April 2016
ISSUE
5
ISSUE #5
HELIX / APE X EDITIONS OF BOLT, R A ZOR , TOKYO SHARP & MONROE FITS.
IN THIS ISSUE:
BEST OF HONG KONG DENHAM CIT Y GUIDE
TEAR & REPAIR SERVICE CO. IN HK
WORKING TOGETHER.. ANNA & YARA
LANE CRAWFORD HONG KONG
GARMENT LIBRARY LANE CRAWFORD CHENGDU
DENHAM EYES FAN OPTICS
ACTIVE FIT EVOLUTION HELIX/APEX EDITIONS
LAUNCHING... ACTIVE DENIM
ART COMES FIRST HOUSE GUEST ARTIST #12
LIGHTER THAN AIR PRE-FALL NEW ARRIVALS
THE SKY'S THE LIMIT FALL (16) PREVIEW
DENHAM X GROLSCH DOUBLE PORTRAIT PROJECT
T H E T R U T H I S I N T H E D E TA I L S w w w. d e n h a m t h e j e a n m a k e r. c o m
4
3 10 5 1 6
10
8
7
2 9
by SEASON CHAN 1. BEST COFFEE BAR The Brew Job Coffee – 3646 Hoi King St, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, HK Curious to taste the best coffee of Hong Kong, go to the Brew Job where y o u c a n e n j o y your coffee with a little breeze outside. 2. BEST BAR Butler Bar - 5/F Mody House 30 Mody Road Tsim Sha Tsui, HK This bar serves perfectly crafted, individually tailored drinks and has an impeccable service. The bar isn’t easy to find because of the tiny, ultra exclusive venue, but it makes definitely the place worth the trip. 3. BEST RESTAURANT 愛文生飯店 – G/F 1C, Shek Kip Mei Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, HK If you like to taste delicious local dai pai dong, you have to go to this place, also winners of the “Best-Ever Dining Award” of 2016. Kin’s Kitchen - 5/F, W Square, 314-324 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, HK This place started by featuring traditional Cantonese dishes by art, culture & food critic Lau Kin Wai. If you are looking for the craziest BBQ pork and smoked chicken you absolutely have to go to this restaurant. Sushi Gin – Floor 27/f, The Zing Building, 38 Yiu Wah Street,
Causeway Bay, HK At the moment this place is my favourite. Good quality sushi and a cozy environment. 4. BEST SNEAKER STORE Sneaker district HK - Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, HK There’s not really one sneaker store in particular. We have the sneaker street here in Hong Kong. 5
.
Hoi on
T his next t h e
B E S T BREAKFAST Cafe - G/F, 17, Connaught Road, Sheung Wan, HK old café t o
of the museum, there are also beautiful exhibitions. The Bruce lee exhibition is a must see. 2. BEST COFFEE BAR Cupping Room - Shop LG, 287-299 Queen's Road Central, Central, HK If you like to have a nice breakfast with your coffee, go to this place, a peaceful atmosphere to begin your day. 3. BEST CLUB Racks - Winning Centre, 46-48 Wyndham St, Hongkong For entertainment during your night out,
Woo Street, Causeway Bay This is one of my favourite places for dim sum. If you’re into pork, Fung Sing is definitely a place for you. Order the BBQ pork buns, a plate of BBQ pork and the roast pork and you will melt.
recommendation. 5. BEST BREAKFAST Kah Wah Café - G/F, 47 Bute Street, Prince Edward, HK Pineapple Butter Buns are very famous in Hong Kong. If you like to try the best ones, you absolutely have to go to this café.
Kau Kee 九 記牛腩 21 Gough St, HK T h i s place is called t h e ‘legendary b e e f brisket’. I order most of the t i m e the beef brisket with
6. BEST LUNCH Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園 - 2 Gage Street, Central Hong Kong has an abundance of tea cafés or ‘Cha Chaan Tengs’ offering quick, affordable Hong Kong Style fast food. This place is one of those. Delicious food for lunchtime!
E-fu noodles; you have to try this dish if you go there!
7. MUST DO HKFA - 55 Fat Kwong Street, Homantin, Kowloon,Hong Kong.
We s t e r n M a r k e t is super charming and perfect for vintage lovers. It serves c l a s s i c Hong Kong b a k e d goods; y o u definitely have to try the spicy pork noodles topped with fried egg, a guilty pleasure. by NICOLE FUNG 1. BEST MUSEUM Hong Kong Heritage Museum - 1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin, New Territories, HK Besides the great architecture
go to Racks. Here you can beer pong, play darts, pool and enjoy cheap delicious drinks. 4. BEST RESTAURANT Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant - 1/F, 68 Yee
Kowloon Tang Shop R002-003, 3/F, Roof Deck, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, HK Try the Peking duck, it’s amazing. You can get Peking duck in three ways here, really a
I recommend watching a game of local football. It’s not very expensive and you get a great afternoon experience.
AT
H O N G KO N G
For many of us in the Western
The store is also admired for
hemisphere,
identifying
the
image
of
up-and-coming
contemporary life in the Far
labels from around the world,
East has long held the allure of
we were proud to take our
super modernism and science-
place within their hallowed
fiction. The skylines of cities
halls and are deeply grateful
like Tokyo, Hong Kong and
for the platform they offered
Chengdu seem to have been
us and the care and attention
hijacked directly from films
they showed our brand from
like Akira, Blade Runner and
the very start.
