Starting from s/s 2022, Italian jeans brand Gas has started its rebranding and overall relaunch, which is mostly based upon sustainability and authenticity. Barbara Grotto, head of marketing and communication at the company, explained what steps Gas aims to take in this new direction.
Gas recently said it is pursuing a new strategy focused on sustainability and authenticity. Could you explain how this will happen?
Our brand's new direction was clearly developed during the weeks of the first lockdown, as that time was an opportunity for us to reflect and a chance to rethink our future. This crisis has taught us very hard what the priorities are, even in fashion. Clothing must defend us from external agents, accompany our days in a comfortable way and, last but not least, externalize our true personality. Along with it, as producing jeans can be very harmful for nature, most important is the need to protect the environment in which we live and which we must leave as unaltered as possible to those who will come after us.
These thoughts were already part of the company's strategy, but the health emergency has accelerated the pace, leading us to a total revision of our brand identity and made us work on this project for a year and rethink every aspect of the brand.
What philosophy characterizes the Gas brand now?
We called our new philosophy "True Blue Rainbow" and defined seven fundamental values already identified with our double rainbow symbol. To the historical values of authenticity, simplicity, creativity, passion, cooperation we have added inclusiveness and sustainability, the pillars on which to build our future.
Have you defined a roadmap with precise objectives to become more sustainable?
The goal of sustainability will be strongly integrated in our collections and will characterize them increasingly in all its categories by, for instance, starting to use materials from organic crops and recycled or recyclable materials.
Our spring/summer ’22 collection, from the very first moments of its creation, was born on this track and even its name–Blue Planet 084–is now guiding its overall rebirth. This collection aims to be a call of respect for the environment in which we will engage more and more intensely with durable, timeless and multifunctional garments made with eco-friendly materials and technologies, up to our Biodegradable Jeans. 
Can you describe what Blue Planet 084 stands for?
This collection’s name says its focus is on blue, the color of denim we are so tied with since our earliest days, and on “Planet,” as a recall to respect the environment.
The number “084” refers to our brand’s year of birth but added with a zero before as we feel this is a new start that is not canceling our origins, but that enhances them guiding us for the future...
Will you offer particular capsules, or will all products be characterized by precise sustainability criteria? What are they?
We want all of our products to keep sustainability criteria in mind, despite some capsules will keep this aspect as their priority number one, like the biodegradable jeans for s/s 2022 I previously mentioned.
These authentic vintage look and relaxed fit jeans are made with GOTS Certified organic cotton grown without chemical additives, used for both denim and pocket linings, and sewn with cellulose fiber yarns that have a zero impact when disposed in the environment. The stretch denim we used for them encloses Cradle to Cradle 100% elastic fiber that degrades when exposed to particular weather conditions.
What about the rest of the collection?
We have started choosing fabrics most of which are made with GOTS-certified organic cotton and dyed with already diluted natural indigo, through which ten liters of water per meter of fabric are saved, and treated with ozone, a biocompatible finishing.
REACH-compliant treatments have been studied to minimize their impact on the environment and on workers. They are eco-compatible oxidizing substances that reduce water use by 65%, electricity by 20% and harmful chemical agents by 80%.
Washing temperatures are reduced to a minimum to optimize energy consumption. We also used Eco Rubber, an innovative abrasive material that is durable, reusable, leaves no residue and requires less water for rinsing the garment and the machinery. 
Our logoed buttons, rivets and zippers are completely formaldehyde-free and finished exclusively with water-based coatings, therefore their impact is much lower than the average accessories used in this segment.
Our leather back labels are made with vegetable-tanned leather while other back labels are made with jacron from Ecotex-certified cellulosic material. Plus, most of our labeling and packaging is made from recycled and eco-friendly materials.
Do you aim to obtain certifications?
For the moment our strategy is to rely on a supply chain of qualified suppliers as we make sure that our suppliers are compliant with security, health defense and workers’ rights laws. Along with it, we are also evaluating the possibility of extending the certification process to the finished product.
Are there any specific projects you want to focus on in the short and long term to behave more sustainably?
We want to commit ourselves and concretely contribute to offer more sustainable fashion. That's why we are gradually reviewing our business model and the whole supply chain according to this vision.
As part of this strategy we aim to gradually change the structure of our offer by going beyond the traditional seasonal rhythms and the “use and throw” typical of the fast fashion approach giving new worth to durability and timeless aspects that have generally characterized denim and Gas in particular.
A key aspect of this strategy is the strengthening of our NOOS (Never Out of Stock) selection. Our bestselling denim, the basis of our denim offer, has a longer lifecycle and can always be replenished in 48 hours. They are our iconic shirt, jacket and four five-pocket jeans models for men and women, available in three different washes. They are the basis of our offer that well match with the rest of our seasonal collection and brand’s identity and exclusively offered in OCS (Organic Content Standard) certified cotton.
