G-Star Raw unveils ‘Most Sustainable Jeans Ever’

London - G-Star Raw is set to launch its most sustainable denim jeans to date for Spring/Summer 2018, the G-Star Elwood RFTPi jean. This latest pair of jeans marks new milestone in responsible denim manufacturing as they are made from the first ever Cradle to Cradle Gold Level certified denim fabric.

Developed in partnership with Dystar, Artistic Milliners, and Saitex, G-Star sought to partner with its suppliers to help pave the way for future sustainable innovations. The new denim fabric used to make the jeans is made from 100 percent organic cotton, grown without any synthetic fertilizers or toxic pesticides.

G-Star shares new processes for creating its most sustainable jeans to date

In addition, the fabric is also the first denim to reach be Cradle to Cradle certified at the Gold Level by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovations Institute. In order to ensure it remains an instrument for change in the industry G-Star and its mill partner worked together to create an open-source access to their sustainable denim fabric development processes, which can be accessed by others through the Institute’s Fashion Positive Materials Library.

“Almost everyone has a pair of jeans in their closet. As a key player in this market, G-Star Raw takes responsibility to lead by example in promoting sustainable denim innovation,” said Frouke Bruinsma, Corporate Responsibility Director of G-Star Raw. “Our new denim fabric and its revolutionary indigo process will become an open source for the rest of the industry to use. We would like to invite others to join us towards cleaner and more ethical denim production globally.” G-Star opted to remove all rivets and zippers from its new denim jeans for eco-finished metal buttons, which can easily be removed for future recycling.

The denim label also created the cleanest indigo technology formulated to date together with Dystar and Artistic Milliners, which uses 70 percent less chemicals, no salts and does not produce any salt by-product during its reduction and dyeing process, consequently saving water and leaving clean, recycle water effluent. In addition, in order to the most sustainable washing techniques possible, G-Star worked together with its long-term partner Saitex. Responsibly developed with the utmost care for people and the environment, the new washing techniques ensure that 98 percent of the water used can be recycled and reused, with the remaining 2 percent evaporating, leaving no water left behind to be wasted or released into the environment.

“We are really proud to have collaborated with our partners G-Star and Dystar in developing the most sustainable denim fabric ever made at Artistic Milliners,” added Omer Ahmed Director of Artistic Milliners. “Together we have pioneered a radical new dyeing method which is hydro and salt-free, we call the process Crystal Clear. This is perhaps the most radical change to the indigo dyeing process since its industrialization. Even though this formula is in its infancy we are hopeful that in due time it will be adopted by the denim industry at large as there is an unprecedented environmental/water saving potential in using this method.”

The new G-Star Elwood RFTPi jean, together with its counterpart the D-Staq RFTPi denim jacket, is set to launch in stores and online from February 15, 2018, for both men and women.

Images: G-star