Levi’s collaborates with Stony Creek Colors for denim dyeing systems

Levi’s has collaborated with Stony Creek Colors to run performance trials with different denim dyeing system.

Stony Creek Colors will, for the first time, provide its pre-reduced IndiGold indigo dye to select denim mills used by Levi’s. Their goal is to explore learnings about shade application and other areas, with the aim of having garments dyed with IndiGold for sale by late 2022 and early 2023.

“Our previous work with Stony Creek has shown the great potential of plant-based dyes,” said Jeffrey Hogue, chief sustainability officer at Levi Strauss and Co. “This is a great opportunity to expand that work and more fully realise the potential of this innovation.”

Levi’s recently used Stony Creek’s food waste sourced dyes, included in its Fall 2021 WellThread collection. The dyes were used on non-denim styles, with Levi’s announcing that the collection was part of a multi-year development relationship with the Stony Creek Colors founder, Sarah Bellos.

The IndiGold dye uses plant-based inputs instead of a petroleum-derived synthetic indigo. The dye can then be integrated into an indigo pre-reduction system that uses hydrogen as the reduction agent.

As a result, companies can get rid of any harmful byproducts. Since IndiGold also creates more consistent dye results, there is a reduction in waste as well.

Stony Creek Colors has continued to grow, recently closing a Series B financing round that totalled more than 9 million dollars. It also started a 30 day Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in order to raise funds for its DTC production of IndiGold. At 40,000 dollars in funds raised, it has long surpassed its 16,000 dollar goal.

“Customers and brands want clean, safe processes and fabric. Awareness of a changing climate requires us to act boldly with scalable, plant-based alternatives,” said Bellos. “IndiGold brings Stony Creek Colors’ proven, climate positive indigo dye into a new, liquid form that allows for radical ease of use and efficiency in dyeing at denim mills, while reducing the chemistries that can lead to pollution in the denim dyeing process.”

Fashion for Good, which holds an equity stake in Stony Creek Colors, will oversee the use of IndiGold.