Fashion
Dec 01, 2021
by Carolina Sandeman
I AND ME Launches First Biodegradable Collection With Jeans and Knits
by Carolina Sandeman
Dec 01, 2021

With the ever growing efforts from brands to increase its sustainable strides, I AND ME comes in pushing its brand to the next level. Giving us a new perspective on how production methods and small details contribute to ensuring your clothes are less harmful for the planet.

For its eighth collection, the London based sustainable brand presented its first biodegradable collection. This new launch is also its first collection to include knitwear. The new release comes as another step in its sustainable initiatives: by counteracting denim’s negative impact on the environment and the planet, and making sure to reduce waste product.

Founded by former high-street denim buyer Jessica Gebhart, I AND ME, came as a response to the mindless throwaway culture she would see everyday. The brand is anchored on a slow, regenerative model, which puts the planet first and protects its people. Based on sustainable manufacturing practices and focused on fabrication, function and form, the brand’s collections offer contemporary wardrobe options in unique, premium productions, made at its own pace. For the brand, it’s more important for its collection to be a reflection of the moment as opposed to the season. This season-less approach to its collections is a defining trait of the brand’s design process, along with focusing on achieving a gender neutral collection, choosing to focus on the fabric and style over gender-distinction.

Together with local partners in the UK, and those in Japan, Italy and Turkey, I AND ME works ensure that its products are premium standard, and low impact.

Named “BETTER WITH U,” the new collection is inspired in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s style of “The Baggy Generation.” These were the music fans that mixed and matched prints, colors and textures, creating super casual looks. This collection features a loose and baggy silhouette, following the era’s signature style, and guaranteeing that the clothes are “loose enough to dance in.” Steeped in “northern swagger,” the collection is elevated with its production methods and pops of color.

This new collection offers organic cotton and hemp selvedge denim. These are available in rinse indigo, vintage and bleach finishes. It also has options using textured beige selvedge denim. This fabric comes from the Japanese mill Collect, based in Kojima, Okayama, known as the denim district. To achieve its biodegradable collection, I AND ME used screw-off metal-wear and natural threads, as opposed to the standard synthetic thread, allowing you to dispose and recycle the pieces correctly once its life-cycle ends. The denim is dyed with natural colorings and uses lasers, as opposed to water, to fade the jeans.

This new launch also introduces knitwear. Produced in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, they use a seamless zero-waste technique to create the knit pieces, significantly reducing its production waste. These are made with responsibly-sourced wool from the UK, Australia and/or New Zealand, where the sheep are free to roam across vast and unspoiled fields. For an extra soft texture, which makes the knit feel great on the skin, I AND ME finished its new knits with a brushed technique.

With this collection, I AND ME continues to push its sustainable limits and take bold new steps in its eco journey. By combining fresh new colors and textures with its classic denim staples that define its season-less and gender neutral range, I AND ME has been able to give the brand a push into a new playful and lively world all while keeping its values true to the brand.

You can shop I AND ME “BETTER WITH U” now at i-and-me.com.

In other news, Japanese brand AMBUSH just dropped an upcycled denim capsule.