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E.L.V. Denim marked a major milestone at London Fashion Week with its first on-schedule presentation, showcasing the brand’s growing influence as a sustainable brand, and the rise in sustainable fashion in general. The brand is best known for their signature upcycled jeans, which were of course, a star feature of the collection, but this season they’ve expanded into tailoring, shirting and even eveningwear, striking the delicate balance between innovation, elegance and wearability; which is definitely no easy feat.
We’ve been long-time partners of E.L.V. Denim, and we have supplied thousands of denim items for their upcycling needs over the years. To date, E.L.V. DENIM has saved over 40,000 garments from landfill through their upcycling efforts. We’re extremely proud to be part of that mission.
For the event, we took it one step further, providing piles of old jeans to be styled as part of the presentation, which served as a striking visual reminder of the sheer scale of the fashion industry’s waste crisis.
Within the two-story venue they displayed the towering mountains of discarded denim that came from our warehouses, which would otherwise have been recycled. This was only a small percentage of the vast amount of pieces that could be repurposed instead of being thrown away.
The brand is known for taking secondhand clothes that are often seemed to be low quality, and reworking them into garments that are designed to last a lifetime. Alongside the signature denim pieces were a sculptural cocktail dress made from old velvet trousers, and a patchwork corset gown made from old striped poplin shirts, and the real showstopper was a white dress made from bed linens - which we’ll tell you more about later!
A Sneak Peek into E.L.V. DENIM’s Vision at London Fashion Week
E.L.V. Denim’s showcase was called The Journey and featured different visuals of the full upcycling process, all the way from sourcing damaged fabrics (that’s where we come in) to the transformation into something new.
Allow us to walk you around the exhibition, and show you how they do it, step by step:
Step 1 – Sourcing
Denim is one of the most durable fabrics out there, but secondhand pieces are more often than not in imperfect condition, meaning they need a bit of TLC in order to be worn again.
Some of the things that we get sent arrive damaged, misshapen, or too worn to be rehomed, and these are the pieces that E.L.V. DENIM rescues from our recycling stock, making sure that every last scrap is put to use.
Step 2 – Washing
The environmental cost of new denim is pretty staggering. Did you know that over 10,000 litres of water are required to produce just one pair of jeans? That’s the same amount a person drinks in 13 years.
That really puts into perspective the difference in impact that E.L.V. Denim’s wash cycle has - only 7 litres of water is used for washing per pair of jeans, dramatically reducing their water waste compared to if they created their jeans from scratch.
Step 3 – Grading
Once it’s cleaned up, every garment is carefully assessed by hand to determine its next life. As a zero-waste brand, E.L.V. Denim makes sure nothing is discarded, so if something isn’t quite suitable for full reconstruction, it’ll be cut into smaller pieces, and repurposed into one of their patchwork designs.
Step 4 – Pairing
Once sorted, old jeans are paired together based on their colour and structure, ready to be transformed into new pairs or something else entirely. Mismatched denims might become tailored trousers, a jumpsuit, or even in some very special cases, a floorlength cape.
Step 5 – Cutting
Each piece is cut by hand in E.L.V. DENIM’s East London studio by the skilled team of tailors.
Step 6 – Sewing
E.L.V. DENIM’s signature trousers feature a simple four-seam design, which allows for them to make easy adjustments and create a customisable fit.
The End Result: One-of-a-Kind Works of Wearable Art
The outcome is these stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces made entirely from reclaimed materials.
High fashion and totally unique, yet very much wearable, even the smallest patches are given a whole new lease of life.
The Presentation: The Fashion Waste Journey
At London Fashion Week, E.L.V. DENIM took an innovative approach to storytelling by showcasing denim in its raw, unaltered form as part of their runway experience, all provided by us!
Towering piles of discarded denim and stacks enclosed in cages served as a powerful visual metaphor for the first stage of the upcycling process, shedding light on the sheer volume of textile waste that can and should be repurposed.
Reskinned proudly supplied over 2000 pairs of pre-loved denim for the installation, as part of our shared mission to reduce waste and champion circular fashion.
