The Denim Lab project examines the environmental impact of denim at Milan Fashion Week

To coincide with Milan Fashion Week, the S|STYLE 2025- Denim Lab is setting up at Fondazione Sozzani for an edition devoted to the future of sustainable denim and water management in the textile industry. Led by the S|STYLE Sustainable Style platform, founded in 2020 by independent journalist and curator Giorgia Cantarini, this initiative forms part of an ongoing programme of research and experimentation into responsible innovations applied to contemporary fashion.

The exhibition, open to the public on September 27 and 28, features a site-specific art installation by Mariano Franzetti, crafted from recycled and regenerative denim. Conceived as an immersive experience, it brings fashion design, technological innovation and artistic expression into dialogue.

Water: a central issue in fashion sustainability

Developed in collaboration with Kering‘s Material Innovation Lab (MIL), the Denim Lab brings together a selection of young international designers invited to create a denim look using low-impact materials and processes. They benefit from technical support and access to textiles developed with innovative technologies aimed at significantly reducing water consumption, chemical use, and the carbon footprint of denim production.

This edition places water at its core, an essential issue for a fabric whose production has traditionally demanded substantial volumes of water, from cotton cultivation through to dyeing and finishing. Denim therefore serves as an emblematic testing ground, both familiar and closely associated with the environmental challenges facing the fashion industry.

The fabrics were developed by PureDenim Srl, a specialist in low-impact dyeing techniques, while treatments and finishes were applied by Tonello Srl, a recognised leader in sustainable washing and finishing technologies. The selected designers, from Europe, Asia, and Africa, each offer a distinctive interpretation of denim, blending formal exploration, textile innovation and reflection on the contemporary uses of clothing.