Unzipping The ‘Modern Definition of Denim’
Consider it “The Director’s Chair” for the “Modern Definition of Denim”: Carved in Blue is taking you behind the scenes to learn what went into the making of the new video series putting its finger on the pulse of denim today.
Sustainable fashion consultant Marzia Lanfranchi and Angus Dunsire, co-founder of the Pal creative studio, teamed up to deliver storytelling at its finest: a vibrant, energetic and relevant collaboration with a crew of denim’s most influential and interesting voices.
Here, they share how they drew out the industry’s “best blue thinkers,” where they found their inspiration, and the one trend that needs to exit the industry—stat.
Carved in Blue: Can you tell us about your role in the film?
Marzia: Together, Angus and I like to think of ourselves as a fashion/sustainability content dream team—large pinch of salt required. With my background in fashion and sustainability, I made sure that the subject matter was served authentically and given the depth required. Angus’ video agency, Pal, specializes in video campaigns that will “knock your socks off” and made sure that the series looked great, told a good story and would have as much impact on a digital-first audience as possible.
Carved in Blue: What was the inspiration for the film?
Angus: We wanted the series to feel as natural and conversational as possible—creating a space to talk genuinely about where the industry is, where we need to go, and at the same time exploring the areas that are exciting people most. What better place to settle into a denim-geek-out than the biggest indigo armchair in existence? For the next series we are looking into commissioning a denim hammock, but for now we feel like this does the trick.
Carved in Blue: How did you go about putting the film together? And how do you feel about the final product?
Angus: Putting to use a very impressive little black book from Tricia and Michael at Carved in Blue, we were able to get a list of great contributors on board. Shooting across three days in Amsterdam, we sat down with some of denim’s best blue thinkers and went at it. It was a very organic process, really. The films we ended up with centered around topics that naturally arose from the interviews—Collaboration, Cotton & Beyond, Closing the Loop and Future Thinking. We’re very happy with how they’ve turned out, and we feel like they are a good representation of the wealth of knowledge that was thrown at us over our time shooting.
Carved in Blue: What surprised you most in making the film?
Marzia: In our discussion, many were keen to take personal responsibility for the industry’s controversial past, and they were ready to publicly voice this. This was refreshing, as you can often encounter a blame game.
To quote Adriano Goldschmied: “At a certain point we realized that we did everything wrong. I did the damages and now I have to fix it.”
Carved in Blue: What’s your first denim memory?
Angus: My earliest, most prominent denim memory was struggling through a puddle-y London in my prized and extremely baggy Bolt Jeans. Soggy ankles were just the price you had to pay at that time for being part of the U.K. grunge scene.
Marzia: In 1994, approximately, my big brother was a double-denim type of guy, and once for Carnival he decided I could be a double-denim kind of kid. So he dressed me up in his best Levi’s set and drew a Freddy Mercury-style mustache on me. I felt like a queen!
Carved in Blue: What’s one trend in denim you’d like to see go away?
Marzia: Trends. Short-term trends. That’s something I’d like to see go away from the apparel industry in general. Trends that make what I already have obsolete. I am aware that this is what fuels the market; however, there must be better ways to do it. What I love about denim is that denim lovers seem to keep their beloved pieces beyond passing-by trends.
With the risk of sounding compulsive, I want to openly share my tactic when I shop for denim (or any other piece of clothing):
Step 1: Ask myself, “Do I need it?” (x10)
Step 2: Screen all the ethical and environmental standards. If met …
Step 3: Endurance test:
- Do I truly need it?
- Does it feel “me?”
- Will it last?
- Will I love it over time?
- By the time I make a decision, if it’s not off the shelf then, it will find a safe new home with me.
Carved in Blue: What’s missing from the denim industry today?
Angus: Some younger voices. In researching contributors for the series, it was evident that there is an abundance of wisdom but slight lack of prominent young voices. If we are thinking about the future consumption, it feels like we need to broaden the conversation.
Marzia: I would agree with Angus, but I can also see the difficulty in the education system right now and nurturing the right set of young talents that could take center stage. (I-SKOOL by ISKO, among others seems to be putting efforts into this, so I feel positive!)
Carved in Blue: What does the modern definition of denim mean to you?
Marzia: My modern definition of denim has been largely informed and shaped in the process of making these films, and it keeps evolving now that I am more aware. I’d say the key takeaways have been that for the modern denim industry to survive, it needs radical change that meets the future consumers’ expectations, whilst securing an environmentally safe and socially just space to operate in.
Learn more about the Modern Definition of Denim video series.