Denim from Levi’s Wellthread’s latest collection. Image supplied.
Levi’s introduced the brand’s Wellthread initiative back in 2015 as a laboratory for progress and this season sees Levi’s add new 55% hemp blends to their offering. Acknowledging that denim production usually has a high impact on the environment, Levi’s Wellthread is the brand’s effort to work through a set of design and manufacturing challenges in order to create a more sustainable future. Autumn/Winter 2021 sees more new innovations and styles, including new natural-dye techniques and the expanded use of organically grown cotton, and the recyclability of every Wellthread garment.
There’s looser silhouettes for women’s denim this season with the introduction of the High Loose, a flattering high rise fit with a loose long leg. While the always popular Trucker Jackets also get an update with a more relaxed fit that has been adjusted at the waist to create a bit more space – perfect for layering woollens underneath in cooler weather.
Levi’s have been developing ways to make hemp a much softer and more usable fibre solution for denim over the past few years. As hemp generally requires less water and fewer pesticides in cultivation than conventionally grown cotton resulting in cleaner, healthier soils. The hemp blended into these garments comes from rain-fed hemp crops, which reduces water usage even further.
The brand has previously introduced cottonized hemp across the Wellthread range and have now added new cotton and hemp blended fabrics that bumps the percentage of hemp up to 55%. By using more hemp, the brand are able to save more resources and create even more sustainable garments. Levi’s 55% blended hemp denim styles have the same look as traditional Levi’s denim and are just as nice to wear, with much less impact on the environment.
“Our Wellthread design methodology prioritizes environmental sustainability in the materials we use,” says Una Murphy, Senior Innovation Designer at Levi’s. “This Autumn we continue to refine and develop hemp, seeking ways to optimize it for our collections. Our hemp denim products not only meet our customers’ expectations of authenticity and comfort but also reduce our garments’ water footprint.”
Levi’s Wellthread have also embraced the use of plant-based natural dyes for denim and tees this season. Usually, plant based-dyes can require the use of toxic chemicals to make the dye penetrate the yarn. But Levi’s Wellthread uses a technique by which ultrasonic waves are used to apply the dye to the fibre reducing the need for harsh chemicals, and reducing the garment’s overall environmental footprint. Every T-shirt in the Levi’s Wellthread collection this season features this innovative, water saving plant-based dye technique.
To celebrate the plant-based nature of this collection, Levi’s lineup of graphic tees feature a range of plant based themes and images. Illustrated in a vibrant color palette, and dyed using natural dyes, each of the graphic tees are both a celebration of and testament to Wellthread’s commitment to preserving the natural environment.
Levi’s Wellthread tees and denim are made from Organic Cotton, grown without synthetic chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers. Organic Cotton helps keep the water, soil and surrounding environment clean and healthy as well as supporting healthier farming communities. All Levi’s Wellthread washes are also finished using the brand’s Water<Less techniques, which can save up to 96 percent of the water normally used in the finishing process. Across the Levi’s business, Water<Less techniques have saved more than 3.5 billion liters of water since they were introduced nearly a decade ago.
“We’re proud to bring forward this latest Wellthread® collection,” says Paul Dillinger, VP of global product innovation at LS&Co. “It builds on all the work we’ve done in the past and continues to expand the future possibilities of design that makes sustainability the top priority at every step of the process, while still delivering product that consumers will love.”
Levi’s have designed every Wellthread garment with a future state of circularity in mind, using all-natural fibers— including the back patch, Red Tab, thread and pocketing—to ensure that they’ll be easier to recycle where the necessary programs and technology exist in the future.
While we all love a great pair of jeans, Levi’s initiative to make denim that is better for the environment too is a welcome step in the right direction. You can check out the Wellthread offering online or at selected Levi’s stockists.
Images supplied.