Levi's launch 'green' jeans

Monday sees the launch of Levi's much-anticipated 'green' jean, available in 20 stores nation wide. The American denim company is one of the first global superbrands to introduce an eco line in its fashion offer. The growing demand for ethical clothing and environmental awareness has been a challenging pressure source for major retailers, even though to date there is little available that is considered appealing for a younger and more trend-led customer.

Levi's today launches styles based on its popular 570 range for women and 506 range for men. The only difference is that they are made with completely organic materials on a production line that uses sustainable production processes and will retail for approximately £80, a premium price compared to other brands.

Levi's has used 100 per cent organic cotton for making the fabric for its new styles. Furthermore, the button on the waistband is made of a biodegradable product - coconut shell, rather than metal rivets that result in post-consumer waste. To complete the process, and what is probably the most harmful aspect of manufacturing, Levi's used natural compounds for the dye, consisting of potato starch, mimosa flower and Marseille soap, and the label is made of recycled cardboard.

The green jeans are produced in a dedicated area of the Levi's factory in Hungary, on machinery that has been specially cleaned to comply with the certification process, according to the Guardian. The process of designing the jeans and putting the processes in place to make them took six months from when Levi's came up with the idea in May. Other denim companies producing organic jeans include Loomstate, Tesco, and Katharine Hamnett. In its first run, Levi's is producing 30,000 pairs of the green jeans for the launch across Europe, but will stock them in just 2% of its stores, giving them limited availability. Next winter the company will aim to expand its eco range to incorporate more organic versions of the Red Tab styles, which is considered the more fashionable range.