It seems like denim is having its moment in the spotlight once again. It feels appropriate for us to be dipping our toe back into that category at this time after a few years. When I started developing denim as a category, little did I know that this was the case. Like most things I do, it’s just a feeling I get or a whim, if you will. Like anything too, it has not been without its trials and tribulations. But hey, if it was easy everyone would do it, and ain’t that the truth. I know we dedicated a Sunday Paper to denim just a few short weeks ago, but as things have developed, I thought it would be appropriate to share the journey past the halfway point on this project.
There have been challenges like with any project and that is what makes it interesting. And I love the feeling of going to bed at night excited for the next day ahead to work on new ideas. I start out with an idea to do denim, a vague idea at that, and as I get more and more along, the project develops into a finished product and one that is recognizable as DP. The challenge is obviously making a classic jean with recognizable features that people associate or differentiate as a DP jean. I am always thinking with details. From the seams to the trims, to the buttons, to the wash and the cut. Is it right? Does it need an inch taken off here or an inch added there? Is the fabric too thin? Too thick? Does it need a zipper? These are the things that keep me up at night and get me up in the morning excited to go to work. I definitely go through a whole gamut of emotions on a project, as I do pour my heart and soul into the things we do and never feel satisfied that something is done.
So as this journey continues toward a final product and ultimately a release, I wanted to share the progress and the journey of bringing denim back as a category for us. I am by no means saying I am reinventing the wheel or curing cancer over here, but I feel through my art I can inspire others, make them feel good and hopefully in the end make them look good too. It is validating to have started on this journey and see that what I am working on is taking shape and the ideas I had were on-point. And it is also reassuring to see a project we are working on has an appetite in the market place, as recent articles I’ve seen in Vogue Italia saying it’s denim mania again. Denim has changed a lot since our last foray in the space, and I am excited to bring this project to fruition. It’s also interesting to note the shift in the marketplace in regards to silhouette. Per the Business of Fashion, the skinny jean has been dethroned, in the women’s market that is, but I dare say in the men’s market too. Nonetheless we are developing a skinny, straight and baggy jean, as well as a jacket. And that is just the beginning, as I am sure as always I will look to expand the category as things develop. The Y2K denim bug is back and we are here for it.