BACK IN ACTION DENIM FOR GOOD SOURCINGJOURNAL.COM NO. 12 / JUNE 2021 Angela Velasquez Executive Editor, Rivet EMPIRE STATE Peter Sadera Editor in Chief, Sourcing Journal Jessica Binns Managing Editor OF MIND Arthur Friedman Senior Editor Vicki M. Young Executive Financial Reporter As I write, 140 million individuals in the U.S. are fully vaccinated against Covid- Jasmin Malik Chua Sourcing & Labor Editor 19 and thousands, perhaps even millions, more will be by press time, includ- Kate Nishimura Features Editor ing yours truly. But it doesn’t take data to sense that people feel safer, at least Glenn Taylor Business Editor not in New York City where subways are filling up, lunch joints are packed with Liz Warren Staff Writer office workers and pandemic politeness has checked out—all signs that nature is 102 restoring itself in the City That Never Sleeps. Victor Vaughns Jr. Rivet Market Editor 1 It’s enough to warm the heart of any New Yorker because the city had Chuck Dobrosielski Staff Writer indeed descended into a bleak state one year ago. New Yorkers don’t easily accept Sarah Jones Business Reporter defeat, but even the most steadfast recognized that the city—as the U.S. pan- Tonya Blazio-Licorish Contributor, Fairchild Archive Assistant demic epicenter with sirens wailing every few minutes and temporary morgues lining our streets—was far from its brashly dynamic self. ART DEPARTMENT It takes a real New Yorker to admit that. We New Yorkers, after all, famously Celena Tang Associate Art Director wear our New York-ness like a crown atop our inflated heads. The last time I Arani Halder Designer was in Las Vegas for Project, a stranger at Starbucks said they could tell I was from New York. It was one of the best compliments I ever received, even after a SOURCING JOURNAL ADVERTISING colleague (and fellow blunt New Yorker) pointed out that it was a polite way of Edward Hertzman Founder & President, Sourcing Journal & Rivet saying, “you look like an [insert expletive].” Executive Vice President, Fairchild While people tend to wax poetically about New York’s resilience, what they Caletha Crawford Publisher say is true: The city always bounces back—oftentimes new and improved. Opti- Lauren Parker Branded Content Manager mism is in the air. The plywood that shrouded the city’s stores last summer is Eric Hertzman Senior Director of Sales & Marketing down. People are dressing for destinations other than their couch, and denim, Deborah B. Baron Advertising Director once again, has returned to the urban landscape. The city serves as the backdrop Allix Cowan Client Services Coordinator to our fashion editorial “The Big Green Apple” on pg. 44, in which we shine a Sarah Sloand Executive Sales Assistant spotlight on the new denim wardrobe that is more sustainable and stylish than ever before. PRODUCTION I would argue that the denim industry is a lot like New York. Both are gritty, Kevin Hurley Production Director classic, cool and tough. Both are always reinventing themselves with unabashed John Cross Production Manager swagger and confidence, and both know how to defy greatly exaggerated claims Therese Hurter PreMedia Specialist of its so-called demise. And like New York, it’s the will, passion and talent of the people working in the denim industry that help safeguard its staying power. This issue celebrates the progressive steps denim companies are taking to FAIRCHILD PUBLISHING LLC IS A DIVISION OF PENSKE MEDIA CORPORATION ensure that they are not only conducting business responsibly, but also having JAY PENSKE CHAIRMAN & CEO a positive, long-lasting impact on both the planet and the people enmeshed in their supply chains. From programs that help elevate the voices of underrepre- GERRY BYRNE VICE CHAIRMAN sented groups, to initiatives put in place to provide healthcare, education and GEORGE GROBAR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER SARLINA SEE CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER financial assistance to those in need, the denim industry is leaning into the fab- CRAIG PERREAULT CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER ric’s democratic allure. The hardships of the past year serve as a reminder that TODD GREENE EVP, BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER we’re all connected—be it by industry, zip code or experiences—and it’s this MARK HOWARD CHIEF ADVERTISING AND PARTNERSHIPS OFFICER sense of community that leads me to believe that the best is yet to come. PAUL RAINEY EVP, OPERATIONS & FINANCE TOM FINN SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS DEBASHISH GHOSH MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MARKETS JENNY CONNELLY SVP, PRODUCT & TECHNOLOGY JUDITH R. MARGOLIN SVP, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL KEN DELALCAZAR SVP, FINANCE Executive Editor, Rivet LAUREN UTECHT SVP, HUMAN RESOURCES NELSON ANDERSON SVP, CREATIVE RACHEL TERRACE SVP, LICENSING & BRAND DEVELOPMENT COVER: DL1961 COTTON AND LYCRA DRESS; COTTON