TUPELO, Miss. — November 19, 2019 — Garden & Gun magazine announced last week Blue Delta Jeans of Tupelo, Mississippi as the winner of the Style category in its tenth annual MADE IN THE SOUTH AWARDS. The Made in the South Awards celebrate Southern artisans who make products in six categories: Food, Drink, Style, Outdoors, Home, and Crafts.

“Eight years ago, we began making jeans out of an old welding shop just outside of Tupelo, Mississippi. A dozen pairs a month soon turned into a hundred, and now in the thousands,” says Josh West, cofounder of Blue Delta Jeans. “We appreciate the continued support after all these years and are honored to be named the winner of this year’s Made in the South: Style Award.”

Blue Delta Jeans’ custom pants were selected as the winner in the Style category judged by Laura Vinroot Poole, founder of luxury boutiques Capitol, Tabor, and Poole Shop. Cofounders Josh West and Nick Weaver have taken a personal approach to clothing. They create a unique, hand-drawn pattern for each client using 16 exact measurements, and the client chooses the cut, fit, fabric, and thread. Within four to six weeks, the custom pants are ready to be worn for years and years. With various shades of denim, over a dozen different colors of fabric to choose from and multiple thread options, the possibilities are endless.

“We started the Made in the South Awards ten years ago as a way to recognize the remarkable talent and creativity of artisans, makers, chefs, and designers from across the region,” says David DiBenedetto, senior vice president and editor in chief of Garden & Gun. “Each year our team continues to be truly wowed by the entries, and it’s an honor to be able to share the winners’ and finalists’ skills and stories with our readers.”

Posted November 19, 2019

Source: Blue Delta Jeans

SAN FRANCISCO/BOSTON — November 19, 2019 — Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) and Hohenstein today announced a collaboration to utilize the ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® certification system in the LS&Co. supply chain. This will amplify the capabilities of the Screened Chemistry program developed by LS&Co., helping establish a clearer pathway toward safer chemistry in the apparel industry by providing enhanced levels of testing, verification and transparency for chemical safety.

LS&Co. and Hohenstein both approach chemicals management from the perspective that safer inputs lead to safer outputs. Screened Chemistry, originated by LS&Co. as an open source program others can adopt, scrutinizes chemical formulations to prevent potentially hazardous compounds from entering the apparel supply chain and identify safer alternatives. By screening emerging chemistries that are not yet covered by Manufacturing Restricted Substances Lists (MRSLs), LS&Co. has created a more holistic approach to ensuring safe and responsible chemicals management.

ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX is an independent certification system for chemicals in the apparel, textile and leather industries. During a multi-stage process, ECO PASSPORT analyzes whether each individual ingredient in a chemical product meets international statutory requirements and is not harmful to human health. On-site inspections can validate claims that suppliers are using safer and better chemistry, manufactured according to industry best practices.

“Levi Strauss & Co. is committed to responsible chemicals management across our supply chain and our industry. This collaboration helps take our existing programs to the next level by establishing a new standard for responsible chemical stewardship that melds the hazard-based approach of Screened Chemistry with the robust testing and validation capabilities of Hohenstein,” said Michael Kobori, Levi Strauss & Co. VP of Sustainability.

“We believe that the collaboration between LS&Co. and Hohenstein is a significant step toward identifying and pulling better chemistry into apparel, footwear and textile supply chains,” said John Frazier, Senior Technical Director at Hohenstein. “The coupling of Screened Chemistry, ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX, brand leadership and progressive chemical suppliers is a powerful signal of good things to come for chemicals management.”

The combined use of Screened Chemistry and ECO PASSPORT complements the recognized standards agreed upon by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Roadmap to Zero initiative, an industry collaboration designed to drive the adoption of safer chemistry across the apparel supply chain. Through its testing and on-site verification, ECO PASSPORT will enable chemical suppliers to achieve higher levels of conformance with ZDHC. ECO PASSPORT’s certification results are published in the OEKO-TEX Buying Guide, providing a credible third-party assessment of chemical supplier performance.

This partnership will enable LS&Co. to advance and better implement its existing chemicals management program and create a template that others in and beyond apparel can follow. The result is a program that goes beyond a risk management approach and provides a roadmap for companies to eliminate and prevent the introduction of chemical hazards in the supply chain.

Posted November 19, 2019

Source: Hohenstein

SYDNEY, Australia— November 19, 2019 — Hyokyoung Lee from Institut Français de la Mode, France and Hope Kemp-Hanson from Savannah College of Art and Design, USA were announced the winners of the 2019 adidas x Woolmark Performance Challenge, presented at a special event in Munich, Germany.

The Woolmark Performance Challenge is an annual competition for early career creative thinkers to develop innovative, forward-thinking product solutions for the sports and performance market, by harnessing the unique natural properties of Australian Merino wool. The win is set to kick-start the careers of both Hope and Hyokyoung. Hope has been awarded a three-month paid internship with adidas – with the sports giant seeing real potential in the young designer’s career; while, Hyokyoung was awarded the prize money of $11,000 to further develop her innovative and commercially viable idea of an energy-generating Merino wool base-layer.

