, a set of recommendations aimed at encouraging the denim industry to embrace the circular economy more effectively. Hundreds of companies have already signed on and committed their support. Among them are Gap, H&M, Wrangler, and a many other well-known brands. In June 2021, the first redesigned jeans utilizing the criteria was finished, proving that circular jeans may be made now.

IMPORTANCE OF CIRCULAR FASHION ON PLANET

“Cradle to Cradle is like good gardening; it is not about “saving” the planet but about learning to thrive on it,” a quote by Michael Braungart says it all. The contemporary industrial infrastructure’s design goal is to provide an appealing product that is inexpensive, complies with rules, performs well enough, and lasts long enough to fulfil market expectations. With a projected worldwide population of nine billion people by 2030, nature will face unprecedented challenges in meeting human demands. The purpose of circular fashion is to guarantee that clothing is manufactured from safe and renewable materials, that innovative business models increase its usage, and that old clothing is reused. We want to see the garment industry progress to a future where every material is securely used and reused, ecosystems are protected, and people have meaningful jobs. This is the circular fashion philosophy, as well as why it is so vital.

Clothes are an outward manifestation of our personality, and while variety is important, we should be more careful of how much we really need.

1. LEVI’S

Levi Strauss & Co. is a global leader in jeanswear and one of the world’s top brand-name apparel companies. This year, the brand launched its “Buy Better, Wear Longer,” Spring 2021 campaign, which raises awareness about shared responsibility and the environmental implications of apparel production and consumption. The introduction of 55% hemp blended fabrics, new natural-dye techniques, the expanded use of organically grown cotton, and the recyclability of every Wellthread garment was inculcated by the brand. Levi’s Wellthread used a technique by which ultrasonic waves are used to apply the dye to the fibre. The brand also used Water< Less techniques which have saved more than 3.5 billion litres of water since they were introduced nearly a decade ago. A few of the company’s central goals for the future are to use 100 per cent of sustainably produced cotton by 2025, its supply chain will have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 40% and by 2030, water usage in the industry in water-stressed areas will be reduced by half. 

2. NUDIE JEANS

This Swedish denim company delivers and preserves a tradition true to the fabric’s history and attributes by thinking in terms of wear, tear, and repair rather than fast fashion. Teaming up with London-based retailer Browns Fashion, Nudie Jeans has created a collection of 16 denim pieces, all reworked from pre-existing denim. The brand has already repaired 45900 jeans for free and has produced 98.6% Sustainable products. 2021 was the third full year in which it used only certified organic cotton for all the cotton products.

Moreover, according to its Sustainable Material Tool the brand defines a garment or accessory as sustainable when it contains at least 70% sustainable fibres. The brand aims to increase number GOTS-certified denim fabrics to reach 50% of all denim fabrics by 2022 and reach 100% renewable energy sources for electricity used in all Nudie Jeans operated facilities by changing energy subscription or investing in Renewable Energy Certificates by 2023. Nudie Jeans also plans to open 50 new permanent Repair spots, including Repair Shops, Partner stores and Repair partners in the coming years.

3. PANGAIA

 Pangaia is a direct-to-consumer materials science company bringing breakthrough textile innovations and patents into the world through everyday lifestyle products. This year, the brand introduced its sustainable denim PANettle, a mix of naturally regenerating wild Himalayan nettle, organic cotton, and PPRMINT for longer-lasting freshness. To diversify its material sources and lessen reliance on traditional cotton, the company employs wild Himalayan nettle. The denim produced is coloured with state-of-the-art water and dye-saving technologies, and the thread is made entirely of biobased cellulose. Non-galvanized, recyclable stainless-steel buttons are also used in denim. The brand created FRUT FIBER and PLNT FIBER to replace cotton in their product line. The two cellulose fibre blends were successfully produced and supplied by Pangaia from fruit and plant raw material sources.

4. RE/DONE

 Redone is known for reconstructing Levi’s vintage jeans into modern fits, giving a sense of uniqueness and rareness to each consumer. The brand debuted its first collection designed in line with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign project guidelines. All jeans are made of responsibly sourced 100 per cent organic cotton, recycled hardware, and bio-based patches, and include a hangtag with a QR code that provides consumers with a full traceability report documenting the lifecycle of each product. Items are shipped using recycled, oxo-biodegradable poly bags. The manufacturer also uses laser and e-flow technologies for energy- and water-saving washes and uses a three-stage purification system to reduce water waste. Since its launch, Re/Done reports that it has diverted more than 231,000 garments from landfills.

