Nudie Jeans is a Swedish brand known for its sustainable dry-wash denim made entirely from organic cotton.
origin
Founded in 2001 by Maria Erixon Levin, Nudie Jeans’ vision has been to bring authentic denim back to its original form. Driven by the idea of differentiating itself from other denim brands, Nudie Jeans back then relied on dry-wash denim, which was not particularly common around the turn of the century. This special type of denim, which is not washed or bleached, acquires a highly individual character through wear and tear – as both the fit and the washing are still changing.
Development
Nudie Jeans was already pursuing the sustainability approach before the term became a buzzword in the fashion industry. The label has steadily increased the proportion of sustainable materials over the years, until finally all denim styles were made from 100% organic cotton in 2012. In 2017, the label reached the next milestone and switched the production of the entire collection to organic cotton.
That same year, Nudie Jeans also introduced a reuse program, allowing customers to return their used Nudie jeans in exchange for a voucher. If the condition permits, these jeans are then sold in Nudie shops as “re-use jeans” and sometimes also online. Shortly thereafter, the brand launched its Repair Shop concept to offer its customers alternative ways of recycling and reusing. Since then, customers have been able to have their Nudie jeans repaired free of charge and unlimited times in special shops. A decade later, the Repair Shop concept has grown into an international project, with more than two dozen Repair Shops worldwide, furthering Nudie’s goal of encouraging consumers to buy fewer clothes and wear their pieces longer.
Nudie is not only committed to the environment, but also to social issues and has been a member of Fair Wear since 2009. The production process is made visible on the company’s channels, which supports the idea of transparency for end users. Nudie Jeans are sold in over 50 countries, both in stores, online and at select retailers. Nudie Jeans’ headquarters are still in Gothenburg, Sweden, where it was founded.
Current
In addition to constantly striving for innovation in denim, Nudie Jeans is increasingly focused on reducing emissions caused by the transport of the goods. Supporting suppliers in switching to renewable energies is also an important concern for the brand.
