This is who I AM

Designer Sven Bullaert is the driving force behind the I AM collection, which focuses on sustainability. He gives us more insight into the process to achieve a sustainable and traceable result.

#interview #JBC #magazine

10.04.2019 • by els

What should you pay attention to when choosing fabrics if you are considering a sustainable collection?

Sven: “First of all, you have to know that sustainability is not an exact science and is constantly changing. After all, we are gaining more and better knowledge, but we also have to always raise our bar. A sustainable collection consists of 2 aspects, on the one hand, there are the raw materials we work with and on the other hand, the factories in which production takes place. As far as raw materials are concerned, there is not only the cultivation and exploitation that play a role, but also the impact of the production process (for example, dyeing, washing, etc.) and recyclability. Too little attention is paid to the other aspect in assessing sustainability: the fact that the working conditions of the workers during production are also important. After all, caring for people and nature go hand in hand.”

Where can you find sustainable fabrics?

“Technical sustainable fabrics are still often developed in Europe, but a clear catch-up movement is underway in other, mainly Asian, production countries. Close cooperation with suppliers is important to gain knowledge of the developments they are making in this area. In addition, there are also trade fairs where you can find new fabrics, but for us, cooperation with manufacturers is the most important.”

See, feel, do

Every collection starts from the consumer, we try to get as good an image as possible of what he or she wants. For that Sven bases himself on three pillars:

The analysis of the results of the previous season.

Fashion evolution is not a revolution, so we continue to build on what customers like.
Trends

A visit to a number of foreign cities, where Sven naturally pays attention to the fashion there, but also to the evolution in interiors, art and other creative expressions - even food. If trends are not hypes, they continue in many branches of creativity.
Nature as inspiration

And then there is his daily time in nature. Nature remains his main source of inspiration, sometimes visual - that can be a print or a pattern - but especially the peace that always starts the creative ideas.

What do we mean by traceable garments? How does this work?

“You can see where each I AM garment comes from on the JBC website, just click on ‘trace this item’. You will then receive clear information about the factory where that item was produced. You can see in which country it was made and how many people work in this factory. You will also receive a short description of the factory. As you may know, JBC is the one that does all I AM productions, they are a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, the Bangladesh Accord and the German Textil Bündnis. They hold sustainability in high regard and are therefore well placed to produce the I AM collection. Every factory that JBC works with, and where I AM clothing is produced, must endorse the JBC Code for production and is monitored.

If you choose natural materials such as organic cotton, lyocell, bamboo and hemp, you do not contribute to the plastic soup

Do you have any tips for dealing with clothing sustainably?

“Take care of your clothes so that you can enjoy them for a long time. Follow the washing instructions because they indicate how you can best care for your clothes. Clothes that stay beautiful for a long time, you will also wear longer. Be aware that washing our clothes has a major impact on the environment, not only in terms of water consumption, but polyester clothing also releases micro-plastic particles during washing that end up in the water during washing. If you choose natural fabrics such as organic cotton, lyocell, bamboo and hemp, you do not contribute to the “plastic soup”. So also look at the composition of the clothes you want to buy.

A beautiful, high-quality and fashionable denim that also contributes to a better environment… Why would you hesitate?”

Post consumer denim

Post – consumer literally means “after the consumer”. These denim trousers were made from old, worn denims that were brought to a collection point for old clothing by consumers after use. From there, the old trousers were brought to our fabric supplier. He fiberized them so that he could make new yarn from them. To ensure that the trousers are still just as strong and comfortable, he can use 20% of this yarn to make a new denim fabric.
The other yarn that he uses in the fabric is made of organic cotton. We then used that fabric to make new denim.

To make these trousers as sustainable as possible and to make it possible to recycle them as well as possible after you have worn them, we have adjusted the design. Buttons, zipper tape, fake leather label, stitching thread and the pocket lining are all made from recycled materials. In addition, we have tried to use as little water as possible when washing these jeans.