Minority Report. Since that time we have worked But our sense of the Far East is
with Lane Crawford’s team on
also imbued with the mystery
exclusive concepts including
of exotic ancient traditions
the “live” art-invasion by our
and a couple thousand years
collaborator, street artist Laser
of rich and diverse cultural
3.14, our recent Service Co.
history, from the tea-houses of
Art of Repair event and the
Kyoto in Japan to the terracotta
creation of a Denham Garment
army in the Shaanxi province
Library
of China. For a brand like ours
later in this paper. But the
that
takes
inspiration
installation
featured
from
essence of our relationship
both the passage of time and
with Lane Crawford has always
the acquisition of experience
been anchored in a simple love
(from Virgin to Vintage) as
of blue jeans and it continues
well as the compulsion to
to be a pleasure to have them
both
with us on our journey from
“Worship
Tradition”
and “Destroy Convention” in
Virgin to Vintage.
our designs, it should be no surprise that our regular visits
www.lanecrawford.com
to the the Far East help fuel our creative passions. We first appeared as a set of
special
pop-up
shops
within
Lane
2013.
Founded
Crawford in
1850,
in
Lane
Crawford
has
long
established itself as a premier shopping destination with an international
reputation
for
creativity, quality and taste.
' I H E A R T H E Y WA S H T H E I R JEANS IN SAKE"
Newspaper Issue #5 introduces the Active Fit Evolution. This new concept has involved super-tuning Denham most popular fits and completely reimagining
SUPER TIGHT FIT
their construction to produce exciting new jeans and chinos that are designed to in 3D, contoured to compliment the body, fabricated for movement and finished for comfort in Active Recovery fabrics.
SKINNY FIT
ACTIVE FIT EVOLUTION
SLIM FIT
DROP CARROT FIT
practical innovations include:
As a special edition within Denham’s "Lighter Than Air" collection, the brand is unveiling its latest 5-pocket design milestone, the 3rd evolution of Denham's 5-pocket program. The brand originally launched in 2008 with a boldly innovative range of denim styles featuring tailoring inspired darted and precurved pattern cutting, anatomical 7-point pocket profiles and drop-yoke waist lines. In 2013 Denham took on the classics, turning conventional jean design inside-out with the launch of Category 5. Now, Denham announces the introduction of the Active Fit Evolution. The new Active Fit Evolution series includes the Bolt Helix, Razor Helix and Tokyo Apex for men as well as the Spray Helix for women. The program’s
• ENVELOPED LEG FORM Completely new 3D pattern drafting allowing for fully three dimensional leg shaping. • VARIABLE WIDTH WAISTBAND Designed for comfort and movement with more coverage in the back then the front. • FUNCTIONAL FOB POCKET Enlarged for real time functionality and adjusted to compliment the overall optics of the jean. • LOW PROFILE FLY A lower mass interpretation of Denham’s unique 1-piece fly using custom selvedge facings to reduce bulk. • EXTENDED POCKET OPENING Dropped rivet placement for easy front pocket access. • ELLIPTICAL CUFF Designed to break naturally over the forefoot and reduce the risk of heel-tread. • LIGHTWEIGHT HIGH TENSILE POCKETING Less bulk, durable and moves with you. • DISCRETE POCKET SET (on the Tokyo) Added front pocket set secured with minimalist zippers.
SUPER TIGHT FIT
LIGHTWEIGHT HIGH TENSILE POCKETING Less bulk, durable and moves with you.
ENVELOPED LEG FORM Completely new 3 pattern drafting allowing for fully three dimensional leg shaping.
LOW PROFILE FLY A lower mass interpretation of Denham’s unique 1-piece fly using custom selvedge facings to reduce bulk.
Enlarged for realtime functionality and adjusted to compliment the overall optics of the jean.
to break naturally over the forefoot and reduce the risk of heel-tread.
VARIABL E
movemen
WIDTH W AISTBAN
t with mor
e coverag
D Designed for comfo e in the ba rt and ck then th e front.
EXTENDED POCKET OPENING Dropped rivet placement for easy front pocket access.
FUNCTIONAL FOB POCKET
ELLIPTICAL CUFF Designed
SKINNY FIT
SUPER TIGHT FIT
SLIM FIT
AMSTERDAM active vintage canadian denim
RAZOR | GRSS1951 Golden rivet selvedge stretch #1951
LIGHTER THAN AIR
BROOKLYN active vintage canadian denim BOEING T-SHIRT indigo
IN-STORE NOW: DENHAM PRE-FALL (16) NEW ARRIVALS
MONROE SHORT indigo dyestuff linen
The new collection for May
This highly wearable summer
delivery is inspired by the
pallet
simple idea; 'Lighter Than Air'.
directional shots of washed
The collection seeks to embody
mulberry and light leaf green.
is
accented
with
the idea both in practical ways as well as capturing the spirit
Subtle twists on construction
of the statement. Direct design
interpret
influences include the angular
curvilinear
and
flattering
curvilinear
seam
lines
the forms
theme’s into
anatomical
new seam
found in parachutes, glider
placements in denim, tees,
wings and parasails.
shirting
and
cut-and-sew
designs like the Windshirt, Denham’s unending research
Carver Microloop and Tunic
and exploration of all things
Sweat for men.
indigo
brings
forward
the
fresh tints of the morning sky
The float and drape of the
with washed down treatments
theme’s parachute inspiration
featuring in both the denim
can be felt in styles for women
range as well as key tops from
like the Boeing and Airfield
the collections for men and
Tees, the Venture Voile Shirt
women.
and the Saints Jersey Jacket.
Alongside the paler shades of blue, the ‘Lighter than Air’ collection also features fresh grey shades within 5-pocket complimented by a new series of soft garment-dyed vintageinspired monochromes in tees and sweats.
