Denim may be turning a new leaf
During the Première Vision salon – a two-day denim event in La Halle Freyssinet, France – alternative fabrics were a popular source of conversation, particularly with the rising cost of cotton.
Is it no longer the fabric of our lives? (Sorry, had to say it.)
The pant, which used to be associated with hard labor, might get a more sophisticated look. With the advancement of the fabric from casual to chic in the past decades, it’s no surprise that more advanced materials will be tossed into the mix. A work pant that used to protect the legs of farmers now dons the stems of fashion-forward office workers.
Adriano Goldschmied, the man behind the designer jean label AG Adriano Goldschmied, told WWD that this could be the right direction for denim.
“[In the future], jeans could be made out of milk, a tree or bamboo,” Goldschmied said. “Cotton can be a component of that…but there are amazing things that are giving a new look to denim.”
From a design perspective, he said, it’s very exciting to work with these new feminine and sophisticated techniques.
Goldschmied plans to use recycled and 100-percent cellulose-based fibers for his signature AG Adriano Goldschmied line. He is currently working on a filament process that uses Cupro fibers.
Isko, the Turkish manufacturer that creates denim for Diesel, G-Star, H&M and others, showed off recycled goods during the show.
Araceli Lopez, a denim designer for Zara, said cotton prices have really affected the Spanish brand.
“It’s all quite new. We haven’t had time to adapt. We will possibly have to reduce workmanship,” she told WWD. “We don’t (yet) have a solution.”
Lopez also said the blue jeans we know and love may be walking out the door.
“It’s a basic you will always have, but the trend has been replaced by different cotton treatments and new washes,” she said.
