Blue Community

Blue Lenz Denim Video Awards

CARVED IN BLUE/ BLUE LENZ

The winners of the second BLUE LENZ DENIM VIDEO AWARDS are out now!

31. August 2022

Beginning back in 2021, the BLUE LENZ DENIM VIDEO AWARDS is an annual celebration of creativity, technical excellence and innovation in the denim industry.

The Awards take place at Bluezone, the Munich Fabric Start international trade show for denim, street and sportswear.

The BLUE LENZ YouTube channel was launched in January 2020 with the aim to capture and curate all the latest original video content cover stories, education, sustainability initiatives, fabric innovations and trends from the denim community.

Currently hosting more than 430 videos and with upwards of 1,000 followers, the aim is to shine the spotlight on the best and the brightest blue videos, and recognize the best ones with an awards competition in collaboration with Bluezone.

For those of us who grew up in the era of MTV we recall the launch of music videos.  It was at that time that music and videos came to life and that eventually led onto the birth of the MTV Music Video Awards in 1984.

We asked ourselves “Why can’t the denim industry have the same?”

As a category of textiles that boasts some of the deepest roots and richest of histories, denim has been an influential component of popular culture and fashion for centuries. denim is ubiquitous. Denim has impacted music, art, politics, culture – and that is what we hope is reflected in the content of the Blue Lenz Denim Video Awards.

In an effort to highlight and champion the best in our industry, as well as to credit people and teams behind each of the denim videos, we nominated videos in 8 categories.  We enlisted a group of esteemed judges from around the world to debate and deliberate the winners, and it was those winners that were recognized today at the Bluezone/ Munich Fabric Start event.

Our judging panel consisted of:

Margherita Verlicchi
Menabo
(ITALY)

Michelle Branch
Markt & Twigs
(USA)

Wouter Munnichs
Long John Denim (NETHERLANDS)

Panos Sofianos
Bluezone
(GERMANY / GREECE)

Kara Nicholas
Denim Expert
(USA)

Best Educational Video/ Series 

WINNER

Transformers ED Series by Transformers Foundation

2nd place: Kingston University MA Fashion – Denim Project

3rd place: Ever Evolving Talks by Calik Denim

Best Denim Design/ Collection

WINNER

2nd place: WASSSH! SPAIN IS DIFFERENT by Jose Medina

3rd place: “NAVEENA DENIM MIILLS X ENDRIME® X OFFICINA + 39 “FUTURE CELLULOSIC COLLECTION””

Best Sustainability - Connection to the UN SDGs

WINNER

2nd place:  Blackhorse Lane Ateliers – ‘Community Membership’ APRIL 2022

3rd place tie: Celebrating Women at AGI – Women’s Day

3rd place tie: Collaboration with the Textile Institute of Pakistan

Future Forward

WINNER

2nd place: ORTA – ALWAYS TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE

3rd place: Advance Denim – Jeans Redesgin

Honorable Mention

WINNER

NAVEENA DENIM LTD ( NDL) X

SALLI CONSIDERED FIBRE TO FINISH

Best Overall Video

WINNER

2nd: Hempy Colleciton by Bossa

3rd : NDM X OfficinaX Endrime

We also want to thank our hosts, Blue Zone at Munich Fabric Start.

Photo images available upon request from the live presentation.

For more information contact:

Tricia Carey
Lenzing
t.carey@lenzing.com

Discover further industry-disrupting innovations at our upcoming shows:

BLUEZONE

30/08 – 31/08/2022

www.bluezone.show

MUNICH FABRIC START

30/08 – 01/09/2022

www.munichfabricstart.com

THE SOURCE

30/08 – 01/09/2022

www.thesource.show

The Circle Book #2 Launches at Bluezone

The Second Edition of THE CIRCLE BOOK is set to Launch at Bluezone

16. August 2021

Collaboration and circularity are the next frontiers in textile and fashion transformation. By working together, sharing ideas and visions, the lookbook and work tool called THE CIRCLE BOOK was first created in 2020 from the ACT TOGETHER partnership between Tencel, Meidea and Officina+39. Meant to inspire new generations of mindful designers, this book demonstrates how it’s possible to create designs and projects related to responsible circular fashion. Download the first edition of the Circle Book here.

Act Together partners: Lenzing, Meidea, Officina+39

Now get ready for the next round of inspiration and invaluable insights with the second edition of the Circle Book, launching soon at BLUEZONE, 31 August – 1 September 2021.

