VINTAGE JEANS/ A timeless trend

Hi Guys i'm highlighting a selection of inspirational pieces from the my pinterest board, vintage clothing and workwear archive. Pieces have been chosen for their inspirational detailing, material composition or unusual look, and are all relevant to denim and its related industries.

KEY TRENDS

• Main themes for die-hard vintage fans include retro-kitsch looks that replicate the fashions seen in 1940s-50s North America, with varsity, rockabilly and Western styling
• Southwestern garments re-emerge as a detail and pattern trend. When teamed with a mix of influences, including vintage varsity, workwear and military garments, they sit in line with new look, updating retro denim styling
• Original workwear remains a staple trend with vintage enthusiasts and purple indigo denim shades provide a colour update, seen in unisex work garments in faded twill and herringbone fabrics

Seven senses :The Handwoven Denim

THE HERITAGE

– Craftsmanship is the quality and expertise of design in products made by hands –

India is home to the world’s most hand-skilled artisans and has a rich textile heritage. The diversity of India’s textile crafts ranges from natural dyeing through hand embroidery to block printing. One of these indigenous techniques is the mastery of India’s traditional “Khadi” fabric.

Traditional Khadi is hand-spun and hand-woven – a human process in which all senses work together. The quality difference of a thread that is formed between two finger tips epitomises a fabric’s unique character and identity. Khadi fabric can be recognised and distinguished from the uniform look of machine-made fabric by its irregularity in the warp and/ or weft; a characteristic effect resulted from the artistry of hand-spinning. Apart from its rich texture and striking simplicity, Khadi has a fascinating story –  it was central to Gandhi’s movement in the early 1920’s when a social & financial empowerment movement was begun by re-introducing the Khadi tradition in India.

THE VALUE OF TIME

The craftsmanship of hand-spinning happens in villages in North India where a few hundred artisans are involved in the process, majority of whom are women. Yarns are hand-spun and hand-crafted on box Chakras as well as NCK Chakras. Counts vary from 200 to 25, and 2 ply to 8 ply. Artisans who are skilled in hand-weaving live in villages in West Bengal and Bihar, which around 10-30 weavers and 1 master weaver are involved in the process. Weaving is performed on pit looms and constructions can vary from 1×1, 2×1, and 3×1, with weights from 3 oz to 17 oz.

The art and craft of hand-dyed natural Indigo Denim is an intense process

where hanks need to be dipped several times to define the right colour shades.

Those who experience hand-dyed Denim understands the difference

through the slow but much more beautiful fade.

A minimum of 10 spinners are required to support a single hand-operated loom.

64,000 meters of yarn needs to be spun for 3 meters of fabric.

It takes 1 to 2 days for the threading of the loom.

9 hours of hand weaving on a wooden loom equals 2 meters of selvedge denim fabric.

As a final step, finishing of the fabric is done in Bhagalpur. The fabric is first washed with natural soap nuts, after which the fabric can be finished in different ways by 3 skilled artisans:

‘Loom-state one dip’: the fabric is soaked for one night in water.

‘Calendered’: the fabric passes through two steel rolls.

‘Kundi’: is a traditional Indian method where the fabric is hammered meter by meter with a wooden mace.

To highlight the cultural and historical identity of our Social Chain,

we offer upon request silver or golden recycled Zari threads that can be woven into the selvedge of our denim fabrics.

Such human process puts a limit on production capacity, but at the same time enhances the exclusivity of every meter of the fabric. With its rich texture and personality, Seven Senses Handwoven Denim fabrics have delicate detailing and are unique for human touch.

http://www.sevensensesfabrics.com/

Alec Wagner - Womens-japanese-selvedge-denim-shirts.

About this project

Premium selvedge denim and chambray shirts for women at a reasonable price, this is the project that is near and dear to us. 

5.5 oz. Selvedge Chambray Workshirt

Selvedge Chambray Workshirt

7.5 oz. Denim Western Shirt

Denim Western Shirt

 The Details:

Chambray Collar

Front Chambray Placket

Chambray Cuff and Side Gusset

Denim Collar

Mother of Pearl Buttons

Denim Cuff

The Alec Wågner Tote!

