Glamour Magazine's Denim Do's and Don'ts
Glamour online is featuring a great spread on denim do's and don'ts. Browse through it and make sure you're getting the best out of your jeans.
Glamour online is featuring a great spread on denim do's and don'ts. Browse through it and make sure you're getting the best out of your jeans.
Okay so here at DenimHunt we eat, sleep and breathe denim right? Of course. That goes without saying. So we love when we find interesting items that compliment your best pair of faded blues and what goes better than the cotton t-shirt. Thanks to our friends at NotCot we were tipped off to this item from American Apparel and we absolutely had to share it. This unisex, 100% cotton tee is temperature sensitive and changes color when hot or cold. Talk about temporary tie-dye! Check out the demonstration video.
We certainly can't talk about t-shirts without showing you the denim to match. To go with your unisex, temperature-sensitive, color-changing, 100% cotton tee, American Apparel has a line of unisex jeans that come in more colors than your friendly, neighborhood candy store. Leave it to American Apparel to punch up the basics.
Fashion of the nineties began its return when we spotted shredded denim on the runway last season. Now we have another return from the decade, sorta. Remember chain wallets? Well, Earnest Sewn has paired up with French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels to take on that trend. They have created an extremely limited edition Zazo jean with the signature ‘clover’ chain. The ES denim is a high waisted slim fit with the gold chain connecting the front and back pockets, while the chains are available in two different styles, the mother of pearl and yellow gold and the black onyx and white gold. With only 10 pairs in production, they will be hard to come by…especially with the price between $9,700 - $11,300.
Our friends at HighSnobiety, tipped us off about this earlier, but here it is: Original Fake
once again got together with Levi's. This is their third collaboration and celebrates the
2nd anniversary of the label by artist Kaws. This time the Chompers
graphic made it onto the denim and is featured on two styles in
grey/white and blue/white on the back pockets of the raw denim. The jeans are now available at
Tab Device and will soon be at other Original Fake retailers around the globe.
White denim is one summer tradition we love, but this season has some other super light shades to offer. With a lot of color choices out there, we rounded up some of our favorites to help put you on the right track. Acne Jeans’ new Generic Girl Peach is a soft and luscious color ripe for the summer. Hudson’s Signature Bootcut in Misty is a beautiful alternative to the surplus of grey tones in the market. Looking for the ultimate jean to pair with a simple white tank and sun hat, check out Earnest Sewn. Their wideleg sailor cut, in Milky Japanese rigid denim, is a clear call to the lazy days of summer.
Another day, another designer collaboration. The hits keep coming with the most innovative designers teaming up with brands to cross markets and expand their reach. This time up: Adidas and Diesel. Both men and women, can get their fix of the new denim for the Spring 2008 wardrobe mix. One of our favorites is the Adi-Viker in the Dirty Medium wash. You can also check out the website (DieselAdidas)for the top 83 ways to waste your time. No, seriously, they encourage you to upload photos, videos and posts to describe your own favorite way.
We wanted to highlight something new from our favorite Swedish-based California-inspired denim brand: Cali Denim. They have just introduced some new additions to their staple raw black denim in their Leather Lux edition. The denim still features the same red selvage, but also has black piano laquered
rivets and buttons and the most unique detail- the denim
protector on the leg. This is an amazing trim that protects the ends of your jeans from fraying, while not letting anything get in between your sneakers and pants! Also, for the not-so-fancy man, the black on black combo makes it hardly recognizable, but still protective.
Hurry - it's a limited edition!
Today, we were finally able to swing by the Revolve Clothing Pop-up store on Melrose. The store was only here for 4 days during fashion week, but will return sometime in August as their LA flagship. Featured for this short time, was a new line by Lova (pronounced Lo-vah, not Luv-ah) - a collection of simple, yet sophisticated, casual menswear. The straight-fit denim is clean-cut and matches perfectly with the soft knits and woven shirts. Our favorite is the subtle details inside the snazzy black and white blazers.