“This year we’ve expanded the project and we are ready to launch the second edition in collaboration with many engaged partners, a team with common goals focused on transparency and circularity in denim design.”

Eleonora De Martin, Meidea

Visitors at our shows can also look forward to the exclusive presentation of the new CULTURE.IN collection. This circular capsule collection was developed by the 10 contributors of the second edition of The Circle Book. An example in circular collaboration, these top players in the supply chain have merged their sustainable technologies to reduce waste production and create clothes which can be traced from fiber to finish.

Not only can brands can find a reliable and traceable supply chain, but it is also meant to act like an adaptable model for their collections and products. The collection of transparently made clothes from recycled and degradable materials will be presented at BLUEZONE, Hall 7, A 19. Register for your tickets to attend our show in person.

Meidea design team
CULTURE.IN garment, finishes by RGT & Officina+39
Meidea work on the creative concept
Samples produced by Officina +39 & RGT

Collaboration and circularity is key to accelerating the potential of sustainability for the future of our industry. But just how did these 10 collaborators act together to divide the roles and responsibilities that made THE CIRCLE BOOK #2 and the CULTURE.IN collection a reality?

We begin with the Meidea team responsible for overseeing design and creative direction, working on the project as a whole to realise the physical production of the denim collection. Officina +39 are the chemical process experts working with their internally developed technology Recycrom to transforms textile waste into powder dyes.

Ribbons and design details supplied by Ribbontex

The collection features a selection of fabrics made from hemp, organic cotton as well as from Refibra and Tencel provided by fiber specialist Lenzing. Starting from RTD or RAW bases, the collections’ unique compositions were created by denim fabric specialists Tejidos Royo and Calik Denim.

The collection also features labels and ribbons supplied by Ribbontex made from biodegradable materials from recycled plastic bottles, cottons and polyester as well as eco leathers, 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and hemp. Buttons and rivets were supplied by Spring 85 including steel buttons made in 100% re-used processing waste.

Rivet and button selection by Spring 85

Finally, Dr Bock Industries were the garment specialists responsible for construction using yarns provided by Crafil. In the final stages, RGT laundry experts put the finishing touches on the garments featured in the CULTURE.IN capsule collection.

A truly impressive example in successful, circular collaboration. But what does the collection look like? Attend our next show to find out and experience the collection in person. Plus learn more about this project during our following events:

Tuesday, 31 August from 1:00 – 2:00 pm at Hall 6:
KEYHOUSE – The Civic Makers: Local Manufacturing – a reality or just a temporary green gimmick?

Panel Discussion on Automation & Digitisation

Tuesday, 31 August from 4:00 – 4:30 pm at Hall 6:
The Circle Book – Press Conference on

ACT TOGETHER – Collaboration for Circularity in The Circle Book 2

Wednesday, 1 September from 4:00 – 5:00 pm at Hall 6:
The Circle Book – Panel Discussion on

DESIGN AND MATERIALS FOR CIRCULARITY
How to create a transparent and valuable supply chain by acting together

The Circle Book #2

MUNICH FABRIC START
31/08 – 02/09/2021

BLUEZONE
31/08 – 01/09/2021

#bluezonemunich #munichfabricstart #tradeshow #denimtradeshow #internationaltradeshow #denim #fabrics #mills #weavingmill #laundry #indigofashion


Ecosim – BLUEZONE Presents Denim Beyond the Seasons

ECOISM

Reject egoism, create ecoism, rewrite your future.

Our world needs to spare a thought… consumption, mass production, benefits and our ecosystems. ECOISM thrives on our need for a better world, for true sustainable solutions and the rethinking/overhaul of our industrial blue planet.

In a denim world moving at social media speed, denim trends are key to benefit end consumers and the industry with a clear direction. The BLUEZONE trend direction is split into two main categories to reflect our present and our future: themes which directly address fabric and product development, such as NO STRETCH or BLUE WELLNESS. And themes which tackle the important trending styles in our world, such as POWER DRESSING and ANTI BEAUTY.

SHARING becomes more than a simple theme, it is the space where business becomes altruistic, where growth rhymes with sharing profit: A different way of conceiving denim in our modern world. “Sustainability is not a trend, but every trend should be sustainable.”

The following trend directions develop under the main topic ECOISM:

SHARING
Altruistic manufacturing, altruistic products, brand initiatives. Think: Products made in collaboration with people in need, small associations, handicapped. Products in which the benefits go to those in need.

NO STRETCH
Novelties without stretch…male & female, gender neutral. Think: Wider fits are their way to becoming mainstream and need a new generation of more rigid, more compact fabrics. Trend looks are more relevant with crisp somewhat rigid denim. Surfaces might be soft but compact weaving is key.

