For s/s 2022, Liu Jo Men's Collection has launched a series of eco-friendly jeans according to Better Denim, the eco-friendly jeans project that the Liu Jo woman brand launched in 2019 with the aim to commit itself and support the environmental cause.
Key-items of the collection are two styles - Brian, a regular fit jean, and Frank, a slim fit variant. The two models have been declined in the Better Together version using a denim composed of GRS- and OCS-certified organic and recycled cotton and treated with "zero wash", a dry and cold finishing method that ensures reduced use of water, energy and chemicals during the entire production process. All chemicals used for the production process are all ZDHC-certified.
All Better Denim models are also completed by a new back label made of denim, giving a distinctive element to this new line.
Also packaging, made of transparent recycled plastic, is equipped with a UV filter that protects jeans from the sun's rays that could alter their characteristic indigo hue. Moreover, this material is compostable and will be used for all Better Denim packaging of the Liu Jo Men's Collections.
How was Liu Jo Men’s Collection born?
This brand was born as an extension from our woman’s brand in 2013 thanks to a licensing agreement with Co.ca.ma. Srl, Italian specialised man’s and woman’s apparel company founded by entrepreneur Giuseppe Nardelli. He has reached some great results as it is sold in Italy and internationally via wholesale and e-commerce.
Did the brand have to face difficulties in order to be recognized as a man’s one?
For a man’s brand originating from a 26-year-old woman’s one, it was not an easy task. Giuseppe, beyond his desire to make business, has put great passion in it. Though, he was also greatly helped by the experience of an amazing territory as Campania, a region that is famous for tailor-made menswear expertise and a great local apparel industry. With great determination, passion and fatigue, in 2013, Giuseppe, apparently irresponsibly, helped this brand, as one of the the first ones, that managed to reach significant results in this segment (he reached €46 million sales this year) And I am very proud of it.
Obviously, both the men and woman collections originate from a common philosophy. Since a while the Liu Jo brand has been carrying ahead an industrial project that is ethical and sustainable not because it is trendy but as we are guided by the consciousness that fashion, after the chemical industry, is one of the most polluting sectors. And as we want to guarantee a future to this planet, we need to act responsibly. Since quite some time the Liu Jo brand has been taken this mission as its own responsibility and started offering different products made with organic raw materials, treated with sustainable dyeing substances that use less water than with traditional treating methods. As part of the men’s collection, for f/w 2022/2023 it also offers the Liu Jo Earth capsule, a selection of t-shirt and tops produced according to sustainable criteria that match the Better Together jeans responsible vocation.
How is Liu Jo Men’s collection generally pursuing this vocation?
Today, being sustainable doesn’t simply mean using organic raw materials or using fewer chemicals, but it also means respecting people involved in the manufacturing of products. For instance, our company, before all this became a trend, had already operated in order to guarantee such fair treatments. We are happy we were forerunners in this direction, especially now that the Z Generation is asking for products that match these criteria.
Denim counts for 25% of the offer of the men’s line. Both our men and women collection share common aspects as its products aim to dress and accompany our consumer. Some brands accompany their consumer, others impose themselves on their consumer. Our fashion is gentle, has a strong sensitivity for quality and price, but it keeps that freshness and codes that make people appreciate Italian fashion in the world for its characteristics and peculiarities.
What do you see in the evolution of men’s fashion?
As Liu Jo Men does, I think that menswear has to dress men in a contemporary way, while being respectful of the environment.
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