DenimHunt

The Most Expensive Jeans in the World?

Remember Tom Ford and the $990 jeans? Okay, now remember how you felt when you read about them? If you're eyes bulged like ours did then prepare for them to fall right out of your head. New luxury brand Key Closet just made Tom Ford's jeans yesterday's news. 

A growing luxury brand, Key Closet has attracted such clients as Lady GaGa, Jamie Foxx, and Omarion. As part of their most recent collection, they have created a pair of hand-made, one-of-a-kind jeans that are covered in 1309 stones, including real diamonds. The jeans retail at a whopping £7000 ($10,000). Talk about thumbing your nose at the economy. 

Key Closet can be purchased online or in key independent stores.

Blogs to Watch: Denim Geek

It's been awhile since we've added a new blog to our list of Blogs to Watch but that goes to show you that we just don't add anybody. Our latest addition is a new kid on the block called Denim Geek. Denim Geek focuses on regularly updating its readers on the latest premium brands as well as some of our old favorites. Make sure you check them out. 

WWD Discusses Denim and the Environment

Replay's Just Add Water collection produced using Clariant International's dyeing technique 

There was an interesting article in WWD recently titled "Denim Makers Adopt Eco-Friendly Methods". In the article, author Ross Tucker discusses the impact that denim production has on the environment and the techniques some companies are developing in order to minimize that impact. The most common technique with the highest consumer awareness is the use of organic cotton, but it "does little to change [the] numbers," according to the author. It's a worthy cause to purchase denim using cotton grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, but its important for those purchasing it to understand that truly organic cotton is a low-yield crop and can't support the world's demand for denim. But all is not lost. Some of the other techniques mentioned are very promising.

Chemical company Clariant International's new dyeing agent, developed in conjuntion with Replay, decreases the amount of trips to the vat by more than half. Laser technology, around for some time, has advanced to a point where a pair of ripped and aged vintage jeans can be scanned to reproduce an exact replica. Even more impactful is the industrial washing machine, the G2, that produces various shades of denim using air technology as opposed to water and chemicals. According to the article, Jeanologia, the owner of the G2, estimates that if every company were to adopt their machine, the amount of water saved could supply the entire country of Spain with clean drinking water for 8 months. Wow!

Another technique mentioned was blending denim, which is primarily made of cotton, with 25% Tencel. For those that don't know, Tencel is a fiber produced by the eucalyptus tree. Lenzing Fibers, the producers of Tencel theorize that by using 25% Tencel, the acreage and water used to grow the cotton plant will be reduced by a proportionate 25%. This is a bit of a head scratcher because wouldn't the water and acreage used to grow the cotton be replaced by the eucalyptus tree? And besides, we prefer denim to be as close to 100% cotton as possible.

Whatever the method, within the apparel/fashion industry the focus is primarily on aesthetic, so it's a relief to know that the companies behind the scenes are doing what they can to protect the environment. 

A portion of this informative and insightful article is posted below, but read it in it's entirety on WWD.com

Jeanologia's G2 Industrial Washing Machine

Brands seeking to improve their environmental credentials can look beyond the use of organic cotton to a range of new products and technologies that lower the levels of chemicals, water and energy needed to manufacture denim. 

Although the denim industry has long been known to be resource intensive, a full picture wasn’t known publicly until Levi Strauss & Co. shared results of its life cycle assessment on what went into making one pair of its iconic Levi’s 501 style. 

Examining the 2006 production year for jeans headed to the U.S. market, Levi’s found that making one pair of 501s required almost 920 gallons of water, 400 megajoules of energy and expelled 32 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Levi’s said this was equivalent to running a garden hose for 106 minutes, driving 78 miles and powering a computer for 556 hours. 

Celebs Love AG-ed Jeans

Celebs have been spotted about town and in the fashion rags sporting Adriano Goldschmeid's AG-ed Jeans. While Jessica Alba and Tori Spelling ran errands in them, Emmanuelle Chriqui wore them to a special event. Cameron Diaz and Taylor Swift chose to go glam in Marie Claire and Glamour Magazines. Gotta love the versatility. 

