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Fashion

Denim’s New Message

May 13, 2016. 3 Comments

If you haven’t noticed, denim is in the midst of an overhaul. Finally! After years of sameness, the landscape is officially shifting. Once again the fabric is appearing on runways and editorials, and yes, while the be-all-end-all influencer duo of Pharrell and Kanye showing up on prestigious red carpets in jeans (CFDA 2015 for Skateboard P and Kanye in coordinated Fear of God ripped jeans and blue eyes for the Met Gala this year) has exerted an influence, the return of denim this go round is built on more than artful rips.

PharrellKanye
Pharrell, CFDA 2015 & Kanye, Met Gala 2016

Denim of course never really goes away. The most human and beloved of fabrics, it always has a place in style, acting as a historic document tracking the intersection of culture and fashion. And yet, just like any fashion item, denim has its periods of retraction. Definitely the rise of ath-leisure and the legging/joggerr silhouette over the past several years has pushed denim to the back of the closet. And then, too, the pervasiveness of the skinny denim silhouette with everrrrbody in a pair naturally repelled the fashion divas who.would.nevah!

For comparative purposes, rewind back just over a decade when the NYT wrote an article whose title demanded to know “Who Pays $600 for a Pair of Jeans?”(So quaint!) Dubbed “luxury” or “premium” denim, the article listed AG, Rock n’ Republic, Nudie, True Religion, and All Saints, as brands shoppers happily paid up to $600 for.

Almost as though the coverage marked the point of peak season (as NYT‘s articles so often do!), the market for denim began to decline.  Skinny jeans became a commodity item cranked out by every retailer in the mall, including and especially the then rapidly expanding fast fashion chains. Prices dropped so low that there was a period a couple years back when a pair of teen denim jeans on sale could be procured for less money than a pair of Nike Elite socks. (This is not hyperbole.)

The aforementioned brands crashed with the trend and the once mighty Rock ‘n’ Republic is now a Kohl’s exclusive and while True Religion (once but no longer publicly traded) and AG have managed to hang in there, they no longer dominate contemporary department stores like they used to and are often sold at a discount.

Rock 'N" Republic, exclusive to Kohl's
Rock & Republic, exclusive to Kohl’s

Denim’s return to fashion this go round found an entry precisely because it wasn’t the latest wash/treatment/silhouette of the moment. Designers created a foundation for the new by starting from the ground up, literally ripping apart jeans by the seams and using the fabric and all its charming attributes to build silhouettes that often feel like modern art sculptures, artfully layered, often over-sized and oft-kilter.

Portuguese label Marques Almeida’s has been a leader in the trend, laying down the gauntlet with its autumn 2011 collection, filled with over-sized and torn denim, whose broke down state was emphasized by exaggerated frayed edges, a brand trademark.

Marques Almeida spring 2011
Marques Almeida autumn 2011

Other labels leading the trend include Hood by Air, Off White (whose last two vintage-inspired collections have been done in collabo with Levi’s) and of course Vetements, whose reconstructed vintage jeans marked by an off-kilter pocket (priced around $1,400) have been killing the game since they first hit retail last year.

Odell Beckham & Jourdan Dunn, HBA for Vogue August 2015
Odell Beckham & Jourdan Dunn, HBA for Vogue August 2015
Off White in Aleali May photoset, April 2016
Off White as styled by Aleali May in April 2016
Vetements lookbook autumn 2014
Vetements lookbook autumn 2014

On the more artful end of the spectrum, L.A. label Sixty-Nine (Beyoncé and Erykah are fans) has used denim to comment on the human condition, declaring its label a “non-gender, non-demographic clothing line. 69 is timeless and classic yet made in our present and meant for the future.”

69 denim, image from brand's Facebook page
69 denim autumn 2016

Naturally the true fashion snobs consider this artful denim trend to be done and ovah! Even Marques Almeida has shown an desire to move on from the frayed denim it’s become associated with, showing an autumn 2016 collection in which denim was a minority fabric and frays were far and few between.

Like they do, the fast fashions have already sunk their teeth into the look with Zara this spring showing its best take on Vetements’ denim, priced at, ahem, $59.90, and Topshop coming in with a very worthy lift of Ashish’s distressed sequin shorts for (ugh!) $70.

ZaraSS16
Zara spring 2016
TopShopSS16
Topshop spring 2016

And yet, the “ovahs” of the world almost always jump the gun or perhaps don’t see the forest for the trees. The bigger picture is the table for denim has been upended, which in an of itself is a significant event given the fabric’s connection with culturally significant moments.  At the least, shots have been fired at  the tyranny of  the skinny denim reign, perhaps creating enough of landscape shift to create sunshine-opening cracks that set a stage for new ideas as well as moods and outlooks to flourish and burst through. Whether it’s new ways of dressing, forms of editorial coverage or retail, the fashion winds are shifting and denim as always is carrying clues to the road map forward.

Man Candy denim on Maluca Mala, shot by i.D. Mexico
Man Candy denim on Maluca Mala, shot by i.D. Mexico

 

 

Denim Fashion Aleali May All Saints Denim Fear of God Forever 21 H&M Hood by Air Maluca Mala Marques Almeida Nudie Off-White Topshop True Religion Vetements Zara

Words by Lois Sakany

Official statement from Earl “DMX” Simmons’ Official statement from Earl “DMX” Simmons’ family: “We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50-years-old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days. Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized.” 

May this incredible man rest in peace. 

Photo credits: Images No. 1 and 3: Jonathan Mannion; image No. 2: @shotbyjacques
Talented Wharton HS and USF signee softball player Talented Wharton HS and USF signee softball player Tiely Vaughn provides a parable on life as a woman: Do the thing plus a trick plus another trick! Voila equality!!
Interesting! FOG designer Jerry Lorenzo tells Kerw Interesting! FOG designer Jerry Lorenzo tells Kerwin Frost that he doesn't have aspirations to become the creative director of a major fashion house because he wants to stay focused on building his own brand. 

In the second clip, he references a Jay-Z line when he notes that Virgil Abloh taking on the role at LV has enabled Lorenzo and others  not to. "Like I told you sell drugs; no, Hov did that so hopefully you don't have to go through that." 

The whole exchange brings up the question, are we entering into a post legacy luxury label world?
Calvin Klein and San Francisco-born designer Heron Calvin Klein and San Francisco-born designer Heron Preston have announced plans for a collaborative capsule. Launching April 23rd, the Heron Preston for Calvin Klein collection is unisex and sustainably-sourced and will include sweatshirts, t-shirts, underwear and denim, among other items. 

The news of the collaboration was celebrated with an image of Preston as shot by Renell Medrano on Calvin Klein's famed over-sized billboard located on Houston Street in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. 

Meanwhile, Calvin has quietly brought on @willychavarrianewyork as senior vice president of men's design for Calvin Klein North America. Tim Coppens, who held a consulting role as a Calvin Klein men’s design director is no longer with the brand.
Problematic Dolce & Gabbana teamed up with DJ Khal Problematic Dolce & Gabbana teamed up with DJ Khaled on a unisex capsule collection.

Unveiled last month the assortment, now available online comprises of joggers, shorts, t-shirts and pillows.

Thoughts?
Y2K: "Your body was the fashion." True or false? Y2K: "Your body was the fashion." True or false?

Also, raise your hand if you've been personally victimized by low-rise jeans.

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