Advances in blending, weaving and dyeing wool have led to some exciting new denim fabrics, in a quietly growing segment that offers an upmarket take on winter collections.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Polyester and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are two different names for the same polymer.

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.

A London-based centre for refinishing, education and collaboration, LaundRe is opening its doors in Canning Town.

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?