CITIZEN RIBBED KNIT DRESS; EDITOR’S EARRINGS. RIVET NO.12 / JUNE 2021 RIVET NO.12 / JUNE 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS GREEN MARKET 05 The latest denim collections usher in a new era of sustainable design and manufacturing. IGNITING CHANGE 20 Transformers Foundation is rallying the denim indus- try to foster meaningful change. EQUAL GROUND 2 24 The Women In Denim is on a mission to promote 3 gender equality throug the supply chain. IN IT TOGETHER 28 The pandemic underscored the need for employee hardship funds like Levi Strauss & Co.'s Red Tab Foundation. GOOD BUSINESS 35 Leaders in the denim supply chain step up to support their employees and local communities. THE BIG GREEN APPLE 44 The new denim wardobe is as sustainable and stylish as ever. DON'T CALL IT A COME BACK 54 New York City's fashion and retail sectors are ready to navigate life after the coronavirus. WORDS INTO ACTIONS 66 Has the industry kept its promises to last year's Black Lives Matter movement? PUBLIC CRITIQUE 74 To cancel or not to cancel? Consumers feel more empowered than ever to take brands to task. PEOPLE + PLANET 82 Intersectional environmentalism—what does it mean for the denim industry? BE GOOD 88 In an age of conscious consumerism, B Corp RAG & BONE T-SHIRT; KSENIA certification has become the standard to strive for. SCHNAIDER JEANS; JIMMY CHOO BOOTS; AGMES NECKLACE; GLO-CAL KNOWLEDGE MILAMORE NECKLACE; PAMELA 94 Can global producers usher in L.A.'s denim revival? LOVE EARRINGS; LADY GREY EARRINGS AND RINGS; KELTY PELECHYTIK RING. RIVET NO.12 / JUNE 2021 RIVET NO.12 / JUNE 2021 4 GREEN MARKET The latest denim collections usher in a new era of sustainable design and manufacturing. SOURCING GREENSOURCING MARKET FRESH START COLOR SCIENCE Spring 2021 will go down as the year Gap released Sustainable dyes are the latest focus for H&M’s try. Colorifix, a U.K. biotech company that uses a its most sustainable collection to date as well as Innovation Stories, a series of capsules collectively natural, biological process to produce and fix pig- its first circular jeans. The brand launched Gener- aiming to promote the use of sustainable materials, ments onto textiles, is launched worldwide with ation Good, a sustainable line of women’s, men’s, technology and production processes across the the H&M collection. We aRe SpinDye, a recycled kids’ and baby apparel that address issues related garment industry. polyester that is pigmented before being extracted to water usage, sustainable materials, waste, CO2 The Swedish clothing giant’s Color Story for into yarn, is also featured in the line in the form of emissions and workers’ rights. The collection spring centers on women’s separates dyed using a terra-cotta pant and matching top. The process includes jeans and denim shorts made with recy- techniques such as biotechnology, plant-based uses 75 percent less water during the entire color- cled polyester and post-consumer recycled cotton. pigments and digital textile printing. The result is ing process and requires 90 percent less chemical Gap also debuted its first line of denim that fol- a collection rich with color spanning warm shades consumption. lows Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign of yellow and orange, deep indigos and blushing Defined by draping, delicate silhouettes and 6 program. Items in the five-piece women’s collec- pinks, as well as on-trend tie-dye prints that bring prints, the Color Story collection covers a range of 7 tion are 100 percent derived from natural fibers, the palette together. skirts, slouchy jeans, ponchos, T-shirts, trousers use chemicals that abide by the ZDHC guidelines The collection includes several sustainable and more. The collection also includes jewelry and include removable hardware for easier recy- firsts for H&M as well as for the apparel indus- made from recycled glass. —LW cling at end-of-life. The Jeans Redesign products are part of Gap Inc.’s Washwell program, a denim washing process that uses 20 percent less water than conventional ___H&M processes. The company reported that 91 percent l of its total denim range is part of the program, _____ASOS DESIGN _____ASOS beating its original goal of 75 percent. The Wash- l well program has been essential to Gap Inc.’s water conservation efforts. The company said it has saved 11.2 billion liters of water since 2014. —Liz Warren RESPONSIBLE EDIT To get post-pandemic consumers out of their sweatpants, denim needs to check new boxes according to comfort and sustainability. Asos Design’s latest denim drop presents both. The U.K.-based online retailer debuted its Spring/Summer 2021 denim collection with an edit that uses responsibly sourced cotton and 50 percent less water during washing and finishing compared with conventional jeans. The brand _____LEVI'S MADE & CRAFTED _____LEVI'S l reports that, while conventional methods typically use 60-70 liters of water per jean, its responsible denim collection uses under 33 liters per jean.