Los Angeles-based denim label AG Jeans is the recipient of this year’s Moss Adams Fashion Innovator (MAFI) Award.
At Sourcing Journal’s LA Sustainability Summit on Nov. 13, Baker Tilly principal Marco Valverde announced the winner and presented the award to AG Jeans’ men’s design director Ron Balatbat. The award—presented by Moss Adams in past years and now bestowed by the newly merged accounting and consulting firms Moss Adams and Baker Tilly—recognizes a California brand that is innovating in areas including marketing, design, sustainability and diversity.
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“The award was created several years ago as a way to give back to an industry that has been one of the pillar industries in our firm’s rich history, especially here in the LA marketplace,” said Valverde. “This year’s winner is a brand that has showcased and achieved innovation and growth.”
As Balatbat explained on stage in conversation with Valverde and Sourcing Journal’s editor in chief Peter Sadera, AG Jeans is guided by four pillars: “an unrelenting commitment to quality, a denim-first approach, timeless style tied deeply to the California spirit and then sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices from fiber to finished garment.”
From a design perspective, addressing sustainability translates to garments that have longevity. “My approach to design is really rooted in creating products that endure, really balancing tradition with innovation, designing with intention, responsibly,” Balatbat said.
One concept where this responsible product development can be seen is AG’s Jean of Tomorrow, a recurring capsule collection that marries cutting-edge technology with low-impact practices. A key focus is on the end of life for these jeans, using ingredients like biodegradable trims and plant-based dyes. Some of the solutions incorporated into Jean of Tomorrow have carried over to AG’s wider collections. For instance, buttons made of corozo—sourced from the seeds of a palm tree—are now used across its collections for sewn-on buttons. Another category of solution that has trickled over is low-impact wash techniques.
Per Balatbat, a key ingredient for innovation is collaboration. For instance, AG worked alongside Cone Denim to develop an “ultra sustainable” fabric for Jean of Tomorrow that was a blend of organic cotton, Tencel and hemp. It took some iterations to get the textile’s hand feel, shade and color right. “When really pushing innovation, it’s important to have strong partnerships, to bring in suppliers and mills early to show creative vision, design inspiration, but also to set expectations for performance and sustainability goals,” said Balatbat.
Collaboration also came into play for Vapor Wash, which AG developed with Jeanologia around four years ago. The brand works closely with its laundries to set up and test the process, which leverages ozone, lasers and e-Flow to save on water, chemicals and energy.
Another factor that sets AG apart in the industry is its localized vertical production facility, which recently extended from denim into knitwear. Here, the company has invested in solar power and water recycling, the latter of which is particularly critical due to LA’s tendency toward droughts.
While AG was early in establishing production in the U.S., it is not the only one seeking out onshore options. It’s not possible to reshore everything, but for the merchandise where it is a fit, Valverde noted it can help companies reduce their transportation footprint, among other benefits. “Ten, 15 years ago, the move was to go overseas,” he said. “But more and more, what you’re seeing is kind of bringing that back.”
