Prada has a new denim collection entirely made with organic cotton approved by the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).
The cotton used by Prada in this ocassion consumes less water and energy than conventional processes, but maintains an optimal quality for the brand standards. The ready-to-wear collection includes more than jeans, there’s a variety of pieces that range from denim bermuda shorts to oversized shirts, a denim bra top, a mini dress, and also a cropped jacket, all in the same medium wash color, embellished with the well-known black triangle Prada logo, signature of the brand.
Many people don’t know this, but denim is a fabric that has a great environmental impact. There are several aspects to take into account: the chosen fibers, the chemicals that are used, the energy and the water that are consumed. Incredibly, one pair of jeans, including its production and general wear uses up to 2,900 gallons of water.
With this in mind, good practices in the production of garments made with this fabric are very welcome, they contribute to sustainable growth and they give a good example to follow for the entire industry. The cotton used by Prada for their latest drop is 100% certified organic and sustainably produced. The italian brand addresses two aspects of sustainability in their collection: fiber and water.
The cotton was grown and harvested on an organic farm. Further, the farm in question does not use any fertilizers or pesticides and employs practices, such as water-saving techniques, to minimize their environmental impact.
They also chose to use a water-saving technique during the dyeing process. The process is called “Acquasave” and it involves dyeing the denim using a below-average amount of water, by doing this they estimate that roughly 10 litres of water per metre of fabric were saved.
Finally, the ECO 4 finishing process was carried out, it consists in using natural products and allows greater savings in water consumption and a reduction in washing time. This improves the EIM (Environmental Impact Measurement) score, the measurement of the ecological footprint with this software by Jeanologia has become a common standard in the industry.
Many brands and retailers are already making efforts to produce sustainable collections and this is not the only attempt of Prada to include sustainable practices in their brand. We can mention the re-nylon project, a partnership between Prada and the textile yarn producer Aquafil, an Italian company that creates synthetic fibers. In particular, Econyl®, a yarn made of recycling discarded plastic that has been collected from landfill sites and oceans across the whole planet.
This collaboration brought a capsule bag in 2019 and a full collection in 2020, and they expect to convert all Prada virgin nylon into regenerated nylon by the end of 2021. The Prada Group has also measured its Carbon Footprint, has a no-fur policy, led lighting in all of their stores, uses 89% of recycled paper and has a commitement to use electricity from renewable sources.
If you too want to do your bit for the environment you should know that there are easy things that can contribute when using your favorite denim. Have in mind that jeans were originally created to endure tough working conditions, so if yours is good quality it should last many years, and they always stay trendy!. So, ¿How can you get more life out of your jeans? Follow some of these tips: Denim doesn’t have to be washed so often, don’t put your jeans into the washing machine unless they’re really dirty and follow the wash instructions that come with them. Between washes you can keep them fresh by spraying a mix of baking soda, essential oils and water. Always wash them in a cold cycle, and remember to hang them to dry inside-out.
