Sustainable denim brand Triarchy has launched its first collection made using WTRLSS digital dyeing technology, which is estimated to reduce water use in dyeing and finishing by 99.9 percent compared with conventional methods.
The collection features five pieces across three colorways, including a cowhide pattern printed across a pair of jeans and a jacket. According to Triarchy, achieving this design through traditional dyeing methods would have been nearly impossible. The brand plans to shift all its denim production to WTRLSS technology.
Conventional denim production involves multiple wet and dry processes, including indigo dyeing, washing, bleaching, sanding and rinsing. The process can take several weeks and accounts for a significant share of the industry’s water and chemical consumption. Triarchy estimates that dyeing and finishing one pair of jeans typically requires around 75 liters of water.
WTRLSS uses proprietary software and a specially developed indigo replacement to bond color directly into the fiber in a single pass, without pretreatment or wash-off. The technology uses MultiActiv chemistry, developed by Swiss-French scientist Dr. Mickaël Mheidle after three decades of work in bioscience and digital textile coloration.
The company estimates that the process reduces water consumption for dyeing and finishing from 75 liters to approximately two tablespoons and cuts energy use by up to 90 percent. Triarchy performs a single rinse wash before shipping the finished garments.
“From the start, we set out to create a fundamentally cleaner and more efficient way to make denim. This collection with Triarchy brings that ambition to life, turning our technology into finished products that consumers can buy, wear and experience for themselves,” said Dustin White, co-founder and CEO of WTRLSS.
Beyond resource savings, the technology allows brands to create different washes and patterns from the same undyed fabric. This gives manufacturers greater flexibility in production planning, reduces the need to commit to colors months in advance and creates opportunities to produce closer to actual demand.
Triarchy co-founder Adam Taubenfligel said the collection demonstrates how detailed vintage washes can be created without the heavy water use and harsh chemicals traditionally associated with denim finishing.
WTRLSS is also working with Bangladeshi manufacturer Ha-Meem Group on a commercial pilot. The manufacturer produces jeans for international brands, including Levi’s, Gap, H&M and Zara.
Triarchy, which halted conventional denim production in 2016 before relaunching in 2018 with a rebuilt production system, said the partnership extends its sustainability efforts while expanding the possibilities for denim design.
-
-
-
-
