Challenging innovation to regenerate “denim” codes and committing to make it cleaner and more responsible. The industry is starting to produce the jeans of the future, even more ecological and ethical. And ISKO, one of the largest denim manufacturers in the world, has the ambition to make the ideal denim possible.
How and in what perspective? Delphine Blouin, Marketing & Business Dvpt Manager, shares with us Isko’s best practices.
images courtesy of : iksodenim.com
Sandrine Maggiani: What are the best-practices in terms of innovation and engagement to keep your position as a “pioneer brand” in the denim industry?
Delphine Blouin:
- Principles of sustainable innovation, on which Isko has been built since it was founded in 1983, enabling us to shape a leading corporate culture that goes beyond the use of low-impact materials and processes, and to expand our production capacity to around 300 million meters of fabric.
- A circular economy and more transparency. We are the first denim manufacturer to have Certified EPDs® (Pre-Certified Environmental Product Declarations) to assess the life cycle of products and report the water consumption and carbon footprint of a fabric per square metre, allowing our customers to make responsible choices.
- Experimentation and sharing of good practices. For example, we are committed to a continuous improvement process and we rely on external partner for more responsibility and transparency in our manufacturing processes. Our collaborations with organisations such as bluesign®, Textile Exchange, SAC, ZDHC… and the certification of labels such as STeP by OEKO-TEX®, EU Ecolabel are essential.
SM : You claim that Isko’s purpose is to innovate to always do better and do it well, how in an ultra-competitive sector?
DB: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse are our key words, without compromising the aesthetics, functionality and durability of our fabrics.
To achieve this goal, we have developed the R-TWO™ programme: an innovative system that encompasses our entire denim offer and allows us to reuse the cotton waste generated during production. These residues are recycled and reintegrated into the spinning process. The reused cotton is fully traced, documented and audited. Recycled polyester fibres are then blended with the reused cotton and woven into an R-TWO fabric.
The benefits: By using a combination of reused cotton and certified recycled polyester, this innovative platform enables us to efficiently fight against over-sourcing, waste production, and to reduce the carbon footprint of our fabrics.
SM : Sustainability is a pivotal stake today and even more so tomorrow, “what significance do you give it, how do you integrate it into your production and value chain? »
DB: We prefer to talk about responsibility rather than sustainability, which takes into account not only the environmental but also the social aspect.
For us, the challenge is to move ever closer to excellence: to produce better products that are both sustainable and desirable by reducing the use of natural resources and chemicals, increasing the proportion of reused and recycled materials and ensuring the best social and working conditions for our employees.
SM : What are the future perspectives for Isko and for the denim industry in general?
DB: Beyond taking more responsibility for social and environmental issues, a more collaborative approach across the supply chain is being developed and will evolve.
Also, the importance of apparel as a source of protection. Our teams are developing it. In parallel with the fabric offer, we have created a technological platform, ISKO Vital+. I would therefore say that constant innovation will be the key.
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