Check out more here: Revolve
We are beginning to suit up for spring around here! Our seasonal shopping urge has kicked in and denim shorts are at the top of our list, but that list has just begun. First -up: MadeMe. We mentioned our admiration for this brand and designer, Erin Magee, back in 2007 (denimhunt)when it launched. The denim debuted was instantly a favorite and now we're in love with this season's bleached short. Styled here, with and without braces, we think these may be our 'sexy shorts' this summer!
Levi's unveiled its uber-cool mobile phone today! Dubbed, The Original, this sleek cell has a nonslip diagonal pattern on the front and back and 12 miniature steel bolts that remind us of rivets from denim pockets. The phone is substantial, but lightweight and will retail for $520. The black color is super sophisticated, while it also offers all the data, video, and storage that we need. Levi's doesn't stop there, also included, is a chain to link it to your favorite pair of 501s!
Sure, we've linked to the Evisu blog before as a reference point in stores, but never have we given it the attention it fully deserves.
With posts ranging from the latest Evisu styles, to their runway collections, and oddly enough, Japanese girls eating ramen noodles, the blog effectively communicates not only brand news, but also brand image without even purchasing the product. Our love certainly increased when we found out they even gave a nod to DenimHunt on their blog roll.
Keep a lookout for updates on the site, but for instant gratification, check out their FW08 runway show in the clip above.
For More: Evisu.com/blog
Our favorite glossy, WeAr magazine, has answered all our wishes and published a 400page book covering the most legendary names in denim. Surprisingly, coming from a publishing company, Denim Legends is completely advertising free (though sponsored by Cone and Cobrax)and features exquisite photographs and editorial from the team at WeAr.
Not just your everyday book about denim
, Denim Legends covers everything from 1870 Levi's to current collections from Replay and Citizens. Of course, there is a guarantee of no reprints and a hefty price tag of $980 to assure you'll be one of only 2,500 people to get your hands on a copy.
We were lucky enough to snag a sneak peek from our friend Sven at WeAr, but if you'd like to order your own copy, CLICK HERE.
We gave you a preview last season that Alexander Wang was working with Cotton Incorporated on a new denim finish called STORM DENIM(TM). This water-repellent finish looks and feels exactly the same as non-treated denim, but protects the wearer against the elements. Now the talk has become a reality with Alex's Fall 2008 collection. Check out the video from our friends at NYLON with Alex and one of the coolest girls we know, Erin Wasson.
For more: NYLON TV
Welcome back everyone! Now that our vacay and the holidays are over, we're back to our usual posting schedule. What better way to kick our return off than an overview of our favorite gift from this season. Sure, we loved Fuel for Life the first time around, but as we found under our tree, for the holidays Diesel released a limited-edition pocket chain vial of both the men's and women's fragrances. Sure the refillable cartridge is mostly targeted at the dudes on our lists, but we think they're the perfect alternative to those silly lipgloss pendents and rings that no one actually wears.
If you weren't lucky enough to score one for your holiday festivities, check out your local Diesel store, Bloomingdales, Saks, or Neiman Marcus. While we're at it; what was your favorite denim gift this season?
For more info: Diesel Fragrances
The first editions of 200 sold out immediately at retailers like Atrium in NYC. Luckily, there's a new run of the Denim Design Lab featuring all you need to customize your jeans at home. For those more interested in collecting than constructing, each kit comes with a book outlining the history of jeans and denim fabric. Of course, what excites us most is the case which is made from 100% red selvage denim from our friends over at Cone Denim.
Visit Villians SF to purchase.
Evisu recently launched their Dirty Dozen +1 project in which the same pair of jeans is worn by a new owner each month. The project starts with a pair of selvege Evisu jeans, hand painted with the traditional seagull logo (see the YouTube below.) They've started in New York with Chicken (above) and New Jersey with denimphile Almondcrush. By the end of 2008 the jeans will have traveled to Germany, England, Singapore, and back to their home in Japan.
For more photos check out Evisu's blog HERE.
Hitting shelves March 1, 2008 is one of the most exciting collaborations we've seen in quite a while. The Jordan Levi's Collection brings together two American icons, the Levi's 501 and the Air Jordan. The men's only collector's set, called the 23/501 collection, features not only a co-branded jean, but also Air Jordan Retro 1 sneakers and a signature t-shirt. Best of all, you won't have to worry about tracking down each piece of the trifecta as they will only be available in a limited-edition set wrapped in co-branded packaging.
