Rui Lima: Fashion could learn from innovative mills and laundries
The design consultant thinks supply chain partnerships show how investment and research pays off when it comes to transforming the way jeans are made. Launching his agency at the start of the pandemic has also meant he has had to be creative himself, forging a new way to operate in a quickly changing world.
What has been the biggest change for your business or way of working since the pandemic started?
I started my own business, Nimes Studio, right at the beginning of the pandemic, after 18 years working as a senior denim designer for Salsa Jeans in Portugal. I was looking for new challenges and opportunities. It was quite challenging because at that time coronavirus was in the news but it was only in China, and like many others I thought it wouldn’t affect us, so I carried on until I realised that it was more serious than I first thought.
As an optimistic person, I do believe in the new technology as a great tool to do business and so my first thought was “I can do this online”. Of course, there were some big issues such as the cancellation of the denim fairs, with the lockdowns and no flights. Not attending these important events was my principle concern because they are great places to connect with clients face-to-face for my new business.
That was a “double” challenge. I started to do everything online more than ever: new connections, new projects, webinars, virtual denim shows and meetings, all to get new clients and to stay informed. But I believe this will get better.
How do you think the pandemic has affected sustainability initiatives, or R&D?
I think the pandemic will result in only a short delay in sustainability initiatives that were already in place, and they will now grow in importance. After the first lockdown, the world saw what happens to the planet when there is no pollution around, it gets greener and the air cleaner. People realised we must change the way we do things as we only have one planet.
I think this pandemic was like a warning to mankind and from now on every researcher will think differently, challenging themselves in all type of industries – including automotive, textiles and food. This huge change, particularly in the textiles industry, should reach a balance in the near future, meaning profits won’t be placed ahead of the objectives to create a cleaner and better industry.I think a Worldwide Textile Committee should be created to define rules and build on the sustainability momentum, and push for greater transparency.
What are your thoughts on how the supply chain can work together to mitigate some problems?
The supply chain has already taken some great steps. It´s very interesting to see partnerships between brands, denim mills, laundry, chemical producers and certifiers to show authenticity in their products and processes. There has been great efforts, especially from the denim mills, recycling pre-consumer waste (production), post-consumer waste (from old jeans), recycling plastic bottles from the ocean and intensive research, as well as using other fibres such as Tencel, Refibra and hemp instead of just cotton.
We know the laundry companies have also been working hard, teaming up with chemicals companies to create new processes with less impact on the environment but which achieve the same final look on the jeans.
I also think jeans brands have a major responsibility in changing the way they design, from beginning to the end, communicating and teaching their customers how to buy, what to buy and be a better and responsible consumer.
In my opinion, the most important of all is to keep this sustainable movement as a standard and not as a trend. There are too many collections a year as well as capsules, the fashion industry need to redesign the strategy starting here. I know it’s not easy but if we take denim mills and laundry processes as an example, it is possible to redesign the strategy, doing less but better.
What role do machinery and technology providers play when it comes to sustainability?
All processes in the denim business are a symbioses between the parts of the supply chain, all of them are extremely important, now more than ever; investing in new processes, products and research, which work together to make the textile industry cleaner and more transparent and lead to better product.
Some people say the pandemic will lead to nearshoring and more localised production. What are your views?
In my opinion it will not necessarily lead to this but it will offer chances for local brands or small manufacturers who lost their orders or, even worse, their jobs. It will give hope to local industries to restart, and will “shake-up” business in a good way.
What are you proudest of? What interests you the most?
I’m proud of my journey in the denim business. I have had the chance to express myself through my work, making consumers feel good and confident through the products I have created. What matters most is a satisfied and happy consumer.
Since I started as a young denim designer 19 years ago, my passion for this business grows every day. Now more than ever I want to keep doing what I do best: creating jeans, in a sustainable way, learning from every part of the supply chain, improving myself and making my design and strategy more efficient.
Rui Lima has worked in the denim business for 19 years as a creative designer in Salsa Jeans’ R&D department. In April he launched consultancy bureau Nîmes Studio in Porto, where he is CEO and independent design developer.
