4 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009

SECTION II WWD.COM

WHAT’S NEXT IN DENIM

inside
Editor in Chief
Edward Nardoza
Editor
James Fallon
Managing Editor
Richard Rosen
Managing Editor,
Fashion/Special Reports
Dianne M. Pogoda
6 With denim one of the best-performing categories in
the apparel sector during the recession, companies are Senior Editor, Markets
Arthur Friedman
taking advantage of attractive real estate opportunities
to open their own stores. SENIOR Fashion Features Editor
Beth Kwon
8 The U.K.’s latest denim labels are the creations of Senior Fashion Editor,
retailers looking to give their denim an air of authenticity Sportswear
by building their own stylish identities. Kim Friday
Men’s Fashion Editor
10 The newest labels in the denim market have rallied Alex Badia
around a singular belief that consumers will embrace the Denim and Textiles Market Editor
concept of premium quality at less-than-premium prices. Ross Tucker
Senior Editor, Men’s
12 Customers may be shying away from paying for David Lipke
premium jeans retailing upward of $300, but the idea
Contributing Editors
of personalizing high-quality denim styles appears to be
Julee Greenberg, Nina Jones,
tempting enough to wave away any price resistance. Khanh T.L. Tran, Luisa Zargani

14 The competition has never been so fierce in the Bookings Editor

Cinnamon St. John
junior denim sector, as retailers continue to tighten
their orders and manufacturers fight for floor space. Fashion Assistant
Luis Campuzano