The jeans are classic 501's constructed in premium selvage denim and lined in signature Jordan Brand elephant print. We're most excited about the sneaker protector at the cuff to keep the Retro 1's free of indigo transfer. Additionally, there will be a gold metallic button fly and the Jumpman logo embroidered on the pockets with the Jordan Brand name on the signature leather waistband patch.
Pretty hot, but as hard as it is to believe, it gets even better with the sneaker. The Air Jordan Retro 1's are constructed of Levi's denim and printed with the traditional elephant graphic design.
Mark your calendars and hit up Levi's in SoHo, NYC, San Fran, Santa Monica, and Chicago's Michigan Ave store to ensure you get one of the limited sets. They'll also be available online at levi.com. More of a Nike fan? The set will be available at select Niketown stores as well.
Normally we're only jealous of people living in San Francisco because they get to enjoy chowder in sourdough bread bowls and tour Alcatraz whenever they'd like. But, now that the Vault, Levi Strauss & Co.'s permanent, public exhibition of artifacts from the company's Archives is open, we have a third.
Located in the first floor of their corporate headquarters, the 900 sqft space showcases everything from company catalogs to 19th Century Original 501(R) blue jeans. While you're there, we recommend checking out the clothing rack timeline of Levi's apparel, the poster collection, and the documentary on preserving vintage denim.
Keep your eyes pealed for our denim crush, Lynn Downey, Levi's company historian, as she and the Archives staff handle these unique pieces everyday in preservation of the next generation of Levi's wearers.
Check it out:
The Vault
1155 Battery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
Seven days a week, 9am-6pm
PHOTOS: Hangauer/Kissinger
After cruising the floors at Bloomingdales a few years ago, we were pleasantly surprised when we came across Gustto, the casual-chic handbag line. With their supple leather and oversized rivet details, they were the perfect unstructured, structured bag. Today we learned they will be expanding their collection to feature denim when it hits shelves this coming spring.
Gustto Denim Couture will retail for $280-$360 and has already been picked up by Kitson and Revolve.com. The collection features three groups named after towns in Sardinia . Cervo will target more fashion-forward girls, Pevero is a bit more casual, and Romanzzion features a higher waist and wider leg.
Agathe Planchon, Gustto's founder, spent over a year working with Japanese denim mills to create gold and silver-flecked denim to distinguish herself from other brands. She notes this is the European in her and she was looking to create something special that other brands don't have.
The cuts we've seen look great, but we're a bit apprehensive of the metallic denim. As you've noticed, we're purists around here.
This Monday, Lynn Downey, long-time historian at Levi Strauss, released Levi Strauss & Co., a comprehensive read outlining the Levi legacy from start to present. The book contains over 200 vintage images from the archives, the story of the first pair of blue jeans, and a timeline of denim's growth to mainstream staple.
Click HERE to purchase and keep your eyes pealed for Lynn's Five Questions for Five Pockets!
We get a lot of questions about how we find out the latest and greatest in the denim industry. There are a couple of answers.
1. We know everyone! (Well, just about.) There are so many amazing people in the denim industry who have been large supporters of the site and without them we wouldn't have nearly as many story ideas.
2. The network of amazing trendspotting sites which is what this post is all about! Find a few of our favorites below and feel free to drop us a note with where you find inspiration online.
High Snobiety
We wish we were as cool as the kids on this site. If limited-edition Gor-tex Nike SBs are your thing, you'll be perfectly at home. Keep your eyes peeled for lots of Japanese denim.
Cool Hunting
The online meca of cool. With posts ranging from the latest performance art in China to the latest organic foods to hit shelves, this site runs the gamut. As far as denim is concerned, look for all the big Euro players such as Diesel and APC.
NotCot and NotCouture
Both of these sites are part of the NotCot empire. The main site is a landing page for all the sites in the network such as NotCouture and Tastespotting. NotCouture is our favorite jump off with posts ranging from gold leafed quail egg necklaces to classic peacoats. Be sure not to miss their sporadic giveaways from brands like Kasil.
