PRINTED DENIM

With growing consumer awareness of sustainability, coupled with the environmental impact of the denim industry, the market has witnessed a surge in demand for sustainable techniques, particularly in dyeing and finishing processes.

This shift has prompted the introduction of new methods aimed at achieving the authentic look of denim while minimizing ecological harm. A new focus is being put on printing technology. Once solely about meeting various denim trends and fostering creativity, it has now become a key solution in reducing ecological footprint, operational steps, and costs. The need for shorter production cycles, quicker time-to-market, reduced inventory, cost efficiency, waste minimization, and enhanced personalization has spurred printer manufacturers to innovate solutions for streamlining the process of creating a pair of jeans.

Digital Textile Printing (DTP) encompasses a range of technologies used to transfer digital images onto textile substrates, typically employing inkjet printing. Notable brands like Diesel have embraced this method.

In contrast, Digital Denim Printing (DDP) is a term coined by Carly Spano of Cotton Incorporated, USA, in 2012. It involves replicating traditional denim manufacturing and finishing through textile digital inkjet printing. DDP enables the production of photorealistic details utilizing millions of colors, thereby elevating denim to a new level of realism. It offers endless design, finishing, and effect possibilities, facilitating rapid turnaround and easy sampling.

In 2022, Kontoor acquired this technology, launching a digital denim collection for Lee, which received an honorable mention in Fast Company's Innovation Design Awards. Dhruv Agarwal, Kontoor's VP of

Sustainability, Innovation, and Development, hailed the technology as revolutionary and future-oriented, citing significant water savings compared to conventional denim production methods.

This new wave of digitally printed denim, usually referred to as "trompe l'oeil" denim, incorporates elements such as false waistbands, pockets, digital distressing, and fake trims, redefining contemporary denim aesthetics. Key brands embracing this trend include Diesel, Our Legacy, Y/Project, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, and Rag and Bone.

The illusionary nature of printed denim extends beyond superficial appearances, revealing intricacies upon closer inspection. NTX has revolutionized the game with Cooltrans technology, which colorizes fabric material on both sides simultaneously in a single pass, with a 90% reduction in water usage, energy savings, and dye reduction, without compromising fabric integrity or functionality. Stella Blu debuted fabrics utilizing this technology last year, marking the first mill to do so globally.

The prevalence of visual deception has prompted some designers to employ denim printing in its most literal form, such as printing a jean 3D scan on denim. Notably, Jean Paul Gaultier and Ksenia Schnaider have released their own interpretations, with Schnaider latest offering, "The Augmented" jean, being showcased during Copenhagen Fashion Week's A/W 2024 collection.

Will this rapid-response model enable the denim industry to meet the escalating demands of fast fashion and regional trends while significantly enhancing sustainability? Only time will tell.