Anthropologie Launches Pilcro, A Size Inclusive Denim-Focused Collection With A Story

On Friday Anthropologie announced the release of Pilcro, a new inclusive-sizing collection. Its centerpiece is denim. With one foot in the historical roots of denim production and the other in the future of planet-friendlier production methods, Pilcro offers style with a story.

Anthropologie’s Senior Designer Nick Hathaway surveyed vintage garments to find inspiration for the new Pilcro collection. He shares in an interview, “We strive to approach denim in its traditional manner, so it’s rooted in authentic, historical indigo. We start most of the design processes looking around the world for garments from the last 200 years.” Hathaway is also a wash specialist. “All of our washes are our own… We create our own canvas, and with our favorite factories, we develop something that’s truly unique and ours.”

Denim for Pilcro is sourced from several mills. Among them are sustainability-minded Candiani in Italy and Orta Anadolu in Turkey. The production process for Pilcro uses either non-toxic or water-saving indigo-dying technology. Beyond fabric and dye, however, Pilcro showcases another sustainability practice centering metal.

“Due to a process called electroplating,” says Hathaway, “hardware is typically a highly caustic and hugely detrimental process to the environment. It uses a lot of water, and it’s highly chemical-laden, so the runoff or the excess of that water can enter local ecosystems. Our metal finishes are either water-free or use no electroplating whatsoever, and the bases of our metals are either recycled or recyclable.”

Anthropologie is working with Factory One Studio in Los Angeles to produce Pilcro. “It’s a joy to be making jeans back in the US,” says Hathaway. “Very few brands are doing it, and it’s cool.”

Pilcro is available exclusively at Anthropologie and offers pieces in sizes 00 through 26.