Risks and challenges

We have a passion and love for well made selvedge denim; we're fascinated by its enriched history that it holds, its timeless style, and its ability to hold up to years of wash and wear.   

Alec Wågner began with a simple realization; premium selvedge denim shirting for women at a reasonable cost was almost non-existent. We were frustrated! There are endless options for men at all price ranges but not for women. That's why we've created perfectly tailored shirts from the finest Japanese selvedge fabrics. We've worked hard on the fit so that it flatters a woman's figure but keeps the classic look and structure of a vintage shirt.

Some technical tid bits:

Our selvedge denim and chambray shirts are made from sanforized (pre-shrunk) fabric. We've also rinse washed them at our factory to ensure that they will not shrink when you wash them at home  Both shirts are sewn using 13 SPI (stitches per inch) to ensure the seams will stay together for years to come. With that high of an SPI you won't have to worry about seams unraveling, we've made these shirts to last.                                                                                                 

The denim shirt is made from a 7.5oz, 2x1 right hand twill from the Japanese Mill Kuroki.

The chambray shirt is made from a 5.5oz plain weave from the Japanese Mill Kuroki 

 The Funds: All money raised will go to production of our first line of shirts. All our fabrics, buttons, threads, labels, hangtags, and factories are lined up and ready to go.  All we need is the capital to get started.

Once funded, we will be able to expand our line in to multiple fits and washes.  Eventually we will offer a full line of affordable premium denim apparel for women.

Risks & Challenges:

With any apparel production endeavor there is always a risk of quality control and delays.

We've mitigated these risks by completing every step of the design process ourselves, along with ensuring we've picked the most reputable mills and factories the world has to offer. We've made all our sample shirts, had them shipped, and wear tested to ensure the best quality.

Between our seven years of apparel design and production experience in high end denim companies, we are ready to tackle any issue production might throw our way.

Denim Lovers & Jeans admirers, do support this promising project at kickstarter.com 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/143721365/alec-wagner-womens-japanese-selvedge-denim-shirts

I Have Found The One Whom My Soul Loves !

Hi Guys!

It been sometime that i updated the blog, i was a bit caught up for obvious reasons!  I had my wedding to prepare for. 

It was a busy one month for me, but finally i'm married to the most beautiful girl i had ever known , my partner in crime with whom i had shared fun moments, ups & downs ...   for 10 years. We had a great one month of family gatherings, dinners and customs to be part of. I feel really happy to share our wedding shoot with everybody, all the denim lovers & my dear friends. Wish both of us good luck.  

Yes i will be back with my blogging very soon.  Love you guys ! 

I would like to quote : 

“You don’t marry one person; you marry three: the person you think they are, the person they are, and the person they are going to become as a result of being married to you.” Richard Needham

Cheers to all Denimoholics #jeanslovers #denimdudes #jeansmakers #indigolovers.

BELSTAFF : WorshipTheGround.

“Belstaff is delighted to announce that its new menswear campaign ‘Worship the Ground“.

The campaign showcases the legendary Belstaff Trialmaster boot - one of Belstaff’s most iconic designs over the past 60 years since its creation in 1955 - and other associated products. The Trialmaster boot has travelled far and wide, been worn by racers, aviators and fearless pioneers. These boots are the embodiment of lasting craftsmanship and the ultimate accessory for a lifestyle of epic adventure.

Belstaff has secured the talent of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, legendary polar pioneer and arguably “the world’s greatest living explorer” (Guinness Book of Records), together with Riley Harper, the US stuntman with whom the brand has worked in the past, to star in the campaign shot by famed photographer Rankin. The “Worship the Ground” campaign captured a series of authentic portraits and film of Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Riley Harper,exploring what the phrase means to each of them.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes was the first man to reach both Poles, the first to cross Antarctic and Arctic Oceans, the first to circumnavigate the world along its polar axis and was the youngest Captain in the British Army having joined the SAS in 1965. He fought Marxist terrorists between 1968 and 1970 and received the Sultan’s Bravery Medal from Her Majesty the Queen.

