Summary

Nudie Jeans is a denim company that has designed circularity into its product’s life cycle. The company sells organic cotton jeans that are indigo dyed with no subsequent processing, washing or grinding, thereby saving copious amounts of water that is typically used in this process. After the jeans are sold, they are worn without being washed, and when they are finally washed, the denim brings out a unique color-fading design, accentuating those spots that are more worn. Therefore the product changes over time giving them their signature look. The company has also incorporated repair into its stores where customers can have their jeans repaired, and also offers customers a lifesaver kit to make repairs themselves. Reuse and resale are also encouraged; customers can bring back their used denims and the company will offer them for resale, while providing the customer with a discount for future products. Finally, if the jeans cannot be used, they are cut and milled into yarn that can be turned into jeans or other items like rugs or sofas. The company has also made their supply chain transparent, allowing customers o track where and how each garment was made. (Source)

Story

Nudie Jeans was started by Maria Erixon, her husband Joakim Levin and Erixon’s childhood friend Palle Stenberg. Erixon had experience working for Lee Jeans in Brussels. She decided toquit Lee when she fell in love with a selvedge fabric from Japan’s Kaihara mill that was too expensive for Lee Jeans to use. She moved back to Sweden to start a smaller company focused on sustainability, and to start a family and Nudie Jeans was born. (Source)

Pic Credit: The Ecologist (right) and Stockholmist (top)