TENCEL™ Denim was featured in the spotlight alongside young talented designers during the Lenzing Sustainable Denim Competition at Graduate Fashion Week in London. This year, as the sponsor for the competition, Lenzing provided a platform for young student designers around the world to show-off their talent and the versatility of TENCEL™ branded under Denim category.

During the four-day Fashion Week in June, Lenzing organized a series of sustainable denim workshops for shortlisted candidates of the Lenzing Sustainable Denim Competition. The workshops covered the unique features of TENCEL™ branded fibers, including their botanic origin, eco-responsible production process, as well as natural comfort, long-lasting softness, smoothness and versatility that could be tailored to a sustainable lifestyle.

The winner of the Sustainable Denim Competition was Niamh Carr, graduate of Fashion Design and Technology - Menswear at Manchester Metropolitan University. She won the competition with her collection “Just Do Your Bit”. The materials sourced for her collection was based on making good sustainable choices, which featured repurposed denim. She made use of denim fabric from Candiani, which is made of TENCEL™ branded fibers for her menswear that featured pink stitch detail in a classic tailoring style.

In addition, Niamh also shared her thoughts about the competition and sustainable fashion:

Q: What was the highlight of the denim project with GFW?

A: For me, the highlight is to be given the opportunity to visit Black Horse Lane atelier, meet its founder Han Ates and hear his story. Han’s amazingly talented team created a very inspiring atmosphere and aspirational business model. After selecting denim from various mills from around the world, I chose a rigid selvedge from Candiani, which was an incredible denim to work with from such a forward-thinking mill that cares about sustainability.

Q: How do you think we can reduce the environmental impact of the denim industry?

A: By making things last longer, with better, more hard wearing construction and by utilising timeless designs in more sustainably-made fabrics are key. We should design clothes that people can invest in rather than going for a throw-away style trend.

Q: What impresses you the most about TENCEL™ branded Lyocell fiber?

A: I would say it’s the quality of the fabrics created by TENCEL™ Lyocell fiber, as they don’t feel anything like the old-fashioned stereotypical idea of “Eco friendly” fabric. They maintain the original aesthetic and feel but reduce our impact on the environment.