The denim industry often views third-party certifications as necessary but time-consuming, costly and redundant. They also play a vital role in validating innovations.
For Utah-based biotechnology-driven color innovation company Chloris Colors, certifications provide mills and brands with a clearer basis for assessing and adopting Claessen Blue, the firm's flagship bio-based dye.
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"Our certifications cover several requirements that matter when introducing a new dye into textile production," said Dr. Lei Sun, Chloris founder.
Claessen Blue is a bio-based blue dye engineered to run on indigo lines and deliver indigo-like denim aesthetics. Compared to synthetic indigo, Claessen Blue uses a milder process with no harsh reducers like sodium hydrosulfite and lower alkalinity, resulting in cleaner wastewater and lower water and energy demand.
Earlier this year, the dye received ISCC PLUS certification, making it the first bio-based dye globally to achieve it. ISCC PLUS is an international certification system for bio-based, bio-circular and recycled feedstocks. Through independent third-party auditing and Mass Balance chain-of-custody management, it provides a credible framework for traceability, allocation and sustainability claims across complex industrial supply chains.
Claessen Blue has also earned USDA BioPreferred and TÜV Austria OK biobased certifications, which independently verify Claessen Blue's bio-based carbon content. The dye is produced through fermentation using 100 percent renewable, plant-based feedstock. Claessen Blue has received the highest rating—four stars—under TÜV Austria's OK biobased certification scheme.
The dye's OEKO-TEX Eco Passport and ZDHC MRSL v3.1 Level 3 conformance address chemical management requirements. Claessen Blue is also approved as a chemical input under GOTS 7.0 for use in processing that meets the standard's requirements.
The certifications strengthen Claessen Blue's supply-chain readiness and provide brands, mills and dyeing partners with clear evidence when introducing bio-based color into real-world textile applications. Each certification answers a different question and uses different methods to measure, but Sun said certifications alone do not win an order.
"The color and performance must be right, the price must work, and we must deliver consistently. Those factors determine whether customers come back," he said.
Claessen Blue is already in industrial production and available for commercial supply. "Mills can use their existing denim dyeing equipment with appropriate process adjustments, so adoption does not require replacing their production lines. The next step is to turn more of these fabric developments into brand orders and repeat business," Sun said.
Five mill partners—AGI Denim, Artistic Milliners, Bossa, Isko and Iskur Denim—have developed finished denim fabrics and garment samples using the dye. Artistic Milliners and AGI Denim presented Claessen Blue garments at Kingpins Amsterdam this month.
Sun said Chloris secured commercial orders from Gap China and YeeHoO this year.
While third-party certifications provide brands with independent evidence of the dye's renewable origin, he said Chloris addresses environmental impact and fabric performance through life-cycle assessment and product testing.
"Our life-cycle assessment identifies advantages in potential impacts on human health and the use of mineral and metal resources," Sun said. "It also highlights areas we need to improve, including energy efficiency. That helps us direct our development work."
While some brands may view Claessen Blue as an alternative to fossil-based raw materials and others are simply open to different technologies, all brands want a better product. Sun noted that Claessen Blue's resistance to yellowing gives them a practical performance benefit alongside its renewable origin.
"Being able to supply it at scale and at competitive prices makes that benefit commercially relevant," he said.
"We bring brands, mills and finishing partners together early to agree on the target color, fabric, wash effect and performance requirements. Our technical team supports the dye application, mills test it under production conditions, and brands guide development towards a product they intend to source," Sun said. "This helps avoid repeated trials without a clear commercial purpose. Our scale also allows us to offer competitive pricing today, making it easier for partners to build a viable product."
Industrial dye production is already established. Much of the adoption risk now lies in getting the right result consistently in each mill.
"Our immediate focus is on helping more approved fabrics move into commercial orders and ensuring consistent results across batches and dyeing lines. Repeat orders are an important measure of whether we are meeting customers' needs," Sun said.
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