Denim Head Threads: Denim Research’s Rowan Hunt Talks Personal Style
Individuals in the denim industry are focused on making goods that wind up in other people’s wardrobes, but how do they curate their own closets? This series offers an inside look into the personal style and shopping behavior of the people behind jeans.
Rowan Hunt is the founder of Denim Research, a consultancy that helps guide denim brands in sustainability. This includes support for developing lower impact products, making factories eco-friendlier and communicating sustainability to consumers. Prior to creating the consultancy, Rowan worked at companies including Debenhams and Fat Face.
Here, Rowan shares his fascination with fading and some of his favorite pieces.
Carved in Blue: Describe your (denim) personal style.
Rowan: I would say that I am selective as I love vintage but can also have my head turned by really nice pieces that I see on my travels. This paired with my denim fade projects I guess make a style?
My favourite at the moment is an LVC tie-dye bleach jacket—which is tie-dyed in fabric form and then made up, something I found on eBay—paired with an indigo stripe tee from AE77. A good basic, made in the U.S. Then, of course, a Nudie raw fade project, eight months in.
Carved in Blue: What’s your preferred cut for denim? What do you like about it?
Rowan: As I have thighs, I need room up top but not so much at the bottom, therefore a good tapered is perfect.
BHL E5 are a great fit for me and have a high rise, which is more comfortable too.
Carved in Blue: Who is your denim style icon?
Rowan: I find it hard to pick just one as they are all icons for different reasons, but James Dean is super cool. He would wear his jeans hard so you could really see the life of the jean. I’m obsessed with the life of a fade.
Carved in Blue: What’s the oldest pair that’s still in rotation?
Rowan: Personal favourite from raw is around 10 years (APC), but my favourite vintage jackets/jeans are probably around 50 years old—Lee Stormrider. Anything older needs to be kept and treasured, I think.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Rowan: Carved in Blue has been great for catching up on things I have missed and seeing what others are doing.
Also, I get asked a lot from designers/students about where is the best place to read up on denim and learn more. I always direct them to Carved in Blue as a training platform.