Denim is getting cleaner and leaders in the space are tapping into the raw materials and new technologies to keep their own products green.

CLOSED, a Hamburg, Germany-based clothing brand, is one of them. The company, in partnership with Candiani, has launched “A Better Blue” line of denim designed to further advance the product’s circularity. And, the jeans will incorporate TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ Lyocell fibers.

“Our longtime weaving partner Candiani from Italy has been pursuing a sustainability strategy for years and of course the REFIBRA™ technology fitted perfectly in there,” CLOSED denim developer Uwe Kippschnieder, said. “We were convinced by the fact how much water you can save by creating a pair of jeans that does not need fresh cotton. The product now on the market is 50 percent TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ Lyocell and 50 percent cotton waste from Candiani production. The water savings for a pair of jeans is 2,600 liters, which is huge. We keep transportation very short. All our women’s and men’s jeans are made 100 percent in Italy near Milan.”

The new “A Better Blue” collection will be available in July/August 2019, and CLOSED has plans to continue on its sustainability journey as today’s consumer continues on theirs.

“Our vision for the future is to get better step by step every season,” Uwe said. “At the end of the year, we will be publishing a Sustainability Report for the first time and communicate our goals. We see this as a kind of continuous further development of what we have been doing with our production partners for the last 40 years.”

To get a little insight into how Uwe feels about denim on a personal level, Carved in Blue caught up with the denim developer to pick his brain on a few points.

Carved in Blue: When does a jean stop being a jean?

Uwe: We at CLOSED pushed the boundaries of what a jean should look like ever since. We evolved from 5-pocket to X-pocket, from raw and rinsed to stone washes, and now to ozone- and laser treatments. We offer French-pockets in rigid selvedge denims and 5-pockets in stay-black super stretch qualities. So, in the end, it depends on your personal point of view and I think it´s good not to put everything into boxes.

Carved in Blue: Who is your environmental hero?

Uwe: Greta Thunberg, her uncompromising commitment towards radical changes impresses me a lot.

Carved in Blue: What music do you like to listen to while working?

Uwe: It must be something electronic. Could be ambient, minimal, techno or psy-trance, always depending on my mood.

Carved in Blue: What’s your favorite place to visit?

Uwe: I love going to festivals, which offer not just music and dance but also workshops, conferences and arts. Beside that it´s the hammock on my terrace.

Carved in Blue: What are your travel essentials?

Uwe: Notebook and a pencil, headphones, a sleeping mask and a good book. At the moment, it´s Homo Deus from Yuval Noah Harari, which fascinates me.

Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?

Uwe: A platform for innovative and forward-thinking projects and people.