16 Get a leg up with this season’s “It” jeans. Copy Chief

Peter Sadera
20 Key men’s denim trends for spring include Deputy Copy Chief
clean and classic five-pockets, skinny fits Maureen Morrison
with stretch and shades of gray. Senior Copy Editor
Lisa Kelly
24 The denim industry is stepping up ON THE COVER: True Religion Brand
Copy Editors
efforts to reduce its environmental impact, Jeans’ cotton shirt and cotton denim
Adam Perkowsky, Sarah Protzman
become more efficient and save beaded shorts. Bootheel Trading Co. belt;
Frye boots. On him: Nudie Jeans Co.’s Group Art Director
money in the process. Andrew Flynn
jacket with Joe’s Jeans’ shirt and Diesel’s
jeans, all in cotton. J. Lindeberg tie;
26 A growing number boots by Red Wing Shoes.
Associate Art Directors
Sharon Ber, Amy LoMacchio
of bloggers are training
their sights on denim, Photo by Thomas Iannaccone; Models: Designer
and brands are Courtney Mitchell
Janell/Major and Travis B./Wilhelmina;
taking notice. Hair by Seiji using TRESemmé at the Junior Designer
Wall Group; Makeup by Misuzu Miyake Eric Perry
for Kiehl’s; Fashion Assistants:
Art Assistant
Alysa Cenicacelaya and Luis Campuzano; Tyler Resty
Styled by Kim Friday and Alex Badia
Photo Editor
On this page: Carrie Provenzano
Nobody’s cotton denim gown. Photo Coordinators
Ashley Linn Martin, Lexie Moreland
Publisher
Christine Guilfoyle
Associate Publishers
Erica Bartman,
Elizabeth Webbe Lunny
Executive Director
Jennifer Marder
Executive Director of
International Fashion
Brett Mitchell
West Coast Director
Ron Troxell
Account Manager, Italy
Olga Kouznetsova
Production Director
Kevin Hurley
Production Manager
Providence Rao
6 WWD, thursday, november 19, 2009
SECTION II
What’s next in denim
Denim Labels Ramp Up Investment in Branded Stores
By David Lipke
With denim one of the best-performing
categories in the apparel sector during the recession,
companies are taking advantage of attractive real es-
tate opportunities to open their own stores.
The stores provide a stable revenue stream at a
time when department stores and independent bou-
tiques are facing credit issues and sometimes paying
vendors late.
Last month, Los Angeles-based denim brand
Five Four opened its first signature store in nearby
Westfield Culver City shopping center. The compa-
ny rings up about $8 million in sales annually, but
Andres Izquieta, who cofounded the label with a
University of Southern California classmate in 2002,
felt the timing was right to invest in a store.
“We’re spending time and money on something
that may or may not work,” Izquieta said. “Some
people thought we were crazy going into retail in
this economy. But I like the retail model — you get
paid immediately and there are no chargebacks. I’ve
learned more in the past month by opening this store
than I did in my previous seven years in business.”
The company has done well enough with its first
store that its slated to open a second unit at the
Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles the day
after Thanksgiving.
Five Four is among many jeans brands that have
invested in opening their own stores during the cur-
rent economic downturn.
“It’s about being able to control your own destiny,”
said Izquieta.
Los Angeles-based True Religion and Seven For All
Mankind have been at the forefront in rolling out their
own stores. By next month, VF Corp.-owned Seven For
All Mankind will have opened 13 new stores in the U.S.
this year, bringing its total domestic store count to 28
units, including five outlets. The brand has also contin-
ued a rollout of stores abroad with local partners, in-
cluding new units opening this year in Manila, Seoul,
Taipei, Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing. There will be
62 Seven For All Mankind stores globally by yearend.
True Religion has opened 32 stores since the onset
of the financial crisis in September 2008, bringing its
store count to 68 in the U.S. and three outlets in Japan.
“The retail climate has not changed our store growth
strategy because our stores have performed very well in
this environment,” said Jeff Lubell, chairman and chief
executive officer of True Religion Apparel Inc.
True Religion stores generate about $1,200 in sales
per square foot annually. The company measures retail
performance in terms of operating profits as a percent-
age of net sales, and Lubell said its stores are exceed-
ing the company target of 30 percent in that metric.
The company plans to open another 20 to 25 stores
in 2010. Currently, 85 percent of True Religion units
are in malls, versus 15 percent in street locations.
Five Four opened its first store last
month in the Westfield Culver City mall.
“True Religion is undergoing a transformation from
a premium wholesale denim supplier to a vertical retail
lifestyle brand,” wrote analyst Todd Slater of Lazard
Capital Markets in a Nov. 4 research note. “We believe
it can more than double its footprint [of retail stores] do-
mestically and also has white space internationally.”
At Seven For All Mankind, co-tenancies are impor-
tant factors in choosing store locations.
“We’re looking for other brands like Michael Kors
and Intermix and Juicy Couture to be near,” said
Aaron Battista, the company’s vice president of retail.
“That’s where the luxury contemporary shopper is.”
Seven For All Mankind has tweaked the look of
its stores in the past year, making them warmer and
more inviting, while moving away from the sleek and
polished look of its earlier shops.
“We’re making them a little more residential, with
natural materials and matte finishes,” said Battista.
“Luxury is being redefined all over these days and
we wanted to take the formality out of the stores, and
give them more of a California feel.”
The stores have also been bringing in some VF Corp.
sibling brands to “add some fun and pop,” said Battista.
Converse by John Varvatos footwear is in the stores
now and Varvatos’ Star USA label will be added in the
spring. The denim brand is also testing some Splendid
and Ella Moss product in its Malibu, Calif., unit.
The Seven For All Mankind retail expansion is
part of VF Corp.’s company-wide strategy to empha-
size owned-retail as a key component of growth. But
Battista acknowledged that’s it’s been a big challenge
navigating the economy while opening new stores.
By yearend, there will be 62 Seven
For All Mankind stores globally.
“This is the toughest I’ve seen retail in my career,”
he said. “It’s been a year of learning.”
At Paige Premium Denim, president and ceo
Michael Geller echoed those sentiments. The compa-
ny opened a Las Vegas store in The Venetian hotel in
October 2008, just as the financial crisis was unfolding.
“It was like, ‘Here are the keys to the store and
here’s the cliff to jump off of,’” remembered Geller.
PPD operates three stores and the Las Vegas unit
has been hit the hardest by the economic downturn,
due to the steep falloff in tourism there. The New
York store in the Meatpacking District suffered last
year but has bounced back this year, said Geller,
while the Los Angeles unit, the oldest, has been
steady over the past four years it’s been open.
As a small, privately owned company, PPD is fo-
cused on opening stores that will produce profitable
sales, rather than serve as loss-leader marketing ve-
hicles for the brand.
“We’re not opening glitzy showcases,” said Geller.
“We’re opening very functional and easy-to-shop
denim stores. So it’s not a huge investment for us to
open a store. We’re not building stores with our egos.”
Geller said for a brand like PPD, he’s found
streetscape stores are preferable to mall stores at
this point.
“When you go into a mall they often have a lot of
requirements about how the store has to look, which
can be expensive,” he said. “And when your competi-
tors in a mall go on sale, you’re forced to follow suit.
With a street store, you have a lot more flexibility.”
One of the most important roles for PPD’s stores
is serving as a laboratory to test new product. For ex-
ample, the men’s business has been performing well in
PPD’s stores, accounting for 18 to 20 percent of sales,
versus just six to seven percent in wholesale accounts.
“We’ve been able to show retailers that perfor-
mance and have been able to build confidence in the
men’s product,” said Geller.
In contrast to PPD’s strategy, Rock & Republic’s
glitzy new Los Angeles store does serve as an expen-
sive marketing vehicle and brand showcase. The
3,800-square-foot flagship on Robertson Boulevard
bowed in May, after over a year of construction delays.
“It was like labor,” said company president Andrea
Bernholtz.
She said it was too early to tell if the store was turn-
ing a profit, but emphasized it has burnished the brand
in the minds of consumers and retail partners.
“This is our signature space. It’s the finest of ev-
erything,” she said. “When you amortize it out, it
wouldn’t make the most sense to roll out a lot of them,
WWD.COM
but we can use this as a signature and pull certain el-
ements out to other stores.”
Bernholtz said the store had garnered attention
from potential franchise partners in Dubai, the U.K.
and Asia who were interested in the Rock & Republic
retail concept for those markets.
The Los Angeles store joined a Rock & Republic
unit that opened in the Wynn Encore hotel in Las
Vegas last December, which Bernholtz said already
hit its sales goals for the year three months ago.
However, earlier this year the company scrapped
plans to open a two-level, 2,800-square-foot flagship
at 102 Greene Street in Manhattan, which was sched-
uled to open this past spring.
Similarly, the economy has impacted AG Adriano
Goldschmied, which earlier this year closed three
unprofitable stores in Orlando and Naples, Fla., and
Troy, Mich. The company now operates 12 full-price
stores and six outlets. All the remaining units are
profitable, said Robert Rosenfeld, vice president of
retail at the Los Angeles-based brand.
“We’re not rushing out to open more stores right
now,” he said. “But we would like to open additional
units down the road in major markets.”
The brand’s retail sales have picked up steadily
since April, said Rosenfeld, and the company is “cau-
tiously optimistic” heading into 2010.
Among all denim brands, Diesel opened the most
expensive and ambitious store this year, a three-
floor, 20,000-square-foot flagship on New York’s Fifth
Avenue. In addition, the company opened a third Miami
unit and relocated two stores in San Francisco and
Georgetown in Washington. Diesel operates 46 stores,
including Diesel, Diesel Kid, 55 DSL and outlet units.
“We could have decided not to open those stores in
the current economy, but they fit our criteria for where
we see opportunity for long-term growth,” said Steve
Birkhold, the ceo of Diesel USA, who is leaving at the
end of this year to take the ceo post at Lacoste USA.
“We are positioning ourselves for 2010 and 2011 and
beyond. If you know [Diesel founder and owner Renzo
Rosso], he’s an aggressive guy and to his credit he
could have taken a hiatus from expansion, but hasn’t.”
Denim sales were down in the single digits this year
at Diesel, while fashion apparel was down double dig-
its, said Birkhold. These declines were partly offset by
strength in the footwear, accessories and underwear
businesses, which offer a lower price point entry to the
Diesel assortment. In response, the company has shift-
ed its merchandise presentations and layouts within
stores to put those categories in higher-traffic areas.
“With our own stores, we can be nimble in mak-
ing adjustments. We can implement changes by
Wednesday in response to trends we see on a
Monday,” said Birkhold, who also said the company
has cut payroll in stores in response to the difficult
retail climate. “The reality is the consumer is in a
little bit more of a self-service environment.”
At the Five Four mall store in Culver City, Izquieta
has been a hands-on ceo at his new venture.
“I was in the store until 2:30 in the morning last
night making changes to our spring collection,” he said.
“Now we get to merchandise everything ourselves and
I’m seeing things that bombed at wholesale are selling
very well in our own store. In a way, the recession has
actually been a blessing in disguise for us.”
0 0 1 S TE P TO
PRODIGIOUS
HE A LTHC A R E