2009 is The United Nations International Year of Natural Fibres

 

Did you know that 2009 is the United Nations International Year of Natural Fibres? Until recently, we have to admit, we didn't know either, but we are happy to report on it no matter how late because this is a topic that could have an impact on the denim industry. Many people don't know that denim is made almost entirely of cotton. There are some blends that allow for stretch or are used for short-lived novelty purposes, but essentially denim is a cotton product. And guess what? Cotton is a natural fibre. For those that aren't sure what a natural fibre is, they are fibres that are obtained naturally through plants (cotton, jute and hemp) or animals (wool, silk and cashmere). 

The goal of the United Nations initiative is to raise global awareness of the importance of natural fibres both environmentally and  economically. Natural fibres have been around since the dawn of civilization, however, according to the UN, they have been displaced over the past 50 years due to the increased use of synthetic (man-made) fibres such as acrylic, nylon and polyester. The competition with synthetic fibres combined with the current global economic crisis has impacted millions of people, specifically developing countries where the production of natural fibres is essential to their livelihoods. This includes people in the cotton belt of West and Central Africa, Jute farmers in South Asia, and silk workers in China. 

By bringing attention to the benefits of natural fibres, the UN hopes to increase demand, thereby combating hunger and poverty through economic growth. When you look at it that way it seems there can be no more responsible choice than to buy natural fibres. 

Sometimes it is hard for us to look beyond the aesthetics of fashion and recognize the impact, good or bad, that our purchases have beyond our closets. Therefore, we at DenimHunt encourage  all of our readers to read up and sound off on this noble cause.

Alanis Morissette and Woody Harrelson Create Eco-Friendly Jeans

90's celebs, and unlikely duo, Alanis Morissette and Woody Harrelson have teamed up to create a line of jeans that are environmentally friendly. The line, called Reco Jeans, are produced using recycled denim, but get this You will determine the price...sort of. In order to determine what potential customers will pay for the jeans, they're holding a Dutch Auction. Customers will bid on the jeans and then the information will be used to determine what people are willing to pay. As an incentive 300 box sets (jeans and IPod case) will be given to the bidders that come closest to the average bid. 

Bastille Day in Brooklyn

Revelers came out in full force for Brooklyn's own Bastille Day celebration on Smith Street. The event started at 12p and ended at 10p with event-goers enjoying a festival that celebrated the French equivalent of the 4th of July. For several blocks, Smith Street was miraculously transformed into a sandbox with multiple petanque courts set up for a tournament that included over 80 participants. On a small section that wasn't covered with sand, a skateboarding competition was held featuring some high-flying, fearless teenagers. Overall, it was a day filled with great music, great food and great denim-trends. 

Ripped/torn jeans and cuffing was to be expected but was made extra edgy in extreme widths. Knee length cutoffs were prevalent on men and women as well as denim onesies and dresses. Suspenders added a uniquely euro-flavor and colored denim made an appearance. 

join DenimHunt on Facebook to see the rest of the photos from the event. 

Link It Up!

Silver Jeans Introduces new men's label [WWD]

New York is the world's third most stylish city [Forbes]

Kanye West's sneakers for Louis Vuitton already sold out [New York Mag]

Cheap Monday Spring/Summer 2010 Catalogue - First Look

Okay so we're good. Not only did we give you images from the Cheap Monday Spring/Summer 2010 runway show, but we are also giving you a first look at their Spring/Summer 2010 catalogue which includes menswear. Keep an eye on Coutie.com for the collection when it becomes available. Did we say we're good?

Denim on the Runway: Cheap Monday

Earlier this year Ann-Sophie Back became creative director at Cheap Monday and now we get to see the results of that pairing in Cheap Mondays Spring/Summer 2010 collection. Although not directly responsible for denim, she does have the role of creating a stronger identity for the brand. From her namesake collection, we already knew that Back likes to destroy denim, so it was no surprise to see jeans that were hanging on by a thread. What interested us the most was the layering upon layering of denim 80's hobo style and it just gets more interesting as the eye goes down. Notice the denim 'leg warmers' in all their frayed and bleached out glory, but it doesn't end there. Drop the eyes even lower and we have denim gladiators that manage to be just as frayed and destroyed as the denim above. We declare, Success!