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Is there life on planet wool denim?

Is there life on planet wool denim?

In our common memory, denim is and has always been a blue fabric made of cotton. Yet history shows that before being blue and cotton, denim was something quite different. Tilmann Wröbel says recent shifts in trends seem to confirm that this forgotten chapter of denim history could hold the key to longer-lasting fashions. Let’s go back to the Middle Ages, the mid-1100s exactly, in Genoa. This was when the city...

Features

02 December 2025
Tokyo retail reality check Tokyo retail reality check
Tokyo, a fantastic and shining metropolis. A mecca for denim lovers and a benchmark for retail analysis. This summer in Tokyo, the city and its retail offering made my head spin. Begging one big question: what’s up in international denim and fashion retail? Tilmann Wröbel takes us on his most recent Tokyo retail tour to find out.
13 November 2025
Stretch in or out? Stretch in or out?
Jeans are near perfect candidates for mechanical recycling thanks to their high cotton content. But the presence of elastane, nearly as ubiquitous, can be a stumbling block for circularity. Luckily, workarounds are being found as are new solutions to recycle the stretch fibre.
10 November 2025
A new spin on hemp A new spin on hemp
Innovation in hemp processing is helping the natural fibre shed its characteristic coarseness, without losing its rugged appeal. Technologies that produce finer and more homogenous fibres may enable the low impact, regenerative and biodiversity-friendly plant reach new heights in denim collections.
23 October 2025
Biotech indigo at a tipping point Biotech indigo at a tipping point
Disrupting an industry that produces some 70,000 tonnes of petrochemical indigo annually is no small feat. Innovators in synthetic biology claim they have already ticked key boxes: achieving purity levels comparable to conventional indigo and scaling production capacity—at least to a degree. Convincing mills and brands to switch to these biobased alternatives is the next box they need to tick.
21 July 2025
GB Lift-off for LaundRE Lift-off for LaundRE
The doors are finally open to the UK’s washing, upcycling and R&D hub for jeans – and Inside Denim got an early sneak peek.
03 July 2025
Melt and spin fibre-to-fibre recycling Melt and spin fibre-to-fibre recycling
Polyester and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are two different names for the same polymer.
29 May 2025
Full throttle Full throttle
The speed, the adrenaline rush… Thanks to innovation in denim, the biker dream of experiencing the roar of a full-throttle engine wearing a cool-looking pair of jeans is now possible.
15 May 2025
A hub for positive denim A hub for positive denim
A London-based centre for refinishing, education and collaboration, LaundRe is opening its doors in Canning Town.
08 May 2025
Tilting the scale Tilting the scale
Innovative fibres and processes that address environmental and social concerns could make up 8% of the fashion industry’s materials, or around 13 million tonnes, by 2030, up from 1% today, according to a report by Fashion for Good and Boston Consulting Group. Bringing these new solutions to market is proving to be slow. What is needed to unlock demand?
04 December 2024
Heartbeat of the community Heartbeat of the community
Denim mills around the world have proven to be caring and responsible businesses – from funding local schools and healthcare, to providing accommodation and donating to charity. Inside Denim went digging for some shining examples.
26 November 2024
Seoul searching for used jeans Seoul searching for used jeans
Six start-ups from South Korea caught the eye at a recent major exhibition in Milan, none more so than a brand that turns old jeans into tote bags.
19 November 2024
How trendsetting changed camps How trendsetting changed camps
There was a time when designers and product developers would, logically and systematically, bring in fresh ideas for trends and fabrics that denim mills and factories would then strive to develop.
12 November 2024
The tangled trade of second-hand clothing The tangled trade of second-hand clothing
We know that shiploads of second-hand clothes are transported from developed countries to Africa, Pakistan, Chile and more, where they are sold in sprawling street markets.
05 November 2024
Natural progression Natural progression
To lower the environmental impact of stretch denim, Yulex, Lycra and Hyosung are harnessing the power of plants.
29 October 2024
Passport to compliance Passport to compliance
The software programs developed by machinery makers and chemicals suppliers have given the denim industry a head start in environmental scoring systems.
25 September 2024
Plastic-eating enzymes Plastic-eating enzymes
Enzymes, microbes and such can develop the ability to break down any substance they find in their close environment, including plastics. They are now being screened and tailored to depolymerise PET plastics, polyester textiles and fabrics made from polyamide.
17 September 2024
Chemical recycling scales up Chemical recycling scales up
New factories for depolymerising polyester textiles are in the works.
10 September 2024
No wood to waste No wood to waste
In addition to going into manmade cellulosic fibres, the renewable resource that is pulped wood is also being tapped for other textile industry supplies, including polymers and chemicals, offering a new array of materials that are not derived from fossil fuels.
24 July 2024
Japan’s first women’s jeans Japan’s first women’s jeans
When digging into the history of women’s jeans, especially the history of the early makers of jeans for women, would it occur to you to look towards Japan? Well the country has a true pioneer in this space, and a formerly very well-known denim label to boot. Today, Betty Smith is more than just a brand.
27 June 2024
The need for biodegradable fibres The need for biodegradable fibres
Mexican fabric developer Tavex argues that the denim industry should have a preferential option for biodegradable fibres.
11 June 2024
