Prps probably needs no introducing. Since a certain Brit star footballer made their jeans his second skin the road to fame and fortune was short for the 2003 established denim brand. Kings of authentic ‘aged and distressed’, Prps was among the first American brands to employ Japanese denim artisans in manufacturing their denim, with every nick, prick and stain made by hand. The wealth of detail is overwhelming when it comes to a pair of Prps, and usually comes from the worlds of military uniform and vintage workwear. Here’s a look at their spring/summer 2010 lookbook.
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Postweiler Hauber’s S/S 10 collection is taking ‘jeans and t-shirt’ quite literally. Besides offering actual jeans and t-shirts the garments are also over-all printed with piles of jeans and wood images. The ironic collection is entitled ‘too much quatch’ – German for too much rubbish or stuff, confirming the German label’s critical look at modern life, fashion and the vintage trend.
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New LA based brand Rogue Territory’s agenda is somewhat a synopsis of the current movements in American denim: “Our products represent modern interpretations of the garments that were produced during the industrial age of the 20th century. It is our mission to build on the designs of the past by offering a more fashionably relevant collection for those who are passionate about denim, work wear, vintage clothing, and fashion alike… We at Rogue Territory share 3 core values: use the highest quality fabrics, adhere to the highly regarded American manufacturing standards of the early 1900s, and share our undying passion and extensive knowledge of denim with our customers”. Read between the lines: Rogue Territory is yet another brand from the new breed of American denim artisans cashing in on the ‘American Made’ trend, trying to use the economic crunch and its cultural implications for their advantage. Does it sound like we’re complaining? Quite the opposite – of course there are pretenders and lookalikes, but most of the newcomers (including RT) are the genuine thing, heralding valuable ideologies and keeping America true to the (origins of) blue.
More images from Rogue Territory’s F/W 09 lookbook after the jump
One of the occupational hazards for bloggers dealing with future trends and products is that sometimes you get hung up on something that will only be released next season or later, while you want it NOW. My own difficulty in delaying satisfaction arose when I first saw Acne’s S/S 2010 collection – those trainers the Swedish brand had conjured for the next Spring/Summer season immediately hit my wants and desires checklist. But as it now happens maybe I won’t have to wait anymore… Well, to be accurate Acne’s trainers won’t be available for a while, but my favorite online shop oki-ni has just received a cool selection of New Balance shoes that provide a nice cure for my condition. Originally trail running shoes first released in 1979, the New Balance U455 has been reinvented as a lightweight lifestyle shoe, leaving me with a new problem – which colorway to pick?
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William Rast, the premium denim and contemporary sportswear brand, cofounded by Justin Timberlake and his friend Trace Ayala, unveiled its fusion of a Hollywood lifestyle with Tennessee roots in three California stores that opened Nov. 1, heralding the launch of 40 to 50 units by 2012.
Working with the Los Angeles-based architecture firm Johnston Marklee, William Rast transported the rugged Americana found in Timberlake and Ayala’s home state of Tennessee to Tinseltown for an aesthetic dubbed New America. In the 1,850-square-foot store in Century City, the design offsets matte black shelves filled with jeans retailing for $165 to $245 with wide planks of plywood, which were seamed together to create high tables and an angular arch stretching above shoppers’ heads. Vintage dress forms show off the $350 men’s houndstooth blazer, $229 women’s jean jacket and $250 vest dotted with grommets.
For its New America, William Rast also reworked the U.S. flag via the Bauhaus art movement by removing the 50 stars and replacing the red and white stripes with black and white streaks. The avant-garde emblem is interpreted as a white neon sign hanging against a black wall, a mural and the irregular black streaks painted by artist Colin Roberts on the plywood panels.
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British denim brand Natural Selection is giving us a little sneak-peek into their S/S 10 campaign and lookbook shoot. Having spent weeks scouting for the ideal location, following their first ever shoot and first collection for Autumn Winter 09 at East London’s Wapping Power Station, the team went north, to find a disused tanning factory in Yorkshire Complete with industrial fixtures, dilapidated, peeling paintwork and glass roof, which allowed the sun to stream through for a more seasonal emphasis on the lightness of fabrics and newly developed washes. Revealing once more Natural Selection’s obsession with the heritage of denim and it’s industrial past, the new campaign stays true to their principals and in this behind the scenes preview, offers a hint of new, lighter weight jeans and washes: ‘Scrapes & Bruises’, ‘Done’, ‘Dusted’ and ‘Clean Broken’ all to come from Spring Summer 10.
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Edwin’s S/S 10 ‘ready to wear’ collection derives its solid aesthetic from the subject of ‘maritime’. With nuances of maritime history and culture, the resulting collection exemplifies the credibility and respect for a great time in history. Worn out vintage effects find inspiration in wave battered cliff faces and sea aged fishing boats and is applied to tees, shirting, lightweight jackets and outerwear. As for denim, Edwin’s core element, S/S 10 sees new lines, fits, classic styles reintroduced and brand new washes segmented into time periods that denote the natural wear process.
