We were aired on BBC! The broadcast Inside the Factory focused one of its episodes on jeans, and the presenter Gregg Wallace visited our mill to learn how denim is made. We are humbled that the world-famous broadcaster chose our company to understand better what goes on behind the scenes of jeans production. Let's see some highlights.
Inside the Factory investigates where the Hiut denim comes from
The journey of Inside the Factory across the jeans industry began in Cardigan, in Wales, which used to be home to one of the biggest jeans manufacturers in the UK. The company closed in 2002, but a new jeans workshop opened ten years later: the Hiut factory.
That is why Gregg Wallace traveled to Italy, to our mill in Robecchetto con Induno, close to Milan, to learn how Hiut’s fabrics were born. From the daily delivery of cotton to denim shipping, our President, Alberto Candiani, and Global Marketing Director, Simon Giuliani, took the presenter on a complete tour through all the denim-making stages – spinning, dyeing, weaving, and finishing.
Back in Cardigan, Wallace learned how to cut and sew jeans from Hiut’s experienced jeans makers. Clare and David Hieatt opened the factory in 2012, and some of the staff of the previous producer was re-employed.
Denim and indigo experts explain the history of jeans
Inside the Factory also investigated the history of denim and jeans with denim historian Mohsin Sahid and historian Ruth Goodman, from their Italian and French roots to the myth of cowboys and the Wild West. They focused on their use as workwear, how Jacob Davis invented the 5-pocket, riveted jeans we still wear today, and how the garment became loved by the most famous stars in Hollywood and the representatives of countercultures.
Moreover, Goodman retraced the origins of indigo with indigo historian Jenny Balfour-Paul, who explained that it was already known in Peru more than 6,000 years ago and that when Vasco Da Gama opened trade routes, its price decreased so significantly it started to be used to dye clothes before Adolf von Baeyer invented the synthetic one.
Finally, Cherry Healey visited a zip factory and a lab to wash jeans and confer them vintage aesthetics – even if Hiut’s garments are mostly sold raw.
The full episode is available on BBC's website.
