AG’s New Collection Gets its Unique Color From Recycled Jeans

Jun 03, 2023

AG believes in reincarnation.

In addition to hiring its first CEO, the Los Angeles-based brand unveiled this week its third “Jeans of Tomorrow” collection, a line that explores the creative potential of post-consumer fibers.

More from Sourcing Journal

Adidas, Target & Zara Parent Among Companies Piloting Footwear Circularity Program

Renewcell Names 47 Companies in Circulose Supplier Network

R&D Initiative Led by RadiciGroup Recycles Polyester for Sports Jerseys

Two fabrics are at the core of the collection. Unify, a soft taupe twill, is made with recycled cotton and features colorful slubs from post-consumer textiles. The Revive twill indigo fabric is made with 60 percent recycled denim and 40 percent virgin cotton to improve durability and quality. Its light shade of blue with a subtle speckled character is derived from the recycled content.

No new dyes were added to the fabrics, allowing AG to reduce its use of water and chemicals compared to traditional denim.

“The nuanced variances of color and texture in these fabrics hint at their past lives and mark the progression of circularity as we continue to prioritize sustainable solutions and the conscious use of materials,” the brand stated.

AG tapped Guatemalan denim mill The New Denim Project for the fabrics. The company stated that the mill’s expertise in recycling “ensures that recycled products are broken down in the most efficient and eco-minded way.”

The collection includes a men’s taupe chore jacket and carpenter jean, and an indigo Trucker jacket and slim fit jean. An indigo cropped and collarless jacket and straight fit jean are available for women. The collection retails for $225-$265.

While the collection does not utilize recycled AG jeans in the fabric, Ron Balatbat, AG’s men’s design director, said the next capsule collection will be comprised of 95 percent recycled materials with a “significant chunk being made from AG jeans.”

Earlier this year, AG launched the Again Program, enabling consumers to recycle their unwanted AG jeans at any of the company’s retail stores in exchange for 25 percent off a full-price jean purchase.

To date, AG reports that it has reclaimed and diverted more than 3,000 pairs of denim from landfills, turning them into 27,000 meters and counting of new denim fabric utilized in the Jeans of Tomorrow line.

“This new chapter extends the life cycle of garments already in circulation, keeping them out of landfills by allowing them to take on different forms,” the brand stated.

AG introduced the Jeans of Tomorrow concept in Summer 2021 with a biodegradable collection of jeans and jackets. A second collection made with natural dyes like madder root and nuts launched the following summer.

Click here to read the full article.