Partners devise a collection for reconnecting
Denim mill Cone Denim has announced that it will debut a collection called Interconnected at the Kingpins New York exhibition on July 19 and 20. It developed the collection in partnership with specialist design agency Decode and textile finish technology provider Jeanologia.
Interconnected is the second edition of a collaboration focused on zero-waste design between Cone Denim and Decode founder and designer, Danielle Elsener. The project builds on a programme called Nothing Goes To Waste, which Cone Denim launched in 2022.
“We’re evolving our story with sustainability and how we can challenge ourselves as denim producers,” said Cone Denim design director, Pierette Scavuzzo, ahead of the launch. “When we began Nothing Goes to Waste, it was a starting point and a call to action for the design community.”
She said that partnering with Danielle Elsener and with Jeanologia on Interconnected had provided a platform for sharing “how responsible manufacturing and design can create modern and inspiring garments based on this mindset”.
The collection includes garments with denim fabrics from Cone’s Nothing Goes to Waste and Dream State colour capsules from its autumn-winter 2024 collection. Dream State is a collection of fabric styles that offer what the mill has called “a moody palette with vibrant energy”.
Interconnected uses Cone Denim’s Bonzai fabric, which it produces using 100% post-industrial recycled cotton. Decode founder, Danielle Elsener, said it was “more than just a collection of garments”, but also a statement about “the importance of continuing to iterate sustainably within the fashion industry”.
She played with lasering in some of her designs and employed sustainable wash strategies in partnership with Jeanologia. To make the garments reclaimable at end of life, she used monofibres, including high-quality, 100% biodegradable sewing thread from Cone Denim’s sister brand, industrial sewing thread manufacturer American & Efird.
Silhouettes include a skewed, five-pocket jean in Cone Denim’s Black Cherry and Seaglass colours, offering a unique turquoise-casted indigo shade. The two styles are part of Dream State. A skewed trouser in a unique silhouette with traditional details and jacket complete the collection.
The skewed look is a move away from the traditional straight lines associated with zero-waste designs, the partners said, adding that this collection “rethinks what is possible and offers a beautiful, warped perspective”.
Danielle Elsener commented: “The unrealistic pace of modern life can lead to a sense of disconnection from oneself, from others and from the natural world as people become more focused on achieving goals and meeting deadlines than fostering meaningful relationships and engaging in activities that bring them joy and fulfilment. However, we are all part of a larger narrative, just as pattern pieces are part of a larger picture.”