I DREAM. I AM.
8 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
SECTION II
What’s next in denim
introduced Yes Yes denim.
Finding Strength in Breakout Branding
By Nina Jones
LONDON — The U.K.’s latest denim labels aren’t being dreamt up by kids just out
of design school or mills with years of history. Instead, they’re the creation of
retailers looking to give their denim offerings an air of authenticity by building
their own stylish identities.
Earlier this year, upscale British retailer Reiss launched Reiss 1971, a collec-
tion of denim and contemporary pieces that takes a more edgy turn than Reiss’
mainline collection. In September, French Connection unveiled a stand-alone
women’s collection, FC: Denim, and has opened a dedicated store to house the
line in London’s Covent Garden. Meanwhile, British online retailer ASOS has
launched a denim collection called ASOS Denim and mass fashion retailer New
Look rebranded its denim offer under the label Yes Yes this summer.
It’s an opportune moment for retailers to concentrate their efforts on their own
denim labels. According to TNS Worldpanel, the U.K.’s denim market shrank 13 per-
cent in September, compared with a year earlier, to 634 million pounds, or $1.06 bil-
lion at current exchange. However, 92.7 percent of women’s jeans sold in the U.K. are
store labels, rather than what TNS terms manufacturer brands, such as Levi’s.
“Own-label denim has become just as much of
a statement to wear as any of the more traditional
denim brands,” said Elaine Giles, account manag-
er for TNS Worldpanel Fashion. “It’s like buying a
[premium] brand but without the price tag.”
With their seasonal collections and production
capabilities, these retailers are offering fashion-
forward denim collections in a variety of cuts,
washes and effects, rather than the few core fits
denim labels have historically produced.
For example, Reiss 1971, a label created by
Reiss’ brand director Andy Rogers, who previ-
ously served as store-planning and visual director
at Stella McCartney, showcases the more creative
side of the label’s identity. The spring collection in-
cludes pieces such as acid-washed stretch skinny
jeans, high-waisted faded denim HotPants paired
with fringed leather jackets and denim coverall
French Connection is
dresses. They’re complemented by items such as
testing a stand-alone
lace minidresses, an oversize boyfriend blazer
denim retail concept.
worn as a dress and tie-dye-print dresses.
“I think we realized there was a gap in the mar-
ket for good, midpriced denim,” said Rogers.
Reiss 1971’s denim pieces retail from 79 pounds to 89 pounds, or $132 to $149,
while prices in the collection run up to 275 pounds, or $462, for a leather jacket.
“But what cool denim brands [also] need is a core identity; they need a world
around them,” said Rogers. “We haven’t taken the easy route, but in this difficult
climate people appreciate the effort that’s put into the collection.”
Rogers has worked to build the identity of the Reiss 1971 label on several lev-
els. The denim is made in European factories chosen for their expertise in the
fabric, with details such as a “crinkled” textured denim, buttons down the jeans’
legs and quirky items such as a leather bag printed so it looks made from denim.
Rogers also had a dedicated viral Internet film shot for 1971’s fall 2009 launch
campaign and will create another film for spring.
The 1971 collection has also been promoted as a distinct label in Reiss stores,
and rather than introducing denim as a safer option for consumers during tough
times, Rogers believes Reiss’ customers are instead gravitating to the line for
more directional denim and contemporary looks. Skinny jeans, for example, have
been the label’s best-selling men’s product for fall.
WWD.COM
A look Online
from the retailer
Reiss 1971 ASOS has
spring launched
collection. its own
denim line.
New Look has
“When you go shopping, now you want to feel as though you’ve bought some-
thing that when you’ve put it on, you know it’s new,” said Rogers.
Rachel Morgans — denim buyer at ASOS, which features jeans embellished with
metal studs at the knees, cotton leggings with a denim print and a denim jumpsuit
— said customers are choosing the label’s more fashion-forward denim looks.
“People want something that will update their wardrobe and be new and excit-
ing in tough times,” said Morgans, adding the label’s denim leggings are among
the retailer’s most popular styles.
ASOS’ denim line, which retails from 22 pounds, or $36, up to 65 pounds, or
$109, for ASOS Premium denim pieces, is “performing strongly” against the re-
tailer’s other women’s wear categories, Morgans said.
Similarly, Reiss’ 1971 collection has exceeded the company’s expectations of
its performance, said Rogers. The collection makes up 20 percent of Reiss’ over-
all offer, but Rogers said the collection has represented up to 35 percent of sales
in some of Reiss’ stores in metropolitan areas.
French Connection is in the midst of testing its stand-alone denim retail con-
cept but is also marketing its FC: Denim for women and FCUK for men collec-
tions as standout labels. For the collections’ campaign shoot, the company scout-
ed nonmodels on the streets in Shoreditch, East
London, and Brighton, a coastal town near London,
to reflect the lines’ “individual style.”
For fall, the collection includes skinny jeans in
a black-and-white acid wash, and a batwing-sleeve,
cropped denim jacket alongside simpler pieces
such as faded, boot-cut jeans. Prices range from 20
pounds, or $33, for a T-shirt to 90 pounds, or $151,
for a pair of detailed jeans.
To underscore the labels’ identity, French
Connection’s concept denim store is done out
with lighting rigs, old trunks covered in denim
and screens that show behind-the-scenes footage
of the campaign shoot. A spokesman for French
Connection said the company is considering taking
its denim concept to some international locations.
New Look is applying branding to the mass end of
the denim market. The 700-store chain is the U.K.’s
market leader in denim by volume, according to TNS
Worldpanel’s research. Barbara Horspool, group
design director at New Look, said she reintroduced
New Look’s denim under the Yes Yes label because
she wanted the company to “stay dominant in denim.” Previously, the label’s denim
featured more embellishment and was sold under the label House of Denim.
“In the world of denim, some kind of brand is quite important….There’s an at-
tachment to a great pair of jeans being associated with a brand,” said Horspool.
New Look’s Yes Yes label consists of five fits, including skinny flare and super-
skinny styles, and retails from 10 pounds, or $16, for a basic bootleg Hula jean, up
to 35 pounds, or $58, for limited edition denim pieces, with most denim priced at
20 pounds, or $33. Again, Horspool said New Look’s customers are opting for the
label’s more fashion-forward pieces.
“For us, it’s fashion,” said Horspool. “If we could get more superskinny jeans
into stores [they would sell].”
While Horspool acknowledged the importance of any denim label having an
identity, she believes both extremes of denim pricing are equally important to
the market.
“Denim designers live and breathe those subtleties of fit and wash, such as
whether to have a crease or a particular type of rip,” said Horspool. “I’m glad
they’re here, as they’re the ones who keep pushing denim design.”
10 WWD, thursday, november 19, 2009
SECTION II WWD.COM

