Virginia Postrel, Columnist

Indigo Dyeing May Hold Key to Future of Fashion

Technological innovations, not a nostalgic return to “natural” products, can reduce the environmental impact of textiles and clothing.

June 22, 2021 at 3:00 PM UTC

By Virginia Postrel

Virginia Postrel is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a visiting fellow at the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy at Chapman University and author, most recently, of “The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World.”

The yearning for blue denim is eternal.
Photographer: Chris McGrath/Getty Images AsiaPac

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The T-shirt is inky blue and incredibly soft, with drawstrings up the sides to adjust the fit. The indigo sweater is like nothing I’ve ever seen, the texture of its varied stitches enhanced by the wear patterns you usually see on blue jeans. The fabric is silky, with a beautiful drape. For the first time in several years, I find myself in the throes of clothing lust.

These clothes aren’t for sale — yet. They’re samples, designed by premium-denim pioneer Adriano Goldschmied to fire the imaginations of apparel makers. They demonstrate the possibilities of a new approach to indigo dyeing.