5. EVERLANE

A millennial-favourite DTC clothing brand, Everlane announced a very ambitious sustainability goal: to eliminate virgin plastic from its supply chain, packaging, offices and stores by 2021.  By now, it has successfully removed 90% of all virgin plastics from its supply chain. Following through on its commitment to exclusively using certified-organic cotton by 2023,  the denim brand debuted what it calls its cleanest denim to date.  All items in the Clean range feature 98.5 per cent GOTS-certified organic cotton and 1.5 per cent Roica. Each piece is produced with microplastic-free dyes and recycled trim. It also debuted its Fall/Winter 2021 ad campaign entitled “Get into Denim” to adorn the brand’s collection of organic denim. Everlane is now looking for early-stage entrepreneurs to join the Next Collective, a fellowship program that will provide participants with $20,000 and access to industry leaders in sustainability, fashion, design, business and innovation.

6. MADEWELL

Madewell, which is known for its denim, is an apparel retailer that promotes creativity, diversity, and self-expression. This year, the brand introduced a new part of its website called “Madewell Forever,” which helps customers find a new home for their well-loved jeans, whether they’re clearing out their wardrobe and seeking a new home for them or they’re in the market for a new pair of denim.

Madewell Forever had around 3,000 pairs of secondhand Madewell jeans in a wide range of fits and styles, most of which ranged from $35 to $50. Furthermore, its spring 2021 collection called Summerweight Denim was designed to replace linen as one’s go-to choice for summer bottoms. The fabric is made from a blend of hemp and cotton which is wrinkle-free, moisture-wicking, breathable, and lightweight. The brand aims to source 100% sustainable and virgin-plastic-free fibres for all materials by 2025. It also aims to make more than 90% of its denim fair trade certified. By 2025, the brand strives to do carbon neutral operations entirely.

7. REFORMATION

The cult favourite label, Reformation has been dabbling in denim, through vintage capsules and designer collaborations. Reformation launched their denim collection in collaboration with FibreTrace, which labels fabrics with a unique pigment that can be tracked and validated throughout the garment supply chain. This effort is in line with Reformation’s goal of complete supply chain transparency by 2025.  This year, the brand also signed the 2020 Circularity Fashion System Commitment Letter, with the goal of recirculating 500,000 garments in the next five years and have already been able to reuse or recycle 417,811 garments in 2021 itself.  Reformation also teamed up with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign program to achieve its commitment to transforming the way jeans are produced.

8. OUTLAND DENIM

This Australian denim company gained popularity after Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wore a pair on her royal tour in Australia in 2018. Measured through third-party Environmental Impact Measurement criteria, 97 per cent of Outland Denim’s washes are categorized as “low impact.” This year, Outland Denim expanded its rigid jeans options, collaborated with fellow Aussie brand Spell on a line of vintage-inspired denim staples, introduced ready-to-wear and celebrated a milestone in its traceability journey, marking 100 per cent traceability of its organic cotton denim. It also updated all-black denim to denim dyed using Saveblack, a process that uses 85 per cent less water compared to conventional dyeing. The company stated that it is targeting net-zero emissions by 2030 through practices, policies and by offsetting those emissions that cannot be reduced. It also commits to make 100% of the Outland Denim range leather-free and prioritise use of Bluesign certified chemicals.

9. MUD JEANS

A sustainable and fair trade certified denim brand based in the Netherlands, Mud Jeans has a business model to sell or rent jeans, at the end of their life and then make old jeans into new ones. It has a design process based on circular production, with the use of materials that are easy to repurpose and recycle. 36 of Mud Jeans’ 40 plus styles are made up of 40% post-consumer recycled cotton which is twice the industry average.

Out of 4000 certified B Corporations worldwide, MUD Jeans is among the 5% B Corps with the highest score in environmental performance. The Dutch fashion brand has also collaborated with Swedish home decor brand Ikea to give textiles a second lease of life, specifically, denim. Its sustainability goals include making 5% of its collection from 100% post-consumer recycled cotton by 2022, implementing traceability QR Code and launching new chemical policies for waste management.

10. FRAME

American fashion brand Frame launched Bio-Degradable jeans in partnership with Candiani made from 100 percent cotton that is 100 percent biodegradable. For its fall/winter 2021, Frame revamped its menswear line with trendy cuts for timeless pairs of washed black and indigo jeans. This year it also launched its circular denim collection under EMF Jeans Redesign Project that included denim pieces made of 100% cotton and post-consumer material.

For FRAME Winter 2021, 63% of the FRAME denim line is projected to be responsibly produced according to its Responsible Wash and Responsible Fabric Initiatives. 40% of the fibers in its Spring and Summer 2021 Collections are made with either recycled or water-saving cellulose fibers. Its future goals include: 75% of FRAME Denim is set to be sustainable by the end of 2022, 90% of FRAME denim is set to be sustainable by the end of 2025. The brand will launch ReFrame in the coming years.