What’s next in denim

Sub-Premium Price Zone Draws a Crowd

By Ross Tucker
Nine Days will launch for
The MOST RECENT influx of labels in the denim market have spring with an average
rallied around a singular belief that consumers will embrace the concept of pre- retail price of $118.
mium quality at less-than-premium prices.
For brands such as Easy Money, Rewash, Vintage Revolution, Nine Days,
Recession Denim and Denim Junkie, the $80-to-$120 retail price range represents
what they perceive as the market’s new sweet spot — the point at which consum-
ers who have been educated by the premium denim craze but punished by the
recession will easily recognize the value of the product in front of them.
“The whole goal has to be to capture the same woman who’s buying Seven,
Joe’s and Citizens,” said Chris Hoffmann, executive vice president of Kemistre 8,
which produces the Prps and Akademiks labels, and is in the process of launch-
ing two more brands in the $80 to $120 range. “And how is that brand going to be
relevant to someone who never thought they’d be buying brands at those prices?
How is it going to become cool? The shakeout will come from there.”
Appropriately enough, it was the rise of premium denim earlier in the decade
that made it possible for these new brands to
enter the market at a lower price point while Vintage Revolution
claiming to offer a nearly equivalent product. set prices between
The surge in the premium segment lifted the $77 and $125.
entire denim category and spurred a boom in
global sales at all price levels. The expansion
prompted foreign manufacturers to make the
necessary investments in machinery and ac-
quire expertise in washing to claim a share of a
booming category.
“The premium denim craze launched a re-
ally high proportion of demand, and that basi-
cally brought more people into the dialogue,”
said Paul Cavazos, director of marketing and
sales for Olah Inc., a U.S. agent for foreign
contract manufacturers and textile and hard-
ware vendors targeting denim designers. “Now,
three to seven years down the road, the exper-
tise and skill set is there from a larger group of
professionals. It’s helped usher the same level
of workmanship at a much more competitive
price. By virtue of education, brands are able to
produce price-conscious jeans that previously
would be considered uniquely premium.”
Despite the increase in available resources,
the tight margins at this price range requires
brands to have experienced and reliable sup-
pliers, executives said.
Cavazos believes one potential pitfall for
many of the brands will be the washing process.
“There aren’t schools to learn about washing,”
he said. “You have to be in front of the machine.”
Brands are also looking to offer special services “It’s one thing to have the recipe, but it’s another
and flexibility to land sales, placing a further bur- thing to have the chef go and make it himself,” he said.
den on the strength of their production network. Silver also believes many of the newcomers at this
“You have to be quick to respond, ever present price range are targeting a relatively narrow chain of
about what’s happening with trend and be able distribution. Silver and Cavazos both described the
to deliver to market in six to eight weeks,” said strategy as an attempt to replicate the business model
Christine Rucci, designer of Vintage Revolution. of Cheap Monday, which was able to crack into high-
Rucci believes Vintage Revolution’s struc- end department stores while building buzz around a
ture will allow it to meet these criteria. The lower price point. Silver described Cheap Monday as
brand is the product of Rucci and José Juan a “fleeting moment.” Outside the department store
Marcos González, whose Mexican factory pro- channel, Silver said the U.S. has few chain retailers
duces denim for brands such as Gap, Polo that carry multiple brands.
Ralph Lauren and Lucky Brand. The brand, “Outside of The Buckle in the U.S., I’d be hard-pressed
which will begin retailing for spring at $77 to to give you an optimum distribution model,” he said.
$125, has a wealth of manufacturing and wash- From his own experience with Silver, he believes
ing expertise behind it, can take advantage its unlikely lower-priced brands will succeed in cap-
of duty-free status under the North American turing former premium consumers.
Free Trade Agreement and can get goods into “I don’t think the premium customer is coming down
the country quickly. New labels are looking to replicate the success of Cheap Monday. to that price point,” he said. “I think they’re just buying
“The advantage of us as a start-up brand at less, but I’m not catching those customers with Silver.”
this price point is we own our factories,” said Rucci. Instead, he sees the reverse, with people trading up.
Hoffmann said his company is also relying on the sourcing network it es- “My consumer considers [Silver] expensive,” he said. “I’m the aspirational
tablished for Prps and Akademiks to aid the introduction of Nine Days, which jean from the moderates. I have people trading up and spending twice as much
launches for spring at an average retail price of $118, and a men’s-only line called as they normally would.”
Aknowledge that bowed this month with prices ranging from $60 to $80. Rucci said she’s run into her fair share of “denim snobbery” from specialty-
“We’re really focusing on great washes [for Aknowledge],” said Hoffmann. “It’s store buyers and owners who feel the line may be priced too low for their stores,
not about heavy embellishments — it’s about novelty washes.” but she believes there’s little question the consumer is heading in this direction.
However, Hoffmann said it took more than two years working with its Chinese “For the price of one premium jean of yesterday, you can now throw in a nice
laundry to get those washes where they wanted them to be. knit,” said Rucci. “There’s a feel-good factor now for consumers.”
Michael Silver has considerable experience operating in the $60-to-$90 range Hoffmann views the market as becoming more fragmented. High-end labels
with Silver Jeans and believes the pool of laundries that can achieve the pre- like his Prps will continue to head upmarket and stay in the higher price zone
mium look at an affordable price is small. Silver described doing business in this where they belong. Retailers will still carry those labels but will need to find new
price range as a China-only story, specifically a south China story. ways to generate sales because many consumers have headed down to the Levi’s
“They could always stitch in China, but wash is the most difficult element,” of the world. Hoffmann believes smart retailers will take the opportunity to ad-
said Silver. “It is much better in southern China, but there’s not 50 laundries that dress this in between market.
can do the job there. There’s probably a dozen very good laundries.” “The most savvy retailers are doing both, with luxury going higher but average
Silver said it’s a constant struggle to keep his label’s pricing in the mid-$80 retail coming down,” he said. “Nine Days is perfect. It becomes the opening price
range, even though the brand was built on tight margins. To maintain his price, he point in these very premium stores.”
made the investment to station his technical staff in Hong Kong so they can work He said the line has been picked up by Barney’s New York, Bloomingdale’s,
with Asian suppliers more easily. World Denim Bar and Lulus.
12 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009