Stop by your local Diesel store tomorrow for their DJ Series event. While you're there, pick up a new pair of jeans and receive a free limited-edition "Diesel DJ Series Vol. 2" CD featuring music by 4Hero, West Indian Girl, Emily Simon, and more. You'll find us at the Lex. Ave store--say hi if you're there!
Check out times and locations below:
New York--Union Sq and Lexington Ave. stores 1-5pm
Atlanta--Lenox Square 1-5pm
Los Angeles--Beverly Center 4-8pm
Chicago--Rush Street `1-5pm
San Francisco--Post Street 1-5pm
Miami-- Aventura Mall 5-9pm
Las Vegas--Fashion Show Mall 3-7pm
Dallas--NorthPark Center 1-5pm
Santa Monica--Third Street 1-5pm
Orange County-- South Coast Plaza 1-5pm
Pasadena-- W. Colorado Blvd. 4-8pm
Honolulu--Kalakaua Ave. 5-8pm
King of Prussia--King of Prussia Mall 1-5pm
Long Island--Roosevelt Field Mall 1-5pm
Erin Magee is our new hero. Her new line, MadeMe, hit shelves earlier this month, and we can't get enough. She perfectly translates men's streetwear into sexy womenswear. No, not the short-skirt, low-neck kind of sexy. The slouchy jeans, Hanes wife-beater kind of sexy. Of course, it's no surprise Magee is able to easily transform our favorite skaterkid's style into our own--she's the production manager for Supreme and previously managed the amazing Kim Jones/Umbro collab.
Obviously our favorite elements are her jeans. The Up-hi and the Down-lo. The Up-hi is made of light denim with a wider leg and contoured waist and hips while the Down-lo has an exaggerated waistband and deepened yoke for that perfect "I stole these off my boyfriend's floor" style. Additionally, take a peek at her super soft t-shirts and our dream item, the leather bomber.
Want more? Check out MadeMe on KarmaLoop or at one of our favorite boutiques, Valley on the LES
For those of you on the West coast, the Diesel store on Melrose is hosting an invite-only book release party for Paul Pope's Pulphope. From 8-10pm you can enjoy cocktails and snag a limited-edition screenprint, or at the very least chill to DJ Senor Amor and thumb through the 224 page book. There are sure to be some VIP stragglers hangin' as well following the VIP and press reception at 7pm.
Not on the list? Still be sure to check out the store:
Diesel
8401 Melrose Place
Los Angeles, CA
877-433-4373
Thank you to everyone at Diesel, Hennessy, Belvedere, NYLON, and Don Hill's for all their support of last night's DenimHunt.com launch party. The Ruff Kids did an amazing job with the tunes and the drinks kept flowin'. As we were too busy mingling (and dancing,) we had our favorite photog, Brad Walsh, snap some pics. Enjoy!
You're the first to hear it: We're having a launch party to celebrate the success of DenimHunt.com
Save the date for October 9 from 8-midnight.
We'll be throwin' down at Don Hill's with the help of the Ruff Kids and lots of special surprises!
More details to come!
One of the highlights of New York Fashion Week was the VIP studded dinner at Freeman's in celebration of Eric Villency's new denim line, Restoration of the Monarchy. Not only were we excited about the collection, but we desperately needed a full meal of mac & cheese before hitting Alexander Wang's all-nighter. Fashion's who's-who were there including Tara Subkoff, Leelee Sobieski, Terry Richardson, Byrdie Bell, Jim Shi of Fashion Week Daily, and of course Olivier Zahm, editor-in-chief of Purple.
Restoration of the Monarchy features premium jeans made in the USA from Kentucky-manufactured denim. Concentration is placed on clean washes and sharp silhouettes with our favorite being the white sailor jeans Julia wore to the dinner and the jumpsuit she wears in the ad campaign.
Want to see the line? Check out the fall issue of Purple magazine, co-host of the event and first magazine to feature the ad campaign featuring Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, daughter of the queen of chic, Vogue Paris editor, Carine Roitfeld. Or, visit Restoration of the Monarchy.