READ ALSO:
Gas recently said it is pursuing a new strategy focused on sustainability and authenticity. Could you explain how this will happen?
Our brand's new direction was clearly developed during the weeks of the first lockdown, as that time was an opportunity for us to reflect and a chance to rethink our future. This crisis has taught us very hard what the priorities are, even in fashion. Clothing must defend us from external agents, accompany our days in a comfortable way and, last but not least, externalize our true personality. Along with it, as producing jeans can be very harmful for nature, most important is the need to protect the environment in which we live and which we must leave as unaltered as possible to those who will come after us.
These thoughts were already part of the company's strategy, but the health emergency has accelerated the pace, leading us to a total revision of our brand identity and made us work on this project for a year and rethink every aspect of the brand.
What philosophy characterizes the Gas brand now?
We called our new philosophy "True Blue Rainbow" and defined seven fundamental values already identified with our double rainbow symbol. To the historical values of authenticity, simplicity, creativity, passion, cooperation we have added inclusiveness and sustainability, the pillars on which to build our future.
Have you defined a roadmap with precise objectives to become more sustainable?
The goal of sustainability will be strongly integrated in our collections and will characterize them increasingly in all its categories by, for instance, starting to use materials from organic crops and recycled or recyclable materials.
Our spring/summer ’22 collection, from the very first moments of its creation, was born on this track and even its name–Blue Planet 084–is now guiding its overall rebirth. This collection aims to be a call of respect for the environment in which we will engage more and more intensely with durable, timeless and multifunctional garments made with eco-friendly materials and technologies, up to our Biodegradable Jeans.
Photo: Gas
Biodegradable jeans by Gas
This collection’s name says its focus is on blue, the color of denim we are so tied with since our earliest days, and on “Planet,” as a recall to respect the environment.
The number “084” refers to our brand’s year of birth but added with a zero before as we feel this is a new start that is not canceling our origins, but that enhances them guiding us for the future...
Will you offer particular capsules, or will all products be characterized by precise sustainability criteria? What are they?
We want all of our products to keep sustainability criteria in mind, despite some capsules will keep this aspect as their priority number one, like the biodegradable jeans for s/s 2022 I previously mentioned.
These authentic vintage look and relaxed fit jeans are made with GOTS Certified organic cotton grown without chemical additives, used for both denim and pocket linings, and sewn with cellulose fiber yarns that have a zero impact when disposed in the environment. The stretch denim we used for them encloses Cradle to Cradle 100% elastic fiber that degrades when exposed to particular weather conditions.
What about the rest of the collection?
We have started choosing fabrics most of which are made with GOTS-certified organic cotton and dyed with already diluted natural indigo, through which ten liters of water per meter of fabric are saved, and treated with ozone, a biocompatible finishing.
REACH-compliant treatments have been studied to minimize their impact on the environment and on workers. They are eco-compatible oxidizing substances that reduce water use by 65%, electricity by 20% and harmful chemical agents by 80%.
Washing temperatures are reduced to a minimum to optimize energy consumption. We also used Eco Rubber, an innovative abrasive material that is durable, reusable, leaves no residue and requires less water for rinsing the garment and the machinery.
Photo: Gas
Gas looks for summer '22
Our leather back labels are made with vegetable-tanned leather while other back labels are made with jacron from Ecotex-certified cellulosic material. Plus, most of our labeling and packaging is made from recycled and eco-friendly materials.
Do you aim to obtain certifications?
For the moment our strategy is to rely on a supply chain of qualified suppliers as we make sure that our suppliers are compliant with security, health defense and workers’ rights laws. Along with it, we are also evaluating the possibility of extending the certification process to the finished product.
Are there any specific projects you want to focus on in the short and long term to behave more sustainably?
We want to commit ourselves and concretely contribute to offer more sustainable fashion. That's why we are gradually reviewing our business model and the whole supply chain according to this vision.
As part of this strategy we aim to gradually change the structure of our offer by going beyond the traditional seasonal rhythms and the “use and throw” typical of the fast fashion approach giving new worth to durability and timeless aspects that have generally characterized denim and Gas in particular.
A key aspect of this strategy is the strengthening of our NOOS (Never Out of Stock) selection. Our bestselling denim, the basis of our denim offer, has a longer lifecycle and can always be replenished in 48 hours. They are our iconic shirt, jacket and four five-pocket jeans models for men and women, available in three different washes. They are the basis of our offer that well match with the rest of our seasonal collection and brand’s identity and exclusively offered in OCS (Organic Content Standard) certified cotton.
READ ALSO:
