It's been two years in the making – now G-Star's new material boldly leads the way for the denim industry
Since the brand’s conception in 1989, G-Star RAW has continuously challenged the conventions of denim design. Staying true to their ethos, today it launches the world’s most sustainable denim after two years of production: the G-Star Elwood RFTPi jean and its counterpart, the D-Staq RFTPi jacket. “Sustainability is really part of who and what we are,” says Frouke Bruinsma, G-Star’s corporate responsibility director. “If you want to be here for the next 50-100 years, you need to look at the impact you make on the planet.”
G-Star’s commitment to sustainability is keenly reflected in their newly developed material which demonstrates four unique denim innovations. Breaking history is a revolutionary dyeing process, which is the first in 120 years to change the way colour is applied to denim. G-Star’s new indigo dye is formulated and applied using 70% fewer chemicals and no salts, meaning it produces no salt by-product during the reduction and dyeing method – which saves water and leaves what water does remain clean and recyclable.
Indigo aside, G-Star's washing technique ensures 98% of the water used in the making of the denim is recycled and reused, while the new designs are crafted from 100% organic cotton, and are renewable right down to their eco-finished metal buttons.
The world’s most sustainable denim comes as part of G-Star’s 12-year social evolution. In 2006, the brand established the GSRD foundation, which works towards positively impacting the people and communities in the countries where G-Star products are manufactured through education and vocation. “When we started our formal commitment to sustainability, we began by looking at social conditions, then we moved to looking how to our materials more sustainable”, says Bruinsma. In 2013, G-Star Raw introduced upcycled denim and banned angora to protect animal welfare. Now they pledge to use only 100% sustainable cotton by 2020. “We can explain our commitment to sustainability better as an evolution that comes together as a masterpiece of the most sustainable jeans ever.”
Understanding that sustainability isn’t a solo battle, G-Star have also made their material open source, meaning other denim manufacturers can access and use the material in their production – an incredibly important move for the future of sustainable denim. “We explicitly have an open source because we feel that if you want to become more sustainable, and you want to change the industry, then you need to work together,” states Bruinsma, “because you aren’t going to achieve that by yourself. We would like to invite others to join us in moving towards cleaner and more ethical denim production globally.”
The G-Star RAW Elwood RFTPi jean and the D-Staq RFTPi jacket are available in-store and online now