SECTION II WWD.COM

What’s next in denim

Luring Consumers With Custom Touches

By Luisa Zargani
MILAN — Customers may be shying away from paying for premium
jeans retailing upward of $300, but the idea of personalizing high-
quality denim styles appears to be tempting enough to wave away
any price resistance.
“Customers are looking for distinction and diversity as there is a
new-found and strong desire to add a personal touch,” said Marco
Tiburzi, commercial director of the Italian brand Jacob Cohen.
Tiburzi said clothes and accessories that conveyed “a sense
of belonging” were bestsellers a decade ago, while many cus-
tomers today would rather not “be perceived as part of a group
or somewhat labeled” through fashion.
Nicola Bardelle launched Jacob Cohen in 2003, concentrat-
ing on valuing quality and longevity over large volumes. He
differentiated the brand through the use of precious fabrics,
such as a denim and cashmere blend, and handmade tailored
pants. He even went so far as to provide a set of tools for
maintenance, including a pumice stone to redefine the pants
after washing, threads for the stitches and a cloth to shine
the silver rivets. Tiburzi said Jacob Cohen has evolved its
sartorial production into a full-fledged made-to-order col-
lection, which will be launched for spring-summer 2010.
Tiburzi defined the project as “an itinerant labora-
tory, a traveling atelier,” with “an enormous case” com-
prising different materials, from exclusive Japanese
denim to gabardine and linen, buttons, rivets and the
brand’s staple pony-hair labels in 100 color variations
to be proposed to selected retail partners.
“It’s all quite difficult to manage and customers have
very high, sometimes unrealistic expectations,” said Re-Hash jeans
Tiburzi. “The only limit we set is that of good taste.” are sewn with an Prada offers custom
While retail prices for the brand’s limited edition embroidery machine. denim at its Milan store.
sartorial pants range from 240 to 350 euros, or $360
to $523 at current exchange, made-to-order styles
will retail at 600 euros, or $897, and higher, with Jacob Cohen is launching
three-to-four week wait for delivery. a full made-to-order
“We are convinced that customers today are knowl- collection for spring.
edgeable and have the tools to understand the quality
that lies behind these prices,” said Tiburzi. “It’s fun-
damental, however, to communicate the real content
of the project, its handcraft, artisanal techniques and
superior materials.”
Sebastian Shul, chief operating officer at Prada,
said, “If you can have a made-to-order shirt, why not
also a pair of jeans?”
Prada launched its made-to-order project in 2005,
offering exclusively at the brand’s Corso Venezia store
in Milan and included denim in its product offer. Shul
said the company treats denim “as a classic,” mixing it
with formalwear as an integral part of the wardrobe.
“Separating two worlds apparently distant — clas-
sic and jeans — and rejoining them in a personal
way, we have created a unique, strongly recognizable
offer,” Shul said.
Industrial, interior and fashion designer Dimitris
Zoz introduced his sartorial jeans brand Ikoon in
June at men’s trade show Pitti Uomo. Zoz said his goal
was to evolve denim by emphasizing quality, artisanal
techniques and details such as pockets lined with
sartorial fabrics.
Zoz said people often downplay the complexities
of the denim fabric, which is seen as poor and indus-
trial. On the other hand, the designer said treating Ikoon jeans
denim comes with plenty of hurdles, such as cutting take more
the material, with dimensional drops depending on than a month
the washes, for example. Production in Italy is a must to produce.
for Zoz, who works with outside laboratories in Italy’s
specialized districts, such as in Tuscany for leather.
The Florence-based Ikoon also offers more exclusive made-to-measure denim understanding of the product and search for high-quality pieces. Retail prices
pieces where customers can choose the fit, fabric and buttons, and have the jeans range between 140 and 250 euros, or $209 and $374. Every aspect of production is
monogrammed. They can also select the label among different hides ranging from made in-house at the plant in Teramo, Italy.
ostrich, crocodile, python, lizard and ray fish. “Our brand is not well-known yet, but we think that if we will continue with
“Several Arabian customers asked us for diamond-covered tags,” said Zoz. our strategy, sooner or later it will pay off,” said Caucci.
Made-to-measure Ikoon jeans range from 290 to 490 euros, or $434 to $733, and Customers can choose tags, colors, yarns and accessories to personalize their
Zoz defined them as “new luxury.” The jeans take more than a month to produce, jeans and Caucci pays special attention to the packaging, which includes a pam-
but he hopes to reduce the wait to three to four weeks. His paternal grandmother phlet explaining the product.
was a men’s tailor who passed on his love of craftsmanship. As an industrial de- Mauro Grifoni’s expertise and passion for denim has led him to launch a proj-
signer, Zoz is keen on promoting this kind of product as functional and comfort- ect called Tailored Laundries for spring. Grifoni said sartorial denim is nothing
able, not simply a “image-centric” item. more than “an extreme care for the materials, researching treatments and accu-
As part of his efforts to promote the brand abroad, Zoz will be in Miami this rate washes.” The designer, who is also in charge of his namesake brand, sees it
week for the Consorzio Centopercento Italiano Wine & Fashion Florence event as perfecting a good recipe.
at the Biltmore Hotel. “It’s a fantastic cake with fantastic ingredients,” he said. “It’s striving to do one’s
“Some may think our techniques are too much for denim, but we disagree,” best with the best fabrics, skills and washes with the best fit. We are not inventing
said Maurizio Caucci, chief executive officer and one of the founders of the Re- anything but improving it as much as possible with our culture and craft.”
Hash brand. Grifoni employs 12 artisans, including a Japanese technician and antique
Launched last year, Re-Hash denim jeans are sewn as classic, tailored pants with Japanese looms. Tailored Laundries is available at 40 points of sale from Milan’s
an embroidery and not a stitching machine. Caucci sets his faith in his customers’ 10 Corso Como to London’s Browns.
14 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009

SECTION II WWD.COM

WHAT’S NEXT IN DENIM

The Heat Is On in Juniors

By Julee Kaplan she said. “So in order to tighten the lead
YMI Jeanswear time and offer the most value, many of our
The competition has never been has expanded factory partnerships have changed.”
so fierce in the junior denim sector, as re- into new product While much of Jolt’s manufacturing is
tailers continue to tighten their orders and categories done in China, Lettiere said the firm has
manufacturers fight for floor space. through begun sourcing in Vietnam and Guatemala
With that in mind, junior denim firms licensing. in order to improve production.
have begun to explore innovative new Alden Halpern, president of the Tyte
ways to attract their customers’ atten- brand, said he has also been working out
tion through added value, sharp pric- special deals with his factories.
ing, expanded product categories, fresh “I’m definitely working on less profits,
marketing tactics and even some new but there’s really nothing I can do about
brand names. that,” he said. “I have had a lot of meetings
“The competition in this market is with my Chinese factories, and we commu-
the fiercest I’ve ever seen,” said Deke nicate with them about what’s been hap-
Jamieson, executive vice president of li- pening at retail. I assure them that they
censing at YMI Jeanswear. “Retailers are will be kept busy, and I am investing in
buying less and reducing the number of their future, but they have to be able to
brands they sell on the floor. It just no lon- work out deals.”
ger cuts it to be as good as the rest. You As a result, Halpern said, he has pro-
have to be better, a standout.” duced a better product with more detail,
Jamieson has begun an aggressive li- trims and better fabrics, but has also been
censing plan for YMI that will expand the able to lower his prices by about 8 percent.
brand’s reach into new product categories. “The key is to not hurt the retailer,” he
Recently, YMI’s licensed activewear, tops said. “You have to deliver them more, but
and dresses hit retail floors for the first for less money. That’s just it — we have to
time. This, Jamieson said, has helped busi- deal with that.”
ness tremendously. With that said, Halpern said his busi-
“Licensing just gives the brand more ness has been good overall, and for back-
presence and has opened us up to sell- to-school 2010, he will launch a higher-end
ing new shops where we weren’t before,” junior brand called Byzantine.
he said. “It’s all a part of really focusing “It will be for that Guess customer, but
in on targeting and getting closer to our retailing between $39 and $59 — not as
consumers.” high as Guess,” he said. “There are girls
Jamieson said he is in negotiations to out there who like the Guess look but
license handbags and footwear, which he can’t afford it. This line will be about great
sees opening even more doors at the retail quality and great design. Guess is the best
level. In addition, on a marketing level, jeansmaker in the world, so this is sort of
Jamieson said the company is testing a like my tribute to them.”
program that reaches these customers in Mark Levy, president of Vanilla Star, said
their schools. While he wouldn’t go into innovation and strong marketing plans are
details, he said it’s all part of the brand’s key elements for growth. Coming up, Levy
plan to reach these customers where they said he will introduce a new jeans style
spend their time. Looks from that will sell as a raw-denim style packaged
“We have increased our presence both Tyte and with sandpaper so the customer can cus-
online and off, especially since we know Vanilla Star. tomize the jeans and destruct them as much
that our customers are spending so much as they like. In addition, he has adjusted
more time online,” he said. “And on a sourcing so it’s not just in China anymore,
product front, innovation is key. We all but in Pakistan and Bangladesh, which al-
need to step it up in order to keep these lows him to introduce new products without
girls interested. It’s important for us to raising the prices of the product, as well as
believe in our brand, but if the product to increase the speed to market.
doesn’t fulfill, you have nothing.” “I’m finding that stores are buying
For Caren Lettiere, division head of super close to their needs, and in order to
Kellwood Co.’s Jolt brand, the most im- be in this, we have to provide for them,”
portant thing today is to have a diverse he said.
portfolio. On a marketing front, Levy has col-
“Because the entire retail landscape laborated with a group of New York-
has changed and there’s not as many stores based young consumers working on
out there, it’s important to be able to serve designing a collection for Vanilla Star.
all types of distribution,” she said. Once the designs are complete, they will
At Jolt, Lettiere said the brand is able be judged, and the winning designs will
to serve retailers with denim and non- be sold to stores.
denim bottoms, as well as casual coats and “It’s a great thing because these will be
jackets. In addition, the firm has the abil- clothes designed by the junior customers
ity to produce quickly on the trends. On a themselves, with their own point of view,”
marketing front, Lettiere said marketing he said.
has been stepped up. After a strong response to its fall ad campaign, the company Peter Kossoy, president of Younique, said in order to expand his business,
plans to move forward through reaching customers on Facebook and Twitter, as he launched a brand called Almost Famous at retail about six months ago. The
well as on joltstyle.com, which launched earlier this year. Now on the site, the trend-driven denim brand wholesales from $12 to $15 and sells at such stores as
company is holding an Every Pair Has a Story promotion that encourages con- Wet Seal, Macy’s and J.C. Penney.
sumers to tell their stories about their favorite pair of Jolt jeans. In return, the “It’s doing really well at the retail level,” Kossoy said. “Going forward, we are
winning writers will receive iPods or joltstyle.com shopping sprees. really expanding it and putting a lot behind it — we are in the process of design-
“Our consumers have been writing in and telling us about their favorite pair,” ing the Web site for the brand, social media is beginning and we are planning on
she said. “They are led to the site through Facebook and Twitter. It just shows you recruiting customers as brand ambassadors.”
the power of social media.” Kossoy said the key for Almost Famous has been to provide a line that can
Lettiere said it’s things like this that have helped the brand get closer to the ship quickly to retailers with the quality and value customers demand today.
customer to find out exactly what she looks for from Jolt. In turn, it has helped the Kossoy is also working on launching another label called Don’t You Dare, which
brand to have a stronger identity at retail. is denim- and knit-based, but at a higher price point, retailing around $48. That
“The key is that we have to be able to keep reinvesting in ourselves in order to label should be ready for back-to-school 2010.
stay connected with the consumer,” she said. “We have to make sure that we are Overall, Halpern stressed that in the junior denim sector, value is most
servicing her needs and evolving and growing with her, and hopefully leading her important.
so that we can anticipate what she will want next.” “The key in this business right now is to make sure that no matter what, there
On the back end, Lettiere said she has been working extra hard to change re- is value attached,” he added. “The product has to look like its worth a lot more
lationships with factories and with retailers. money than it is. People are spending a lot less, but more than ever, they want to
“The customer isn’t willing to spend more, but she wants more for her money,” feel good about what they buy.”
 The GifT of lifT.