A beacon of innovation A beacon of innovation
Finishing is a critical phase of jeans-making to create the industry’s requisite authentic effects but also for its potential impacts on the environment.
06 June 2024
Fresh pearls in Shanghai Fresh pearls in Shanghai
Ahead of its thirtieth anniversary this August, Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics still knows how to draw a crowd.
28 May 2024
Investment-focused Royo boosts super-strength denim Investment-focused Royo boosts super-strength denim
Taking a material from the aerospace industry, a “crazy” idea became Armalith in the hands of the textiles masterminds at Tejidos Royo. Continued investment at the Spanish mill means the price of the fabric has now been slashed in half.
14 May 2024
Cash for carbon cuts Cash for carbon cuts
Achieving net-zero in the apparel supply chain by 2050 will require huge investment.
07 May 2024
The Denim Deal goes global The Denim Deal goes global
A four-year collaborative project to increase the amount of post-consumer recycled cotton in jeans sold in the Netherlands, the Denim Deal, is now looking to replicate the concept on a larger scale.
30 April 2024
The rise of alternative natural fibres The rise of alternative natural fibres
In the wide world of agricultural waste lie many long and strong fibres that can be spun into textile yarns.
23 April 2024
Tipping the scale Tipping the scale
Hundreds, nearing on thousands, of tonnes per month. While still marginal, the volumes of textile waste recycled into new fabrics by denim mills have dramatically scaled up in recent years.
28 March 2024
Cool threads Cool threads
Learning the value of print, process and photorealism with Prosperity.
14 March 2024
Putting Genoa back on the map Putting Genoa back on the map
The city of Genoa would like to remind denim lovers that it made a significant contribution to the world of jeans, through the very term itself, derived from its historic indigo-dyed fustian fabrics.
22 February 2024
Glimpse of the future Glimpse of the future
The Mills Fabrica’s London exhibition unites companies across the supply chain to promote the positive behind-the-scenes work and innovative solutions for responsible denim manufacturing.
15 February 2024
Better purchasing practices Better purchasing practices
The denim industry is often cited as a driver of change in making fashion more sustainable, through its choice of materials and innovation in processes.
01 February 2024
The dynamics of regenerative cotton The dynamics of regenerative cotton
Believed to build the resilience of both farmers and our planet, regenerative cotton farming is slowly gaining ground.
19 December 2023
Angel’s advocate Angel’s advocate
Armedangels became the latest European fashion brand to join the still-exclusive 100% recycled denim jeans club back in July.
12 December 2023
Brewing a new blue Brewing a new blue
Japan’s reputation for trends acceleration makes it a hotbed for textile and fashion innovation.
05 December 2023
Denim mill’s digital diligence pays off Denim mill’s digital diligence pays off
Mexico-based fabric producer Global Denim has said work it had already done to digitally present its collections paid off in a big way when the covid-19 pandemic hit, and has continued to develop in the post-covid environment.
28 November 2023
Eye in the sky Eye in the sky
Being able to spot the difference between organic and non-organic fields of cotton would be a challenge for most people outside the agricultural sector – particularly from a distance of 700km.
23 November 2023
Stemming the flow of microfibre fluff Stemming the flow of microfibre fluff
The presence of microplastic particles has been scientifically established in the air, the oceans, freshwater, soil and rainfall. Textiles are believed to be responsible for 30% of the tiny fibres that blanket our planet. Research into this pervasive phenomenon is ongoing, as are solutions to capture the fluff in factories. No quick fix for fibre fragmentation, however.
14 November 2023
The fine print The fine print
Open up a pair of good-looking vintage jeans. Lay flat. Scan. Transfer the file to the printer. Press go. Laser cut. Sew. Done. This is the promise of digital age jeans fully printed with authentic-looking fading.
07 November 2023
Schools must connect better to the fashion industry Schools must connect better to the fashion industry
The organisers of Denim Première Vision are launching a denim apparel design initiative for students, with the aim of helping new-generation designers understand how clothing manufacturers work in the real world.
02 November 2023
Into the future with Kaihara Into the future with Kaihara
When it comes to denim mills, it is common enough to think that experienced human eyes and hands are involved in the making of great denim fabrics. Can you imagine a mill without any humans? Your fabrics made by robots? If not, read on, and join me on a trip to Kaihara Denim.
31 October 2023
ITMA, the epitome of work in progress ITMA, the epitome of work in progress
Anticipation was high when industry shopping mecca ITMA opened its doors at Fiera Milano Rho this June. Visitors, numbering more than 100,000, flocked from all corners of the world looking for faster, smarter and more efficient equipment and supplies to power the next generations of denims and jeans.
24 October 2023
A greener shade of blue A greener shade of blue
A year on from the inauguration of BluConnection’s new indigo facility, we find out about how clean production and plant-based auxiliaries can help companies ‘walk the talk’ with a lighter footprint.
28 September 2023
Trash into treasure Trash into treasure
Could proteins from feathers provide the building blocks for a new fibre to rival polyester and silk? Bloom Labs believes it has found a solution that could be a good fit for the denim sector.
07 September 2023
New fibres in the loop New fibres in the loop
The need to increase fibre-to-fibre recycling and lack of progress in achieving this is being called out by every sustainable fashion industry coalition and report.

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