Organic Basics discusses its denim ‘love story’ with Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Following on from the launch of its first ever “circular” denim collection in January, Organic Basics’ head of design, Frederik Thrane, discussed designing denim for the circular economy with Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular lead, François Souchet, during a live Instagram video interview.
The pair talked about how Ellen MacArthur’s Jeans Redesign guidelines - and Organic Basics’ “holistic” adoption of them - had inspired the brand to make denim pieces through the use of methods it considers “better than current [traditional] practices”, as Mr Thrane described it.
It was Copenhagen-based Organic Basics’ “love story” with denim as a material that ultimately motivated its decision to design a seasonless collection with circularity front of mind, he said, praising the fabric’s durability and versatility.
One of the circular design elements that the Danish brand did not “crack” while working within the foundation’s guidelines, however, was the “purity” of the thread it used.
Although the design team strongly desired to use organic cotton thread throughout, they could not find organic cotton thread strong enough to offer the necessary longevity for a denim garment designed to last, Mr Thrane disclosed. Instead, the team were forced to opt for a recycled polyester thread. He described this as an area of “future improvement” for the brand’s denim designers and told Mr Souchet that Organic Basics is actively exploring future possibilities with its partners.
Another aspect that Organic Basics struggled with was the notion of making women’s jeans without inbuilt stretch. Though the brand initially thought they “could not do without” the stretch element in terms of commercial viability and, therefore, experimented with 1.5% stretch content (according to Ellen MacArthur’s Jeans Redesign guidelines, a minimum of 98% of the finished garment’s total textile composition must be made from cellulose-based fibres), the samples “felt wrong”.
In the end, the stretch content was taken out. “From a denim geek’s point of view”, Mr Thrane said, referring to himself, zero stretch denim is “a little better”, anyway, for it develops a “nice patina” over time, he elaborated.
Mr Thrane was proud to have worked with Isko in Turkey on the collection and lauded the manufacturer’s “very good” environmental credentials. All aspects of production took place in Turkey, he said, allowing for a “tight, agile” supply chain, particularly during covid-19.
Organic Basics is currently working with WWF and other partners in Turkey on regenerative cotton farming initiatives.
Image: Organic Basics via Instagram.
