HOW SOORTY EXTENDS DENIM’S LIFE CYCLE WITH CIRCULARITY & CREATIVITY
IINNOVATION is a cornerstone of Soorty’s operations. The Pakistanbased vertical manufacturer is an early adopter of technology and solutions that create denim with heightened performance and sustainability. In addition to 3D sampling, Soorty’s AI-driven HumAIn collections tap artificial intelligence-aided design to go beyond the traditional denim silhouettes. “We perceive AI as a creativity enhancer and imagination enabler,” said Ebru Debbag, executive director at Soorty. “Technology has been an inherent part of our industry, and its use will become exponential as technologies such as AI and 3D converge.”
Despite the technical components and textile innovation woven into Soorty’s jeans, the manufacturer is also making denim with timeless looks that will last through trend cycles.
Here, Debbag discusses the mill’s developments in materials, circularity and cotton cultivation.
RIVET: What have been the most exciting innovations and developments to come out of your R&D hub this past year?
EBRU DEBBAG: In collaboration with The Lycra Company, we developed a fiber, fabric and jean innovation called ShapeSync that uses LYCRA® FitSense™ Denim technology to target specific areas of the body. Delivering the closest to a customized fit experience, the solution caters to all sizes, shapes and body types, accentuating movement with ease. Soorty is proud to be The Lycra Company’s exclusive pilot partner in Pakistan, one of the three selected mills and the only vertical manufacturer on this exclusive project.
We always explore new material innovations, and our Hello Darkness concept features a new inky dark color palette for denim from blending indigo and blacks. Featuring multiple innovative dyeing technologies of our own such as over-dyes and signature colors, as well as advancements like EarthColors® by Archroma,
TENCEL™ Modal with Indigo Color technology, BioBlack TX by Nature Coatings and other spundyed fibers, Hello Darkness offers various facets of darkness, all harmonized by rich tones.
With concepts like Seasonless and Denim Threads of the World, Soorty is emphasizing garments that outlast today’s micro trend cycles. Why is denim particularly well positioned to break consumers and the industry out of the fast-fashion rut?
E. D.: A universal product with a history and expanding into the future, the denim element has many cultural and social stories to tell. The social and environmental currencies of denim resonate with global consumers, and its expansion over time breaks the fast-fashion trend. We focus on using what has already been produced and highlight circularity.
Speaking of circularity, how is Soorty’s SecondLife™ advancing textile-to-textile recycling?
E. D.: SecondLife™ is our denimto-denim recycling unit with a capacity of 900 tons per day, which shows our commitment to circularity. We partner with collectors and operate with an in-house sorting system, which is crucial to make sure that we work with the highest quality possible. SecondLife™ integrated an upstream process into our supply chain to serve the needs of the market at a premium quality.
“THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CURRENCIES OF DENIM RESONATE WITH GLOBAL CONSUMERS, AND ITS EXPANSION OVER TIME BREAKS THE FAST-FASHION TREND.” — EBRU DEBBAG, executive director, Soorty
Since its launch in 2021, what impact has the Soorty Organic Cotton Initiative (SOCI) had for cotton growers in Pakistan? What is next for this initiative?
E.D.: The idea was to build a resilient community in an underserved region through organic cotton production. We trained farmers through Field Schools, provided non-GMO seeds and partnered with Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) for a fully transparent supply system where the benefit goes directly to the farmer. The farmers are convinced as they see the soil become live, the bee populations return and their earnings increase. We also are collaborating with a local NGO called DOCH, where the region’s women use embroidery to access independent living means. This is the third year of the SOCI project, and we have drawn a good interest from the market and will expand our initiative in other regions in Pakistan as well. We also recently launched the Soorty Regenerative Initiative (SRI), working with more than 1,000 farmers to implement regenerative practices.