Time to change course, says Flax & Loom
Creating jeans that take longer to make but also last longer makes sense for the planet and economically, he says, taking inspiration from a Nina Simone quote: “This thing called time.”
“We need to start making things with respect,” he said. “Time isn’t a clock by your bed, it’s a clock of nature. We are using the world’s resources at a faster rate than we can possibly sustain. We need to make stuff that lasts, that we have pride in.”
The collection will be available online and through UK-based independent retailers from March and, as the name suggests, will feature linen and hemp blends. The carbon footprint will be kept low: although designed in the UK, the collection will be fully made in Turkey – from the cotton, flax and hemp, through the fabric weaving, cut and sew, laundry and distribution.
The brand is working with a grower in Turkey who will grow the cotton, hemp and flax on rotation, meaning less stressed soils, reducing the need for water and pesticides.
“Linen is one of my favourite fabrics, it creates a really good drape, but it tends to crease,” Mr Wildbore told Inside Denim. “If you weave linen or hemp into cotton you get great results; plus, the plants rejuvenate the soil. So, you are not only using a fibre that makes the fabric look better, it’s much better for the planet, so that’s a win-win.”
Protecting worker rights and producing in a sustainable way has been a key focus for Mr Wildbore, and something he has projected through his denim brands, which include Road Jeans, Monkee Genes and most recently United Changemakers. He was appointed sustainability ambassador for UK-based trade show Jacket Required in 2019.
“The destruction of nature only happened in the last 100 years and it’s been accelerated in the last 30 with excessive capitalism,” he added. “We can reverse this; I’d like to encourage as many people as possible to join the next revolution – looking after the planet.”
Photo: Phil Wildbore with a painting of Nina Simone
