Regenerative Cotton Meets Lenzing’s TENCEL™ Lyocell—Fine Denim Collection on the Way
We are standing at the inflection point where sustainability has gone beyond being merely a notion, but a necessity. That means we must take a long view of everyday fashion, especially denim as one of the common materials. Rethinking its dominant ingredient—cotton—would be the very first step.
The market and the industry are moving in parallel. Not only are consumers opting for eco-friendly denim, but brands and manufacturers are also seeking ingredients that are produced with less adverse impacts on Mother Earth. Ever since, there have been many cutting-edge developments and contrivances in raw materials, one of them being regenerative cotton.
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Meeting this pivotal moment head-on is Lenzing, the global producer of wood-based specialty fibers, with the launch of the TENCEL™ x Regenerative Cotton collection, which will be available for viewing during Kingpins Amsterdam, April 24–25.
Before diving into regenerative cotton, we must first talk about regenerative agriculture. Described as an “outcome-based” farming approach, regenerative agriculture focuses on regenerating and revitalizing farmlands through practices like cover cropping, crop rotation and reduced tillage. In the U.S. alone, regenerative soil can even draw down 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gasses every year, according to the National Academies.
Regenerative cotton is grown with minimized use of synthetic pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Lands that are less exposed to these substances tend to nurture stronger, higher quality cotton naturally. This lowers farmers’ reliance on herbicides and fertilizers, decreasing their regular costs of production. With tangible benefits for farmers, their crop yields and the land itself, regenerative cotton has become the new industry favorite and a cornerstone of many latest launches.
One of the leading examples is the impending TENCEL™ x Regenerative Cotton collection by Lenzing. This first-of-its-kind denim collection made from TENCEL™ branded lyocell fibers and responsibly grown regenerative cotton is on a mission to bring comfortable, trendy, quality denim products to the global market. From baggy workwear to ribcage jeans; from jackets to chino, this collection encompasses a broad span of denim items with high durability, excellent softness and luxurious texture by virtue of TENCEL™ fibers.
TENCEL™ fibers are acclaimed for their responsible sourcing [1] and production [2], as well as outstanding properties, such as the natural softness and smoothness, and a comfortable dry feeling made possible by great moisture control. TENCEL™ Lyocell in particular, sets a great score by its feature of creating an unfavorable growth environment for the odor-causing bacteria, rendering it a compatible wavering partner with regenerative cotton to produce the denim pieces.
Joining forces with 18 fabric mills around the world, products from the TENCEL™ x Regenerative cotton collection will fall into various price ranges, catering to different customer pools. Soon available in Europe, Asia and the U.S., this collection is expected to raise the bar of the ready-wear sector with an all-inclusive product portfolio that does the best for consumers and the environment.
“At Lenzing, we adhere to high environmental standards [3] and strive to propel eco-changes in the industry and the market through collaborations and innovations. I am thrilled that we are able to combine our signature, responsibly made [2] TENCEL™ Lyocell with regenerative cotton to create the latest denim collection with our mill partners globally,” said Tuncay Kılıçkan, Head of Global Business Development, Denim, Lenzing. “TENCEL™ x Regenerative cotton collection is a timely response to the current market trend of flare jeans with a spectrum of quality pieces. Thanks to TENCEL™ Lyocell, the denim products will have the same appearance but are greatly elevated durability and softness. We endeavor for every denim item to bring long-lasting, premium comfort to its wearer. We encourage more brands and manufacturers to join us in this journey.”
For over three decades, Lenzing has aspired to drive circularity within the textile value chain by introducing various solutions that continuously enhance their product portfolio, such as the new TENCEL™ Lyocell processing technique.
Learn more about TENCEL™ at www.tencel.com.
[1] The wood used as raw material for all TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers is sourced from controlled or certified origins meeting FSC® (FSC-C041246) or PEFC standards (PEFC/06-33-92).
[2] TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fiber production processes are continuously refined to maximize resource efficiency and minimize environmental impact. Consequently, carbon emissions and water consumption of TENCEL™ fibers are at least 50% lower compared to generic lyocell and modal fibers, according to Higg MSI. ^Results based on LCA standards (ISO 14040/44) and available via Higg MSI (Version 3.7).
[3] TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers are certified with the EU Ecolabel (license no. AT/016/001) for environmental excellence.