CLASHING CONTRASTS
A revolution in taste is key. Printed denim, coloured denim, and striped denim. Think: Jacquards, fancy weaves in unusual patchworks, layers, colour blockings. Strange visual matches, creating the antidote to harmony.

POWER DRESSING
Power dressing for a tough future. When politics go wrong, power dressing strikes back. Think: Business denim with a stylish twist. Power dressing also for men.

BLUE WELLNESS
The need for a soothing denim product. Denim that takes care of your skin, brain & body. Think: Fibers, coatings, ingredients, softness, anything that makes you and your body feel better.

SARTORIAL PUNK
No future. Sartorial denim against Friday wear. A punk attitude with elegant codes. Think: Bleached and spotted denim. Black, grey, white denim, stretch and rigid fabrications.

ACID PASTELS
The key is subtly in the effects. Acid fade-outs. Gritty yet pastel tenderness. Flowers, flowers, flowers … &animals, prints and solids. Think Acid effects on denim are key and tend to stay for some time. What is the next generation of acid and pastel effects on denim …

ANTI BEAUTY
Strange is the new beauty. Strange denim, strange products. New aesthetics, new proportions, sartorial, oversized, asymmetrical. Think: Flat-finished denim, reactive dye denim, Indigo denim.


BLUEZONE – Reject egoism. Create Ecoism

Transparency, environmentally friendly production and innovative textiles: The denim industry faces new challenges – standing together as an optimistic and strong, international blue community at BLUEZONE.

With over 100 major international brands, BLUEZONE has positioned itself as the initiator of an outstandingly strong and innovative denim community. Answering to new conscious consumerism behaviour and a growing interest for ready-made solutions, offering future oriented products, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and complex technology solutions.

Reject egoism. Create ECOISM. Rewrite your future

BLUEZONE stands for a call for togetherness and collaboration for the good of our planet. With our ECOISM movement, we as a blue community are highlighting the upheavals in the industry and solutions related to climate change. These and other critical themes unique to the denim market will be tackled in depth across numerous lectures and international panel discussions taking place at the long table in the centre of BLUEZONE, encouraging direct exchanges and exclusive dialogue.

“In a world that is struggling with overproduction, we believe that “less is more, when less is better”.
And there is no better way to express this way of thinking than to follow ECOISM and collaborate with like-minded people and brands in order to
get the message across: Today, fashion CAN already be produced and consumed responsibly.
Hence our motto: Act now! While everyone else is still talking.”

Simon Giuliani, Global Marketing Director Candiani Denim

“To us, ECOISM means that we should all be part of an extensive network, in which each of us should contribute equal consciousness.
Good practices are not sufficient enough to serve as the decisive solutions to our urgent problems.
A harmonious connection between all players and stakeholders is the current global mission.”

Andrea Venier, Managing Director Officina+39-Italy

BLUEZONE HIGHLIGHTS

HARDWEAR: THE SUSTAINABLE DENIM WARDROBE COLLAB PROJECT. This unique collaborative project between TENCEL™ X JEANOLOGIA® X ENDRIME® made at Blackhorse Lane Ateliers focused on creating a truly sustainable workwear wardrobe. The brief was to design an authentic denim collection, inspired by vintage garments from the ENDRIME® archive, using only the latest commercial TENCEL™ Lyocell fabrics, complimented by the application of the latest laundry technologies from Jeanologia®. The Hardwear project, as well as how collaboration will bring denim into the next decade will be discussed by the initiators Carme Santacruz, Mohsin Sajid, Sadia Rafique and Tricia Carey on Tuesday, 4th of February 2020 from 5.15pm – 6pm.

CIRCULART. The project CirculART is the result of cooperative work by 10 companies who are representatives of the sustainable textile production chain, from yarns to the final product and accessories. Four invited artists have metaphorically inserted themselves between the warp and weft of the life cycle of clothing to be an intersection point through which the public can observe the textile production processes, creating different attitudes towards the products we buy. The aim of the project is to bring artistic research to question the different processes constituting the textile production chain.

KG DENIM LIMITED, LYCRA, STYLERS INTERNATIONAL and BERTO are pursuing the goal of conserving natural resources and chemicals – through cotton free or post-consumer cotton collections (KG Denim Limited), a collection of EcoMade products which recycles waste for a more circular business (Lycra), a Wardrobe Essentials collection focusing on timeless pieces (Stylers) or the development of new indigo tones which uses far less water and chemicals (Berto).

