Newspaper #03 The Balance Issue

November 2015

4

ISSUE

issue #4 the balance issue.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BAL ANCE

IN THIS ISSUE:

BEST OF DÜSSELDORF DENHAM CIT Y GUIDE

SUMMER 16 PREVIEW THE DEVIL'S BLUE

SERVICE CO. NO LONGER A BOYS CLUB

BALANCE & MOVEMENT RECOVERY STRETCH

DE VER AZUL HOUSE GUEST ARTIST #11

NEW STORES LEEDS & AALST

ACTIVE DENIM YOGA INTERVIEW

INTRODUCING..

CAMPAIGN CHINO

VOGUE FASHION'S NIGHT OUT DENHAM SCISSOR PEOPLE

BALANCE & FIT PERFECT FIT

IF IT'S NOT INDIGO.. ..IT'S BLACK

QUEENS OF INSTAGRAM 14 NEW FACES

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

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“ in t he C it y ” BEST OF DÜSSELDORF CIT Y GUIDE

DENHAM STORE HeinrichHeine-Allee 38, Düsseldorf SHOP Manufactum – Steinstraße 4 Located in an old bank, you will find this authentic department store. It offers clothes, furniture and specialises in a wide range of high quality and sustainable household items. These household products are very classical and made of wood. Employees can tell you the history of each of its offered products. It even has an own backery “brot & butter”. Situated between Königsallee and Berliner Allee.

SNEAKER STORE A Few Good Things – Oststraße 36 This store is not a normal sneaker store. As the owners have a background in basketball, they also offer exclusive basketball performance models. Besides a store, it’s also an event location. They host frequently changing exhibitions. The highlight of the store is the green ‘glow-in-the-dark’ floor, which lightens the store during the night. Worth paying a visit, also during the night!

MUSEUM KIT – Kunst im Tunnel – Mannesmannufer 1B The KIT, Kunst im Tunnel art space, displays contemporary art in a concrete tunnel. It is nestled between two traffic tunnels, beneath the Rhine promenade. At ground level houses the KIT café, a place to enjoy a drink or a bite. When sunny, the terrace offers a phenomenal view over the Rhine.

DINNER Bar Olio – Schimmerstraße 54 Brooklyn in Düsseldorf. Delicious dining in Pempelfort, a district slightly outside the city centre. Wait for a table, as you can not reserve one. Popular meeting place for Düsseldorf’s in-crowd. Bohemian ambience devoid of any pretensions. When the weather is nice you can sit outside and enjoy a wine.

BREAKFAST Zimmer no. 01 - Schimmerstraße 61 Definitely worth paying a visit. Best place in town for breakfast or brunch. Nice atmosphere. It is the home of many locals, so a reservation is required during weekends.

ICE CREAM Nordmanns Eisfabrik – Hermannstraße 22a When in Düsseldorf, get some sensationally good homemade ice cream at Nordmanns’. Once a petrol station, they now offer tasty flavours and unusual varieties of ice cream. Located in Flingern, Düsseldorf’s trendy district.

COFFEE Cafe Hüftgold – Ackerstraße 113 Besides a good coffee Cafe Hüftgold is the place to be for those with a love for cakes. You can also lunch here, but it is mostly known for its amazing cakes and tortes; served with good coffee or hot chocolate: Gotta love it!

ART PHENOMENON The Frank O. Gehry Houses – Stromstraße 26 (Hafen) These three contrasting buildings designed by American architect Frank O. Gehry, appears like one gigantic sculpture. The different materials, stainless steel, white plaster and red brick, give each building its own identity. Is considered to be Düsseldorf’s new landmark.

LUNCH NANIWA – Oststraße 55 Small and authentic ramen restaurant, which offers a selection of traditional and unique Japanese dishes.

During lunch it is packed with locals. People are queuing outside, worth waiting for. Best noodle soup ever. Fresh, yummy and full of flavour.

ANTIQUE Wandel Antik – Friedenstraße 62 This generously proportioned 1300 square meters antique and vintage shop in the Bilk neighbourhood, offers a variety of items and unique goods. Even set dressers from Hollywood drop by to find antique items to decorate movie sets. Peruse and explore around!

DÜSSELDORF

DÜSSELDORF HEINRICH-HEINE-ALLEE 38

THE DENHAM RETAIL EXPERIENCE COMES TO DUSSELDORF Located in Düsseldorf’s vibrant Old Town district (Altstadt), Denham’s new Düsseldorf flagship store is situated on the elegant Heinrich-Heine-Allee. It resides in the heart of the area’s elite shopping area adjacent to locally famous fashion destinations as well as international premium and designer brands.

photos: David Kilagöz

The generously proportioned 150 sqm store will feature Denham’s full collection including premium 5-pocket ranges for men and women complimented by seasonal collections of tops; from luxury basics to distinctive shirting, knits, tailoring and outerwear. Alongside the Denham collections the shop will extend the customer-experience with a carefully curated suite of international specialty brands including footwear by The Last Conspiracy of Denmark, bags by Superior Label of Japan and eyewear by Monokol of Sweden.

