PARIS — Denim gurus reveal what they consider to be emerging styles, the coolest denim retailers around the globe and their latest fashion splurge.
Adriano Goldschmied, head of product development for Citizens of Humanity and GoldSign, and designer for GoldSign and Citizens of Humanity’s men’s line:
Favorite denim stores: “Denham in Amsterdam. I love the interior decoration, which is fresh, modern and innovative. The product is not just [about] boring vintage replicas but is inspired from the past and designed for the future — so directional and such a strong identity.
Also 14 oz. in Berlin — totally different. It’s a multibrand store with a perfect merchandising [concept]. They think about what the denim customer wants next to a great denim assortment. You feel at home, and the service is amazing, smart, something you never will find online.”
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Last purchase: “I purchased a lightweight chambray shirt in a classic men’s fit — simple but hard to find. I wear it all the time.”
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Key trends for this spring and beyond: “Simple, sophisticated elegance. The first thing about this is the quality and the fabrics and new fits. I see that denim is going away from the traditional cotton and casual look into a more luxurious and sophisticated direction.
The new denim concept is about different content, in particular Cupro. Nothing works better then Cupro for interpreting…elegance and works [as well] for the new draped, wide fits. For the first time, denim is getting married with high fashion, and it will be true love.”
Jason Denham, founder of Denham the Jeanmaker:
Favorite denim stores: “My favorite denim stores are mostly in Japan. There are many specialists in vintage collector denim [whose buyers] travel the world searching for antique denim pieces. Stores like Sunrise, J’Antiques and Safari. The Japanese are real [collector] freaks….I love the energy in these stores.”
Latest purchase: “A WWII 1940s XX Big E work pant. Also some French 1950s men’s and women’s workwear [pieces].”
Key trends for this spring and beyond: “Denim is going through a big transition, where trends have been switched. Two years ago, women’s denim followed men’s silhouettes [and finishes], like ‘boyfriend’ cuts and distressed jeans. Today it’s the opposite — men are dressing like women, with very tight jeans and clean-looking silhouettes. Also, the technical advance in denim is being led by women’s denim fabrics, such as Cupro yarns and incredible soft-touch, high-performance denims.”
Orjan Andersson, creative director of Swedish brand Cheap Monday:
Favorite denim stores: “Weekday, because they are doing such great work with Cheap Monday. I like Weekday because of the good balance between fashion, streetwear and denim.”
Last purchase: “A pair of tight-fitting black Cheap Monday jeans.”
Key trends for this spring and beyond: “Washed-out light blue denim, high waists, white jeans, gray denim washes and Seventies wide legs.”
Serena Rimacci, creative director of Get Lost:
Favorite denim stores: “I don’t have a favorite denim store. My favorite denim brands are Japanese because they have a long tradition focused on quality and utility. They have good knowledge of strong treatments, patchwork and handmade stitch-ups.”
Last purchase: “Usually I get clothes when I travel around the world, in vintage shops. It could be T-shirts, could be denim, could be dresses, could be accessories. They should give me feelings.”
Key trends for this spring and beyond: “Handmade brushstrokes, handmade localized breaks, handmade sandblasting, [raised stitching], reactive colors, dirty washes, reverse spray coloring, handmade stitch-ups. These are just some treatments that we used for next spring and summer.”
Amy Leverton, denim editor for Stylesight:
Favorite denim stores: “Kapital in Tokyo — it’s a dream in there. The denim is top notch, but it’s the whole styling, visual merchandising and artistic direction of their collections. And they have been rocking that whole Navajo-Pendleton thing for about five years, so ahead of the game.”
Last purchase: “From Kapital: a fantastic green cast selvage jean. Just the cutest fit, slightly cropped in the leg — they tailor them to whatever length you want — and a slim boyfriend silhouette.”
Key trends for this spring and beyond: “Rock and metal patches on vests, jackets and jeans. This is coming from the rising popularity in heavy rock and metal bubbling up from London and New York. Jeather: Basically, we’ve seen the jegging become superpopular and the must-have wardrobe item for women. But new developments have been exploring stretch-proof technical coatings such as leather looks.
That whole military trend is going to move into spring and fall. Also, urban utility — taking the trends for military and traditional workwear clothing and using these details in a modern way. So: clean and functional pockets; durable workwear fabrics such as canvas; twisted yarns and herringbone weaves, and key denim items such as the worker vest, the utility-all and dungaree — and the modern cargo short. Finally, I can’t not mention the Seventies. It’s a look that has been coming and going for a few seasons.”