SIGNATURE CREW Indigo double stripe 3 year
BROOKLYN active vintage canadian denim
REPAIR AVIATOR pale indigo
ICON V RELAXED T-SHIRT bone white
MONROE golden rivet selvedge stretch #1951
MONROE active super natural fade light
KITT SWEATER bone white Available in SHARP Stretch zen Smoke
WOMEN
N E W A R R I VA L S
REPAIR AVIATOR Cinder black SHARP Active pirate black
ICON SWEAT BONE WHITE FLARE SKIRT CHAMBRAY
T YPE D Indigo waffle shirting indigo
WIND SHIRT Peachable tech cotton dark gunmetal
RAZOR Pocket signature Selvedge Repair
BOLT | acm Active cool max
MEN
BOLT | ACM active cool max
N E W A R R I VA L S
GUSSET SWEAT Signature sweat grey marl
TEAR & REPAIR DENHAM SERVICE CO. AT LANE CRAWFORD
Our Service Co. concept has
amazing local teams at Lane
been an essential element
Crawford’s three Hong Kong
of our brand since we first
locations to celebrate the art of
launched in 2008.
one-of-a-kind “tear and repair” wear
The Service Co. is a fully operational
repair
patterns
for
special
customers.
and
maintenance unit installed and
The team customized over 80
staffed to provide support for
pieces from Denham’s new
consumers who are wearing
Spring collection of artisan
their jeans from their fresh
washes from Italy and Japan.
new “virgin” state to a totally
Techniques
unique, individually broken-in,
included
naturally softened “vintage”
machine repair using museum-
condition.
quality antique boro fabrics
and
materials
handwork
and
from Japan, vintage deadstock We have Service Co. units in our
sewing thread from the UK
flagship shops and denim bars
and custom leather waistband
in
labels in indigo and burnished
Amsterdam,
Dusseldorf,
Sydney, Tokyo and elsewhere.
gold from Italy.
We also take the show-on-theroad with our Service Co. tours.
Special
Since the ways jeans break-in
jeans further personalized with
customers
is a singular obsession for us,
one-off vintage embroidered
we are constantly looking for
patches and monograms in
new approaches to bring this
Denham's
process to life.
finish.
A small crew from the Denham
All work was done live within
studio in Amsterdam including
Lane Crawford’s elite denim
Brand Director, Liam Maher
presentations in-store.
signature
and Service Co. Repair-Artist Clinton
James
joined
the
AT
received
www.lanecrawford.com
copper
Photos: courtesy of Lane Crawford
AT LANE CRAWFORD, CHENGDU
For
Lane
Chengdu the
Crawford’s flagship
store’s
new
location,
creative
installation to bring the entire
of blue jeans as well as one-
over the years and spun it all
story to life.
of-kind prototypes and special
together to produce a denim
editions from his own personal
display worth of the Saatchi
history as a denim designer.
gallery.
team
reached out to us to help
Jason was more than happy
create an exhibit that would
to spread the gospel on real
capture the fundamental spirit
denim and the cool stuff that
Known
of denim for new customers in
happens on the journey from
of
the region.
Virgin to Vintage.
for visual presentation and
They asked to borrow some
Besides
rare and significant vintage
official D.G.L. archives, he
Lane
specimens from our in-house
also went through his private
these specimens, combined
Denham
collection
with
for
the
sustaining
highest
one
standards
exhibition installation in the
Garment
Library
to create a museum-grade
digging
of
into
our
inspirational
vintage from the deep history
world of premium retail, the Crawford artwork,
crew
took
photography
and graphics we’ve produced
AT
Los Angeles and the Ernest Sewn Gallery in MPD NYC and part of the ethos they represented was consistent with how Jason imagined developing the Denham collection and concept. But I had also served as global creative director at Timberland in the 90’s, Burton Snowboards in the 00’s and I had consulted for Visvim during its early seasons – each of these experiences helped forge my attitudes toward product and branding and helped prepare me for the journey Jason wanted to take with Denham.
What is your favourite classic jeans model ? My new favourite is our SHANK fit 5-pocket. It’s the jean I wore all through the 3-day live repair event in Hong Kong. For me it’s the right balance between a modern classic slim and a very subtly dropped-tapered attitude.
“Worship Tradition” and “Destroy Convention” is the idea the brand started with, how to apply this idea on denim design? Well, I may have put the words to the idea, but the idea itself was deeply held by Jason Denham as well as others on the original creative team like Art Director Ali Kirby. For us we feel very honoured (and a bit intimated) by the sheer weight of denim and utility design tradition. We feel a responsibility to live-up to the work of the generations of designers, developers and “jeanmakers” who went before us. We feel so strongly about this that you could almost say we “worship” tradition. At the same time we think many of the best of the folks that went before us made the most important contributions by being innovative, inventive, unconventional and even courageous in a way. People like J.W. Davis, the Nevada tailor who first used metal rivets to reinforce blue jeans. So, we want to remain highly aware of the need to break tradition now and then (even when you respect tradition like we do). When tradition produces conventions and people begin to forget how or why these conventions come into being, it can help to challenge them. -Or even “destroy” certain conventions that might hold back creative progress.
