Paige: Green and Premium
Launched in 2004, Paige Premium Denim quickly climbed the premiumdenim ranks. The label has grown to include men’s, kids’, maternity and a petite collection, as well as a collection of contemporary tops and bottoms. For the Spring/Summer 2008 season, Paige entered a new category by adapting some of the label’s top-selling fits into eco-friendly versions.
“It’s really not about the organic product itself,” said company founder and designer Paige Adams-Geller. “It’s a much larger story. The fashion industry is only now starting to see the larger effects of our production on the Earth—and there is more discussion about reducing our carbon footprint. I want Paige to play a small part in making the industry smarter and better for the planet.”
Produced in Los Angeles and made from 100 percent organic cotton (from Turkish supplier ORTA), “Melrose Straight Leg,” “Blue Heights Skinny,” “Benedict Canyon 18” Boot Cut,” “Rising Glen High Rise” and the new five-pocket trouser style “Coldwater” have gone green.
In addition to using organic cotton, the jeans are finished with 100 percent organic hemp on the inner waistband, pocketing, labels and hangtags. Paige’s signature “credit card” tucked in the back pocket has also been modified as a recyclable card with flower seeds that can be planted. In addition, the designer worked with biodegradable dyes and tints derived from fruits and vegetables to come up with innovative, ecofriendly washes that are completely new to the line. Inspired by Adams-Geller’s home state of Alaska, the washes in the eco collection range from gray to light and dark blue, with color names such as glacier, iceberg, nordic, baltic and polar.
Currently, the Paige eco collection makes up about 10 percent of the entire line. But the designer said there is a possibility of expanding the eco offerings into the men’s, children’s and maternity collections, as well as adding more styles to the women’s organic collection. The designer reported that buyers from both small boutiques and large department stores are responding favorably to the new collection because of increasing consumer requests for organic product. So far, the line has been popular with international retailers, Nordstrom.com, the Paige flagship store on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles and the Paige Premium Denim Web site.
The wholesale price point for the eco denim is $95.
For more information, visit www.paigepremiumdenim.com or call (310) 733-2100. —D.S.
