Business

Tommy Jeans Are Made From 100% Recycled Cotton

Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp. announces 100% recycled cotton denim styles that will be featured in the Spring 2019 TOMMY JEANS global collection. The innovative products include mom jeans, a unisex oversized trucker jacket and modern tapered jeans. These result from leveraging the PVH Denim Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the first hub in Europe dedicated to setting new standards for producing denim in a faster, more consistent and more environmentally-friendly way. The PVH Denim Center supports Tommy Hilfiger's ambition to become a global leader in denim through innovation, sustainability and by providing best practices within the industry. "I first got into the fashion business selling bell-bottoms from a basement boutique we called People's Place when I was 18 years old, and today denim continues to be at the heart of our classic American cool style," said Tommy Hilfiger. "We have a responsibility to future generations to manufacture products in a more thoughtful way to protect our environment. Starting with how we design and produce some of our denim styles, we want to inspire consumers to make sustainable changes." To produce the 100% recycled cotton Spring 2019 TOMMY JEANS styles, leftover cotton that may otherwise have been lost was salvaged from cutting tables and factory floors and recycled using an innovative, entirely mechanical process that uses less water and fewer chemicals, reduces waste and generates less carbon dioxide. Until now, creating a completely recycled cotton yarn, at scale, to the Tommy Hilfiger quality standard was nearly impossible. The sewing thread used is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, buttons come from unused stock from previous seasons, and the hangtags will be made from recycled paper. Each denim style will be finished using less water and energy by employing innovative laser technology to apply the final wash. Moving forward, the 100% recycled cotton TOMMY JEANS styles will be part of the collection each season. The PVH Denim Center consists of four centralised units that support the production of denim styles through deeper expertise. Specialist teams innovate using high-end machinery and state-of-the-art technology to create the recipe for the perfect jeans, leading to cost efficiencies and a perfect fit every time. The Denim Atelier is dedicated to achieving the perfect denim fit, with prototypes developed in-house within 48 hours instead of the traditional four to six weeks when outsourced to external vendors. This reduces the environmental impacts of sample creation, from manufacturing to international shipping. With more than 1,300 swatches, the Denim Fabric Library acts as a powerful database of core fabrics with which designers can work. The Denim Lab is designed as a test centre for cutting-edge and sustainable finishing techniques. This includes ozone technology, which reduces water and chemical consumption by upto 70%, and laser machines that reduce the need for hand-scrapping and support the creation of denim finishes unique to the TOMMY HILFIGER brand. The Denim Academy trains wholesale and retail teams as well as wholesale buyers on the ingredients behind the perfect pair of jeans, with a focus on product stories, technology, sustainability and innovation.