From EarthTimes.org: 'Bangladesh emerged as the
largest supplier of denim clothes to Europe, commanding 27 percent
market share during the first half of 2006, local newspaper The
Financial Express reported Wednesday. Among the new textile items,
denim fabrics and jackets are gradually becoming the flagship products
for the local exporters. Industry insiders said during the last four
years, production of denim has increased from 28 million metre per year
to 200 million metre in 2006.' More
Rachel Louise Snyder chronicles the
multi-billion-dollar denim industry in her new book 'Fugitive Denim' ,
shedding light on the complex human, environmental, and political
forces at work. LA
Times review
From LA Times: 'Lauren showed up for a recent interview wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, with a rodeo-sized silver belt buckle dominating his small frame. His office is the one modern spot in otherwise antique-looking headquarters, which resemble the Rhinelander Mansion that Lauren converted into his New York flagship in 1983. We sit around a glass coffee table with photographs and mementos scattered about, including a 50th-birthday card his kids made for him, dusted with glitter. Soft-spoken, he is at ease talking about his achievements and eager to impress. But in the background, there always seems to be a nagging pressure and a bit of self-doubt.' More / Ralph Lauren jeans
Sharkah Chakra have
launched what they claim is the first ever Fairtrade organic luxury
jeans. Unlike high street stores that produce a pair of jeans in six
weeks, Sharkah Chakra (which means ‘hand made life’) take six months
with a process that begins in Mali where the organic cotton is
handpicked before being sent to rural Southern India to be handwoven. The
weaver even signs each pair of jeans to create "a connection between
the wearer and the maker". The denim is dyed using natural plant
extract of indigofera and Sharkah Charka say they are the only denim
brand in the world to use this to make all of their denim. The dying
process takes a month per batch and the fabric is dried in the sun. All
the dye waste from the jeans is also recycled, and being natural, is
not harmful to the environment. The fabric is then sent to Italy to be
stitched and given finishing touches like the part-recycled 9ct gold-plated buttons. More