With 90% of a garment’s emissions linked to its raw materials, giving textiles a second life is such a crucial step for designers, as it significantly reduces environmental impact, creating a significantly more circular fashion economy.
E.L.V. DENIM x 1 Hotel Mayfair
And it wasn’t just the denim that came from a surprising source, E.L.V. Denim also partnered with 1 Hotel Mayfair to give their old bed linens a second life in an unexpected way.
Rather than cutting and sewing the fabric into new garments, the team transformed the damaged sheets into yarn, resulting in a breathtaking backless white crochet gown, which was a standout at the event.
Textile waste has so much potential, and with the right creative brains and some craftsmanship, even really plain and overlooked fabrics can absolutely be reimagined into something inspiring.
What to do with your old denim
Denim is a staple in basically everyone’s wardrobe, but when your jeans no longer fit, fall out of style, or wear out, what’s the best way to dispose of them sustainably? We know, it can end up feeling a little bit confusing!
Instead of sending them to landfill, here are some responsible ways to give your old denim a second life:
The ELV Takeback Scheme
Got old jeans you don’t wear?
With the E.L.V. Denim takeback programme, you can trade in your pre-loved jeans and receive up to £40 off a new pair of their upcycled jeans or another unique piece from their collection.
Whether they’re 100% cotton or have a bit of stretch, barely worn or well-loved, the brand accepts any jeans in any condition, and will make sure that every item is either upcycled into a fresh design or responsibly recycled, keeping perfectly usable materials out of landfill.
Plus, you can send in jeans from any brand, not just E.L.V. pieces, making it even easier to get rid of your old denim the right way.
Send ELV your old denim to get your discount
The Reskinned Takeback Scheme
Got old jeans from one of our takeback partner brands? Send them to us through one of our branded takeback programmes, and you’ll receive a discount to spend with that brand as a thank you!
It’s officially the easiest way to clear out, while still making sure your denim gets a second shot at life, whether it ends up getting rehomed, upcycled or responsibly recycled.
Check out our brand partners here to see what discounts you can get on your favourite brands.
Recycle it
If your denim is beyond repair or reuse, no matter what you do, don’t throw it in the bin!
Textile waste in landfill takes years to break down, releasing harmful emissions and wasting valuable resources. Instead, make sure your old jeans are properly recycled.
Take them to your local textile recycling bank, where they can be repurposed into insulation, new fabrics, or even new clothing.
You can easily find your nearest recycling point by visiting the Recycle Now website.
Donate it
If your denim is still in great shape but just isn’t your style any more, you can make sure it goes to a good home by donating it to a charity that helps people in need. We recommend these two:
- Crisis supports people facing homelessness by providing essential clothing and resources.
- Give Your Best is an amazing initiative where people experiencing clothing poverty can shop for free, giving them choice and dignity in what they wear.
By donating your old clothes to causes that need them, you’ll be keeping denim out of landfill, plus also making a meaningful difference in someone’s life.
Upcycle it
If you’re feeling creative, why not take a page out of E.L.V. Denim’s book and transform your old jeans into something new for your wardrobe?
While crafting a brand-new pair of jeans might be a tiny bit too ambitious for most of us, with the right tutorial and some basic sewing skills, there’s a lot you can do. From patchwork design to denim skirts or even a tote bag, even beginner upcyclers can try their hand with an old pair of jeans and a little bit of inspiration.
Even if your designs are less-than-perfect, upcycling can be a brilliant way to add something unique to your wardrobe, and save old fabric from the bin.
It’s safe to say that E.L.V. Denim did an amazing job of showing how fashion can be sustainable and still feel elevated. Overconsumption is definitely not the trend of the season, and instead, we got to celebrate creativity, sustainability, and giving something old a second chance at life.
Their show did a great job of telling the full story of upcycling, explaining each step so the audience could really understand the journey, and see firsthand all the skill and care that goes into every single piece.
We’re so proud to have been involved, and our team had a great time getting dressed up and attending the event. Here’s to many more fashion shows that take on the zero-waste challenge!
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