The award was judged by a highly esteemed panel of judges, including:

• Edward Crutchley – Dior/ Edward Crutchley, International Woolmark Prize Menswear and Innovation 
winner;
• Prof. Ellen Bendt – Textile Engineering Professor, Hochschule Niederrhein;
• Julie Davies – General Manager, Processing Innovation & Education Extension, The Woolmark Company;
• Jörg Hartmann – Head of Fashion & Technology, STOLL;
• Louis de Vos – Talent Acquisition Manager, adidas;
• Peter Bona, former professional snowboarder + Head of Design Outerwear, Trousers, Textile 
Accessories, Hugo Boss Athleisure;
• Sabine Kühnl – Editor in Chief, Sportswear International;
• Tillmann Studrucker – Senior Design Director, adidas;
• Urs Weber – Editor, Runner’s World Germany.

“At adidas we believe that through sport we have the power to change lives,” said Tillman Studrucker after the event. “The concepts that we have seen from Hope and Hyokyoung convinced us that most of all the great ideas possible to enable people to experience the transformative power of sport by combining innovation and style use the benefits of wool. I want to thank all of the finalists as we have seen a lot of very strong concepts, and it was not an easy decision.”

Inspired by the idea for garments to transmit data, the win will now allow Hyokyoung to further develop her idea.

“Winning the Woolmark Performance Challenge has made me realize that as a designer I can be part of innovations that can be helpful for the world,” she said. “The best part of participating in the challenge is that you can learn about the most recent innovations in different fields – IT, science, fashion and textiles – which allow you to experience the power of human creativity and good will when people work together toward betterment of humanity.”

Hope turned to the South Korean skate movement for her design.

“It’s been such an amazing opportunity not just within pushing the innovation and learning of wool, but becoming a part of this group of people, an incredible, new design family,” said Hope. “I feel so honored, humbled, and beyond appreciative to have been a part of this journey.”

With more than 1,060 students registering from more than 115 educational institutions from 21 countries, the diverse range of applicants for the program’s second edition highlights the thirst students have for both education and innovation as they plan the early stages of their career. The 10 finalists for the 2019 adidas x Woolmark Performance Challenge were:

“Despite its long history in apparel, the unique natural properties of Australian Merino wool positions it as a leading technical fiber in today’s sports and outdoor industry,” said The Woolmark Company General Manager, Processing Innovation & Education Extension and Woolmark Performance Challenge judge Julie Davies. “We saw that evidenced today with the incredible diversity of ideas presented by the finalists of this year’s Woolmark Performance Challenge. We are really encouraged by how the competition has grown over the past two years, which affirms our commitment to education and the potential for product developments with wool in new market areas.

Posted November 19, 2019

Source: The Woolmark Company

GREENSBORO, N.C. — November 19, 2019 — Lee®, the iconic American apparel brand known for its quintessential workwear and timeless denim style, celebrates 130 years this month. Founded in 1889 by pioneering entrepreneur, Henry David (H.D.) Lee, Lee was immediately a disruptor in the marketplace. From the early days in 1912 when the company produced workwear for farmers, coal miners and railroad workers, to its current place as a titan in the denim industry, Lee has always been at the forefront of welcomed change.

“Lee helped create the denim category and continues to define modern culture today,” said Scott Baxter, President and CEO, Kontoor Brands. “Lee’s commitment to harnessing innovative technology and incredible quality to bring consumers apparel that looks good and fits great, has inspired generations of brand loyalists and solidified Lee’s position as an icon in the denim category. We are honored to celebrate this milestone and are excited for our beloved brand and its promising future.”

The brand was the first to introduce the one-piece Union-All and the groundbreaking Zipper Fly. By 1939, it was recognized as the largest manufacturer of workwear in the U.S. Preceding WWII, Lee was the first to bring denim to the women’s market in a major way, and forty years later, it became the number one brand for women and girls. Today, Lee can be found across all tiers of distribution throughout the globe, from specialty boutiques and departments stores to mass retailers.

Lee is inclusive in its advertising as well. Never taking itself too seriously, the brand introduced the iconic Buddy Lee doll to promote its overalls in 1921 and used the irreverent mascot for decades.

Hollywood took notice, which propelled Lee to even greater success, and a place in film history. When denim first hit Hollywood in the early 50s, stars were seen in Lee both on and off the screen.

And in the 80’s and 90’s the biggest stars in the world were wearing the iconic label. From musicians, to super models and Hollywood’s rebels and sweethearts, the Lee brand was hotter than ever.

“H.D. Lee would be pleased to see how far the Lee brand has come since its inception,” said Chris Waldeck, Vice President and Global Brand President, Lee. “Today, we honor the brand’s rich history while planning for its future. A future that includes reaching new consumers in new geographies, with best-in-class product and brand experiences. We have built a strong foundation, and I’m confident this next chapter will be the brand’s best yet.”

Retaining the same ethos and mission with which it began, the Lee brand continues to dress consumers with quality products that stand the test of time. With the recent launch of Lee Reissue, Lee MVP, Vintage Modern, and Shape Illusions, Lee continues to push the boundaries of what is possible. Combining timeless styles from its illustrious archives, the most innovative technologies and a legacy of inclusivity – Lee is a brand for every body, and undoubtedly is ready for the next 130 years.

Posted November 19, 2019

Source: Lee®, a Kontoor Brands brand