AG INTRODUCES VAPOR WASH TECHNOLOGY
AG has introduced its new Vapor Wash technology with a special collection. The technology, which is considered one of the most environmentally friendly wash processes developed to date, uses advanced laser, nanobubbles, and ozone techniques to achieve a radically more sustainable product.
This new technology uses 65 percent less water, 65 percent less chemicals, and 35 percent less energy. Rather than saturating denim in an excessive amount of water, an electromechanical shock converts a mixture of water and an eco-friendly wash solution into nannobubbles for a wash process that uses drastically less water and creates zero discharge.
AG’s eco-friendly wash ingredients eliminate hazardous chemicals, while its nanobubble technology minimizes the amount of wash solution needed. Post-wash, the brand has eliminated the harsh bleaching chemical potassium permanganate, as well as sandblasting, in favor of eco-friendly laser processing. Safer for workers, better for the environment.
Using this new technology, AG has unveiled a nine-piece Vapor Wash collection of five men’s jeans and five women’s jeans, as well as a unisex denim jacket. The pieces are offered in a spectrum of blue, ranging from a faded-out blue to a dark indigo, and a washed-out grey. The men’s styles include the Dylan slim skinny as well as the Tellis modern slim. The women’s styles include the Knoxx boyfriend fit, the Mari high-rise straight, the Farrah Skinny Ankle, and the Alexxis Slim high-rise vintage slim. And, the Kendrix Jacket is an oversized trucker jacket with a unisex appeal. Each Vapor wash style is updated with sustainable packaging, sporting a sustainable cellulose-based patch that is 100 percent vegan and biodegradable.
Each piece in the collection comes together in one location, significantly reducing the company’s carbon footprint. Touting a vertical structure, AG has been a leader in progressing manufacturing processes towards a more sustainable future with early and significant investments in ozone technology, laser finishing, solar energy, and most recently water recycling. Today, AG recycles over 100,000 gallons of water per day, with the goal to recycle over 50 million gallons per year.
“Sometimes sustainability comes in giant technological steps, other times it’s the simple reevaluation of processes and minor tweaks that can make some of the biggest impacts in large volume production,” said Samuel Ku, president and creative director at AG. “Vapor Wash is a minor technological tweak in one of our pre-existing technologies, but its impact is massive—it’s exciting as a manufacturer to be a part of these developments and breakthroughs. AG’s new Vapor Wash is not only cleaner and more sustainable, but it also produces even more beautiful washes than our previous methods.”