Performance Stretches

Women’s power stretches for high performance and comfort made in dual-core Dynamo Denim and dual-Fx® technology by Lycra® brand. Denim fabrics with dual-FX® technology by LYCRA® brand have high stretchability but have a high degree of dimensional stability so that jeans retain their shape and fit over time. These super-stretch jeans are supposed to provide comfortable and free-movement and yet have the look and feel of natural denim.

Soft & Easy Stretches

These include a brew of both basic core and easy soft-stretch denims. They are hard wearing and make a great durable pair of denims to stay for long. Classic yet trendy they are now being offered in all new rousing textures, shades, wash-down casts and weights.

Mutant Jeans

A combination of construction methods to achieve a denim effect using dobby structures. Almost identical to woven denim in terms of appearance, it has the desirable comfort properties of natural stretch and air permeability.

Men’s Classics

Stretch denims with improved recovery and with property to retain the look of non-stretch rigid denim . This is a product with a poly-spandex and cotton combination with clear twills giving a clear texture and can be stoned, bleached or distressed.

Neo Denim

The deep dark denims about which the PD team at Arvind says :

“…These are real dark blue denim that hides a lot more below the surface to be discovered and excite you! An answer to a true denim fan’s desire. Truly deep dark blue denims which wash down gradually offering great contrasts at every level giving jeans a luxurious and super rich look. Jacquards, prints, soft stretches, core, neo dying here sets a new character for all…”

Linen Denim

Linen Denim is made out of non-elastic flax yarn and is synonymous to its properties of exceptional comfort, luxury, durability and its unique cooling attribute in hot and humid weather. It can be identified with a high natural luster and a thick and thin character with a crisp and textured feel to it.

Denim Gabardine

CLean and subtle, this is the category of products for a tailored look.
The Arvind team feels that “:

“ It is the most premium category of fabrics with fine slubs giving a clean and bespoke look. Constructed in mid to heavy weights this category of denim offers highly durable, rich in color and lustrous denims.”

Boomerang Denim

It is high-stretch denim with extra softness and shape retention quality. This denim savors slim body curving silhouette with perfection making it easily one of the hottest denim trends on today’s denim landscape. The significant snapback and extra pliability makes it bounce back to its shape after every wear making it a perfect choice for super skinny jeans; hence fulfilling the desire for comfort and fit paired with fashion trend.

Spice Denim

As per Arvind team, Spice Denim has intelligence built into the fabric that gives it the property to be dyed in garment form. It dyes to a natural texture of denim in an eco-friendly process. Spice gives denim a newer dimension making it capable to be seasonally played and experimented with, in terms of colors, textures and wash downs. The weft is not dyed and the surface gets wash dimensions like denim.

Denim Shirts

Deep dyed and light-weight denims for shirtings and other tops. In Over-dyed, Neo or Chambray versions to enable multiple washed looks .

Neo Bubble ultra light denims

For these light weight denims, meant for ladies dresses and tops , Arvind team enthusiastically mentions:

“Feathery and airy, light-weight Denims for women’s tops, dresses and men’s summer shirts. This is a collection of young statement dobbies and prints on Ultra-Light Neo Denims. Stories are created with alluringly exotic inspirations for Spring/Summer 2016. Bohemian, grungy yet feminine, it celebrates summer with vintage floral prints and patterns with a vibrant color palette ..”

• Light weight Shirtings in Linen Blends and Light weight cross denims for loose bottoms.
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• A set of Soft stretch and power stretch in cold grey and black. Cement color, grey coat and hints of black are the key ashen look of the season.
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• The 80-ies inspired indigo is still the season’s favorite in rigid and stretch.
• For the contortionist they have power stretch in soft hand, rich full blue and red cast sateen.
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• The Summer Luxe has very refined light weight rigid and stretch along with new slubby light weight.

• Sensual Denims are bright indigo, open weave in Excel stretch. Other sensual denims are soft power stretches and new wax touch.

• The Time -Tested Products are in 80’s inspired color in modern construction, super dark indigo cross denim, refined one way slubby look and real vintage, grey cast, natural streaky denim. Soft Streaky Denim features in 11 Ozs and 9Ozs.

Arvind shall also be presenting the Excel Denim in Trend Area at Denim by PV on 30th Nov. Arvind Denim has a very strong positioning on ‘ Sustainability’. Various products like Organic Denims, BCI cotton based denims, Recycled cotton and Recycled Polyester based denims are an important part of Arvind Denim portfolio. This commitment to sustainability also had led Arvind to develop its Excel Denim in collaboration with Birla Excel. The third generation Cellulose fiber – Excel is made from Wood Pulp, a natural and renewable resource. Arvind and Birla claim the following eco benefits of Excel Fiber :

“Excel Plantations have higher air purification per hectare of land in comparison to cotton. Solar heat absorption prevents generation of black holes. The water used for producing per unit kg of Excel fiber is significantly lesser than compared to the water used for producing any other cellulosic fiber”.

