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the-south-asian.com June/July 2004 |
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June/July
2004 Culture
Shamaila
Khan
Lehngas - a limited collection Books Between
Heaven and Hell
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Page 3 of 4 Jeans - the changing DNA by Salman S. Minhas
New Kids on the Block (cntd.)
Seven Seven jeans started about 2 years ago. Their scarcity is part of a subtle marketing approach. In order to corral influential supermodels, fashion editors and stylists who dress celebrities, Seven avoids department stores and instead targets the exclusive boutiques where they shop, including New York- "Scoop" and "Barneys" and "Fred Segal" in Los Angeles. This has enabled them to get a number of editorial mentions in youth magazines such as Lucky, Allure, Elle, and Rolling Stone. Two young actresses are wearing Seven jeans on the cover of Vanity Fair's March 2004 Hollywood issue. But what Seven is really selling is fit. Seven jeans have become the star in a new niche of expensive denims, popular for several years now, that are tight fitting and low-slung. For females [the petite Far eastern Asians, Chinese, etc] "Seven" Jeans are the answer to the maidens prayer. 85% of the women wearing jeans in LA were wearing Seven jeans. So, if you're tall, and slim [willowy/flat bottomed], you might want to try paper denim pairs of Seven jeans.
Chip and Pepper. [ $150-250 ] Originally started their careers with a CND$ 1,000 loan from their dad in 1987 as two surfer dudes and became millionaires riding the popularity of Chip & Pepper Wetwear surf shorts, t-shirts and sweatshirts. After a bankruptcy in 1991, this Winnipeg, Canada based company Chip and Pepper's high-end jeans are now sold in some of the best-known retailers in the world and they've been featured in magazines such as Elle, Vogue and Cosmopolitan and on television shows such as "Sex In The City." The 30-something twins, with their shaggy blond hair and dude-speak say the business itself is based on quality." They sell at upper-end prices to stores such as Harvey Nichols in London, Holt Renfrew in Canada and Barneys, Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus in the US. Chip and Pepper also have their own cable show on E! Entertainment and the Style Network. Called "The Looks For Less," where they offer high fashion outfits on a value-conscious budget running around in a mall within an hour. Sarah Jessica Parker is one customer who wears a Chanel outfit and Chip and Pepper jeans." Basically experts of retro styling, the two worked with a mill to produce a denim like the one Levi's used in the early 1900s, and went to Italy to find the perfect gunmetal finish for their rivets. On the jeans pockets, there is a picture of a deer looking at the New York skyline, and every pant is tagged with a serial number, making them collectible. Chip and Pepper hit upon an innovative way to make the piping on the side pockets stand out: they reversed the denim. Priced at $154 to $242, Chip and Pepper jeans are available at Barneys, Scoop and Atrium.
Paper Denim: [ $440] It’s not just the leading fashion designers like Anna Sui, Lilly Pulitzer, Chaiken and Diane von Furstenberg who are oiling their guns, high-end jeans wear labels like Blue Cult (who even sell a "Gwyneth" style), Citizens of Humanity, Seven and Earl Jeans have added stretch and expanding waistlines to their top-selling denim. This particular brand name has about 20 varieties and a visit to its website is well worth your time if you are a jeansphile. Richard Gilbert a Financier has a jeans model named after him , 2RSGsxx. This particular model was made after carefully studying the shadow of the setting evening sun as it fell on a Cowboy leaning on a metal gate. This model was sold to 16 stores worldwide each store getting 6 pairs, at $ 440 each, with the manufacturer making only a $1 profit – which it claims is a true labor of love. The company was formed in 1999 and sells its products through high end stores such as Harvey Nichols in London, Saks 5th Avenue in New York. Each item is a limited edition and carries a unique identification number. Some Jeans have selvede denim –which is denim that does not get frayed. Exotic Names of Men’s jeans [ such as tsunami, metro1, 2, 3, 1- year, 3-year, mythos twist, epic] only add to the exclusivity of Paper Denim clothes.
Oligo Tissew by Oliver Twist [ $ 150-180] Kristopher Enuke, a Nigerian born, raised in London, currently L.A.based is the designer behind Oliver Twist, coined the phrase "Oligo Tissew" to mean "refined cloth," [ probably in his Yoruba language ] and his denim lives up to the term. His claim to Jeans fame is a jean with no side seams. According to Enuke - "It is one piece of cloth from center front to center back," . The Oliver Twist Jeans sell at Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman. Because of their unusual bias-like cut, Oliver Twist jeans feel longer and tighter - one pair even has a semi-attached belt loop that you can use to help shoehorn yourself into them. People who have worn them claim they are like a perfect second skin. What makes them unique are the literary references sewn onto the back pockets. On the left hip pocket: red remembrance bows commemorate children born into Dickensian circumstances. On the right: a three-dimensional star, as every person wearing them has the potential to grow up to be David Copperfield. At $156 to $180, Oligo Tissew is a Jean for a going out collection. "It makes you look like a million bucks," says Enuke. But, he adds, "I don't want my jean to be the center focus, I want the woman wearing my jean to be the center focus." I get so many compliments - from girls," Intellectual’s Jeans?
