The late Adriano Goldschmied: "We are experiencing an epochal change, the focus should be on quality and lower costs"

This interview was previously published in Italian on 26 March 2026. With the passing of Adriano Goldschmied earlier this week we decided to translate it.

Denim's roots date back to the 1500s. Despite its age, this fabric is still very much in fashion and relevant. Many luxury brands have featured it in their latest collections, appealing to both new generations and their most loyal customers. Innovation in the denim segment has always been a constant. Today, more than ever, experimenting with and studying new formulas, collaborations, combinations and versions is necessary to make this fabric desirable, interesting, sustainable, credible and successful.

FashionUnited interviewed an authority on the subject: Adriano Goldschmied, known as the godfather of denim. He has worked in this sector for over fifty years and has created brands such as Goldie, A Gold E, Diesel, Replay, Gap 1969, Ag Adriano Goldschmied and GoldSign, to name just a few. His successes also include the invention of the stonewash technique, experimentation with and use of Tencel fibres, the creation of super-stretch denim and the implementation of sustainable methods as early as the 1990s. He is also currently a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). In recent years, with Daily Blue and House of Gold, he has divided his time between Italy, specifically Veneto for the creative side, and Los Angeles for operations, working on the design, production and distribution of high-quality denim-inspired fabrics.

According to Goldschmied, denim, like fashion, is experiencing an epochal change. In this game, brands and companies that invest with tenacity and determination in innovation, quality, sustainability, credibility and consistency are destined to win. Almost ten years ago, in a previous interview, he said that one must be "made everywhere" but a winner. The consumer is informed, knows how to recognise quality and that is what matters, not the "made in". One must be "made everywhere" but a winner. He was a dissenting voice at the time. Today, it seems many are taking notice.

A preview of the Pioneer Denim autumn/winter 2027 'Storm of Love' collection

The collection we will present stems from my collaboration with Pioneer Denim (part of the Badsha Group, editor's note), which already resulted in a collection last November. It was inspired by the fabrics and style of the Nordic countries. Perfume of the Highlands is a revolutionary collection that redefines the possibilities of denim design. At Pioneer, we developed a wool-cotton blend yarn and successfully rope-dyed the warp to create a unique wool/cotton denim. The collection is finished using Soko's Hydrogel technology, a process that converts water into a gel, allowing for a gentler, faster and more sustainable wash. The gel acts as a protective cushion around the fibres, preserving the surface while offering a clean, sophisticated finish.

The new capsule we will present is very interesting because I have also developed new fabrics. In the first one, we brought wool into denim. Contrary to what many have done, we created a fabric that is 30 percent wool and 70 percent cotton. The difference is that while almost everyone else uses the weft, we put the wool in the warp, creating a blend of cotton and wool. This brings a huge advantage because you can feel the wool. When it is in the weft, the effect is somewhat lost. Above all, it does not cause problems in washing; it can be washed at the same temperatures as the cotton programme without felting.

For the new collection, we have developed this concept while staying true to the Highlands style and have also added actual tartan fabrics. The colours used are sulphur-based and therefore tend to fade in a similar way to denim. This capsule, therefore, also gives a sense of vintage, of antiquity.

The Moonskin denim collection with Isko

The collection, characterised by modern and fluid silhouettes, which I designed for Isko, included prototypes and finished garments to show how denim brands can work with the supplier's fabrics and how they can interpret the various collections. The Moonskin project, developed with my brand Daily Blue, shows the creative potential that emerges when cutting-edge textile engineering meets visionary design. It highlights Isko's City glam coating technology, a finish that offers glossy shine or soft matte subtlety while preserving the authentic character of denim.

I think the collection has achieved an excellent result, also because we managed to create a coated fabric with a very interesting, soft and very feminine handfeel. This is something that is not normally possible because all fabrics treated with a coating are stiff, whereas this fabric is extremely pleasant.

Daily Blue's continued focus on innovation

Yes, that's right. I am completely focused on textile innovation and design, of course. Experimentation in this sector is the predominant part of my work.

How to innovate in practice

I collaborate with various companies that have specific characteristics depending on the project I want to pursue. This gives me the opportunity to leverage their know-how and access maximum specialisation depending on my needs from a technical, construction, weaving or dyeing perspective. My research is very extensive, so the companies I need have very different characteristics, capabilities and technical skills.

Innovation behind denim

My goal is to provide luxury houses with the tools to manage and create distinctive denim products. It is clear that regular jeans are not suitable for the collections of luxury houses.

The 'Digital blue wave' project with Artmill

That is another example where you can see the development of innovation first-hand. Printing denim is one thing; working it by hand is another. That project brings out my ultimate goal: to create new areas of development and thus create an area of new products.

The idea behind this product is to be able to make denim with digital printing. The underlying objective is to democratise what they do in Japan, a country where they are extremely advanced in research and make products that are, however, absolutely expensive. My idea was to reproduce these products with a print and thus give denim brands the opportunity to recreate looks inspired by the Japanese textile segment, including all the work that is actually done by hand, thus 'democratising' the garments. In this case too, the collection was a prototype and is not for sale.

Artmill has invested in digital printing, believing in the possibility of printing denim instead of using the traditional yarn-dyeing process. In addition to environmental benefits, this technology transforms the denim production process. It allows for reduced inventory; flexibility; extraordinary precision and definition; and greater efficiency in product development and production. The project allows brands to stay closer to the market and consumers, responding more quickly and effectively to emerging trends.

Evolution of the denim market

Much like in all sectors, there has been profound innovation in the area and, more generally, in the business. We also see a strong presence of marketing. On the production front, there has been a shift to countries where the cost of production is lower and where the products made are traditional but of high quality. Take, for example, my collaboration with Ovs, where great sourcing capability is combined with great design capability.

In recent weeks, we have also all read about Zara hiring John Galliano. These are not things that happen by chance. It is clear that the luxury market has crossed a line; it has surpassed a certain price level, putting itself out of the customer's reach. In my opinion, we are facing an epochal change where the focus must be on product quality and the ability to make it cost less. I, for example, work a lot in China and I can say that the Chinese, today, are extremely capable of making good products at reasonable prices, and this changes the nature of the market. Let's also not forget that China is a country of 1.5 billion consumers.

Sustainability, consumer awareness and corporate attention

Sustainability is a very complex topic. First of all, it is clear that in difficult times, the customer is not willing to spend more for a sustainable product. The fact remains that, even politically, we are in what I would call a recession regarding sustainability issues. It is certain that companies are very oriented towards developing sustainability; it is a theme always mentioned in strategies. Today, it is hard to find a company that does not declare itself sustainable. Whether it is true or not is another matter.

Honestly, however, I do not believe that offering a sustainable product is an argument that alone can convince the final customer. The group of people who are convinced 'only' by that is very limited, but at the same price, the situation can change. In this respect, information, social media and the media play a fundamental role. Artificial intelligence is also important and can help companies reduce costs and optimise investments. It is a battle with combatants, but the winner has already been decided. In my opinion, it is the one who brings innovation, sustainability and new technologies.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@fashionunited.com