Our mission is to provide responsible, traceable, and ethical denim
A leading denim innovator for more than 130 years, Cone Denim delivers unparalleled expertise and advanced denim capabilities that service and inspire the global market. Cone promotes sustainable practices through its Sustainblue denim fabrics representing the highest standards in responsible manufacturing and Cone’s commitment to making a positive impact in its communities.
Cone Denim operates as part of Elevate Textiles, Inc., with manufacturing capabilities in Mexico and China and a global network of sales, product, and merchandising professionals based out of Greensboro, N.C., New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, Cone Denim Design Director Pierette Scavuzzo talks about Ethica, a sustainable denim collection created in collaboration with Guatemalan designer Juan Carlos Gordillo and Jeanologia, which debuted at the Kingpins Show New York in January 2025.
How has the shift in consumer demand towards comfort, functionality, and premium quality impacted the way the denim industry operates?
The shift in consumer demand has significantly impacted the denim industry by driving innovation in fabric technology. It has emphasised sustainable practices and prioritised high-quality construction. As a result, mills are developing higher stretch, softer denim with improved durability, while also catering to a more conscious consumer base that seeks ethically produced products.
Cone Denim has a rich history. What are some of the defining moments that shaped the brand?
Numerous industry firsts have made us a trusted denim supplier since 1891. Our White Oak Cotton Mill started producing denim in 1905 and would soon become the largest denim mill in the world. By 1910, White Oak was supplying a third of the world’s denim demand. In 1921, the White Oak plant developed the Indigo Rope Dye Range and received a patent for the continuous rope indigo dyeing machine that we still use in our plants today. In 1962, Cone Denim became the first producer in the US to manufacture and market stretch denim. This paved the way for the launch and development of our S Gene Yarn Technology in 2008, the first of its kind designed to optimise stretch and maximise recovery.
How does Cone Denim maintain a balance between its heritage and the demands of modern innovation?
The Cone Denim legacy is closely tied to the development of denim as we know it today. Sustainability became a prime focus of ours in the 1940s, which has remained a core principle interwoven within our manufacturing and product offerings that we market and produce today. Innovation is also at the heart of our heritage. Today, we still aim to serve as a trusted leader in the denim space by focusing on finding new concepts, new materials, and new technologies to provide our customers with innovative and unique solutions through our knowledge, history, and expertise in the industry.
The Ethica collection combines traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. What inspired this approach?
We admired the work of Juan Carlos and his remarkable ability to bring culture and art into his garment designs. Every detail and step of his process is deliberate and paced with intention. After our initial connection, we wanted to provide Gordillo with another platform to showcase his hand-sewn garments, particularly in an era of heavy automation.
How does the use of recycled cotton and Tencel in the Ethica collection align with Cone Denim’s sustainability goals?
The fabrics used in the Ethica collection reflect our ongoing commitment to aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals. We focus on incorporating recycled materials into our products and reducing waste through enhanced recycling efforts, striving for zero waste to landfill at our facilities (SDG Goal 12.5).
Can you elaborate on how Jeanologia’s laser and ozone technologies enhance the artistry and sustainability of your products?
By utilising Jeanologia’s cutting-edge sustainable wash technologies, we demonstrate to the industry that it is possible to achieve both artistry and sustainability. The washes using Jeanologia’s technology significantly reduce the consumption of natural resources, chemicals, and energy, while also lowering costs compared to traditional wash processing methods.
How does Cone Denim ensure its sustainability efforts are implemented across its global operations?
With the strategic locations of our mills in China and Mexico, we position our operations to make a stronger contribution to our long-term strategy of providing customers with innovative and market-driven denim and services from a global network of manufacturing platforms. Each plant is strategically designed to present different sustainable offerings within its manufacturing operations. We have established offerings like Ozone finishing technologies in both hemispheres, a Zero Liquid Discharge installation at our mill in Parras, Mexico, and recently completed a solar panel installation at our mill in Jiaxing, China. We also work together within our global product and sustainability teams to continue to produce and develop sustainable products across all our facilities such as PCW in our Jiaxing facility and recycled cotton offerings throughout our global plants.
With advancements in technology and automation, how is the denim industry balancing traditional craftsmanship with modern manufacturing processes?
Technology and automation advancements in denim manufacturing have only enhanced our ability to develop denims true to our 1891 roots. Most recent automations have occurred in garment manufacturing. They utilise automation for precise cutting and assembly while still relying on skilled workers for intricate details and finishing techniques.
With rising consumer demand for transparency, how has Cone Denim adapted its practices to ensure traceability?
Since 1891, our commitment to sustainable practice has defined who we are. As a member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, we further our commitment to sustainability and transparency with continued investment in a verifiable supply chain. For fibre sourced outside the US, all of our mills are RCS and OCS certified, and we are members of Better Cotton. We are also the first denim mill, globally, to use a unique traceability method applied through a forensic science company, Oritain, to detect trace elements in product’s intrinsic properties to verify origin. This unique and advanced product tracing ensures that our cotton is not sourced from areas at risk of illegal practices, furthering our mission of providing responsible, traceable, and ethical denim.
What are some of the biggest challenges the denim industry faces in sourcing raw materials and maintaining a transparent, ethical supply chain?
Key challenges include lack of traceability throughout the complex supply chain and difficulty in verifying ethical practices across multiple tiers of suppliers. Cone Denim’s partnership with Oritain provides our customers with verification that our raw materials have been ethically sourced.
The Ethica collection highlights human vulnerability through its design. How important is storytelling in Cone Denim’s approach to fashion?
At the core of our values is the importance of communicating and sharing the origins of our work through our final products. With the platform we have, we focus on sharing the stories behind the artists and their creations. By doing this, we hope to raise greater awareness of the artists’ work and their unique voices.
What are the most impactful sustainable practices or innovations that you believe are shaping the future of denim manufacturing?
Since denim dyeing is a water-intensive process, any innovation to reduce the amount of water used in the process or re-use water is going to be important to the future of denim. This includes things from pre-reduced indigo and ozone finishing to our Zero Liquid Discharge wastewater treatment system in Parras, Mexico. We did a collaboration with COLOURizd sustainable colour technology last year, which eliminates the need for traditional dye baths and lengthy wet processing.
What are the biggest challenges Cone Denim faces in balancing sustainability with scalability?
The biggest challenge to scalable sustainability is investment (financial and otherwise). We have been tracking sustainable product innovations and working to evaluate which ones will be long-term “winners” that are both better for the environment and have the ability to be cost competitive. Any sustainable innovation requires pull through and to achieve that, it has to be attainable. We have worked within Accelerating Circularity and the Circulose Supplier Network to drive scalable sustainability, and strive to be a manufacturer that is an advocate for and leader in these efforts.
Where do you see Cone Denim in the next decade in terms of sustainability and innovation?
We are making our supply chain more sustainable and are striving to attain 100 per cent preferred and low climate impact fibres by 2030. We have committed to reducing water usage by 40 per cent by 2030 and have installed a state-of-the-art Zero Liquid Discharge effluent treatment plant in Mexico to support this goal. We have also validated Science Based Targets to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by 46.2 per cent by 2030 from a 2019 base year.
Finally, how can collaborations between designers, manufacturers, and technology companies drive meaningful change in the fashion industry?
Collaborating with contrasting partners is the most effective and productive way to create a larger reach and leverage complementary capabilities, knowledge, and skills; three strong forces will have a greater impact than one.