As with all Denham’s international stores, the new location’s full interior concept was designed and developed by the brand’s in-house creative team combining fresh modern fixating concepts, creative twists on merchandising hanging and hardware systems and the bold deployment of vintage and antique pieces throughout. Signature elements of the shopping experience include an integrated coffee-bar, on-demand handwash service for jeans, a full Service Co. facility offering denim alterations and repair and an innovative 360-degree fitting mirror within a discreet try-on area away from the main selling floor.

BALANCE MOVEMENT & STRETCH ACTIVE RECOVERY DENIM This issue is about balance. People who follow what we've been trying to do since Denham started will be familiar with the idea. Jason Denham is often heard saying it… "It’s all about the balance". Balance is one of these things that can be applied in lots of different areas. And, as if by magic, it's also a thing that unifies lots of different elements.

DURABLE BALANCE Achieving balance can be a painstaking process. Like balancing a coin on it's edge and then slowly moving your hands away to see if it will stay standing. That type of balance doesn't last long. If you want balance to last, you need to keep working at it. Keep putting energy into it. And, above all keep it moving. Like a gyroscope on a string. Incredible balance with incredible stability requires energy and motion.

It's that way with jeans. Constant innovation with yarn suppliers and fabric mills produces the best balance of quality, comfort and dynamic modern stretch and performance.

Unrelenting experimentation, trialand-error and an undying spirit of invention at laundries and finishing houses produces the most naturalistic and well-balanced washes and wearpatterns.

It's that way in life. Life is motion. We want to move with purpose from experience-to-experience. Enriching our own lives and adding depth, dimension and new levels of understanding to our individual worldview. Through this constant forward movement we want to maintain balance. Balance between work and play. Balance between reality and fantasy. Balance between quiet and chaos. Balance between friends and family. Balance between action and reflection. The yin and the yang of modern life.

This November we're launching our new Active denim for women and we've put more effort than ever into balancing fabric, fit and wash to produce our most flattering 5-pocket styles for women. As we undertook "project Yoga" we realized that the balance we aspire to... in our product is simply a natural reflection of the balance our customers are striving for in their lives.

Whether you practice yoga or not, the values celebrated by yoga are universal. As the creators of Denham’s collections, they matter to us - and we imagine they matter a great deal to our customers. "It’s all about the balance".

And on the subject of balance, we've also balanced our offering for women with our offering for men. For men we've refined our Active Recovery Denim as well and when it comes to attaining balance, men and women want similar things.

BALANCE

Y

SECOND SKIN

MILOU DOOIJES & SOFIE OOSTERWA AL

Milou Dooijes speaks briefly with Sofie Oosterwaal about Yoga and jeans that fit right.

Sofie Oosterwaal is a Dutch model who started modelling at the age of 14, after winning an Elite modelling prize leading to international travel from Shanghai to Paris to New York. A respected professional in the industry still based in the Netherlands. Her passion for Yoga made her a natural choice for our new Active Denim campaign.

Milou Dooijes manages PR and marketing events at Denham and has been playing an instrumental role in the development of our image campaigns. During the photo-shoot Milou sat down with Sofie to see how she was handling the demands of the campaign’s art-direction and get her attitudes toward Yoga.

MILOU: What does yoga mean to you?

SOFIE: Yoga, to me, means time to myself. When you get onto the mat it’s all about my practice and how I do it. It’s not even about being flexible - sometime I can reach my toes, and other times I can’t. It’s more about having some time for myself and not about being able to do the split or stretch as far as possible… it’s about every time I leave the studio I’m happy and calm.

MILOU: Hey, and the shoot today was crazy, you did a lot of back-bends and crazy poses… How did it go?

not that during the poses you feel you need to pull them up. Even though we did all the back bends, forward bends and kicking my leg up high and stretching it all the way out, they still felt the same. They didn’t get baggy, not even at the bum. The recovery is amazing. It’s the same as when you put them on. They stretch with you.

But that’s what you want - they don’t overstretch. Sometimes with jeans around you bum they can get loose, but after a whole day of yoga… back bending, forward bending… they still look the same.

MILOU: Cool.

SOFIE: I thought it was amazing.

It was super cool. It was bit of a challenge with the ladders and the water. But the jeans were amazing.