Denim has been created for over 100 years, how do you see it in the future? You know what’s super cool to imagine? There are jeans being made today (we hope they include the ones we make at Denham) that will still exist 100 years from now. Those jeans will have a century’s worth of life, experience and time mapped across their surface. They’ll be gorgeous and significant and unique as a result. And even if insanely futuristic jeans made new 100 years from now are sonically welded without yarn or seams, as bulletproof as kevlar while being as soft as cashmere, as light as helium but as dynamic as sprung-steel… if they're total SciFi, as long as they feature real indigo dye on a 3x1 weaving pattern, they too will be ready to be enriched with time, wear, age and experience. So no matter where jean design goes, it will always take you on a completely personal journey from Virgin to Vintage. Do you think denim will be replaced by other material in the future? In some ways it already is. Our new Golden Rivet Selvedge from Candiani is a completely new fabric compared to the rigid variations we might have used 6 years ago. Dynamic recovery, compact handle, dry handfeel with long-fibre comfort… All these things keep denim material moving forward. Some of the technical inspiration comes from the world of sport/athletic of course and the denim
industry has been the happy recipient of lots of new exciting technology in stretch and lightweight performance. But whatever evolutions are to come, the indigo needs to be there and it needs to slow-dip on and break and wash away in that unique way that ensures denim’s legendary high and low tones, depth, character and balance. But of course it will, otherwise it won’t be denim. What does denim mean to you? Almost like magnetic cassette audio tape, Denim fabric is uniquely capable of recording your individual experiences. It’s as if the places you go, the people you meet and the experiences you share all embed themselves over the surface of your jeans. Besides representing the deep-toned beauty of indigo colour, this ability to capture time itself in their wear-patterns makes a person’s jeans one of the most individual expressions of personality and character in their wardrobe. How and when did you start working at DENHAM? I started working at Denham nearly from the beginning. I was brought-in around the time Jason and the original core team were finalising their first capsule collection for Spring 2009. Some of my independent work during that time had caught their attention via projects I had developed which explored the imagined past and future of utility menswear design. Those projects had been presented in exhibition platforms associated with Isetan in Tokyo, New York Fashion Week, 181 Martel
Since DENHAM open store in Daikanyama, Japan , how do you see denim culture in Japan? Anything you appreciate and can learn from the Japanese? You can imagine that if we have the ambition to “worship tradition”, of course we’d be very inspired by the dizzyingly high standards of the Japanese design-ethic and dedication to craftsmanship. Whether it’s the much talked about “Otaku” attention to detail and reproducing authentic items in the absolutely correct way, or the more overall focus on finish, quality and most importantly BALANCE that you see all across Japanese creative fields and Japanese culture in general…. These values represent a lesson for us and a reminder to stay focused on quality and balance.
What will be the denim trends for the coming season ? That’s always a hard one. We’re super excited that the more innovative denim weaves, yarnblends and fibre compositions are allowing both increased performance (Destroy Convention) and the creation of rich authentic wear-patterns and washes (Worship Tradition). This in turn allows a wider range of effects. We hope our own range reflects this progression and excitement and we certainly saw it in the new denim at Lane Crawford during our Denham Service Co./Virgin to Vintage "art-of-repair" event. -Subtle bandwidths of deep to faded blues, a range of wear effects and the more individualised world of tear-and-repair and unique vintage replica processing… -all the carefully developed wash recipes the best jeanmakers care so deeply about. h k . hy p e b e a s t . co m / 2 01 6 / 2 / i n te r v i ew - d e n h a m liam-maher www.hypebeast.com
Photos: Melody Lieftink
DENHAM EXCLUSIVE SHOPPING NIGHTS TOGETHER WITH:
DENHAM STORE DÜSSELDORF
WOMENS DENIM BAR
Heinrich-Heine-Allee 38
Runstraat 15-17
Düsseldorf
Amsterdam
Photo: Melody Lieftink
DENIM DENHAM LAUNCHES ACTIVE DENIM
As the name implies, Denham’s Active
Technology and fabrication inspired by
Denim reflects the essential philosophy
sport has been harnessed to create new
as the practice of Yoga itself – namely
denim and collection ideas that perform
the pursuit of the perfect balance of core
in real-time; sliding into a seat on the
strength and extreme flexibility.
plane, running to a brainstorm session,
Featuring an innovative active-recovery
moving effortlessly from the studio or
denim fabric crafted in modern ‘real jean’
office to the café or club.
silhouettes, Active Denim combines the best of both worlds. What may have
Denham
seemed impossible just a few seasons
Netherlands to organize the exclusive
ago is now within reach.
Active Denim launch Party and shopping
The latest premium denim technologies
night in the Women’s Denim Bar in
allow blue jeans to combine the same
Amsterdam. Dusseldorf joined forces
magic blend of strength and flexibility
with Grazia to launch this innovative
that distinguishes the highest natural
concept. Have a look at the activity that
aspirations of today’s modern active
took place those nights!
lifestyle.
partnered
up
with
ELLE
FALL WINTER (16) PREVIEW 'THE SKY'S THE LIMIT' THE LEGEND OF THE INDIGO SQUADRON
In 1950 an entire Royal Air Force Squadron vanished in an indigo horizon while on training maneuvers. Years later the planes were discovered, embedded in the landscape in a remote wintry area along the Road of Bones. All evidence of the plane’s original occupants – the pilots, navigators and crew - had vanished. A local shaman had converted their vessels to objects of spiritual reflection for nearby tribes – decorated and embellished to glorify and ennoble what became the Legend of the Lost Squadron. The F16 Collection began with a pilgrimage to the last ever occurrence of Europe’s largest military vintage event; The legendary War & Peace Revival Show. The design team explored a dazzling array of vintage aircraft as well as air force related uniforms and materials. Inspiration came from the spirit of the story; The Legend of the Lost Squadron – but also from surprisingly modern design concepts and structural ideas hidden in and amongst this research. New ideas emerged for the updating of classic garments like the UK Jump Parka, B9 Jacket and A2 Bomber as well as inspirations for large-rapport camo prints, parachute-inspired cut & sew constructions, military hardware specifications and morale expressions like “The Sky’s The Limit”.
The atmosphere of the event was perfect for breathing new life into denim with its emphasis on air-mechanics, engine-work and the ubiquitous dungarees of military machinists. Fall jean washes include painted technique reminiscent of vehicle refurbishment. The spirit of our Campaign Chino group also represented a strong current within the theme with its celebration of legion-green shades, camo and khaki. The design team invited longtime friends and collaborators Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh of Art Comes First to add their twist to Denham Essential styles as the latest participants in our House Guest Artist tradition of special edition products. The A.C.F./ HGA styles deepen the story with the slogan “AIM HIGH”. The Denham design team dug into their F16 collection theme and discovered the diverse and surprising artistic world of military moralepatches. Regarded as “extra” elements of military uniforms, including pilot jackets, morale-patches are often hand-painted and represent a spirit of camaraderie outside the conventions of official government insignias. Sometimes sinister, sometime playful but always fascinating, Denham has created their own interpretations in a select series of pilot-jacket style patches, enamel pins and tee shirt graphics.