Excel denim offers a unique combination of sustainability and fashion and is being added to collections of major brands worldwide.

Arvind shall also be presenting their Future Denims at the show which includes the

• Authentic Denims
• Modern Denims

Authentic Denim includes denim from Organic Cotton, dyed in Natural Plant Indigo and woven on the vintage shuttle loom with selvedge. Denims range from a true authentic heavy weight 14.8 Ozs, Selvedge toa Natural Indigo with Natural Indigo fill to one with a Natural Linen. All of them are very comfortable to wear and age naturally.

Modern Denim includes denim made with all modern technologies available. New age yarn design, new combinations of dyeing, compact weave constructions, hybrid stretch combinations and super-tech coatings.

Contact Arvind by clicking here

Why did Wrangler feel the need to bring out this brand in India ?

In India, there are hardly any good female denim brands. Most of the brands are focused on Males and female denim demand has been largely met by the unbranded players. I have scoured many shops to find a good female denim brand, but most of them out there seem to have made half hearted attempts.The reasons are not far to seek. The Indian females like too much of embellishments and like in other markets, the designs go out of favour very soon..Therefore the branded players find it difficult to cater properly to this segment of market..
However,the fact that the number of working women is rising and the offices are relaxing their dressing rules to allow denims, a good market potential has generated.. These women are looking for elegant ,feminine looks (without getting flashy) andWrangler seeks to tap this potential through “Wrangler Girl’.The price range is Rs 1200 and above – upto Rs 3000..
Wrangler seeks to target about 25% of its denim turnover from the women segement..

Lets see if they are able to do it.. Designing has never been the strongest point with Wrangler
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WHY? : Obvious answer is more sales. But the need for various campaigns has also been accentuated by the fact that various International Brands like Ralph & Lauren, Diesel and GAS have become more aggresive in India . Another positive factor which is motivating the brands to invest more in campaigns is that the usage of high-end jeans in India is set to pick up with more and more offices (particularly in IT & BPO industry) allowing semi-casual wears.

SOME CAMPAIGNS….

WRANGLER – Go Clean – ‘Clean Skin,Clean Bikes,Clean Jeans’ : Clean jeans is obviously the ‘Clean Look denim ‘ – an effect which is achieved through mercerising the denims . But why ‘Clean Bikes’ and ‘CLean Skin’ ? Well, Wrangler has tied up with Castrol and Kaya Skin clinic to together take on the young and hep newly employed crowd of India who are very concious about their looks..Also Wrangler feels that distressed look is out and raw rinse look is in..
LEE: The tagline for the campaign ‘HISTORY ROCKS’ AND ‘LEE SKINNY‘ is ‘Not for the masses” sends a clear message. These jeans are for upwardly mobile only who want to look apart from the crowd..
LEVIS” ‘SAY NO TO PLASTICS’ – This campaign of Levi’s is targeted to bring the attention of the consumers on the Red Loop of Levi’s. Also, it means that they are looking at consumers with some attitude who want to be seen as proactive in environmental conciousness.. Though Levi’s claims to have a good response after the campaign, I have my doubts over the efficacy of such campaigns in India..

Others in the line include Flying Machine’s ‘CREATIVE CULT‘ campaign . As I mentioned before, ‘Flying Machine’ has been relaunched as a high end brand with prices of Rs 1800 & up.

IT & BPO workers have become a formidable (somewhat homogeneous) group of cash rich young people which various industries are targetting to tap in their own way. So Denim Industry was not expected to remain behind such ideas come to even our politicians(CPM) who want to unionise this group!!!!!

Though all these changes have been readily accepted by the Indian male, I am still waiting for the next BIG TREND in MEN’s Jeans to pick up and that is the STRETCH FOR MEN. This trend has not yet picked up and we are yet to see men in India conciously asking for Stretch Denim.

Stretch Jeans have been typically associated with the women since they look for skin tight jeans enhancing their figures. Even this segment has been slow to pick in India due to conservativeness. But there is another feature of the Stretch that has not been fully exploited and that is COMFORT.

Men look for comfort – esp the office goers.. However, they are not vocal in their demand for the same. But I personally think that there is a great potential of MEN’s STRETCH JEANS in India. Though there have been attempts by some brands to bring out Stretch Collections, but they have been more of an effort to fill the gaps rather than create a large new NICHE segment for sale..

So, if the Jeans producers in India are listening , please do your research and market Stretch Jeans as a BUSINESS CASUAL with Comfort fits . Such jeans are not expected to have the visual effects of a Stretch Jeans but only the comfort effects of the same…Stretch Denim for Men has a potential LATENT DEMAND.

Lets wait and watch who catches this oppurtunity in the best way

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