G-Star is taking on the challenge to do good for the planet and look good while doing it.
“Our philosophy is and has always been ‘just the product,’ meaning
that G-Star is focused on constantly reinventing denim. Designing denim
for the future also includes taking responsibility for the social and
environmental impact of our products. That is why, for G-Star,
sustainability is a condition for doing business,” explained G-Star RAW
Corporate Responsibility Manager Maaike Kokke.
Since 2008, Amsterdam-based G-Star has been a pioneer in sustainable
denim. Highlights have included the Spring ’11 debut of the RAW
Sustainable collection, consisting of three lines: RAW Nettle, RAW
Recycled and RAW Organic. The brand changed the game in 2012 when it
shifted its attention to using sustainable materials throughout its
entire collection, focusing on bestselling styles.
With this move, G-Star has been able to increase the share of
sustainable materials to around 15 percent of its collection and
counting.
“Our aim is to make the entire production process of denim more
sustainable. We work on innovations in all aspects of making denim,
focusing on the materials, washes, dyes, the manufacturing process,
etc.,” Kokke explained.
One of G-Star’s many strengths is viewing what others would consider roadblocks as creative challenges.
“Roadblocks can be passed left or right and force you to find another
route to the solution and to continuously set new goals,” Kokke
quipped. “We have a dedicated global team to work towards our goals and
continuously improve our sustainable performance.”
Part of G-Star’s continuous progress toward improvement includes MODE
Tracker, a holistic, transparent and verified progress tracking tool
launched by MADE-BY to support brands and retailers in improving their
sustainability performance through measuring and communicating
year-over-year progress. G-Star reports its progress via MODE Tracker
and give consumers the opportunity to check if the brand is “on track.”
“We developed our definition of sustainable materials together with
MADE-BY. We consider materials ranked in category A, B and C of the
MADE-BY Fiber Benchmark as sustainable. Of these materials, we mostly
use organic cotton, recycled cotton, recycled polyester and TENCEL® in
our products. We use TENCEL® in several products, including some of our
most important denim fabrics,” Kokke said.
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