Dreaming of Denim: Surprising Places to Find Fresh Takes on the World’s Favorite Textile.
Since its arrival on the scene as the material of choice for sailors’ uniforms in 16th century France and Italy, denim has been lauded for its durable construction and practical use. Today, more than 90 percent of Americans wear denim jeans (women own on average seven pairs) and cotton twill is as much a staple of the global wardrobe as T-shirts and sneakers.
But despite its ubiquity, denim also one of the most frequently reinvented materials in fashion history, evolving hand-in-hand with textile manufacturing techniques, and serving as the testing ground for new distressing methods including shredding, whiskering and fading. Far from the standard pair of 501s, over the years denim has been transformed into innovative shapes and styles.
In fact, so much has been done with the textile, it leaves many wondering, what’s left? Where does denim go from here? To answer that question, Carved in Blue compiled a list of exhibits, books, blogs and more that cast new light on this old-time favorite.
Exhibits
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City boasts a permanent collection of more than 30,000 textiles and over 100,000 swatches including denim, categorized and labeled for visitors to view. The exhibit Denim: Fashion’s Frontier, ran through last May, and can still be visited online at http://exhibitions.fitnyc.edu/denim-fashions-frontier/ where stunning images and accompanying texts recount the varying trends and groundbreaking styles for the past 200 years.
Over at New York’s Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Scraps: Fashion, Textiles, and Creative Reuse is an exhibit running through May 2017 that explores the innovative ways denim waste and other fabric scraps can be repurposed to create entirely new garments.
The future of denim design, sustainability and craftsmanship are all up for exploration at the Kingpins Show, a four-times-a-year event held in New York, Miami, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. Mainly for industry veterans but open to the public, the show is dedicated to keeping denim at the forefront of innovation.
British artist Ian Berry takes the concept of denim as art quite literally in his landscapes, oversized murals, and lifestyle works. Cutting pieces ranging from one inch to one foot from hundreds of pairs of jeans he has collected, Berry masterfully collages the material on canvas in these stunning pieces. Art in Denim: Ian Berry’s Behind Closed Doors exhibit is on view now at London’s Catto Gallery.
Books
Written by industry expert Amy Leverton, Denim Dudes: Street Style Vintage Workwear Obsession profiles some of the biggest names in denim design, and showcases the latest trends through original photographs that inspire and provoke.
Those looking for a bit more history of the denim trade should pick up Blue Blooded: Denim Hunters and Jean Culture by Thomas Stege Bojer. Reflecting on the origins of denim styles, with a dose of introspection on how jean styles correlate with personality traits, Bojer explains the crucial role of denim in modern society.
Ever wonder what denim can be used for, beyond clothes? Denim: Manufacture, Finishing and Applications answers that question and more, with in-depth explorations of the denim manufacturing chain, from cotton processing to dye techniques to weave technology. A dedicated section on novelty uses for denim (couch covers, lamp shades, and more) widens the lens on how denim fits into today’s consumer culture.
On the Web
Little captures the importance of denim in American culture better than the Cone Mills in Greensboro, North Carolina, the world’s largest denim producer from the late 19th century through World War II. The mill itself houses an exhibit of 40 styles circa early 1900s, found in an abandoned sharecropper’s shack near the factory. Visit their site conedenim.com to learn about the production of denim over the last 125 years and check out the must-see cutting-edge fashion creations from the company’s design competition, held in May at the Kingpins show in New York City.
In the land down under, Sydney-based designer Pauly Bonomelli of Ksubi Kustom has been finding new ways to celebrate denim since 2011. His intricate pieces originate from existing garments that are customized with dye jobs, hand-distressing and provocative graffiti. If you’re looking for a little shock value and cool urban looks, this is your spot. Follow Bonomelli’s latest jeans, jackets, and T-shirt creations via his Instagram account: instagram.com/himumimdead.
Master of the Slow Denim movement, Faustine Steinmetz has perfected the art of one-of-a-kind denim: Hand-loomed pieces are produced from recycled material, giving them a modern fit and vintage feel. Her micro-pleating technique adds a 3-D affect to denim ensembles, and crystal-embellished seams turn daytime jeans into evening sparklers. See more at https://www.instagram.com/faustinesteinmetz/ and view her Spring 2017 collection here http://theissuemagazine.com/Faustine-Steinmetz.
Denimu.com is the website for artist Ian Berry, whose incredible portraits, landscapes and lifestyle scenes are created not of paint, but denim. Carefully cutting scraps of varying sizes and shades of indigo, Berry assembles his collages at his studio in London, but anyone can view them online.
Blogs
Eatsleepdenim.com provides styling ideas and fashion images for the young crowd.
Denimology.com caters to those who must know right now what type of jeans their favorites celeb is rocking.
Denimoholic.blospot.com offers a rich assortment of eye candy for vintage styles, graffiti enhanced jackets, city-chic skirts, shirts, jeans and more. Plus, a running list of the hottest denim designers (and their weblinks) of the moment.
Industry Websites
Find up-to-date news, trends, trade show details and industry innovation reviews at rivetandjeans.com, a comprehensive look at who’s doing what in the world of denim.
Sportswear-international.com casts a wider net, covering the worlds of denim, streetwear and fashion, featuring new collaborations and reviews for upcoming seasons from popular denim labels.
Stores
Founded in 2008 by Jason Denham, Amsterdam-based label Denham produces cutting-edge jean and other denim apparel with a focus on quality material and superior construction.
Based in Japan’s denim capitol of Okayama, FDMTL was founded in 2005. Showcasing the country’s celebrated denim-making history, each piece in the collection is hand-distressed with rips and repairs, whiskering or fading.
Part-store, part-gallery, 3×1 offers the largest collection of selvedge denim in the world (800 different fabrics) at its glass-enclosed Soho store. The facility also houses the entire manufacturing system, from material selection, measuring and fitting, fabric cutting and stitching, and customized finishes, all within its store. Customers can observe their jeans move through the production process through the glass windows.