nydj.com
 16 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
SECTION II

XXXXXXXXXXXX
WHAT’S NEXT IN DENIM

BRAND
NEW
BLUES
MODEL: JANELL/MAJOR; HAIR BY SEIJI USING TRESEMME AT THE WALL GROUP; MAKEUP BY MISUZU MIYAKE FOR KIEHL’S; FASHION ASSISTANT: ALYSA CENICACELAYA

THE DENIM MARKET TACKLES KEY SPRING TRENDS WITH FERVOR.

Anlo’s silk tank top with J Brand’s

cotton and Lycra ombré denim

PHOTOS BY THOMAS IANNACCONE / STYLED BY KIM FRIDAY

jeggings. Jimmy Choo scarf and
sandals; Circa Sixty Three rings.
 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009 17
WWD.COM

JEANS + LEGGINGS =
JEGGINGS
GET A LEG UP WITH THIS SEASON’S “IT” JEAN.

Genetic Denim Joe’s Jeans Les Halles, James Jeans and Recession Denim.

Nobody, Dream Culture, Acne and Miss Sixty. Dylan

George

Made in
Heaven

William Divine
Rast Rights of
Denim

Seven
For All
Mankind

Helmut
Radcliffe Lang
Denim Denim
18 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
SECTION II

WHAT’S NEXT IN DENIM

AMERICAN
MADE
CLASSIC AND DISTRESSED STYLES STILL WORK.
Current/ R13, Frankie B. and Kill City.
Elliott

Dickies

DKNY Jeans, Citizens of Humanity Guess Blank, Affliction Black Premium

and Kut From the Kloth. and Serfontaine.

4 Stroke, Victoria Beckham Denim, Bootheel Trading Co. and Vintage 1.

AG-ed Vintage’s cotton flannel shirt and AG

Adriano Goldschmied’s cotton denim jeans.
Bootheel Trading Co. belt; Frye boots.
 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009 19
WWD.COM

Mek Denim, Paige Premium Denim, Agave Nectar and Anlo.

1921 and Cheap Monday Diesel

BLOOM
IN
COLOR SPRINGS UP.
Hudson, Meltin’ Pot, Vintage Revolution and Parasuco.

Levi’s

GoldSign and Members Only

Prps’ cotton denim jacket and Tyte’s cotton and

spandex denim skirt. Elizabeth and James sandals.
 20 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009
SECTION II WWD.COM

what’s next in denim

n 2. Guess’ jeans, Polo Ralph Lauren’s

jacket and What Goes Around Comes
Around’s henley, all in cotton.

PHOTOS BY THOMAS IANNACCONE; MODEL: TRAVIS B./WILHELMINA; MAKEUP BY MISUZU MIYAKE FOR KIEHL’S; HAIR BY SEIJI USING TRESEMME AT THE WALL GROUP; FASHION ASSISTANT: LUIS CAMPUZANO
1. Levi’s jeans and Earnest
Sewn’s shirt, both in
cotton. Stüssy tie; Tiffany
& Co. tie bar. n

jean pool Key men’s denim trends for spring

include clean and classic five-
poc ets, s inny fits with stretch
and shades of gray. — alex badia
k
k
1. Classi , Clean Five-Po kets: evi’s never go out of style, said Jennifer lthouse, denim buyer at merican ag, and the iconic brand is the os ngeles store’s top seller.
­­
“ always have a customer for this look. oung and old, they always come back to evi’s.”
2. intage Washes With Ri s and Re ai s: orn-in styles command higher prices than clean washes, said homas eorge, owner of the treet enim stores in ighland
c
c
L
A
A
R
L
A
ark, ll., and ake eneva, is. “ he more work done to a jean, the easier it is for a customer to justify a premium price.”
I
Y
L
V
p
p
r
W
T
G
E
S
D
H
P
I
L
G
W
T
Continued on page 22
22 WWD, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009

SECTION II WWD.COM

what’s next in denim

n 3. Kill City’s cotton and n 4. Acne’s cotton n 5. Ben Sherman’s denim n 6. Vans’ cotton and spandex jeans,
spandex denim jeans, jeans and Lova’s shorts with Aviator Nation’s Seven For All Mankind’s leather
J. Lindeberg’s wool blazer and cotton tank top. hoodie and tank top, all in and cotton jacket and G-Star Raw’s
CLU’s cotton shirt. cotton. J. Lindeberg belt. cotton and polyester sweater.

