Levi Strauss & Co announces new denim finishing innovation technique

Levi Strauss & Co. just announced a new platform for their iconic jeans. Using advanced technology, the company just launched Project F.L.X. (future-led executive) as a new operating model for denim finishing.

The new innovation digitizes the design and development of denim finishing, reinventing a new way to produce jeans. Project F.L.X. also replaces manual techniques and automates the process in a sustainable way. The overall impact of using the new technology will reduce time to market and will also help eliminate chemical formulations as a result of denim finishing. Through Levi's research efforts, the new project achieves the goal of sustainability as well as maintaining the brand's standards and quality of design.

“Our goal was to tackle two predominant industry challenges — being able to respond quickly to changing consumer trends while making the manufacturing process more sustainable,” Chip Bergh, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. said in a company email. “We are addressing both agility and sustainability without compromising the authenticity our consumers expect from us. This is the future of jeans manufacturing, and LS&Co. is well-positioned to lead the way.”

Levi Strauss & Co announces end-to-end digital platform

The new project allows the label to replace manual techniques of the finishing, enabling an overall more automated and efficient process. Before, the apparel industry was solely reliant on hand-finishing for denim jeans. Now with Project F.L.X., finishing time is cut to approximately 90 seconds per garment. Designers can also use the new inanition to create finishes and final garments with a "photo-real" garment. The advanced imaging capability has an accuracy that will drastically help improve and speed up the overall design process. In terms of sustainability, the jeanwear brand has eliminated thousands of chemical formulations from its supply chain. As Levi's is already on a goal of achieving zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020, Project F.L.X. is a step in the right direction.

As this project will be rolled out and phased over time, Levi's has already reached out to some of its key customers with the new model. “One of the biggest challenges we face as an industry is ensuring we have the right products at the right time, as well as the ability to respond to our customers’ evolving needs with speed,” Paige Thomas, executive vice president and general merchandise manager for men’s and kids at Nordstrom Inc. said in a statement. “The team at Levi’s is working toward this challenge by contributing to the future of the apparel industry as one that’s both agile and uncompromising on quality, while improving sustainability. We’re excited to be part of it.”

Built in-house at Levi Strauss & Co.'s Eureka Innovation Lab, Project F.L.X. was created with a mission of revolutionizing the apparel industry. A team of designers, developments, chemists and engineers all teamed together in order to create this initiative and help overall benefit the apparel supply chain. With this new innovation, it's clear that Levi's is a major brand to watch in terms of sustainability and technology.

Source: Levi Strauss & Co.