It’s like your second-skin. Everything you do, all the poses, they stretch with you. They don’t get loose; it’s

YOGA INTERVIEW

SKIN TIGHT SLENDERING ANKLE

EASY FLEX KNEE RECOVERY STRETCH

PERFECT CUT ELONGATING LEG

BALANCE & FIT DENHAM MODERN CLASSIC FITS BALANCING STRETCH & SILHOUETTE The dramatic evolution of performance and comfort characteristics in contemporary denim fabrics, provide jean designers with an entirely new platform for silhouette and shape-creation.

Pattern cutting and fit refinement can now be combined to achieve superior performance by maximising fabric-stretch. Which results in dynamic recovery and an incredibly high degree of shape-memory. Made possible by these cutting-edge denim textiles.

THE PERFECT FIT Design can now anticipate specific zones requiring increased flexibility and movement.

While simultaneously providing support and contouring in key areas. Critical pattern measurements and construction approaches work together with these breakthrough fabrics to ensure a flattering fit, which stays comfortable and doesn’t lose its shape over time. This evolution allows us to further leverage our other unique fit-development resources.

PERFECT FIT

FIT & FEEL CAREFUL ALIGNMENT OF PATTERN AND FABRICATION 1. OVER 5 DECADES OF IN-HOUSE FIT DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE 2. CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH ITALY ’S BEST PATTERN MAKERS 3. CAREFUL ALIGNMENT OF PATTERN AND FABRICATION – BOTH RIGID AND STRETCH 4. CONTINUOUS MONITORING AND REFINEMENT OF FIT & FEEL 5. 360-DEGREE FEEDBACK LOOP VIA OWNSTORE OPERATION

This is about Stretch. And Stretch is about movement, comfort and balance. Dynamic high-performance and natural cotton-touch have become the standard for modern denim.

What may have seemed impossible just a few seasons ago is now within reach and the latest premium denim technologies allow blue jeans to combine the same magic blend of strength and flexibility that distinguishes the highest natural aspirations of today’s modern active lifestyle. Technology and fabrication inspired by sports have been harnessed to create new denim and collection ideas that perform in realtime; sliding into a seat on the plane, running to a brainstorming session, moving effortlessly from the studio or office to the café or club.

The beauty of denim is the diversity of treatments that can be achieved in the laundry. We have developed close collaborative relationships with the world’s best denim mills. Weavers like Candiani in Italy select Denham to share their latest innovations because they respect the approach we take transforming their elite raw materials into finished products. Cutting edge

stretch technologies have been painstakingly developed to reproduce the beautiful washes and wear-patterns while also delivering dynamic

stretch for today’s contemporary lifestyle.

High levels of movement and stretch-recovery ensure the final jean continues to look and feel great.

NEW COLLECTION PREVIEW “THE DEVIL’S BLUE” - AN IMAGINARY 70’S ACTION CLASSIC The encounter triggered the design team’s imaginations who went on to envision a 70’s era action film set in South America – A lost movie classic that might have been called; The Devil’s Blue in honour of the region’s association with indigo cultivation.

They created fictional lead characters that might have been played by stars like Steve McQueen and Bridget Bardot and developed the evocative indigo and denim-based wardrobe they would have worn to explore South America “between scenes” during filming.

ACTIVE DENIM & CAMPAIGN CHINO A sense of easy swagger and fast action is the basis for the introduction of Active Denim for men and women. A sun-bleached and jungle-ready character can also be felt in the most recent range of Campaign Chino which has evolved to feature the washings, wear-patterns and vintage replica finishing techniques for which Denham is renowned.

THE COLLECTION FOR MEN South American art of the 70s like the circleobsessed motifs of Eduardo McIntyre has been integrated into overlapping radial construction techniques across men’s jackets, knits, jersey and shirting. Rugged

modern utility fabrics like stretch chino and camel leather have been subjected to garment-dye, tumbling and other laundry effects to produce “broken-in modern” tops that effortlessly compliment Denham’s 5-pocket styles.

Fabrics for the collection have been specially developed and selected for their natural fibres. These bio fibre compositions have been chosen for their breathable, biodegradable, naturally anti-bacterial and anti-allergy properties.

THE COLLECTION FOR WOMEN The collection for Women has been inspired by 1970’s silhouettes combined with utilitarian menswear, captured with a modern ease and feminine spirit. Parallel to this, and equally inspiring is the wardrobe of 20th century film sirens including Lauren Bacall, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot. Classic silhouettes such as the trench have been revisited in laundered Japanese gabardine, and the 1940’s Marilyn Monroe wrap coat, that has been shortened and revived in herringbone selvedge indigo.

Soft jerseys and cupros have taken a nod to the work of American fashion designer Halston, who rose to fame in the 1970’s mixed together with the iconic dress silhouettes of Twiggy in the mid to late 60’s.

SUMMER 2016

Denham directly.

BAL ANCE AND MOTION How do you balance the process in your paintings when talking about technique?