The DENIM HOUSE has invested in a biological water treatment station to reach their goal of recycling more than 80% of the water usage by June 2020. The collection is influenced by the 90s comeback with straight cuts, comfortable and rough styles.

CALIK DENIM presents ‘Gravity’, a collection focused on taking a sustainable approach throughout the whole supply chain. By applying the ‘Denethic’ product concept and its new laundry technologies, it is possible to create targeted authentic looks, where clean look garments or heavy wash effects can be achieved using remarkable less water, chemicals and energy.

At LDM, eco practices and developing new techniques for denim production are in their DNA. To achieve the desired denim look, LDM uses either a wet process which uses simple enzymes to reduce water wastage or a new drying process which uses vegetable dye instead of chemical dyes.

After 11 years of research, TEJIDOS ROYO developed the Dry Indigo® technology, successfully changing the conventional Indigo dyeing process by eliminating water consumption. Dry Indigo® uses foam application, using no water in the process thus totally eliminating the discharge of wastewater, reducing energy usage by 65% and 89% of chemical products. Thanks to this innovation, the “One Million Liters” project has been launched: the company donates every year one million litres of water saved to social causes that need this resource to live like UNICEF. Rocio Perez de los Cobos, Marketing Director at Tejidos Royo, will give further insights into Dry Indigo® and the One Million Liters project in his keynote on Wednesday, 5th of February 2020, 3pm – 4pm.

SAAT X CANDIANI DENIM FOR BLUEZONE ECOISM
The hostess outfits for the new edition of BLUEZONE featuring ECOISM have been created by SAAT in cooperation with Candiani Denim. Consulting & Design Studio, SAAT, creates concepts and collections based on ‘NO WASTE PRODUCTS’ with a focus on reducing the amount of waste during production, emphasizing the value of each individual product. To underpin the ECOISM theme, SAAT created a ‘PURE’ workwear capsule collection in virgin ecru cotton together with Candiani Denim, known as the greenest textile company in the blue world.

Tejidos Royo
Calik Denim
SAAT x Candiani

TALKS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Panel discussion “The ultimate sustainable standard for the denim industry” – Tuesday, 4th Feb, 11.30am – 1pm
Eco Intelligent Growths, partner of C2C institute, and Rajby Industries will lead the discussion between five key denim insiders: Claudia Szerakowski, Aglaia Gomez d’Alessandro, Kursad, Zaki Saleemi, Tony Tonnaer and Panos Sofianos.

Rivet 50‘s 2020 Vision – Tue, 4th Feb, 3pm – 4pm
What will the new decade bring for the denim industry and community? Rivet 50 will lead a discussion between some of the world’s most influential denim characters – Alberto Candiani, Tricia Carey, Jordan Nodarse, Ebru Qzaydin, Mohsin Sajid, Andrea Venier, Tilmann Wröbel, Panos Sofianos, Paolo Gnutti & Angela Velasquez – to discuss their predictions for business, technology and fashion.

BLUEZONE trend direction by Tilmann Wröbel, Tue, 4th Feb, 4pm – 4.30pm & Wed, 5th Feb, 12pm – 1pm
Tilmann Wröbel, the founder of Monsieur-T, explains the 8 essential trend directions currently taking shape in the denim industry which will influence the upcoming seasons.

“Recreating fades the sustainable way” by Soorty – Tue, 4th Feb, 4.30pm – 5.15pm
Thomas Stege-Bojer, Wouter Munnichs and Eda Dikmen give insights into “Recreating fades the sustainable way at Soorty’s Nasda Lab”.

Panel Discussion about “Hemp history and challenges going forward for the denim industry” – Wed, 5th Feb, 11am – 12am
Mohsin Sajid, Founder of Denim History, hosts the panel discussion with the speakers Jean Pierre Inchauspe, Eric Sun and Rashid Iqbal.

Panel discussion about “RMG & the future of fashion” – Wed, 5th Feb, 1pm – 2pm
The discussion between the three industry insiders Rocio Perez de los Cobos, Chesi and Denise Sakuma revolves around the topic “How to find the right balance for an ecoist future”.

Keynote about “Breaking Bad: How the denim industry can end its wasteful habits—from fibre to marketing” – Wed, 5th Feb, 2pm – 3pm
Anne Oudard leads the keynote answering the questions how the fashion industry ended up generating a huge amount of waste and what solutions the denim industry possesses to reduce this waste. She explains strategies to increase jeans lifespan and the optimisation of the production chain.