AGI Denim, the Pakistan-based vertical manufacturer of denim, inked a new deal with sustainable indigo dye startup Huue.
The California startup’s technology, Huue Indigo, uses microbial processes to create bio-based indigo, which can be used to dye denim and jeans more sustainably. According to Huue’s website, its indigo correlates to lower pollution levels in the dyeing process and does not contain petroleum or toxic ingredients, like cyanide or formaldehyde.
Michelle Zhu, Huue’s CEO and co-founder, said Huue Indigo offers a major differentiator from what’s already in the market.
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“Our technology involves mirroring the way nature produces color; we’re programming microbes to use the same enzymatic reaction in plants to directly produce a high-purity indigo. What sets Huue apart is our focus on creating a bio-identical match,” Zhu told Sourcing Journal. “This means that our technology provides the same performance and application as the petrochemical product, making it compatible with existing equipment in the denim industry and a true drop in replacement.”
Huue secured $14.6 million in Series A funding in July of 2022, led by Material Impact, the investor behind fellow fashion innovator Werewool. And as sustainability remains as a hot topic among manufacturers and brands, using sustainable raw materials has become a top priority for many.
Henry Wong, AGI Denim’s VP product development and marketing for North America, said the company is eager to get customers’ eyes on denim made with the eco-friendlier indigo.
“The goal is to bring product to market as soon as possible, to demonstrate that it can be done,” Wong said. “Being the first to market with Huue means we can offer our clients the opportunity to show leadership in [responsibly] manufacturing fashion. The more brands and retailers [we see] adopting, the more impact we can have.”
But as with any startup, scaling can be a challenge, particularly in rapidly changing industries. For Zhu’s team, mitigating that challenge started with addressing its status as an unconventional player in the industry.
“Scaling a bio-based product is not an easy journey. One significant challenge is the immediate comparison to the conventional standard. Often, alternatives are perceived as less user-friendly, requiring additional steps or equipment in the production process or falling short in terms of performance,” she said. “At Huue, we take pride in addressing this challenge head-on. Our team has dedicated significant efforts to ensuring that our bio-based product meets the same performance criteria as the conventional standard, including factors such as purity, depth of shade, and colorfastness. This way, our partners don’t have to make tradeoffs in terms of performance in their pursuit of sustainability.”
Wong told Sourcing Journal that Huue has done just that.
“Huue is a dream come true. It offers a plug-and-play, scalable indigo dye we can confidently run in production,” Wong said.
AGI Denim has previously implemented other sustainability related solutions. The Triarchy supplier is Pakistan’s sole certified B Corp, and has achieved end-to-end LEED gold certification.
Though other sustainable indigo startups, like Levi Strauss-backed Stony Creek Colors and France’s Pili, have cropped up, Zhu said synthetic indigo usage still proves an under-addressed issue in the industry.
“When it comes to denim, the two key materials that you can’t move away from are cotton and indigo. While innovations for recycled or regenerative cotton have grown, the industry still heavily relies on fossil fuels and toxic chemicals like formaldehyde and sodamide for color production, posing risks to both people and the planet,” she told Sourcing Journal.
As the Huue team looks forward, Zhu said, the next focus will be strengthening capabilities and relationships.
“Our collaboration with AGI Denim has enabled us to demonstrate denim fabrics, showcasing at Kingpins this week, that meet the specifications required for large-scale production by leading brands. With that proven, we’re increasingly spending our time on manufacturing to make sure we have the processes and facility partners to take us to the next inflection point of scaled production,” she said.
AGI also put Huue Indigo to work in its recent TOMORROWLAND collaboration with Jonathan Cheung, in celebration of the Pakistani producer’s 30th anniversary.
