“My first memories of jeans are seeing my young, hip mom wearing [Levi’s] 501s with a vintage baseball jersey,” Amber Valletta, the supermodel and sustainability advocate, recalls “and lots of cowboys wearing Wranglers on my grandparents farm.” Denim has come a long way since then. While those vintage 501s and Wranglers haven’t exited the fashion ether, overwhelming market shifts in denim have been towards stretch—a coup for comfort and fit, but not necessarily for the planet. “To date, every pair of stretch jeans ever made has used crude oil-based plastics,” Adam Taubenfligel, the co-founder and creative director of the denim brand Triarchy tells Vogue. “The garment sheds microplastics throughout its life and takes over 200 years to degrade, leaching toxins into the soil in the process.”
Founded in 2018, Triarchy, a family business led by Taubenfligel and his siblings, was born from the desire to disrupt these norms. Developed in collaboration with their denim mill partner, Triarchy’s exclusive stretch replaces plastic with natural rubber. The innovation ensures that their jeans can fully biodegrade in less than two years, enriching the soil as they break down. Valletta, for one, is a fan of the brand’s efforts. “Their approach to creating one of fashion’s most popular items focuses on making it better for both people and the planet.” To raise awareness and showcase their latest styles, Triarchy has partnered with Valletta on an exclusive campaign.
Taubenfligel and Valletta’s first connection was spurred by the Green Fashion Awards in early 2024. On a night when attendees were prompted to wear the finest in sustainable fashion, Triarchy created her stretch denim tuxedo dress. During this initial collaboration, Taubenfligel, “had the chance to discuss the real challenges of building a sustainable brand—not just the polished highlights, but the authentic, often unfiltered moments that make up the journey,” he explained. “Spaces where I feel safe to be that vulnerable are rare, and my experience with Amber reinforced my belief that when you put good work into the world, the right people will find you.”
The latest step in their continued partnership once again features Valletta as model and muse. She is the face of a cool, understated campaign, which speaks to Triarchy’s timeless ethos. The brand has an eye for the enduring—naming and creating its classic silhouettes in the image of memorable style icons. Beginning on November 12th, Triarchy’s website will also feature “The Amber Valletta Edit,” a curation of the supermodel’s favorite styles.
Valletta, who has posed in denim for everyone from Calvin Klein to Annie Leibovitz, certainly knows a thing or two about finding the right fit. “I’m forever a high waist kind of girl,” she says, “(It’s important to) give good butt!” Her curation for Triarchy includes the brand’s Onassis, Fonda, and Keaton jeans in a variety of responsible washes—ranging from off-white, to medium indigo, and dark denim. “My favorite Triarchy jeans are the high-waisted, slight stretch, wide-leg Onassis jeans,” she says, “I like them in black and dark blue.”
Iconic image and denim expertise aside, it’s Valletta’s dedication to sustainability and its promotion that makes her a muse for the moment. “Building a brand like Triarchy requires dedication to a long, intentional journey, and Valletta’s recognition of this commitment—as well as her enthusiasm to partner with us on this campaign—speaks to the power of working with those who genuinely believe in a better path forward,” said Taubenfligel of the partnership. Find out more and shop the full collection, along with Valletta’s edit, at Triarchy.com.
