Candiani unveils first natural and biodegradable stretch jeans

Candiani Denim, a leader in sustainable denim, has launched the world’s first stretch denim that is both fully natural and biodegradable. With its debut capsule collection created with Coreva Design and launched at Banner, a luxury fashion retailer in Milan, sustainable denim could be entering a new era.

Coreva Design's fabrics are crafted using a unique technology, exclusive to Candiani Denim, utilising natural rubber-derived plant materials for elasticity. This innovation eliminates the need for synthetic fibers, resulting in stretch denim that biodegrades in under four months, reducing environmental impact.

The collection spans leisurewear, premium denim, and ready-to-wear, offering soft, comfortable Coreva fabric in ecru, indigo, grey, and terracotta. The premium denim range includes diverse models, while the ready-to-wear section features fashion-forward designs.

Coreva Design targets environmentally conscious individuals, aiming for selective distribution in high-fashion department stores worldwide. The brand emphasises aesthetics, ethics, short supply chains, and vertical production.

The sustainability issue with stretch jeans primarily revolves around the materials used to create the stretch in the fabric. Traditional stretch jeans typically incorporate synthetic fibers like spandex (also known as elastane or Lycra) to provide elasticity and comfort. This poses several sustainability challenges.

Synthetic fibers, including spandex, are derived from petroleum-based sources. The production of these materials involves the extraction of fossil fuels and energy-intensive manufacturing processes, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation.

Non-Biodegradability

Synthetic fibers do not biodegrade easily, which means that when garments containing these fibers are discarded in landfills, they persist for hundreds of years, contributing to textile waste and environmental pollution.

Microplastic Pollution

During the use and washing of stretch jeans, tiny plastic microfibers shed from the fabric and enter waterways, eventually reaching the oceans. These microplastics can harm aquatic life and pose risks to human health when they enter the food chain.

Limited Recycling

The incorporation of synthetic fibers makes it challenging to recycle stretch jeans into new textiles. This reduces the potential for a circular fashion system and increases the overall environmental footprint.