Founded in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2001, Nudie Jeans understands the demand amongst consumers for owning a staple pair of jeans that can last a lifetime. Nudie was founded in Sweden in 2001 by Maria Erixon, a former Lee and Palle Stenberg designer who worked for Levi Strauss.
When they came up with the concept, they were very clear that the brand was going to be environmentally friendly and also have a pro-human rights culture. For them, the brand had to be more than responsible for manufacturing, but its distribution and realization had to go hand in hand with its philosophy, to be sensitive and sustainable.
This Swedish company has been part of the Fair Wear Foundation, an independent, non-profit organization of textile trade organizations, trade unions, and NGOs, since 2009. They manufacture in vertically integrated facilities in Italy and Tunisia. The Fair Wear Foundation verifies that member companies implement a Code of Labor Practices throughout their supply chain and verifies compliance through monitoring audits and remediation efforts.
Original Design Backed with Ethical Materials
Nudie is renowned for its attention to detail when it comes to fit and quality, and that extends to the impact of its jeans. The rivets are not galvanized, which means they were not treated with toxic finishes like conventional rivets. The dye they use is natural indigo, the real stuff that traditional denim is dyed with, and the dye water is filtered at the point where it is potable.
The packaging is made from recycled material and the back patch is made from discarded leather from a shoe manufacturer in Italy. The dye they use is natural indigo, the authentic dye used to dye traditional denim, and the dye water is filtered at the point where it is drinkable.
The packaging is made from recycled material and the back patch is made from discarded leather from a shoe manufacturer in Italy. They use high-gauge organic yarn. Nudie even developed a non-toxic coating to give certain styles that finish. The brand also uses with TENCEL™ Lyocell as its main human-made cellulose-based fiber.
Supporting a Visible Supply Chain
Nudie Jeans sources its organic cotton through the Chetna Coalition, which makes it Fair Trade. On its website, consumers can check through its product pages to find out the suppliers of its cotton, and whether or not the Nudie Jeans team has been to visit on-site or not. For example, it displays two suppliers in Turkey as well as suppliers in Tunisia, Tajikistan, and India.
The brand has worked continuously in order to improve its transparency internally and to make its information publicly available. By supporting the Transparency Pledge, Nudie has listed all of its suppliers, available for download on its website.