Rogan [$ 200 + ] Madonna is a Rogan Jeans fan. Rogan is moving away from the ultra-low-rise styles that have flooded the market in recent years. They offer wider-leg options like the worker jean, a miner-inspired design with very large back pockets and no yoke. A very high-quality jean with prices at around $200. Rogan also features a narrow, five-pocket jean with contrasting colours in the pocket lining and each piece is unique and hand-sanded. This denim is designed to age quicker, so take care in its wear and do not hesitate to repair. Easy on the washing - hand wash - and hand dry - in the sun" . "Rogan slashes pockets, boosts style" says one fashion headline. Rogan is former Levi's RED designer and has redefined the 'it' jean. Slanted pockets, formerly a style reserved mainly for khakis, are standard, delicate raw denim [ distressed /aged using sand blasting , washing in pumice stones, etc], constructed to age with every wear and wash, the stitching incorporating hues of yellow, orange, light blue, and purple. Voila you have stepped into the fit of the fashion world’s new denim darling. Rogan’s use of natural distressing procedures are taking the jeans world by storm, displacing former denim stars 7 For All Mankind and Paper Denim & Cloth. For women, Cut 1000013 or 1000133, is the perfect utility jean, wide-leg fit is rugged [for climbing K2] and comfortable enough to lounge in Waldorf Astoria or the Palace Hotel, New York. Slanted pockets and lined with bright yellow, turquoise, and green, the denim is crosshatch dark denim or a faded light blue wash. Yellow topstitching lines the seams. Purple reinforced belt loops and pockets. The wide waistband, belt loops, and generously sized cargo-pant-style pocket with button and flap allow females with deep pockets to keep all the phone numbers handy. Cut 190087 will make men drool - a jean with faint marks on the thighs, backside, and waistband. All seams are a deep purple that show up after a few washes. A light blue seam marks the top of front and back pockets. The jeans bare a button-fly, have a straight leg cut and pockets lined in red. The slender leg, deep blue wash and less visible seams create a tailored look that goes straight from the office to the club. Cut 1000051A the men’s raw denim that comes in an immaculate navy with few distress markings. The button-fly, yellow and orange topstitching, and slanted front pockets of on these jeans, pen and cell phone pockets on the inside of the front pockets.
Etienne Ozeki [ a Hong Kong copy of Evisu - priced £75-£175] The label Etienne Ozeki launched in 2000 and invented by marketeers who want to give the impression that there's a talented individual designer behind the label. According to the website, Etienne is African [from where Picasso copied his abstract art], became a millionaire at 24, pioneered the production of Utilitarian Clothes and then settled in Hong Kong where his life’s passionate saga "the denim jean" is being manufactured. Etienne Ozeki is designed by a team of designers and manufactured in Hong Kong (where costs are considerably lower than in Japan, where Evisu manufactures its range). Future EO plagiarized cheap Eviso copies are coming with names such as "Trash, Patchwork and Phoenix".
The name comes from the California cactus looking like a Aloe Vera [ Kawar Gandal in South Asian Punjab ] . The logo looks like the green Aloe Vera plant. Agave jeans are exceptional for a reason. 100% Agave Denim Cloth is made from ring-spun cotton. Agave jeans are sewn exclusively in California. The jeans then go to a finishing facility where they undergo hand-done treatment and wash processes until their amazing color and finish is achieved. Every pair is a uniquely crafted creation. The slightest variations in finish and color are intended and inherent in the process in which they are created. Price: $144.00
Saddlelite Jeans are sold at trendy high-end stores including Colette in Paris, Barneys New York, and Fred Segal. The quadruple stitching is said to create a cozy, and highly flattering fit. Due to their high cost, these may take a bit longer to hit the mainstream market, but our guess is that they’ll make a name for themselves in elite circles. Saddlelite, a cult brand that makes its denims from cotton that is woven on antique Japanese looms. "Right now we're only selling to the very best stores," says Daniel Green, 20, who formed Saddlelite with a partner, Lukus Eichmann, also 20, just a year ago and has already received orders from Colette in Paris, Fred Segal in Los Angeles and Barneys of New York. "As a consumer," Green says, "I've always been fond of the things that seemed more limited, that are not available for everyone."
Blue Cult Frenchman David Mechaly, created his first line of jeans when he was just 20 years old. MacKeen jeans were popular with the original "Charlie's Angels" crew. The brand is also available at Atrium and Bloomingdale's. Though the label is known for its fit, these jeans are hand-vintaged. They are hand-sanded, and the lighter streaks where the leg creases from the hip are done in a manual process that takes 20 minutes per pair. Blue Cult jeans are priced $115 to $180 and made of stretch fabric that looks more rigid than it is. They are comfortable, look authentic, classic and elegant at the same time. Blue Cult jeans are displayed in the Paris museum of Fashion & Costume. In the April-2004 "Glamour" magazine, the Blue Cult Jeans are on the cover and inside as well. |
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