All photos: Marc Haers
DROP Winter flannel melange
O.S.S. CROMBIE COAT Flannelised Italian Denim BOLT Active super natural black fade
FLIGHT SHIRT wool flannel melange
SIGNATURE CREW Indigo bubble -3year
TUBULAR CREW L/S Fresh Tubular jersey
RAZOR Golden rivet selvedge stretch #19862
TUBULAR CREW dark gun metal
MINIMUS PUFFER PARKA SOFT PEACHED DWR cinder black
EDGE SHIRT indigo square waffle
SKY TUXEDO JACKET Velour Corduroy washed black RIVET T Burn Out Rivet Jersey cinder black
AVIATOR BIKER JACKET Milled Cow Leather indigo
NEEDLE HIGH SKINNY Yoga Indigo Dark
SOAR QUILT JACKET Silk Touch Nylon rifle green
BROOKLYN SLIM JACKET Active Indigo Dyestuff #151
SPRAY SUPER TIGHT Yoga Deep Indigo Silk Stretch
FLEET CROMBIE COAT Indigo Cotton indigo
PARACHUTE CAMO TOP Camo Voile indigo
Anna Nooshin’s Signature “Needle” in Forever Black Yara Michels’ Signature “Monroe” in Real Blue
“It was really cool to step inside Denham’s creative studio and work with their team to accent and adjust our two favorite jean styles to suit our exact tastes”
“We’re very proud at the idea that our individual twists on Denham’s classic Needles and Monroe will be presented alongside the rest of the collection in their beautiful Amsterdam stores”
IN-STORE NOW
DENHAM'S SIGNATURE JEANS SPECIAL EDITIONS ST YLED BY ANNA NOOSHIN & YARA MICHELS
Denham has a long tradition of collaborating
since it was laid-back style influencers like
with both high-profile international creatives
Yara who helped inspired the Monroe, she of
and as well as up-and-coming wunderkinds
course chose this updated boyfriend fit in a
from the vibrant local scene. Denham has
soft “real blue” vintage-inspired natural wash.
been ‘working together in secret’, this time
They each then set to work adding discrete
with Amsterdam’s Anna Nooshin and Yara
touches to each model to make them
Michels. Anna & Yara have developed a high
absolutely their own. Calibrated wash and
profile as influential fashion and lifestyle
wear effects, carefully cropped hem lengths,
bloggers inspiring a legion of enthusiastic
a blend of copper and silver hardware and
followers from across Europe and around the
personalised embroidered signatures at the
world.
waistband distinguish their limited edition Anna jean - NEEDLE fit and Yara jean -
WHEN YOU CAN CHOOSE JUST ONE
MONROE fit, now being released in a limited
Denham invited Anna & Yara to use their
series of 100 pieces each as special extension
individual styling approaches to help answer
of Denham’s S16 5-pocket range.
that timeless question; If you were heading out for a spontaneous adventure but only had
A JEANS-AND-A-TEE KIND OF GIRL
room for one jean in your bag, which would
The special collaboration is accented with the
you choose on your own journey and how
creation of The Ultimate White Tee. Based on
would you tweak it to make it your own?
Denham’s best basics, the girls have tweaked the fit of a classic white boyfriend tee and
The girls each expressed their individual
customised the simple attitude of an iconic
sense of style and asserted their preference
white tee shirt. Just the thing to put with your
for timeless versatility and mentioned their
favourite jean.
all-time favourite. Anna started with Denham’s high-skinny Needle in Forever Black, part of the label’s “If It’s Not Indigo, It’s Black” concept in active recovery stretch, a rock-androll basic she would never go without. And
ARRIVING THIS SUMMER: DENHAM COLLUSION WITH FAN OPTICS
This summer we’ve been “working together in secret” with respected eyewear label: Fan Optics. Founded in London in 2012 with the vision to offer progressive eyewear design with an eye for creative detailing and sophisticated style, the label's collections are considered down to the finest details and handmade using the highest quality materials. INTERVIEW WITH GUILLAUME FURMINGER Founder / Director FAN OPTICS Please tell us a little more about Fan Optics. When and how did it began? Fan Optics started in 2012 as contemporary British eyewear label. The goal to producing new aesthetics with classic twists. It was started with the intention to break the norms of the eyewear industry and to support the British eyewear manufacturing industry with is still on the decline. How important is creative collaboration to your process? Collaboration is the foundation of our brand. Be it collaboration with experts in the manufacturing side of the business or creative partners in the fashion industry. H A N D M A D E I N I TA LY
Where do you get your inspiration? Our inspiration for our frames come from the environment we all live in. The Cities, Buildings, Product that surround us and the cultural trends. We work closely with a number of catwalk fashion labels referencing the 40’s through to the 90’s. Our use of non conventional materials, finishes and colour-ways helps us differentiate from other brands in the market. What are the most regularly used tools in your tool-kit? The pencil is our most regular tool used. We sketch everything by hand, mark up drawings, comment on manufacturing plans, sketch on prototypes and write personal hand messages to our customers. The pencil is king! If you could invite an artist into your house, who would it be? Artist….This is tough…. There would be so many. I wish I could have met Frank Lloyd Wright – Architectural genius Tell us more about the frames you’ve been working on for DENHAM? With the Denham collection we where really interested in reflecting Denham’s expertise in Denim so we will be introducing 3 special colour-ways in a acetate material from Italy. This material is made from a combination of Cotton (Denim),wood pulp and bio resins to create a quality finish and standout product. It’s the attention to the small details and finishes that make a pair of sunglasses really special. What have you been working on recently? Recently we have been working on a number of special Catwalk frames for London Fashion week which as been very fun. We are in our 4th season with our fashion partners and this is one of our most rewarding design partnerships as it allows us to really experiment with shapes, colours and forms that would not normally feature in our main collection. Its a time to play and create striking looks that compliment the catwalk clothing. The thing you’re most proud of.. ? Denham x Fan Optics is a proud moment for us as we get to bring a quality frame to the Netherlands and Japan for the first time. We are super excited for when it hits the shops this summer!
