What happens to a jean at the end of its life is front and center in Closed’s capsule collection launching in February.
The German denim brand teamed with its long-time supplier and collaborator Italian denim mill Candiani to develop a line of completely degradable garments made of stretch denim. The first-of-its-kind collection will offer men’s and women’s jean and denim jackets.
Candiani’s patented stretch yarn Coreva sets the foundation for the collection. Coreva consists of natural rubber and is a sustainable alternative to conventional stretch yarns that mostly consist of elastane or other petrochemical fibers that can take years to decompose and pollute the environment. It takes just six months on the compost heap for Coreva to decompose without leaving any residue.
Eco-conscious brands are flocking to Coreva. Hiut, Stella McCartney and Triarchy are among the labels that have announced plans to incorporate it into their future collections.
The degradability of the collection, however, does not start and end with fabric. To make the garments fully degradable, Closed has also substituted all other components of the jeans and jackets with natural alternatives. Zips and metal buttons are replaced by vegetable corozo buttons dyed with indigo pigments of plant origin. The studs are sewn on with Tencel thread, which is also used for all seams. The Closed logo does not appear on a leather patch but in lasered form.
Additionally, the labels are made with the degradable fabric called Vinatur, a polyester alternative comprising a blend of cellulosic fibers and fibers made of synthetic polymers. Care labels are made with organic cotton and printed with natural pigments.
Like the fabric used in the collection, Closed states that all of these components also decompose on the compost pile without leaving any impact on the environment.
All of the garments are made in Italy and have been subjected to environmentally friendly dyeing and washing methods to save water, chemicals and electricity, which Closed has used since 2018.
The capsule collection includes the women’s relaxed-fit, straight-leg Gill jean and the tapered X-Lent jean, plus a jean jacket. The men’s range offers the slim-fit Drop, as well the X-Lent and a jacket.