Continued from page 20

3. Skinny Fit With Stretch: A growing number of men’s jeans are incorporating creative director at Citizens for Humanity. At Seven For All Mankind, a pale ecru
stretch fabric for comfort and fit, especially in skinny fits. “We do really well with Kill shade is a riff on this style.
City in these styles, as they have a great price and interesting washes,” said Althouse.
5. Jean Sh rt : Denim shorts have cleaned up and become less grungy for
s
4. Over a hed, Faded ue : Pale blue denim is ideal for spring and summer spring, according to Audrey Gingras, owner of New York’s Archetype Showroom.
months, as it tends to be lighter and softer. “This trend is very important in our Its April 77 label offered a selvage style for spring.
o
s
spring assortment, as we’re one of the only brands to offer such a supersoft 6. Gray enim: An increasingly popular alternative to indigo shades, “gray denim
w
s
H
s
selvage in an alternative to white,” said Jerome Dahan, chief executive officer and is a neutral that goes with a lot of looks,” said Gingras. — David Lipke
D
/26$1*(/(60,$0,/$69(*$6026&2:
ZZZDIIOLFWLRQFORWKLQJFRP
24 WWD, ThurSDay, NOvEmbEr 19, 2009
SECTION II
What’s next in denim
Ozone Emerges as Green Leader
By Khanh T.L. Tran
LOS ANGELES — The denim industry is stepping up efforts to reduce its environmen-
tal impact and save money in the process.
Brands and manufacturers are employing a wide variety of strategies to gain
efficiencies and lower their footprints, from using ozone washes to purchasing
high-tech cutting machines and even using green vines to absorb radiant heat
emitted from factory walls. These efforts are coming at a time when consumers
and businesses are reassessing their priorities and watching their budgets. But
one thing is clear: The economic slowdown has spurred deeper thought about
surviving for the future.
“The hot topic is the environment,” said Michael Morrell, executive vice presi-
dent of Olah Inc., a New York-based firm that represents mills, laundries and fac-
tories that are integrating sustainable business practices into the chemically laden
denim industry. “It’s an issue that everyone has a conscious perspective on to a de-
gree. People want to buy organic and be environmentally conscious. The ultimate
question is, How much is the trend worth?”
Vietnamese denim factory and wash house Saitext is building a second plant
in Ho Chi Minh City with the assistance of environmental consultants. Set up as
a vertical operation with capabilities to cut, sew, wash, pack and ship, Saitext’s
new operation will open in April with solar panels on the roof to heat water for
the bathrooms, exterior walls covered in vines to absorb radiant heat and keep
the building cool, and motion sensors that turn off the lights automatically. The
100,000-square-foot factory will also use wastewater from hand sinks to flush toilets
and enable natural ventilation through windows on opposite ends of the building
and through the roof. With about 500 employees, the factory will be able to manu-
facture 550,000 pairs of jeans a month.
“They’re trying to make themselves an environmental benchmark for what a
21st-century business should be,” Morrell said of Saitext.
Modern developments in technology also help Seven For All Mankind, the pre-
mium denim label owned by VF Corp., to improve efficiencies with marking and
cutting fabric. The Los Angeles-based label uses equipment made by Gerber, which
yield an efficiency of more than 90 percent.
“When the cutting process is done, we have our cutting and paper waste picked
up by a recycle company, which grinds up the scrap and uses it for filler or stuff-
ing,” said Steven Guy, vice president of operations for VF’s contemporary brands
coalition. “We reduced fabric waste by 4 percent this year — a little over $1 million
a year annualized — which means less waste for landfills.”
WWD.COM
AG Adriano
Goldschmied jeans
treated with ozone
technology and a
display explaining the
eco-friendly process.
photo BY MICAh BAIRD
Koos Mfg. is moving to produce all the jeans sold under the AG Adriano
Goldschmied and Big Star labels with ozone technology. Koos chief executive
officer Yul Ku, a 31-year denim veteran, installed an ozone generator at the com-
pany’s South Gate, Calif., headquarters, where it makes the jeans for premium
label AG, and two machines in its factory in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where it
produces jeans for Big Star, a moderately priced brand sold at stores such as
The Buckle. The first styles to be treated with ozone will hit stores as early as
December for the holiday season. AG’s coming spring collection will be treated
entirely with ozone.
Ozone is proving to be a popular method because of its versatility and environ-
mental impact. Conventional denim treatments requires rinsing with large amounts
of water to get rid of the excess indigo from the garment, and chemicals like po-
tassium permanganate and lacasse are applied to fade the jeans and clean up the
indigo that has bled onto the white pocket linings. Ozone, on the other hand, acts as
a bleach to disinfect the garment, kill bacteria and clean up the indigo. Ozone also
can fix the indigo for dark rinses or tint the fabric with a dirty yellow haze.
“It helps in every denim wash,” said Janet Choi, AG’s international sales manager.
Laundering with ozone requires the gas to be pumped from an ozone generator
into a tumbler. Less water is used, bleach is minimized if not eliminated complete-
ly and energy consumption is reduced. Koos said it expects to reduce its consump-
tion of water, chemicals and dirty energy by about 25 percent annually. The ozone
process also takes a fifth of the time as a traditional laundering method does.
However, the company is using ozone only for blue indigo denim. Its khaki,
black and overdyed pieces will undergo conventional processes. But consider-
ing that ozone is ideal for achieving the worn-out vintage looks that helped
boost AG’s wholesale business by 58 percent from a year ago, the company is
ready to bank on ozone.
“By using this new technology, we could save more water, electricity and chemi-
cals,” said Kathy Kweon, AG’s brand manager.
Ozone has picked up the endorsement of a number of other denim veterans.
“All the other things, honestly, they’re a lot of blah, blah, blah,” said Adriano
Goldschmied, executive vice president of design at Citizens of Humanity. “The
only thing that in my opinion is happening right now that is serious is ozone.”
Citizens of Humanity, based in Huntington Park, Calif., recently spent between
$150,000 and $200,000 on two machines that use ozone technology.
“It’s an investment that you can get back quite fast if you use properly,” he said.
Goldschmied, whose career in the denim industry spans more than three de-
cades, recalled first seeing ozone generators in the early 1990s when it was a re-
liable process for making huge volumes of jeans sold at mass retailers such as
Wal-Mart. Nowadays, the ozone technology has improved to a point that makes it
acceptable for the premium denim industry.
“Nobody buys a jean that doesn’t look good because it has a ‘green’ wash,”
Goldschmied said. “The big goal with us today is to make the look better with a
green process. It’s a long way to go — four to five years.”
Denim-Tech LLC, a washhouse in Vernon, Calif., is also studying how to use
ozone in its washes after first employing the technology to clean its waste water
when it opened its doors four years ago. Shinzo Suzuki, owner of Denim-Tech, is
working with a Japanese laundry called Howa Co. to use a particular ozone tech-
nology under the trademark name of Air Wash. While in the research phase to de-
termine how Air Wash works and how consistent it is, Suzuki said he likes Howa’s
policy in Japan of donating 10 cents for every Air Wash-treated garment sold to a
charity that plants trees in developing countries in Asia and Africa.
“That’s a good concept,” he said. “We’ll have some savings. That’s why some
savings I want to donate to the nonprofit organization. You use less chemicals,
less water.”
Goldschmied is taking his quest for a more natural product a step further.
He scans the world for mineral colors — yellow and red from Italy, black from
Germany and a rainbow of tints from India — that cost the same as chemical dyes
but pose as an earth-friendly alternative.
Revel Seven, a denim line that launched last fall with jeans retailing for $175
to $195, eliminated the use of potassium permanganate and chlorine. In lieu of
these caustic substances to weather the jeans, it used sea salt. The company also
skipped filling a sandblaster with silicone and opted instead to have workers dis-
tress the jeans by hand. The label is also developing fabric stains derived from
coffee, berries, saffron and persimmon.
“We know that we can achieve the same results without using the same chemistry
and using as little water as possible,” said Joe Tomlinson, founder of Revel Seven,
which has offices in Park City, Utah, and Los Angeles. “Every little bit helps.”
 Every PAIR TELLS A STORY…
“My cross-country
road trip...”
Destructed paint
splatter skinny jean

