Q&A: Meet Adam Taubenfligel, of Triarchy Denim

What are 3 core values that you associate with your brand?

Integrity, Responsibility, Transparency.

Where are your clothes made?

Istanbul, Turkey.

Who would you say are muses for your brand? 

My grandmother, mother and sister.

What one word do you feel best describes the culture of your company?

Integrity.

How do you stay competitive in a market inundated with fast fashion?

We make jeans for people who understand that over consumption on things like fast fashion will drain your bank account considerably faster than investing in better made pieces that you will have for years to come.

Why create a code of conduct for your brand?

Because you need this to live by. We have a strict responsibility lens. Named thusly because I don’t think the word sustainable has a relevant place in the fashion industry. The only sustainable brand would be one that doesn’t exist.

What kind of impact would you like your brand to have; whether environmentally or socially?

We continue to find new ways to deliver jeans that are optically familiar to the customer but behind the curtain the processes we use to get to that end result are completely different than they have been for the past 100+ years. I hope when people hear things like "Triarchy doesn’t offer plastic in their fabrics", it will make the customer ask why this is, and then continue to ponder why most other denim brands still do sell a majority of their jeans with plastic in them.

Why is brand transparency important?

It is the ONLY way to ensure that a brand is actually doing what they say they are doing. Further to this though, is that the transparency has to come from 3rd party auditors. Brands cannot be trusted to shout about their own metrics. If they could be trusted then greenwashing would not exist.

What sustainability challenges does your brand face?

Communicating the dangers of traditional garment production to customers. It’s a runaway train and one we have all been guilty of contributing to in the past. Myself included. We need to consume with intention and manage our reactions to impulses when making decisions about what to buy. Put it down and walk away for 5 minutes. Wait for the dopamine rush to pass and see if you still want it. Chances are you don’t.

Is there a brand you try to emulate in terms of sustainability/give back practices?

This is a difficult question to answer because I haven’t been able to investigate any other brands sustainability claims so it’s impossible to know if I would want to emulate them. We built our practices on integrity and continue to operate accordingly.