La Madre Tierra Should be Proud of Them!

We met Joanna and Arianna, sisters and co-founders of The New Denim Project, through our HERMANO Marquitos (don't worry, you might be a little bit lost with the family tree already so we will create a map really soon for you). We were looking for innovative sustainable materials to create our RESISTENCIA CANVAS SNEAKER and the truth is that the journey was being a little bit hard and frustrating. There isn’t that much information available or, better said, the access to that information is not easy for those who are not at the core of the industry. Without mentioning the fact of how hard it is to gain the attention of innovating textile producers when you are a small brand. But everything changed when we had the luck to meet these two kind, grounded and badass women and their innovative project. 

Defined by them as the rainbow child of Iris Textiles, a third-generation textile manufacturer and wholesaler, operating since 1956 in Guatemala, The New Denim Project creates 100% upcycled cotton from the waste of various textile mills. Yes. They collect, sort and discard cotton fibres and fabric scrap from their own mother factory and other local factories to develop regenerated cotton yarns that are then used to weave their premium collection of curated fabrics. Fabrics that are part of our first sneakers design that are already walking with these two talented DOERS!  

Now, the big question or at least the question that came up to our mind when we first heard the story of Joanna and Arianna was WHY? Why decide to start this project and dive headfirst into circular and sustainable operations when your factory is already one of the 3rd largest denim producers of Latin America? 

The Power of Collaboration.

“A sustainable future requires co-creation and creativity and empathy from [everyone in] the industry, and together we must strive for the preservation of this entire ecosystem. We cannot keep abusing the same system that sustains us. And I think all of our business models and systems are a search for this symmetry and this balance.”

Textiles Make Culture.

"Textiles do not refer to pieces of cloth - textiles are the framework of our second skin. They involve an artistic process, a transformation of fibers, evidence of the creative mind. Fabrics tell us stories, breathing history, telling us what is happening and where we’re going." 

Family Values. 

“Our grandfather, Joseph Peter—known as Abale—came to Guatemala City from Europe after World War Two; he was a Holocaust survivor. He carried an infinite amount of mourning his entire life but, more than that, he was a dreamer. He passed on to us his appreciation for the simple and ethereal pleasures of life, the results of hard work, the strength of family, and the beauty of being alive in this chaotic world. He was everything: the boldest and warmest. He taught us all we ever need to know, including mastering the art of adapting to change and springing upwards from it. His character remains the fundamental law of our everyday work.”

 

Thanks Arianna & Joanna for trusting in us and letting us be part of your incredible project and mission!