We can't wait to hit the Earnest Sewn event tonight, celebrating the launch of the Repetto pop-up store in their Meatpacking District flagship. This will be the first US retail initiative for the French label with Earnest Sewn featuring over 70 styles in 350 finishes in their gallery space.
Among the pieces available will be a one-of-kind Repetto Zizi jazz shoe customized by Scott Morrison, president and designer of Earnest Sewn as well as a number of celebrity-customized styles. To coordinate with the upcoming "Greencaste" collection, a line of organic products from Earnest Sewn, will be a limited run of Zizi and BB styles in organic canvas.
Check back tomorrow for more info. and a report from tonight's launch event.
On Monday, Diesel made their first leap into the fragrance industry when they launched Fuel for Life for Her and Fuel for Life for Him under a license of L'Oreal Luxury Products. The fragrance is supported by $20 million of advertising and promotion in the US and Canada with emphasis on viral marketing online.
Keep your eyes pealed for six TV spots running on cable TV, eight print ads (four for men, four for women,) and 15 billboards promoting what Diesel founder and president, Renzo Rosso, feels will comprise 35% of the brand's turnover.
Industry estimates show Diesel may be aiming for a goal of $35 million in retail sales within the first six months and first year sales to hit $81 million worldwide. By mid-2008, you can expect to see Fuel For Life in 18,000 doors in 25 countries.
The women's version is housed in a fishnet stocking-covered bottle and smells of mandarin and pink pepper, while the men's product is housed in a canvas straight jacket featuring notes of anise and grapefruit. Both are designed by Fabien Baron.
Here's the stats:
Will you be wearing Diesel under your Diesels?
Hilly Kristal, founder of punk staple, CBGB's, died yesterday at the age of 75 following a battle with lung cancer.
Almost one year ago, Kristal was forced to close the infamous dive due to rent hikes and other disagreements with the landlord. CB's first opened in 1973 and served as the stage for acts such as the Ramone's, Sonic Youth, and Blondie. As happens so often, given the easy connection between music and art, CBGB's expanded into a gallery space hosting some of the art world's most unique up-and-comers, as well as the annual Terrible Toy Fair.
As Patti Smith says in today's New York Times:
“There was no real venue in 1973 for people like us,” Ms. Smith said on Wednesday. “We didn’t fit into the cabarets or the folk clubs. Hilly wanted the people that nobody else wanted. He wanted us.”
In honor of Kristal, we're wearing our favorite skinny jeans, grey Jimmy jeans, named after CBGB's fixture, Jimmy Web, of Trash & Vaudeville. We suggest you do the same and watch the Ramone's at CB's from 1977:
For more: The New York Times
Which adorable designer will have a fashion show DJ'd by CobraSnake buddy Steve Aoki? We'll tell you September 6 following the show.
Thanks to our buddies over at Cool Hunting for the tip. Diesel has selected the winners of their wall project. With over 1,000 entries, we can't even imagine what a task it was to narrow the group down to a select four to be named winners, but luckily they found a very qualified panel which included Diesel's creative director, Wilbert Das, to do so.
If you're in Milan, Beijing, Copenhagen, or Toronto keep your eyes open for these large works falling under the theme of "I Could Be Yours."
MILAN Massimo Falsaci "Sunset" June 19-August 31
BEIJING Chui Chi Tang "Better to Keep Silence" July-September
COPENHAGEN Tucker Hughes "My Mama is so Proud" August 10-September 9
TORONTO Artemis Psathas "Look me in the Eye" August
In the mind of Carrie Bradshaw (I know, we're not really SATC kinda kids,) NY is full of "modelizers." Unfortunately, sometimes it's not so easy to bounce from date to date, let alone model to model.
That's where Diesel comes to the rescue. From now until August 26, Diesel has 19 models for your viewing pleasure online and in-stores. Each model represents a new style of jean available from the denim giant in their Winter '07 collection. Wait! It gets better. From Diesel.com you can even email each of the models, and as part of their contract, they MUST respond. We call dibs on Thanaz and we'll be wearing the same jeans as Clush. Isn't it more fun to link your friends to the dating profile of a Diesel model rather than a lawyer, doctor, real estate salesman, etc. found on all the other online dating services?
Get to it before your bragging rights expire!