Riley Harper is a renowned Hollywood stuntman who travels the world driving, riding motorcycles and taking hits as a stunt double for some of Hollywood's biggest stars.An avid motorcycle and car enthusiast, Harper shares a love with Belstaff for all things with engines and wheels. His Instagram profile @LIFEOF_RILEY counts 40K followers.

Rankin, the famed British portrait and fashion photographer will shoot the campaign, bringing together two powerful names in British culture, intersecting across adventure and fashion.

Belstaff is a global British luxury lifestyle brand steeped in its heritage and spirit of adventure. In Belstaff, the fearless explorer and the fashion enthusiast alike will discover an approachable luxury for a modern lifestyle all influenced by Belstaff’s rich history and archives.

Belstaff is headquartered in London and showrooms reside there and in New York, Milan and Munich. Belstaff is currently sold through its flagship on New Bond Street, and twelve stores in Europe, the United States and Asia, through select wholesale distribution worldwide and on www.belstaff.com

#WorshipTheGround

@belstaff

http://www.belstaff.co.uk/men/collections/worship-the-ground/

Anatomical Denim - Anne Wolf

"A perfect way to refresh some of the facts associated with origin of Blue Jeans and its evolution through this visually captivating series of curated installations by Anne Wolf".

This is one of the most beautiful work of art i have come across lately. A beautiful project 'Anatomical Denim' by Anne Wolf. Crafted with perfection & dedication are these wonderful human anatomy of Brain & Heart with few old pair of jeans. Her emotions and story associated with this project is fascinating to share. Below is a link of her website to check out this project in details and few more of her work.  http://www.studio-annewolf.com

Meet India's Cool New Wave of Sustainable Chic Designers

I was going through my usual denim work & pinterest feeds when i stumbled upon this cool piece of patchwork bomber. 

Perfectly & aesthetically thought and presented. I'm a huge fan of Japanese patchwork craft in denim and this piece just got me. One picture led to the others and i landed upon Stefan Siegel's  NOTJUSTALABEL website where i saw more of their stuff and read some about them.

I come across a lot of susatainable clothing brands every day, everyone is doing a bit of their own to build a holistic approach towards fashion & clothing. This label 'DOODLAGE' caught my attention instantly, they are doing something i could associate myself with. This team of young souls from India have definitely hit the right spot. 

 Its really great to see a new wave of sustainable minded designers to kind of shifting their thought process & method from using and creating organic materials to really think into the life cycle of the fabrics, clothes. In todays world it becomes more important to think about reducing carbon footprints and the life of people involved in producing and making that particular piece of clothing. Its good to see these young minds are aware of creating positivity through their designs & products in every aspect of the process involved. 

 Their products look beautiful, perfect fashion oomph and great ethical and crafty touch to it. I would congratulate them and wish them the best on their journey and definitely would love to see more of their work in near future, absolutely beautiful.

 This is how they define 'DOODLAGE'  :

The label 'doodlage' is a blend of sustainable and exclusive high street fashion. We aim to merge innovative designs with sustainable technique of clothing to make fashion not just chic,but also Eco-friendly.We work at re-designing,re-constructing and re-cycling good quality second hand clothing and industrial waste. We make sure every product has it's own identity--in terms of cut,fabric,color redefining the entire concept of individuality--just like you! This also ensures that, no 2 garments are the same – they can be cut from the same pattern but the raw materials will always be different. We are not here to just make beautiful designs ,we want to create value, we are here to re-invent the ways to re-design,re-construct and recycle!

You can check & buy these cool pieces :  www.notjustalabel.com , www.nete.in

INDIA:
Panache- Ahmedabad
Deval,The Multi Designer Store- Ahmedabad
Artisans Cottage- Ahmedabad
Collage- Bangalore
Anonym- Hyderabad
Almari- Hyderabad 
Teatro Dhora- Jaipur
Avoire- Kolkata
Aza; Bandra- Mumbai
Creo - Mumbai
Sobo- Mumbai
Kashish- Mumbai
Anantham - New Delhi 
Either Or- Pune
Studio Rudarksh- Pune 
Sugar- Surat

UK:
Shop Indigo, Oxford, UK
62 Cowley Rd, Oxford OX41JB, UK