Denim is without a doubt a material that has not only served us for decades but is also connected to the most iconic fashion moments in popular culture. Sadly, denim is one of the materials, that is rather considered unsustainable, due to its water usage. To change this, the British boutique Browns teamed up with Nudie Jeans to exclusively rework 16 of their pieces.
Image courtesy of Nudie Jeans via brownsfashion.com
The collection is produced by the creative visionary and co-founder of Nudie Jeans, Maria Erixon Levin. Each piece has been created with love and care, patched and repaired by hand.
We live in a vast society, always hungry for something new, when in fact, we can rework the existing items just as we did to our favourite pair of jeans growing up. “There is something beautiful in mending them, improving them, making the imperfections part of something new”, says Erixon Levin. Nudie Jeans is a leader in sustainable practices in the industry and for this collection, they are mending beautiful indigo patches of Japanese fabric to their ethically produced denim.
Image courtesy of Nudie Jeans via brownsfashion.com
Besides their organic cotton priority, the Swedish brand prioritises quality over quantity. A garment should live long and the reason behind why the brand offers free repairs. This is a true game-changer for sustainability within the industry since it reduces waste and decrease unnecessary consumption of raw materials.
This collection is forward-facing, prioritising the health of the planet over profit.
SLEEK spoke with Maria Erixon Levin to speak about the collection.
Image courtesy of Nudie Jeans via brownsfashion.com
What made Browns the perfect partner for you on this project?
Browns first approached us with the idea of presenting a Re-use capsule in the spring of 2019. Together with Browns, who are a trailblazer in the industry and proactively promoting conscious fashion, we are now able to showcase how we can take the Nudie Jeans philosophy of prolonging the life of denim to another dimension as well as a new audience.
This was the first time in designing in some time, what made you want to take on this project?
Design for me is not just a title or a career choice but a lifestyle — just as sustainability is. Combining my projects at Nudie Jeans with what is at the brand’s core, lays the foundations and determines my choices when designing.
Image courtesy of Nudie Jeans via brownsfashion.com
This was the first time in designing in some time, what made you want to take on this project?
Design for me is not just a title or a career choice but a lifestyle — just as sustainability is. Combining my projects at Nudie Jeans with what is at the brand’s core, lays the foundations and determines my choices when designing.
Image courtesy of Nudie Jeans via brownsfashion.com
Sustainability is a key pillar of your business, what makes it so intrinsic to Nudie as a brand?
Sustainability is part of our DNA, of what our daily work consists of. For us, sustainability is about taking social and environmental responsibility from the very first stages, the sourcing of raw material throughout the production and onwards to the user phase and beyond. Therefore, sustainability is an integral part of the business that dictates almost all areas of the company and sets the direction in which we want to move.
Image courtesy of Nudie Jeans via brownsfashion.com
What about this exclusive do you think will resonate with the Browns customer?
By recycling post-consumer garments and adding craftsmanship to create something new, not only gives meaning and purpose to both the product and me as the maker but hopefully also to the wearer who appreciates one of a kind artisanal pieces. These Reworked pieces of denim contain a story of where they’ve been, and how they got here which I believe will speak to the Browns customers who are looking for something out of the ordinary.
Shop the collection exclusively here.