Founded 25 years ago, bluesign has long been a pioneer in sustainable manufacturing. In 2020, it launched their bluesign Denim Initiative – marking a bold step in transforming one of fashion’s most iconic and resource-intensive categories. Since then, the initiative has created a powerful ripple effect across the global supply chain, empowering luxury houses, premium brands, and forward-thinking mills to adopt clean chemical management and verified sustainable manufacturing at scale.
The 2024 – 2025 period marked a breakthrough year for the bluesign Denim Initiative, as key players across the industry aligned on measurable sustainability targets, integrated bluesign System Partner manufacturers into their operations, and brought garments with bluesign Approved denim to market at an unprecedented scale. New partnerships, regulatory shifts, and a heightened demand for transparency and traceability accelerated adoption—solidifying bluesign’s leadership in redefining the future of responsible denim.
bluesign Welcomes Nishat Mills as New System Partner, Advancing Responsible Denim Manufacturing in South Asia
bluesign proudly announces Nishat Mills Limited, one of South Asia’s largest vertically integrated textile companies, as its newest system partner. Based in Lahore, Pakistan, Nishat joins a growing network of manufacturers worldwide committed to eliminating harmful substances from the supply chain and implementing cleaner, safer, and more transparent production practices. With extensive operations in spinning, weaving, processing, stitching, and power generation, Nishat Mills plays a critical role in supplying premium fabrics and garments to leading global brands and retailers. Through this new partnership, Nishat will align its operations with the bluesign System, implementing rigorous environmental and chemical safety standards across its facilities.
“Achieving bluesign® certification is more than a milestone for us—it’s a reflection of the values we’ve built our operations on,” says Umer Shah, Executive Director at Nishat Fabrics. “Being the first mill in Pakistan to join the bluesign® system reinforces our commitment to cleaner chemistry, safer workplaces and more responsible use of resources. We believe progress means producing with purpose-and this partnership is a step forward in that direction.”
The partnership strengthens bluesign’s presence in South Asia, a vital manufacturing region for the global textile supply chain. With growing regulatory and brand pressure for transparency, Nishat’s adoption of the bluesign System will help its customers meet emerging standards such as the EU Digital Product Passport (DPP), Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
bluesign’s Denim Network Grows: New System Partners Driving Change
bluesign denim initiative welcomed a record number of denim-focused system partners across the full textile ecosystem—brands, laundries, chemical suppliers, and mills – making a global footprint incomparable in the fashion and textile industry. These include:
Laundries & Mills (location)
- NISHAT (Pakistan)
- ISKO (Turkey)
- Advance Denim (China)
- Everest (Italy)
- LIM Group (Italy)
- Saitex Laundry & Saitex Mill (Vietnam + LA)
- Pure Denim (Italy)
- Prosperity Textiles (China)
- Sanko Tekstil – Martelli Branch (Turkey)
Chemical Partners
- Archroma
- Nearchimica
- Officina +39
- RUDOLF
- ZAITEX
- DyStar
- Soko Chimica
These partnerships set new benchmarks for traceable and environmentally responsible denim production—ensuring that sustainable practices move beyond brand storytelling and into the foundational processes that define textile manufacturing.
“Denim is at the center of cultural and economic storytelling in fashion,” says Daniel Rüfenacht, CEO of bluesign. “By partnering with mills, laundries, and brands who are committed to clean chemistry and transparency, we are transforming the category from the inside out.”
Luxury Supply Chain Shift: Everest & LIM Group
Two of Europe’s most advanced denim laundries—Everest Textile Technologies and LIM Group—joined the bluesign® SYSTEM in 2024. Serving iconic brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Balenciaga, and AMIRI, these laundries now offer bluesign® APPROVED washes, establishing a new level of accountability in denim finishing, traceability, and water stewardship.
From Italy to the USA: Denim Brands Dondup & Madewell Create Consumer Impact
In Italy, denim leader Dondup—under CEO Matteo Anchisi—became a bluesign® system partner, aligning its premium Italian-made legacy with modern environmental responsibility. Meanwhile, Madewell’s move into the bluesign® system marks a major step for U.S. retailers responding to the American consumer’s growing demand for clean and transparent supply chains.
Two of Europe’s most advanced denim laundries—Everest Textile Technologies and LIM Group—joined the bluesign® SYSTEM in 2024. Serving iconic brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Balenciaga, and AMIRI, these laundries now offer bluesign® APPROVED washes, establishing a new level of accountability in denim finishing, traceability, and water stewardship.
From Italy to the USA: Denim Brands Dondup & Madewell Create Consumer Impact
In Italy, denim leader Dondup—under CEO Matteo Anchisi—became a bluesign® system partner, aligning its premium Italian-made legacy with modern environmental responsibility. Meanwhile, Madewell’s move into the bluesign® system marks a major step for U.S. retailers responding to the American consumer’s growing demand for clean and transparent supply chains.
Looking Ahead: A Blueprint for Industry-Wide Change
The bluesign® Denim Initiative offers partners a proven path to implementing best-in-class environmental and chemical standards through hands-on facility assessments and customized systems integration.
With each new partner, the ripple effect expands—encouraging upstream and downstream players, from dyehouses to raw material suppliers, to follow suit. The result: a resilient, transparent, and traceable global denim ecosystem powered by innovation, responsibility, and science.
“This is how change happens,” adds Rüfenacht.“One partner at a time – until sustainable practices are not just adopted, but expected.”