made from pressed cotton fibres & bio resin
100% hand made in Italy
ART COMES FIRST ARRIVING THIS FALL: HOUSE GUEST ARTIST #12
Denham invited the hugely
the Rhys Oxford where they
influential designers, stylists
employed
and all-round creatives; Sam
cotton along the Rhys' iconic
Lambert and Shaka Maidoh
shoulder yoke and reworked
of Art Comes First to lead
the
the
introduce bold black accents.
brand's
collaboration
most
recent
project
within
the House Guest Artist series.
formal
button-down
marcela
collar
to
The pair took apart classics like the Bolt jean, adding discrete
The A.C.F.'s own collection,
blind-zipps at the cuffs to
Avec ces Freres explored the
sharpen the silhouette to a
power and symbolism of black
more tailoring standard. But
this season so it was natural
the
to reflect this concept in the
roll vibe also remains intact on
Denham project as well, since
styles like the Gusset Sweat,
at Denham; "If It's Not Indigo,
Tubular Tee and Chore Jacket
It's Black".
and the 5-pocket extension
monochrome
rock-and-
includes modifications of the The
Denham
design
team
Bolt and Crop in black.
asked Sam and Shaka to roll up their sleeves and develop their own unique tweaks on Denham signature styes in both 5-pocket and the tops collection. The
pair's
experience
as
seasoned tailors trained on Savile Row is apparent in their translation of styles like
www.artcomesfirst.com
Photos: David Pattinson GUSSET SWEAT HGA / ACF Edition
RHYS OXFORD SHIRT HGA / ACF Edition
ACF CUSTOM SHANK & BOLT FITS HGA / ACF Edition
CHORE JACKET HGA / ACF Edition
TUBULAR L/S TEE HGA / ACF Edition
#WORK ON CANVAS A SERIES OF DOUBLE-PORTRAITS OF AMSTERDAM ARTISANS Photographed by M A R C H A E R S Denham Service Co. shots by C A T H A R I N A V E D E R
Supported
by
Denham
Grolsch,
progress of their projects and
partnered
with
the very fabric of the clothes
portrait
they wear by revisiting them
photographer Marc Haers to
6 months later, allowing us to
create
discover how their creativity,
emerging
Dutch
WORKONCANVAS,
capturing
passage-of-
craft and experiences have
time on the characters, in the
the
literally been mapped across
faces and across the jeans of
their denim.
skilled craftspeople working in
Not only did this process
Amsterdam, the birthplace of
offer a unique portrait of the
both Grolsch and Denham.
artists, but also a portrait of Amsterdam itself - where it’s
The history, use and evolution
been, where it is today and
of
where it is going.
denim
represents
a
compelling story connected directly to work, industry and
Anticipation has been building
craft – themes that define
steadily
communities
since the project began and
and
shape
over
the
6-month
the teams at Denham and
cultures across the globe. with
Grolsch are excited to begin
our mutual commitment to
revealing personal interviews,
explore
creative
profile-videos and behind-the-
endeavours in the cities we
scenes photography all which
live in, resulted in Grolsch
provide a fresh perspective
asking us to participate in their
on unconventional creativity
innovative
and the soul-enriching journey
This
story,
combined
innovative
art-sponsorship
platform ‘Grolsch CANVAS’.
from Virgin to Vintage. Special
Together
hand-picked
new material will be released
seven artists who combine the
each week for 7 weeks leading
skill and heritage of traditional
up to the virtual launch of
crafts with an unconventional
the
and forward-thinking approach
portrait series on the Grolsch
to their work and fitted them
CANVAS
with a virgin Denham wardrobe.
This will be followed by a
we
full
WORKONCANVAS website
in
May.
dedicated physical exhibition We
then
chronicled
the
evolution of the individuals, the
in Amsterdam in September.
TOM VAN NOESEL AND HARRY MORSSINK – TABLE MAKERS Van Ouds custom-built tables are as unique as they are beautiful, combining the classic and authentic feel of wood with an innovative coating of epoxy resin. The result is a beautiful piece of furniture made with skill, care and patience.
THIJS KRUITHOF – DECORATIVE PAINTER Decorative painter Thijs Kruithof uses his background in graphic design to create bold and stunning patterns on the walls of homes and buildings across his city, transforming them into artworks that are able to live alongside the people that surround them.
HIDDE SUVA AL – WASTELAND GARDENER Hidde Suvaal and his team of city farmers transformed a disused concrete garden in an old laboratory into a beautiful green space in the heart of Amsterdam. He now helps his community by teaching them about gardening and giving them a space to grow their own plants and vegetables.
JOOST NAWJIN – BOTTLE DESIGNER Grolsch is known not only for its unique taste but also for the beautiful bottles it is presented in. Bottle designer Joost Nawjin helps make these bottles look as amazing as they do, blending his knowledge of Grolsch’s heritage with attention to details and an eye for perfection.
JULIA LEUNGE – METAL RESTORER A metal restorer with a background in archaeology, Julia Leunge uses her skills to restore and conserve metal antiquities and artifacts.