It’s like what Ernst Gombrich says: “there is nothing wrong if we feel delighted when we see the picture of a landscape because it reminds us of our house, or a portrait because it remind us of a friend, since we are human, when we see an art work we are submitted to the memory of multiple things that for better or worse have influence on our tastes”. We involve in a technical way all that we see as a pure and passionate form of painting, and we also use drawings as well; all balanced in every textile process we got immersed in this Denham project.

The creative impulse that inspired Denham’s latest Spring collection began when the label’s designers first met Columbian artist Juan Manual Gomez. Gomez and his wife, Laura Montoya combine a proud South American sensibility with a boundless passion for indigo to create unique denim-oriented fine art.

w ww.deverazul.com arualmontoya.blogspot.com.co Q&A WITH JUAN MANUEL GOMEZ You are a highly regarded artist working primarily with denim. When or where did your connection with denim begin? And why do you work in this medium?

I’m Juan Manuel Gomez, with Laura Montoya we began the co-lab Project: “deverazul” (seeing blue) 2 years ago. I started working in the Denim laundry industry 11 years ago in two traditional companies (PelcoProintex) while studying Fine Arts at the University of Antioquia. The laundry showed me a wide painterly and technical frame that I had not explored. I assumed Denim’s richness and nobility as a virgin canvas that I intervened and transgressed just as I did on my drawings and collages on paper. I treat every jean that I process in the laundry respectfully and try to find the balance between a good wash and a good feeling. Although it is a challenging situation in discovery I find a painterly inspiration while the fabric transforms and mutate into garments.

How important is creative collaboration to your process?

Different people are required to make a jean; maybe 8 persons or

more can be involved. To produce our artwork all those that belong to our work participate –laser designer, ozone operator, dry process operator, wet operator and hand dye operator.

They all help us develop our ideas, starting with the technical and chemical aspects in each process.

Since we work by layers it has to be a collaborative and creative effort, in the same way a jean is produced, but without sacrificing our artistic language and not leaving behind the sustainable process.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Our education as artists and my professional contact with the laundry made us sensible enough to see the whole process of washing fabrics not just in a technical way but as a painterly experience. It’s all about giving a new meaning to this action, understanding it as an aesthetic process from where each artwork is born. There is also the influence of nature, which comes from every trip from Medellín to Donmatías (Bluetown), looking at the vegetation through a blue filter in our eyes and mind What are the most regularly used tools in your tool-kit?

Motortool / laser / indigo dye splashes / spray-gun / sandpaper / cotton pens for drawing with pigments

What have you been working on recently?

We have been working on a threedimensional denim object where we make use of Italian Candiani fabric and recycled elements from the laundry. We are also discussing a conceptual catwalk in collaboration with a Japanese stylist that connects with our vision of denim-art.

PROJECT AFFIRMATIONS

Would you describe the technical process of creating your art as reaction paintings? (as Jackson Pollock described his?)

Not properly, not in the whole sense.

There is a mix of two aspects, each one expresses its own vision: from storm to calm. I (Juan Manuel) prefer an expressive approach, using accidental painting while Laura, in a more delicate way, with her drawings and her lines running through the denim as if it was a bestiary.

You and your wife have a very balanced way of looking to the world. Is this Columbian life?

In Colombia we are a combination of happiness, kindness and our desire to succeed, in contrast to the life of previous years. Now we try to balance our world view and how other countries look at us.

If you could invite an artist into your house who would it be?

We would love to invite Wim Wenders and William Kentridge to have a party in our house, and to explore our country, and to propose to them the possibility of doing a movie or a documentary together.

How did you first become acquainted with Denham?

We found Denham first on the internet. It was like a myth, to know the brand with the scissors as symbol, and highly detailed graphics and clothing. About a year ago we had the chance to visit Berlin’s Bread and Butter fair. There we were able to see one of your collections and we knew about the House Guest Artist projects and how artists were invited to take part in the collections. Being excited about this opportunity we took the risk by showing our portfolio to Jason

was founded 28 years ago, our main activity is finishing jean garments.

We have a very passionate team that takes care of every detail on the whole process. Most of the people in town are jeanmakers: You can find things like houses with two sewing machines in their living room, or see guys on the streets carrying dozens of jeans on their shoulders. It’s a place surrounded by mountains of an intense green, contrasted by dairy cows on the hills. People there are very enthusiastic and breathe fresh air coming from the beautiful green of the mountains and the magnificent blue of the sky, that’s why we called Donmatías “Lugar Azul” (Blue Town)

Please tell us something about Blue Town denim laundry, the place you work?

Donmatías is a small town just one hour from Medellín, since the 60s the main activity in the town is the jeans manufacturing and laundry, working for different local brands and some international ones. Both Medellín and Don Matias have been recognized as the most important places for the Denim Industry in Colombia.