The seafaring, work-wear esque aesthetic compliments the denim to a tee, and is part of a concise and finely tuned collection, not too grandiose or diverse to alarm loyal customers yet strong enough to intrigue and excite the new breed.
The sharp eyed among you may notice a familiar shoe in the images. The fruit of Edwin and Folk’s collaboration for the next spring/summer is yet another part of Edwin’s effort to establish itself as a fully-fledged brand by broadening its spectrum and introducing its customer with a total-look, head-to-toe collection.
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Put This On is a “web series about dressing like a grownup, hosted by Jesse Thorn and Adam Lisagor“. In the first episode they deal with our favorite garment of all – Denim. The video features a little denim history, denim do and don’ts, a nice interview with Mike Hodis from Rising Sun Jeans and even a buyer’s guide for those of you who still haven’t decided which one should be your next ‘one’. Enjoy!
We’ve already seen G-Star’s S/S 2010 RTW on NY’s runway, and now it’s time to take a look at the brands 2010 lookbook (yeah, our obsession knows no limits!). As seen clearly in the images G-Star’s staple silhouette for the upcoming spring is what they call ‘The new Low Loose Tapered cut’, which features an ultra-low crotch, high volume top section and extreme tapered legs. It comes in a wide selection of washes and finishes, including Raw denim, vintage/worn-in, destroyed, repaired and paint spattered. The Correct Line and Midnight, two denim-complementary ranges of wool, cashmere, silk and leather pieces that combine craftsmanship and precise tailoring expand the G-Star wardrobe to allow men to wear denim right through the working day and on to any evening social occasion, regardless of its exclusivity. And the cream of the crop – The Handcrafted range which showcases G-Star’s passion for the raw denim fabric. Japanese selvage denim is hand-stitched by skilled craftspeople to form a range of tailored jackets, as well as shorts, pants and shirts. All pieces are lined in the waist with hickory denim and internal stitching and seams are taped for maximum comfort. Impressive, huh?!
More images from G-Star’s S/S 2010 lookbook after the jump
We all know a stylish look has a lot to do with cool accessorizing. Here’s one of my favorite accessories for this fall season, the Voyager Dot Stole by Japanese brand Nonnative. Made from 100% viscose, this dark blue tasseled scarf with yellow, green, brown and blue striped detail is the denim maniacs way to keep warm while stayin tru to da blu…
Get it here.
Oslo based label Mardou&Dean was founded in 2006 by Ingrid Bredholt and Patrik Rosenfors with the aim to express itself through different kinds of arts, focusing on fashion. Inspired by Beatnik culture and literature, ‘Jeans by Mardou&Dean’ was introduced to the market in 2007 as a high fashion denim line, with jeans for both men and women.
The labels denim line is divided between two lines, the more classic styles and the more avant-garde ones, this allowing the brand to be both timeless and fashionable at the same time. Overall the jeans are developed with care down to each and every detail, particularly to the very original wide and slightly open fly, the position of the brand label and the engraved buttons and rivets. The jeans are produced in Italy, employing high quality denim throughout the line either from Italy or Japan.
Take a look at Mardou&Dean’s jeans and more images from their campaign shot by Norwegian photographer Oda Berby after the jump.
Mother Nature is not the common inspiration for a denim brand, but for New York based denim label 4 Stroke Spring/Summer 2010 is all about going back to its roots. Titled “Mother Mother” the labels latest offering is paying homage to nature by focusing on natural wear organic, pima cotton and Japanese denim. The line feature lighter washes along with light whiskering and wear & tears on lightweight, super-soft premium fabrics. Although Mother Nature’s ruggedness plays a big role in the design, 4 Stroke has yet to lose its modern, New York City edge.
“Our past collections have relied bravely on experimental denim fabrics, so with spring we wanted create a more true denim story,” says Nate Freeman, the brands creative director. “We wanted the jeans to look like they were broken in naturally like your favorite pair you just will not throw away. Of course we left room for some fun too. It wouldn’t be 4 Stroke if we didn’t.”
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You might find it hard to believe that ACNE’s inspiration for its S/S 2010 Pop Classics collection was Native American looks. But maybe that’s what I like most about the Swedish brand – its subtlety. Season themes never take over the labels modern and refined sensibility, so the outcome is somewhat of an iconography of the subject. As always denim is a staple part of the collection with the signature raw denim and some new bleached out styles from tops to bottoms.
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Japanese label UNUSED’s philosophy is simple: you must know and respect the past, to be able to create the next big thing of the future. It is a philosophy shared by many in the land of the rising sun, but this particular label has gone all the way in conveying its message. Alongside being one of the coolest lookbooks I have seen in a while (and trust me when I tell you I see many), it bears a political agenda within its images. Don’t be fooled by the humorist approach it suggests – the joke’s on you! Yeah, isn’t it funny how the western culture used to discard the old and worship the new? And now with all that vintage/heritage trend suddenly old is in mode (but only with objects)? UNUSED’s choice of an elderly model is not random, nor is it a publicity stunt; it is simply their way to illustrate what the Japanese have known for a long time: used is good – and only gets better with… age.
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