Coatings and finishes have never been more fashionable in denim. From high-shine surfaces and grungy tints to crinkled effects and classic stonewashing, finish-driven treatments are making a statement on the runway. Standout examples range from Lacoste’s clay-covered jeans to Diesel’s peel-off-effect denim—each demonstrating how unconventional finishes are redefining the look and feel of denim.
The trend is also proving to have mainstream appeal. At Kingpins Amsterdam last week, global mills presented Spring/Summer 2028 concepts that push denim beyond traditional indigo constructions. This growing interest in more expressive finishes is also challenging chemical specialists and technology providers to develop efficient, sustainable processes that can achieve these looks.
Italian chemical producer Soko Chimica’s new Resoko Underglass creates the glass-like finish that’s in high demand. Paolo Pontello, Soko’s R&D manager, explained that the process, which involves a chemical spray and pressing, can achieve a range of looks, from a subtle sheen to bold, foil-like effects. By adjusting the amount of product applied, brands can control the visual intensity of the finish. Fabrics treated with Underglass also have a notably softer hand feel than those treated with other finishing technologies on the market.
Soko also presented Soko Shadow, a technique that plays with dye-resistance and color migration to create rich contrasts and vintage-inspired tones without relying on harsh discharge chemicals. The contrasts are especially visible on seams and pockets. Soko showed garments that layer Soko Shadow with other finishing technologies like laser and ozone to amplify the depth and visual interest.
The chemical firm is also developing ways to improve or expand existing technologies. For example, Pontello showed how Hydrogel, Soko’s process that converts water into a gel, enabling a gentler, faster, and significantly more sustainable wash, can achieve new effects by adding color to the gel. The result is a tie-dye effect without any discharge agents.
Italian chemical specialist Officina39 presented several solutions for coatings and color. With Smart Coating SW, brands replace pumice stone with an efficient, water-saving enzyme paste that delivers abrasion effects on garments. The process also requires less mechanical stress on fabrics.
Marvel Coating transforms denim and other fabrics with distinctive effects, including crackling, reptilian textures and leather looks. Marvel Color offers two solutions to create unique color effects. Novapret Acid Fade, a type of resin, achieves vivid acid-washed color without harmful chemicals. Novapret Laser Cloud creates special color effects with laser. The easy and fast process also improves fabrics’ hand-feel.
Tonello showed the second installment of Denim Illusion, a concept collection that reimagines traditional denim. While the first edition demonstrated how the visual identity of denim could be recreated on non-denim fabrics, the new iteration goes one step further, experimenting with materials even more distant from the traditional denim world in terms of properties, texture and applications.
The Italian technology firm focused on lyocell fabrics, noting how the fiber’s soft hand, elegant drape and natural moisture management resonate for the spring/summer season. Tonello treated the fabrics with a range of finishing techniques, including ozone, laser and NoStone, the company’s process for achieving stonewashed effects without pumice stones.
The collection also featured nylon, blended fabrics and wool, alongside indigo- and sulfur-dyed varieties.
For more than 15 years, Jeanologia’s EIM has been in the business of measuring the environmental impact of garment finishing. Now the Spanish company is expanding EIM’s scope to connect information from yarn, fabric and garment finishing under a common methodology.
Jeanologia said this evolution addresses one of the textile industry’s key challenges: a garment passes through multiple processes and suppliers before reaching the consumer, and understanding its impact requires reliable, comparable information from each of these stages. “The challenge is no longer to measure processes in isolation, but to connect that information, understand the product as a whole and turn data into a tool to compare, decide and improve,” said Begoña García, EIM director.
Jeanologia demonstrated how EIM+ works through live demonstrations at Kingpins. The new EIM includes independent yarn, fabric and garment finishing modules, allowing each stage to be measured separately. EIM+ brings the results together to provide a complete view of the product. Using primary production data, EIM measures water and energy consumption and chemical use, as well as worker impact at the garment-finishing stage, and classifies environmental performance as low, medium or high impact.
The information is traceable and structured for use in tools like digital product passports and life cycle assessments. Additionally, EIM+ can be applied to any textile product—not just denim.