Prointex, the laundry where I work,

“While the gift to “see blue” connected us, a juicy late-night burger united us in this journey. A magnetic attraction born out of a shared vision for the infinite hues and shades of Indigo on a three by one cotton canvas. Laura and Juan Manuel not only use Candiani Denim as canvas but they interact with its nature. They bring our fabric alive by skilfully feeding off various Denim washing techniques. The talented use and experimentation of industrial laundry processes drawn by their artistic sensitivity generates unique intensities and depths redefining uniquely what in the beginning was “only” Denim. Laura and Juan Manuel exercise the inspiring ability to combine creativity with technical proficiency... and we love it.”

Simon Giuliani Candiani S.p.A., Marketing Manager

...De ver azul (On seeing blue) combines the labour —labour and elaboration— (deber in Spanish) and the act of seeing (in Spanish, ver) —looking, finding, and also imagining—. Rubbing, engraving, marking, dipping, disassembling, bleaching, blocking, inking, dyeing, printmaking and working with laser, they reveal and create an amazing world of blue hues on denim and visual and tactile variations, that cohabit with different forms representing the elements that have left a mark in their lives: residues of the past, impressions of lost shadows and future extinctions, traces of creatures and imaginary worlds... These series of works invoke the infinity of possibilities that textile processes treasure for the arts and the permanence of denim over three centuries since its invention and continued reinvention. They are also a reflection of the historical use of colour blue in art in its ability to create windows to other worlds beyond ours.

Viviana Palacio

DE VER AZUL

LONG RANGE UTILITY ‘LONG WEARING FABRICS FOR LONG RANGE UTILIT Y ’ This season we’re launching a totally new concept for Denham. Campaign Chino.

When we arranged our Denham Garment Library archives, we set aside an entire section for military trousers, khakis and chinos. This year we’ve looked more closely at this inspiration and the history and spirit of chino than ever before. We chose the name “campaign” in honour of the travel the name implies. A campaign that moves across regions delivering a message but also absorbing local influences.

travel and its roots are in vintage military design. Transforming these inspirations into something unreservedly modern, meant developing new contemporary fits and integrating cutting-edge stretch blends into cool comfortable cotton qualities.

The result includes new variations of favourite cuts like the Razor as well as the introduction of new fits like the London and the Tokyo. For women the initiative resulted in new options in the Spray and Point as well as the introduction of the new Cruise.

Like famously ingenious “campaign furniture” allowing officer’s tents to feature and provide the same creature comforts in the field as they’d have enjoyed back home. Campaign is about smart, utility

CAMPAIGN CHINO

DENHAM x 2501 x ADE EXHIBITION & VIDEO PREMIER During the month of October Denham celebrates ‘BLACK’.

Denham has always advocated black: black jeans; garment-dyes; monochromatic artworks. Black has been central to the brand from the start – expressed through the strap-line ‘IF IT ’S NOT INDIGO, IT ’S BLACK.’

Denham commissioned House Guest Artist ‘2501’ to produce an original video-artwork exploring the inspirations that motivate his work. Denham’s unique Showcase Store on the corner of Prinsengracht 531 was transformed in to a temporary exhibition showcasing 2501’s new video, along with artworks demonstrating his unique style.

Denham’s home market Amsterdam plays host to the Amsterdam Dance Event. The ADE is an explosion of musical creativity and artistic expression hosted at multiple locations across the city. This nocturnal, electronic dance event is the best time to bring together the various expressions and explorations of ‘IF IT ’S NOT INDIGO, IT ’S BLACK.’

WORKSHOP ‘DIP-DYE YOUR JEANS BLACK’ AT DENHAM | Alongside the exhibition Denham hosted a live dip-dye event.

Denham offered all the ADE participants to join for a workshop to ‘Dip-dye your jeans Black’.

EXHIBITION & VIDEO PREMIER | HOUSE GUEST ARTIST ‘2501’ | To celebrate ADE,

DENHAM CELEBRATES ADE | DJ PATRICE BAUMEL| To celebrate ADE and the release of our latest House Guest Artist collaboration, Denham invited internationally respected DJ Patrice Baumel to create a musical interpretation of 2501’s fluid artwork. Produced with a 4 hour DJ set in our new Prinsengracht location. Packed to the rafters. Patrice brought the House down.

BLACK TO BLACK

All photos: Melanie Lieftink

Where do you get your inspiration?

Lots of things, modern art, travelling, movies.

In general, when I see something that touches me deeply because of its beauty, inventiveness, courage or boldness, that’s when the wheels start turning.

PAT R I C E B A U M E L w ww.facebook.com/patrice.baumel w ww.soundcloud.com/patrice-baumel Q&A – PATRICK BAUMEL You are a widely known and respected DJ / producer; what creative concepts have you been focusing on most recently?

