Leading fashion brand launches circular denim collection at large scale

Leading fashion brand launches circular denim collection at large scale
March 2021
Business Circular Economy
The 'Jeans Redesign' project is a milestone in Tommy Hilfiger’s vision to create fully circular fashion products.

Tommy Hilfiger, one of the world’s most recognized premium designer lifestyle groups, owned by PVH Corp. announces the launch of its first Jeans Redesign garments made to be more durable and easier to recycle – two critical components in creating a Circular Economy.

Coming up with this special denim range is part of the company's 2019 pledge to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a global leader in promoting and mainstreaming the Circular Economy.

“Sustainability has become a driving force for our brand and our business,” said Martijn Hagman, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Global.

“As a leading fashion brand, we have a responsibility to drive the transition to a circular economy, and we are proud to work alongside the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to achieve this.

This shift requires a full rethink of the fashion value chain, and these pieces are a testament to the skill, expertise and dedication of both teams as we continue to push the boundaries in both design and manufacturing. This is just one step on our path to creating fully circular products.”

The sustainable denim range will be available online and in select stores beginning March 3, 2021.

Seven garments were designed as part of the Jeans Redesign project, including five pairs of jeans and two denim jackets.

Durability, conscious use of materials, recyclability, and traceability were at the heart of the design process.

The Story of the Jeans Redesign - Ellen MacArthur Foundation initiative

This was achieved by rethinking the jeans' design according to circular principles, including using detachable buttons; the replacement of metal rivets with bar tacks; the removal of all metal zippers; removal of the leather patch; and use of 100% organic fabric.

Each piece features wash and care instructions on the pockets, along with advice to repair, donate or recycle the product after use.

“As a denim industry leader, and one of the first brands to sign up to Jeans Redesign, Tommy Hilfiger is demonstrating how we can all work together to redesign fashion’s future,” said Francois Souchet, Make Fashion Circular Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

“The launch of this collection is an exciting step towards a circular economy for fashion where the clothes we love never become waste.”

The Jeans Redesign collection highlights Tommy Hilfiger’s ongoing commitment to eliminating waste by innovating for becoming more circular and transparent.

To date, Tommy Hilfiger has trained more than 80% of its designers on circular design principles and recently launched Tommy for Life, its first circular business model.

Under the Tommy for Life program, the company takes back items from customers and partners, cleans, repairs and resells them, keeping products in use longer.

They are also driving transformative change in the denim industry, producing more than two million pieces of lower impact denim, which is finished through a process that uses less water and energy than traditional methods.

Using detachable buttons makes recycling easier - image: Tommy Hilfiger