JORAM BARBIERS – METALWORKER Joram Barbiers cares about the history of his materials – where they’ve been, as well as where they’re going to be. The metalworker creates furniture using materials that are rich in history, including parts from old ships and original pickle barrels.
WOUTER VOS – FURNITURE DESIGNER Wouter Vos is an expert at bringing ideas to life. Not only does he lovingly create his own unique furniture designs using materials with their own unique stories, but he also works with his clients to take their ideas and make them into beautiful physical objects.
w ww.canvas.grolsch.com
MARINE & WALK DENHAM YOKOHAMA STORE
Occupying the coveted corner
2-storey layout, as well as a
location at the main entrance to
new children’s area featuring
Yokohama’s new Marine & Walk
perfectly miniaturized versions
bayside shopping center along
of Denham’s most iconic jeans
the
and T-shirts. Custom made
picturesque
Yokohama
bay, the new DENHAM store
especially for kids.
sits alongside elite specialist
The open and airy space is
brands from Japan such as
finished with fresh white walls
Masterpiece, premium West
and
Coast concept store Fred Segal
The
from Los Angeles, Kit and Ace
atmosphere is animated with
from Vancouver and Margaret
plenty of interior greenery
Howell from the UK.
throughout
natural
with Designed
by
in-house
team,
oak
flooring.
inside-meets-outside
and
appointed
DENHAM’s
usual
DENHAM’s
eclectic mix of modern and
the
store
vintage furniture and fixtures,
represents a fresh take on
including pieces from Eames
DENHAM’s
as well as antique warehouse
signature
retail
concept with a look-and-feel
lighting from Japan.
subtly adapted to compliment Marine
&
Walk’s
laid-back
The breezy Yokohama feel is
Yokohama bay attitude.
reinforced by a playful selection
The frontage is highlighted by
of added merchandise and
a permanent handwash bath,
special productions including
part of DENHAM’s international
DENHAM Sake; jewelry from
Service Co. concept where
Ocean
consumers are encouraged to
Brothers
have their jeans washed and
edition
maintained by shop staff.
double-labeled
Republic;
Muller
eyewear; souvenir with
&
limited jackets Full
Count Japan and a range of On full
offer
inside
DENHAM
are
the
collections
for both men and women, merchandised
within
a
leather items from Superior Labour in Okayama.
Photos: courtesy of Coef
DENHAM AT COEF ZIEKERSTRAAT 165-167, NIJMEGEN
"We met Coef’s founder, Coen
Again
we
were
3 years ago. Back then he was
when Coen asked if we’d like
scouting brands to match his
Denham to play a bigger part.
emerging vision for an elite
Supported by knowledgable
new men's store concept in
and
Nijmegen.
ambassadors, Koen, Sander
enthusiastic
honoured
Denham
and Roy the team has created After learning more about him
a unique spin on the signature
and his passion for quality and
Denham brand experience.
progressive design, we were honoured when he elected
Coef succeeds in matching our
to place Denham alongside
values with their own special
labels
Company,
work ethic and family spirit and
Filippa K, Aspesi, Filling Pieces
the store itself has become
and The Last Conspiracy.
one of our favourites with an
like
C.P.
The concept was an immediate
utterly unique atmosphere that
success
mixes warmth with freshness
and
plans
were
made to extend and expand
and modernity with tradition."
the approach, renovating an adjacent shop to create a much larger overall space.
www.coef.nl
All photos: Myscha
CRISP SHEETS STARTING-UP WITH A CLEAN SHEET
We’re proud to claim Lara Jans as a graduate of Denham the Jeanmaker.
Jans was the brand's visual merchandiser and once
filled her days creating special displays, window installations and exhibitions in our stores. Her work for us back then was distinguished by a love of our brand, a passion for richly and naturally balanced high and low color tones common to most jean-lovers, and a dedication to trial-and-error in her creative process. While we when she left us, we were very glad when we saw that her new endeavours reflected the same completely authentic aspects of her personality. These days we’re proud we can claim her as “one of ours..” and we’re equally proud to include her new Crisp Sheets concept online and in select Denham stores.
INTERVIEW WITH LARA JANS Founder CRISP SHEETS As a Denham veteran, we would love you to tell a little more about how you first got acquainted with Denham? Somewhere in 2009 I was walking on the canals with a friend and I was just discussing that I was looking for a part time job next to my studies. Literally 1 minute after mentioning that to her I passed the store window of Denham and my -soon- to- be colleague Diego was putting up a ‘wanted staff’ on the window. Such a coincidence! I had already heard about Denham, but had not visited the store yet. So I walked in the store and made a joke; you can take down the add and hire me! There was an instant click and we had a coffee. The store manager who actually had the day off was stopping by for a chat and coffee with his team, yet again a coincidence. He made some time for me and 30 minutes later I was hired! It happened all very natural and it felt a little bit like it was meant to be. Please tell us about your company Crisp Sheets. When and how did it began? It started 2 years ago as a personal quest to find the perfect bed sheets. I had just moved into my new apartment and I spent a lot of time decorating it and finding special items for my interior. The only thing I just couldn’t seem to find were bed sheets that matched my taste. I found
them too simple, not the right quality or just completely unaffordable. I started visualizing how my perfect sheets would look and feel. It didn’t take long before I started working on my own designs and also determining what kind of technique could give that crisp touch to cotton. After finding the right supplier, Crisp Sheets was established. At that time I was still very much enjoying working at Denham as Visual Merchandise Coordinator and was not planning to really start a business but saw it as a side project. However, after launching the first design, CS was picked up by the right press and people and things moved fast. 6 months later I decided to fully commit to Crisp Sheets and with pain in my heart I quit my job and left the Denham family. Where do you get your inspiration? I can get inspired by the most random things; conversations, environments or people. Talking about people.. While I was working at Denham I had the opportunity to work closely with Liam Maher and learn from his creative mind and uncommon vision on things. He took me under his wings when I was a rookie and taught me that the truth is always in the details. This motto still helps me nowadays; whenever I finish a new design I take a step back, look at it critically and ask myself: ‘does everything correspond together?’ Most of the times it’s not quite there yet so I move around some stuff and take another look.. it