As plain as it sounds, I have been focusing mostly on having fun - in the studio, on the dance floor, in life. I was coming out of a really brainy, conceptual phase but at some point I was missing the love and joy that dance music should never lose. I decided to concentrate more on connecting people and spreading good energy. Making music that helps me with that.

How important is creative collaboration to your process?

I am a loner at heart and love working alone. I need the solitude to feel free to make mistakes, to try things that probably won’t work. But I really enjoy taking some else’s ideas and reinterpreting them - it’s a wonderful starting point for more ideas.

That’s why I love remixing for instance. As long as there is physical separation with my collaborators I find it stimulating, a ping-pong of minds.

What are the most regularly used tools in your toolkit?

I love sampling, and Ableton Live is the best overall sampling package there is. Sampling realworld sounds and twisting and wrestling them into something completely different, that’s my thing.

The results are always unpredictable, randomness is a big part of my box of tricks.

If you could invite an artist into your house who would it be?

The painter Gerhard Richter.

How did you first become acquainted with Denham / How did your relationship to the brand evolve?

I was having a dinner conversation with a friend of mine about jeans and I told him that I love it when jeans feel really thick and indestructible. He walked into his bedroom and returned with a pair of beat-up Denham’s. “You mean like this?”. I have been to the store since and the whole men’s range resonates with my sense of style - masculine, free of bullshit, high quality materials and understated enough to not be a one-season fashion item. I don’t care about fashion much, but I love quality things. Not just clothes, also studio equipment or any other appliance around the house. Life is so much better when you surround yourself with just a few quality items instead of a bunch of crap. Buy nice or buy twice.

elements of grafitti. It is dark, smart, free-flowing and elegant - much the same way I like a lot of my music.

What type/sort of music would you associate with the art of 2501?

Something very modern, deep and groovy. Music that is light as a feather and shifting shape like a cloud. This would be a good example: w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=hVEuf7ArNXw Can you give us an insight into your idea for the collaboration?

I will approach it with an open mind, soak up the atmosphere that the visuals, the people and the room provide and amplify that feeling through my music really spontaneously, without too much planning ahead.

The overall theme is “If it’s not indigo it’s black”.

What does the colour black mean to you?

Black is the starting point of every night out.

The club opens, the lights are dark. The musical equivalent for black is silence. It’s an empty canvas. Anything is possible. In that sense, black to me means freedom and home at the same time, because at the end of the night you always return to black. There is also something totally honest about black, we all look the same in the dark. 90% of my clothes are black too.

What would be your signature to the evening?

I want to add a touch of timeless elegance and free-flowing energy to the night.

D E N H A M C E L E B R AT E S A D E How has the the art of 2501 inspired you?

I have actually come across 2501’s murals before on a tour through the Winwood Art District in Miami. I love how it totally abandons any traditional

D J PAT R I C E B A U M E L L I V E S E T P R I N S E N G R AC H T 4 8 9, A M S 15TH OC TOBER 2015

NO LONGER A B OY ’ S C LU B DENHAM SERVICE CO. FOR WOMEN Up to now it might have been the best kept in Denham world. Our Service Co. concept can provide just as much care and support for a girl's journey from "Virgin to Vintage" as it does for the guys.

Women's jeans deserve just as much care and attention as the boys' do and Denham wants to be there walking side-by-side with any jean lover making the journey From Virgin to Vintage.

Maybe it's the chug-a-chug sound of the darning unit or the machine oil staining the fingertips of in-store repair artists like Clinton and Leon that projects such a masculine image. But there's more you can do with the Service Co sewing stations than just the tough stuff. The Amsterdam crew has been experimenting with simple little customizations and subtle alterations on "vintage" Denham jeans brought-in by some of the team here at the Denham HQ. Hand-stitched monograms laid delicately across the key-pocket, careful cuff-release modifications inspired by people like the bloggers at Rebecca Laurey at Raspberry and Rouge or pieces from Madeline Harmon's famous Chuck's Vintage in Los Angeles. The team in our Tokyo store helped a customer transform a favourite Denham skinny in silver-denim from a couple years ago into a groovy new capri-length giving it a whole new life.

“Tear & Repair” is the term used to describe replica vintage effects requiring the highest level of handwork and artisan technique. You can see brilliant examples of it across our denim range for both men and women. Each season we work with Italy’s best laundry and finishing houses to reproduce moments in the life of a jean that evoke character and individuality. So naturally we’re also excited to work on these kinds of techniques for customers intent on maintaining the jeans and wearing them straight-through as they soften, age and personalise over time.

There are countless ways to execute repairs.

Patching, back-patching, machine-darning, basting, embroidering, cross-stitching, piecing-in, step stitching and often a simple unpretentious hand stitch is just the ticket to record a bit of real-life and express a little individuality.

SERVICE CO.

