Ecoalf Introduces First Fully Circular Denim Collection

MILAN — Seventeen years since its foundation with a promise to make sustainable fashion appealing and accessible, Ecoalf is introducing the most ubiquitous and democratic fashion item: denim jeans.

The Spanish brand’s first denimwear collection — a tight edit of trousers and shirts — is fully circular, crafted from recycled and regenerative cotton, as well as chemical-free and laser- and ozone-finished. The brand claims its denim saves more than 5,434 liters of water annually, which is equivalent to a seven-year supply of drinking water for an individual.

“Denim is an iconic, timeless garment and a key piece in wardrobes around the world, but historically it has been very harmful — to the planet and the people involved — because of how it’s produced. That’s why it made complete sense for us to take this garment and redesign it from the ground up,” said Javier Goyeneche, the fashion entrepreneur who established Ecoalf in 2009.

“We don’t launch products unless they provide a real solution, and that was precisely the challenge here: to completely rethink one of the world’s most iconic garments so that it is circular and 100 percent recyclable, without compromising on design, quality or fit,” he added.

Each denim item in the collection is made of a blend of 65 percent regenerative cotton and 35 recycled cotton, the latter coming from deadstock fabric scraps. The canvas is then dyed in Italy via the trademarked, chemical-free Smart-Indigo technology, which employs electricity to turn indigo powder into liquid dye.

The company claims this technique reduces carbon emissions by 90 percent, use of energy by 70 percent and employs 30 percent less water than traditional dyeing processes — its only byproduct being oxygen.

Teaming up with leading denim manufacturer Jeanología, Ecoalf’s denim pieces are laser- or ozone-finished, replacing the traditional chemical- and abrasion-based techniques or use of pumice stone, with a reduction in water consumption of 60 percent.

Aiming to provide a fully recyclable collection, the garments have no zippers and the only hardware — metal buttons — can be unscrewed, making the pieces mono-material products easier to handle at their end-of-life stage.

The collection debuts Wednesday on the brand’s e-commerce, as well as at the Madrid, Barcelona and Milan flagships. It comprises straight- and wide-leg jeans for women and slim-fit pants for men, as well as two denim shirts. Most of the collection retails for 129.90 euros except for the wide-leg jeans, which are priced at 139.90 euros.

The value-driven Ecoalf has championed sustainability as its mission and offers men’s, women’s and kid’s ready-to-wear and accessories. It aspires to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The brand boasts 14 stores globally, including the recently opened units in Biarritz, France; Florence, Italy, and San Sebastian, Spain.