always works. This might sound like an obvious thing, but for me it really wasn’t when I first started creating. I can be a dreamer, but when I am very enthusiastic about something that inspires me I can’t wait to visualize new ideas and get started. It can sometimes make me a bit restless and impatient; working in the middle of the night is not uncommon. Strangely enough I am most creative at night; Crisp Sheets also started at night whilst having a jet lag and not being able to sleep. What are the most regularly used tools in your tool-kit? My designs all start with watercolor based sketches, so my toolkit exists of many various brushes, aquarelle paint, sponges, calligraphy pencils and so on. Can you tell us a bit more about the indigo prints in your line? I developed a big love for indigo while working at Denham. I worked with this colour for over 5 years and got to know and appreciate Indigo more and more. There are so many different tones and I find them all equally pretty. Indigo is such a calming but yet expressive colour, for me it’s the one colour that really stands out. So when I first started to make designs for Crisp Sheets it did not take long for me to put some Indigo on paper. My first blue design in bedding is called Weekend Lover (bedding). And in the same collection I made
an indigo postcard range of 4 cards all with dictionary references. I also recently launched a duo tone linen bedding set called Supernova. The blue of this set is a very dark tone of blue; midnight blue. If you could invite an artist into your house, who would it be? I think that would be Karl Lagerfeld. I would love to meet him and find out more about him. I think next to the fact that he is a brilliant designer and visionair (thinking of what he did for Chloe and Chanel) that he also has a big sense of dark, dry humor; something I always appreciate! What have you been working on recently? In April I am launching a new collection of bedding; linen, embroidered pillow cases and four new bedding sets. Very exciting! The thing you’re most proud of .. ? It took me quite some (unfinished) studies and many different jobs to figure out what I actually really love to do. Me, being an autodidact - actually a college drop out :-), but with hard work and being eager to learn from the right people; I have now managed to establish my own business and I am able to do and make what I really love every day.. That’s the thing I am most proud of that makes me very happy!
# D E N H A M # V I R G I N T O V I N TA G E # T H E T R U T H I S I N T H E D E TA I L S # I N D I G O D Y E S T U F F # I TA LY L A U N D R Y # J A PA N A R T I S A N # R I V E T T O D O R O # S C I S S O R F I N G E R S # D E N I M #IFITSNOTINDIGOITSBL ACK # H O U S E G U E S TA R T I S A N # M A D E I N J A PA N # S E R V I C E C O # S T R E T C H # S E LV E D G E #GROLSCH #ACTIVEDENIM #AC TIVERECOVERY #ITSALLABOUTTHEBALANCE # K E E P T H E FA I T H Follow us: Instagram .com/denhamthejeanmaker Facebook.com/denhamthejeanmaker Twitter.com/denhamjeanmaker
Photo Mark Seelen Photo Rin Tanaka
THE JEANMAKER
DENHAM THE JEANMAKER
of high and low fade-tones
Founded
as
in
in
2008,
Amsterdam
DENHAM
established
by
was
Englishman
well
as
layered
three-
dimensional aging processes, Denham’s
‘Virgin-to-Vintage’
and internationally respected
philosophy
celebrates
jeanmaker
Jason
phase
a
Collections
include
Denham. a
of
each
wear-pattern’s
full
journey from ‘virgin’ unwashed
range of styles for men and
dark blue through to authentic
women across both tops and
‘vintage’ replica washes based
bottom categories but the core
on years of real wear.
of the brand is firmly rooted in the premium denim segment.
WORSHIP
TRADITION,
DESTROY CONVENTION THE TRUTH IS IN THE DETAILS
Denham’s seasonal collections
The 5-pocket range expresses
of jackets, knits, shirts and
a refined modernist sensibility
jersey are distinguished by
and features an impressive
their unique use of vintage
array
of
research
and
subtle
signature
details
construction
innovations.
and
their
original
blend of contemporary design refinement
while
always
maintaining a deeply authentic FROM VIRGIN TO VINTAGE Developed with
the
in best
jeans attitude.
collaboration Italian
and
Japanese denim mills, the brand’s real distinction comes from the brand’s dedication to
reproducing
natural
completely
wear-patterns
and
finishing techniques. Focused on producing a careful balance
The Jeanmaker film poster
Jason's grandfathers shop
AN ENGLISHMAN ABROAD PAUL SMITH & JASON DENHAM Anyone who’s read
distinct design and a passion for details. To Jason’s delight,
interviews with Jason might have known that Paul Smith
he recently had the opportunity to revisit the subjects of
has been a long-time inspiration. Jason tells a story about
design and branding with Paul. No longer a student and
how he blagged his way into an unscheduled meeting with
with considerably more experience under his belt, the two
Sir Paul when he was still a young designer seeking sage
Englismen got together in London with Belgian magazine
advice. As Jason tells it, Paul took the meeting despite the
FEELING for a formal interview.
protestations of his secretary who had attempted to thwart Jason’s plans. Ever the gentleman, Paul went on to discuss
See what was said and read the entire article online at
design and brand-guiding with young Denham, treating
www.denhamthejeamaker.com
him with respect and deepening Jason’s resolve to create a brand of his own someday. Flash forward a couple of decades and we’re proud to have stores all over the world and to have earned a reputation for
Publication: FEELING magazine Editor: Michaël de Moor Photography: Liesbet Peremans www.feeling.be
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE F O R A L L T H E L AT E S T N E W S F R O M T H E J E A N M A K E R w w w. d e n h a m t h e j e a n m a k e r. c o m