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From the new Maje HQ \u2013 in the 18th-century environs of the Louvre Museum in Paris \u2013 Artistic Director Judith Milgrom has started the process of combating climate change in the chicest way possible. \u201cWe started thinking of how to be more sustainable, and it appeared urgent and obvious to start with one of the most wasteful production processes in fashion: denim,\u201d Judith tells\u00a0Grazia.<\/em><\/p>\n The result? First Stone, billed as a sustainable capsule collection of denim to mark the first step to Maje taking a more ethical approach towards eco-friendly fashion. The collections uses new stone-wash techniques which reduce the use of water by up to 95 per cent, energy savings of up to 79 per cent and up to half the chemicals. Judith adds, \u201cTechnological advancements like laser printing onto the textiles and ageing denim with natural gases has made large strides in this production process. That\u2019s not perfect,\u201d she acknowledges, \u201cbut it\u2019s a start \u2013 our first stone.\u201d<\/p>\n Happily, Maje isn\u2019t alone in this endeavour. Having launched its first Conscious Collection made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester in 2010, H&M continues to innovate by incorporating recycled brass, recycled zinc and fibres partly made from waste cotton into the range. Mango\u2019s sustainability goal is for 50 per cent of the cotton used in its collections to be sustainable by 2022, while Zara pledges its entire collections will be sustainable by 2025.<\/p>\n And Maje doesn\u2019t plan to stop any time soon. \u201cSustainable denim is our first step, and more will follow,\u201d promises Judith. \u201cIt\u2019s been very well received so far, our customer likes the idea we\u2019re making efforts to become more and more sustainable, and that we\u2019ll follow up on the next steps. We\u2019ve already started offering items made of recycled wool, eco-friendly viscose and organic cotton in our collection, and we are engaged in rising the proportion of eco-friendly products in the coming seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n By Summer 2020, to be precise, Maje promises that 100 per cent of its denim will be ecologically friendly and 70 per cent of T-shirts in the collection will be made from organic cotton. A partnership with the pre-loved and pre-worn online resale platform Vestiaire Collective has also been announced, and transport and packaging are also under review.<\/p>\n To celebrate the launch of First Stone, Maje has enlisted three eco-conscious creatives to help spread the word. Artist, writer and holistic nutritionist Bianca Valle is a self-styled wellness militant who believes that self-care and self-love is how you can save the planet. Founder of Rowse Beauty, Nuria Val\u2019s mission is to connect people to their environment with her range of 100 per cent plant-based products. Finally, model Michaela Thomsen founded Thomsen Beauty with her sister because, in her own words, \u201cTo be honest, I was tired of the big groups who use [man-made] chemicals as ingredients, so I decided to create my own beauty brand. If I can take care of me and the planet at the same time, it\u2019s perfect!\u201d<\/p>\n Maje.com asks shoppers to share the steps they\u2019re making towards sustainability on Instagram, so it\u2019s only fair to ask Judith about hers. \u201cI try to avoid plastic as much as I can, I do my best not to waste energy. I try to keep travel by plane to a minimum, and I recycle as much waste as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n And Judith\u2019s advice to\u00a0Grazia<\/em>\u00a0readers who, like Maje, are seeking to take their first steps towards sustainability? \u201cI would recommend taking action to reduce your consumption of energy and [harmful] chemicals,\u201d she suggests, but declines to dictate. \u201cAny first step you take is in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n Photos: Supplied<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":217,"featured_media":3526,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[65],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/04\/MAJE-FIRST-STONE_-BIANCA_-10_11064840.jpg\")
A wellness militant who believes that loving yourself is the key to saving the planet<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/04\/MAJE-FIRST-STONE_-MICHAELA_-6.jpg\")
For this beauty boss, sustainable skincare is the first step towards respecting in the planet\u00a0<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2021\/04\/MAJE-FIRST-STONE_-NURIA_-13_11064919.jpg\")
The beauty brand founder seeks to connect people to their environment via plant-based products<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n