SLOW MOTION NO ORDINARY PAIR OF SCISSORS Pure and timeless raw materials, yet bold contemporary designs “When you think of Denham you immediately think of the scissor logo” that’s the message that we wanted to capture in this second collaboration with the Dutch jewellery brand OCEAN REPUBLIC. Our quest was to bring the DENHAM logo to life and Sophie has painstakingly spent the last two years making this possible.

“The hardest part of the process was to visualise the existing logo in 3D. With a sketch you can make a good interpretation, connecting every line with your pencil; but when you start translating the sketch to a 3D computer program you’ll find out that some lines can’t be connected”.

the 3D printed scissors by hand, the material was very hard and the dimensions very small.

Unsuccessful in using the 3D printing process, Sophie went to Indonesia to meet suppliers who are the best in craftsmanship.

They could perfectly make two separate blades of wax by copying our first sketches and masters.

With the lost wax method, 2 negative moulds were made that we now use for this limited series.

“The process took effort, patience and skill, but after all the Denham scissors are no ordinary pair of scissors”.

Each pair of scissors in this limited collection are signed, numbered and dated by Sophie.

We started by making a rough 3D printed scissor that could be used as a master for making a mould. It was hard to shape

OCEAN REPUBLIC

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A N A C C E S S O RY TO MUSIC LEATHER GROUPIES

Musician, songwriter and FINK frontman, Fin Greenall has been part of our extended family for a couple of years now. He helped us out with our look book last year and the band members often wear Denham on stage and on tour. They’ve also been using our belts and belt accessories. They are getting a lot of miles out of items like the full grain leather WALLET LEASH. Fin reached out last month with the idea of using our belts and belt accessories to upgrade the conventional “back stage pass” concept; an ugly plastic laminated card on a cheap polyester cord. Fin made the very good point that these passes become an everyday accessory for the band and crew while they’re on tour, they might as well be cool. We were excited to hear.

When we designed and engineered our leather goods collection, we based each design on smart little details we discovered in vintage military fairs.

Our RULE LANYARD belt features a unique “Sam Browne” strapattachment with a small D-ring. This feature is removable, but when it’s in use it slides easily through belt-loops and hold security to the belt from the backside, providing a practical solution to clip key-chains or wallet leashes. We also developed items like the ARMEE

and JOEP clip that can be used together or separately to suit endless functional and styling preferences.

Fin asked us to create a bespoke lasere n g r a v e d leather “pass” to add to our existing program, so he, the band and the crew could have an alternative to ordinary laminate versions. Our friends at Ecco Leather Open Circle Lab helped us out with the laser part, and we were able get a package to the band right away.

After receiving these, we received word from Fin saying; “Lanyards going down a treat - watching each band member try and work out their individual technique with it, was like a natural history study ;) as it’s on your person for months it’s crucial to get it right …”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Seriously. That’s exactly why we developed the program the way we did. To offer easy individualisation and an opportunity to “get it right…”

FINK ON TOUR

DENHAM LEEDS UK FLAGSHIP STORE 143 BRIGGATE, LEEDS DENHAM OPENS FIRST FLAGSHIP STORE IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND On July 30th Amsterdam premium denim label Denham officially opened the brand’s first Leeds location in the heart of city’s thriving Briggate retail district.

The new shop stands directly in front of the Trinity Centre and adjacent to local style institutions including Harvey Nichols and Accent. The 150sqm retail concept spans two selling floors creating platforms for the Denham’s signature 5-pocket denim ranges, signature essentials, indigo basics as well as full seasonal collections for both men and women. Created by Denham’s in-house design team, the interior atmosphere and decorating ethos of the new shop represents a natural extension of the label’s distinct

retail concept with established outposts in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Sydney, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya. Unique features include a careful balance of modern and vintage materials and fixtures including reclaimed wood cladding, large-format light boxes and hybrid scissor-bracket garment displays.

“As an Englishman, I’m proud to open our first flagship store in the North of England. Leeds is the fastest growing city in the UK and we’re very confident that our brand will connect with the Leeds customer.” JASON DENHAM PRIVATE WARDROBE The shop also extends Denham’s “Private Wardrobe” service. Premièred originally within the Amsterdam flagship, this concept provides a fully dedicated and completely discrete shopping and try-on environment away from the main shop floor for private use during special events or by individual appointment.

LEEDS. UK

DENHAM AALST RETAIL EXPERIENCE COMES TO AALST, BELGIUM Amsterdam-based DENHAM opened its second stand-alone shop in Belgium on the charming cobblestone walking street of the Sint Jorisstraat 7 in Aalst. Opened in partnership with Groep Alain Broekaert/G.A.B, the sun-drenched 70sqm shop is a showcase for Denham’s full range for both men and women. As always, the heart of the presentation represents a focus on the brand’s signature assortment of 5-pocket denim styles in modern fits and a wide array of popular washes. Shop staff at the new location also have extensive experience matching customers to a perfect fitting, perfect feeling and coolest looking jean.

