Title of the thesis: What are durable jeans ?
Supervisors: David Pontille (CSI, Mines Paris – PSL) and Francesco Delloro (Centre des matériaux, Mines Paris – PSL).
Jeans, originally designed as durable workwear, made to last and resist rough conditions, have now become an icon of the fashion industry that has a significant, and unfortunately notorious, social and environmental impact. The ecological transition of this industry is carried by many committed and active actors, some of whom have turned their attention to creating durable jeans.
But does “durable jeans” truly mean ? This thesis aims to explore the meaning attributed to this object by various actors, through their concerns, engagements, actions, strategies, and how these initiatives physically and mechanically translate within the denim itself.
What does “durable” mean for an everyday object, in a society increasingly concerned with reducing environmental impacts ? What material qualities do actors associate with durable jeans and how do their varied interpretations of durability differ—or sometimes conflict ?
And if the material could speak for itself, would it align with the commitments and initiatives of these actors ? If not, then what knowledge or technique of production do they develop to try and reach their goal of durable jeans ?
Studying this object, from the micro-assembly of fibers at the Centre de Matériaux at Mines Paris to the macro-organization of its stakeholders at the Centre de Sociologie de l’Innovation, this thesis seeks to analyze the various and concrete translations possible between social engagement and physical properties. More broadly, by articulating material science and science, technology and society studies, it questions the relationship between materiality and durability, thereby contributing to contemporary debates in STS on materialism.