“Our rockin’
girls weekend...”
AS SEEN IN PEOPLE STYLEWATCH

Flap back pocket

fleur di lis straight
leg jean

“Hanging with
my favorite band
backstage...”
2009 KELLWOOD COMPANY •

Destructed paint
splatter skinny jean
with pyramid studs
JOLT® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF KELLWOOD COMPANY.COPYRIGHT

“Sunday
Funday
brunch
with girls...”
“Making it
past the Pick Me Up
legging jean
velvet
ropes...”
Thick stitch
back pocket
skinny jean

“The first time

he said, ‘I love you’...”
Rhinestone flap back
pocket bootcut jean

WWW.JO LTSTYLE. COM

26 WWD, ThurSDay, NOvEmbEr 19, 2009
SECTION II
What’s next in denim
Growing Band of Bloggers Getting Attention
By Ross Tucker
AN INCREASING NumbER of bloGGERS
are training their sights on denim, and brands
are taking notice.
The number of denim-devoted blogs entering
the blogosphere has been on the rise over the last
year. for the rabid aficionados behind them, so-
cial networking platforms such as facebook and
Twitter have been vital tools to building a follow-
ing in short order. The surge in readership has
been surprising, but the attention many are get-
ting from the brands they blog about has been
even more so.
Jaime Palmucci launched Denim Debutante in
June as a way to indulge her passion for denim
and to give an in-depth look at quality and fit is-
sues. Palmucci, who lives in Denver, had been
writing the blog for an online fashion retailer, but
found she wasn’t being able to give her opinion
on the product or to give truthful opinions about
items the site was selling.
“I wanted to make my voice known and say
what it was I’ve experienced in the brand,” said
Palmucci. “A lot of the [denim] Web sites focus on
price point and style, and I wanted to focus on fit,
as well.”
Since the June launch, Denim Debutante has
garnered more than 300,000 unique hits and is ap-
proaching 1,500 followers on Twitter. Palmucci’s
focus on the quality and the fit of the brand are
what she believes help her stand out.
“The way each brand fits is so different and
I don’t see many sites at all that work on that,”
she said.
WWD.COM
Her denim collection has, not surprisingly,
Jaime Palmucci pens the grown significantly. She’s approaching 150 pairs
Denim Debutante blog. and is trying to convince her boyfriend to con-
struct her own personal denim bar. brands are
now soliciting her to try their product and it
hasn’t always gone smoothly.
“my big thing is that I’m not going to write a
positive review because you send me a pair of
jeans, and I’ve pissed off a couple p.r. people be-
cause of that,” she said.
Johnny Pinto got his start selling jeans at 16,
while working at Gap. After college, Pinto spent
three years working for the Project trade show,
where he increased his exposure and expertise
in denim. After leaving Project, Pinto set his
sights on opening a denim store in long beach,
Calif., but the dire economic conditions made it
impossible. Instead, he decided to develop a per-
sonal shopping blog centered around the denim
lifestyle. Pinto officially unveiled The Denim
Guy blog earlier this month. While the focus is
on denim, Pinto includes any other items that fit
with the denim culture.
“We are not celebrity driven, we are product
driven,” said Pinto, who used his industry contacts
with brands such as Hudson, Rock & Republic and
Citizens of Humanity to get feedback on the site.
Pinto said his goal for the site is to work close-
ly with the brands to give his readers more infor-
mation about new brands and the people behind
them. While he’s approaching the big brands, new
ones have already started coming to him.
“The amazing thing is that, four weeks into this,
I have the ability to say, ‘Yes, I can put you on the
blog,’ or ‘No, I can’t,’” he said. “The denim brands
“understand
The denim brands are really starting to
the power of social networking and
connecting with the consumer.
” — Johnny Pinto, The Denim Guy
are really starting to understand the power of social networking and connecting
with the consumer.”
liam Winn started Denim Geek this summer. He also found most blogs
were devoted to coverage of celebrities and found even fewer addressing
the men’s market.
“I wanted to create a simple blog that would help men find that next special
pair of jeans,” said Winn, who is based in the u.K. and has a background in
music and Web design.
Winn’s blog has garnered 6,000 hits
since mid-July and his readership is
growing. It’s required little effort to
find brands.
“There are a few times I’ve ap-
proached brands because I’ve liked the
look of collections,” he said. “but I now
also receive countless amounts of e-mails
from p.r. companies.”
Shanna mcKinnon is the editor
of Denim Hunt, which launched in
April 2007 with the backing of Cotton
Incorporated. mcKinnon is the site’s
second editor and has a background as a
trend forecaster. She took over responsi-
bility for Denim Hunt in June 2008 and
said Cotton Inc. has operated largely as
a silent partner. Denim Hunt is backed by Cotton Inc.
“They’re very hands off,” she said. “They basically said, ‘This is Denim Hunt,
it’s yours, take it and run with it.’ And it really has to run that way.”
mcKinnon said her aim is to position the site as the comprehensive online
denim resource, touching on everything from news to runway presentations to
celebrity photos. As with other denim bloggers, mcKinnon has found brands
coming to her.
“When I first took over, I thought I would have to reach out to a lot of them, but
as the site’s been getting more popular, I really don’t have to,” she said, adding
that the number of brands contacting her has spiked over the last six months.
“blogs to [the brands] are maybe more grass roots and they feel like if the
bloggers are talking about them, it can make their brand look more authentic,”
she said.
Denim Hunt reached a peak of 20,000 visitors last month and is averaging 2,000
hits a day. mcKinnon intends to focus on building the site’s Twitter following next
year while working on growing the site and making it more interactive.
“You can’t be stale — you’ve got to keep growing,” she said. “one of the ways
you show people you’re growing is visually.”