G-Star Raw Taps Advance Denim and Archroma for Aniline-Free Denim

Angela Velasquez
·2 min read

Dutch brand G-Star Raw has teamed with China’s oldest denim mill Advance Denim to use fabric dyed with Archroma’s Denisol Pure Indigo 30.

Launched in 2018, Denisol Pure Indigo 30 is a 30 percent pre-reduced indigo solution that makes it possible to produce indigo-dyed denim without aniline impurities throughout the process. The specialty chemicals company reports that two-thirds of aniline waste currently ends up in wastewater discharge where it could potentially pollute waterways and the ocean and is toxic to aquatic life.

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Advance Denim was the first mill in China to launch an aniline-free collection with Archroma. The mill’s aniline-free indigo collection offers various authentic indigo shades in different yarn characters and sustainable fiber compositions with multiple constructions. Advance’s new plant in Nha Trang, Vietnam is also a 100 percent aniline-free indigo factory.

Easy to use with automated dosing, Denisol Pure Indigo 30 significantly reduces the water needed for preparation, washing and wastewater treatment compared to indigo grains. It also reduces hazardous chemical consumption while allowing high reproducibility and creating the authentic and deep indigo shades traditionally associated with denim.

Umberto De Vita, market segment director for denim, Archroma Textile Effects, added that denim that is free of aniline can also be more efficiently and sustainability recycled and reused, making circularity a more viable option.

“We are delighted to see trendsetters like G-Star Raw ramping up aniline-free production with Denisol Pure Indigo 30, proving that sustainability is achievable with improved productivity and authentic deep indigo shades,” he said.

Solutions like Denisol Pure Indigo 30 helps G-Star Raw in achieving its sustainability targets, including its goal to make 20 percent of its entire collection from Cradle-to-Cradle certified fabrics by 2025.

The partnership with Archroma and Advance Denim contributes to this goal, since Denisold holds a Gold Level Material Health Certificate from the Cradle-to-Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

“We push boundaries in our journey to further close the loop by using sustainable materials, clean chemistry and by designing for durability and reuse,” said Rebecka Sancho, G-Star Raw’s head of sustainability.

Advance Denim, G-Star Raw and Archroma have previously collaborated to launch collections based on Archroma’s EarthColors technology, which upcycles plant waste from the herbal industry to create sustainable colorways.

“We are honored to stand alongside Archroma and G-Star Raw to pioneer cleaner denim production methods that reflect our unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation,” said Johan Van den Heede, Advance Denim’s Europe marketing director.