Avalo, LYCRA Company, Neela and Soko launch more sustainable denim capsule

The four companies unveiled Naturalls, a plant-based denim capsule set to debut during Climate Week NYC in New York City. The collection is meant to showcase lower-impact materials and processing across the denim supply chain as fashion faces rising climate and resource pressure.

Why it matters: - Naturalls is positioned as a proof point for lower-impact denim at a moment when fashion brands are under pressure to cut water use, emissions and chemical inputs. - The launch also targets the broader supply chain, from fiber production to garment finishing, where sustainability gains can add up quickly. - The Climate Week NYC debut ties the collection to a larger conversation about climate risk, including water scarcity, extreme weather, and input shortages.

What happened: - Avalo, The LYCRA Company, Neela and Soko announced Naturalls, a new capsule denim collection built around plant-based materials and sustainable processes. - The collection will be unveiled during Climate Week NYC, scheduled for September 20-27, 2026, at a dedicated event in New York City. - The event is designed to draw attention to mounting pressures facing natural fiber farmers over the coming decades. - Gordon Muir of Labor Made Inc designed the collection as a tribute to the farmers behind the denim supply chain. - Neela developed the spinning, weaving and garment making for the capsule.

The details: - Avalo contributed Low-Footprint Cotton, which uses zero irrigation, 75% less fertilizer and half the emissions of conventionally grown cotton. - The LYCRA Company supplied Renewable LYCRA® fiber, which contains 70% renewable content. - The LYCRA Company says the fiber can reduce carbon footprint by up to 45% compared with equivalent LYCRA® fiber made with fossil-based resources. - Neela curated fabrics for the capsule and used fabric engineering techniques to create a soft denim hand feel while maintaining sustainable construction. - Soko applied two finishing technologies to the collection. - Soko's Hydrogel technology turns water into a gel so multiple finishing treatments can happen in one bath. - Soko says Hydrogel can cut water consumption by up to 85%, energy use by up to 68% and processing time by up to 50%. - Soko's RARE finishing system uses naturally derived mineral pigments and a natural binder to create shades meant to look authentic and timeless. - The capsule includes work pants, jackets, aprons and other workwear-inspired pieces. - The silhouettes draw from the practical clothing worn in the fields where cotton begins. - Naturalls is meant to reflect innovation and sustainability from start to finish.

Between the lines: - The collaboration blends agriculture, fiber science, textile development and finishing, showing how denim sustainability depends on multiple stages instead of a single material swap. - The messaging around farmers and field workers reframes denim as a product shaped by climate exposure before it reaches factories or stores. - The collection also suggests that lower-impact design can still prioritize stretch, fit, comfort and visual appeal, which are often the biggest barriers to adoption in premium denim. - For the partners, the project is as much an industry signal as a product launch: collaboration can make sustainability claims more credible when they are built across the value chain.

What's next: - Naturalls will debut at the Climate Week NYC event, where the partners plan to spotlight the impact of water scarcity, extreme weather, oil shortages and fertilizer shortages on fashion. - The companies are using the launch to encourage designers and product developers to rethink denim sourcing and finishing. - The broader aim is to show that more responsible denim can also be desirable and commercially relevant.

The bottom line: - Naturalls is a showcase for what the denim industry can do when crop innovation, fiber technology and textile finishing are designed together.