Together with the 5-pocket programs, Denham offers premium casual essentials developed specially to compliment the denim including; oxford, chambray and jean shirts,

sweat and jersey separates, laid-back tops, modern-classic jackets, tailoring and outwear - all featuring Denham’s modern design sensibility and unique styling details. Also on offer are special editions from longtime Denham collaborators; The Last Conspiracy footwear and Converse.

SIGNATURE DENHAM ATMOSPHERE Developed by Denham’s in-house design team, the store’s décor celebrates a dynamic contrast between the old and new. Wood, flagstone and indigocarpeted floors are lit via a peaked glass inner arcade. Integrated within an overall clean, bright and modern space original details include bespoke surfacing crafted from reclaimed American yard-sticks, a vintage scissor collection featuring museum-quality antique tailor’s shears from around the world, denim-draped fitting rooms as well a primary display of Denham’s most popular cuts presented on modified scissors alongside the most popular washes displayed on adapted laundry-faucets. Throughout the shop Denham’s design ethos worshipping tradition while destroying convention is on show in both the collection and the interior-design.

DENHAM COFFEE Like other Denham flagship locations, the new Aalst location also boasts a fully equipped in-house Denham coffee bar with access to a private garden terrace.

AALST. BE

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VOGUE SCISSOR

VOGUE FASHION’S NIGHT OUT. AMSTERDAM; DÜSSELDORF & TOKYO

The DENHAM SCISSOR PEOPLE: A series of collectable characters that pay homage to our iconic DENHAM scissor. These fun loving fictional characters are hand-painted and appear in limited edition twice a year.

Exclusively for the Vogue Fashion’s Night Out, Marianne Fay, Head of Women’s Design, designed a limited edition VOGUE ‘SCISSOR PEOPLE’ character tee which was sold during the Vogue Fashion’s Night Out in the DENHAM Amsterdam; Düsseldorf and Tokyo Stores.

VOGUE : FASHION

QUEENS OF INSTAGRAM DENHAM X DAILY MOVEMENT We partnered up with Dutch blogger Roï Elmaliah from Daily-movement and his first ‘Queens of Instagram’ project where he photographed 14 new faces; Dutch models and Queens of instagram. Denham dressed all the Dutchies and Models; the Queens of Instagram are wearing the ultimate high rise skinny fit ‘Needle’ and the ‘Sharp’ tight fit with the Tantia Tank.

DAILYMOVEMENT

# 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 #AC TIVEDENIM #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

‘COMING OF AGE ’ On the journey from V I R G I N T O V I N TA G E

THE JOURNEY FROM VIRGIN TO VINTAGE DENHAM’s first official denim campaign centers on the topic of a journey from Virgin to Vintage. The transformation of denim from a pure, untouched virgin state through countless stages of softening, ripening, fading and breaking-in is not just a story about blue jeans. It’s a celebration of individual experience.

The journey from Virgin to Vintage is the road from innocence to experience with milestones marked by powerful and sublime moments that transform, strengthen and beautify the people who wear denim.

Denham worked with Dutch photographer Marc Haers to create a new series of narrative images that trace this journey by evoking its universal milestones. Each impression documents the transformation of denim itself; from modernist virgin jeans to the epoch of Italian denim finishing.

Each image also draws on a simple blend of symbols associated with the gathering of life-experience as well as the enrichment of the spirit.

MAKE A COMMITMENT

BLUE HANDS When Jason Denham started the company he resolved to arrange things so that he could “have blue hands as often as possible” – referring to the inspiration and satisfaction he feels when he works directly with denim mills and premium laundry facilities. Whether it’s blue hands or other physical proofs of commitment, it is the externalization of the internal that constitutes the most powerful symbolism.

THE TALISMAN Whether a scissor, a token from a loved-one, a religious icon, an heirloom or something selfmade, a personal talisman universally signifies focus, commitment and a basic connection with something outside yourself.

THE LADDER An unpretentious symbol of ascension and upward progress, the ordinary ladder can be seen in the photography of William Henry Fox Talbot, Irving Penn and others. Its divine version appears in carvings, paintings and etchings of Jacob’s Ladder from antiquity and more recently the work of Banksy.

RAIN The symbolism of a powerful rain and its message of cleansing, renewal and re-birth is maybe the most universal of all. From The Who, Zeppelin, The Beatles, Prince and the Eurythmics to religious depictions of great storms and floods.

Not to mention dream theory and the implication of a heightened state of renewal awareness and contentment.

STILL WATER A practical and symbolic source of “reflection”, the calming meditative quality of still water is celebrated across cultures, from the ancient Greeks to Christian traditions, from Zen Buddhism to the New Age.

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