Wrangler launches first foam-dyed denim collection

Wrangler has launched the first denim collection using its new Indigood foam-dyeing technology which is said to eliminate almost 100 percent of the water typically used in the indigo-dyeing process.

The US denim company's Icons FW19 collection is the first to showcase the new dyeing technology, and comes as part of the company's wider commitment to reduce water usage by five billion litres by 2020.

The excessive use of water remains one of the biggest sustainability challenges within the denim industry, with one pair of jeans potentially using hundreds of gallons of water from cotton production through to finishing. That’s where foam-dying can help. The process uses foam to transfer dye onto yarns, therefore entirely replacing the water vats and chemical baths that are needed in the conventional indigo-dyeing process.

The new process sees wastewater almost completely eliminated, apart from small amounts used to clean machinery and mix solutions, Wrangler said. Waste and energy are also reduced by 60 percent in the process.

Wrangler first announced its new foam-dyeing technology back in September. The technology was developed at Texas Tech University with the help of funding from Wrangler and the Walmart Foundation.

Looking forward, Wrangler said it plans to work with denim mills in Asia and North America to bring the technology to a larger scale. “Foam-dyed denim won’t just impact Wrangler’s supply chain, it will change our entire industry,” the company said in a statement. “We’re excited to be the first brand to sell foam-dyed denim, but we’re even more excited that we won’t be the last.”

Photo: Wrangler Icons Indigood AW19