Reformation Jeans

Reformation jeans made with Good Earth Cotton and FibreTrace technology / Source: Reformation

CottonGood Earth CottonNorth AmericaOceaniaTextiles

4 MINUTE READ

Ian Crawley

WHAT WE SAY:

Textile traceability is having its moment of fame as more and more fashion fans check out the sustainability claims of the brands they buy from. LA-based label Reformation has spent more than a decade striving to reduce waste and promote conscious consumption.

Now it’s teamed up with supply chain transparency technology FibreTrace to further back up its commitment to become climate positive. Designers hold the key to full traceability. Everything from the materials you specify to the chosen supply chain will present new opportunities to tell stories and reinforce your brand.

KEY FACTS:

Reformation launched its debut denim collection of FibreTrace jeans in 2021, with the intention of giving consumers a window into the world of garment production – where the fibre was made, how the garment was produced and the item’s route to store.
The jeans are made with Good Earth Cotton, a regeneratively farmed, climate positive Cotton fibre produced by Sundown Pastoral Company in Australia.
The cotton features FibreTrace technology – which involves a patented luminescent pigment, embedded in the raw fibres at the spinning mill which can be then be tracked (more below).
Customers are able to access supply chain information by scanning a QR code on the product’s tag.
The limited-edition capsule collection was available to US customers and included six denim styles.

A FibreTrace scanner / Source: Reformation

The FibreTrace pigment is embedded into raw fibres / Source: Reformation

DIVE DEEPER:

Fashion Revolution’s Transparency Index tracks major brands’ social and environmental policies, as well as the practices and impacts in their operations and supply chain. In 2022, it found that 50% of major brands still “disclose no information about their supply chains.”
Since its founding in 2009 as a vintage reseller, Reformation has been a long-term advocate for sustainable fashion, with the brand announcing its goal to be climate positive by 2025.
The brand already discloses its Tier 1 and 2 suppliers (assemblers, dyers, finishers and weavers) – this collection marks the first time it has achieved this transparency, right back to the raw material stage.
FiberTrace works by embedding a bioluminescent pigment in the fibres. The pigments can be configured into unique ‘recipes’ that correspond to specific companies and batches.
At each stage of its production, the fibres are scanned using a hand-held FibreTrace Bluetooth scanner that identifies and quantifies the pigments in the fibre, yarn, fabric or finished goods.
The data produced on each occasion that a garment is scanned is recorded on a secure blockchain. This means that each garment – including every pair of Reformation jeans – can be traced, verified and audited in real-time at each step of the global textile supply chain.
Reformation’s website describes not just the journey of its jeans from farm to shop floor, but also some key facts about its suppliers – for example, the mill in Turkey where yarn is spun, dyed and woven into denim fabric maintains a zero-waste principle, uses over 50% solar energy, and reports annually on its own sustainability progress.
Reformation also uses a number of other plastic-free fibres in its collections, including Tencel Refibra, Viscose and certified Leather and Silk, among others.

"50% of major brands still disclose no information about their supply chains."

Fashion Transparency Index 2022

Key Design Considerations:

Traceability drives sustainability

There are huge variances in the sustainability metrics of farmed cotton. Some, like the Good Earth Cotton used by Reformation here, is excellent – regenerative, carbon positive, ethically produced and more. Yet traditionally, the industry is hugely opaque, and many brands would struggle to be able to trace their cotton back to the specific farm. Transparency is the driver of sustainability – so put pressure on your suppliers to meet these new expectations around traceability.

Beyond the data

While FiberTrace highlights where the fabric has been, it doesn’t inherently guarantee any other important details – the sustainability of the cotton or the working conditions in the mills, among others. For this, customers still have to have faith that the brand has selected responsible suppliers and that it audits them regularly.

The cost of FibreTrace

The company’s CEO reports that the cost of traceability is approximately three cents per t-shirt. However, the technology has found a natural home in premium, sustainable brands who have the margins to absorb this cost, or customers who don’t mind paying for it. We look forward to the day when truly mass-market brands embrace this trend too.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

A regenerative, data-driven, carbon-positive Australian cotton farm.

Cotton

INSPIRATION
5M read

MUD Jeans

A circular jeans subscription service

Tencel Refibra

MATERIAL

This blended lyocell fibre hints at a circular fashion system, thanks to its use of cotton textile waste.

Vollebak Black Algae T-Shirt

A pioneering, carbon sequestering black t-shirt made with algae

Reformation Jeans

WHAT WE SAY:

Textile traceability is having its moment of fame as more and more fashion fans check out the sustainability claims of the brands they buy from. LA-based label Reformation has spent more than a decade striving to reduce waste and promote conscious consumption.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Fashion Revolution’s Transparency Index tracks major brands’ social and environmental policies, as well as the practices and impacts in their operations and supply chain. In 2022, it found that 50% of major brands still “disclose no information about their supply chains.”

Since its founding in 2009 as a vintage reseller, Reformation has been a long-term advocate for sustainable fashion, with the brand announcing its goal to be climate positive by 2025.

The brand already discloses its Tier 1 and 2 suppliers (assemblers, dyers, finishers and weavers) – this collection marks the first time it has achieved this transparency, right back to the raw material stage.

FiberTrace works by embedding a bioluminescent pigment in the fibres. The pigments can be configured into unique ‘recipes’ that correspond to specific companies and batches.

At each stage of its production, the fibres are scanned using a hand-held FibreTrace Bluetooth scanner that identifies and quantifies the pigments in the fibre, yarn, fabric or finished goods.

The data produced on each occasion that a garment is scanned is recorded on a secure blockchain. This means that each garment – including every pair of Reformation jeans – can be traced, verified and audited in real-time at each step of the global textile supply chain.

Reformation also uses a number of other plastic-free fibres in its collections, including Tencel Refibra, Viscose and certified Leather and Silk, among others.

Fashion Transparency Index 2022

Key Design Considerations:

Traceability drives sustainability

Beyond the data

The cost of FibreTrace

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: