DL 1961 Appoints New CEO
● The sustainable denim brand appointed Zahra Ahmed, a second-generation denim entreprenuer.
Sustainable premium denim company DL1961 said it has appointed Zahra Ahmed as its next chief executive officer, a second-generation denim entrepreneur.
Ahmed grew up in the family business of denim, as her mother and father founded DL1961 in 2008, the company said. As a next-generation ceo, “Zahra is dedicated to building a brand that is a global leader in denim innovation, focusing on sustainability through experiential retail,” according to the brand.
Zahra Ahmed replaces her mother, Maliha, who has held the role of ceo.
Most recently, Ahmed oversaw international sales and marketing at the company as the vice president of marketing and e-commerce. In that role, she managed the DL1961 e-commerce platforms and marketing strategy. Ahmed received her undergraduate degree at Barnard College and her MBA from Columbia Business School.
DL1961 Discusses Sustainability and “Doing Things Differently”
DL1961 “starts from scratch” when creating its sustainable, premium denim for women, men and kids, exclusively using ethically sourced, U.S. grown premium cotton, natural indigo dyes and water-efficient fibers, according to the company. And while a traditional pair of jeans is made using 1,500 gallons of water, DL1961 uses less than 10 gallons and treats and recycles 98 percent of it. The brand also noted that its factory is powered by solar energy and through its owned in-house power generation plant, in addition to its tracking of water consumption and dye usage via Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM) software, created by Jeanologia.
Ahmed told WWD, “Growing up in the family business of denim, I am very passionate about building a denim brand for the next generation. The core principles of DL have always been centered around technology, resulting in a product that is made mindfully. For me, sustainability is a journey powered by innovation and through the DL platform we have an opportunity to inform consumers on how to make conscious choices. Our goals for this year are to continue to merge technology and sustainability with high-quality product that looks great and feels even better.”