Wildly creative, denim, more than ever a symbol of our wardrobes, reinvents itself in a pure luxury version and continues its green revolution.
On November 9, Katy Perry appeared on the 56th red carpet in a denim looke The Country Music Awards, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee. Corset with a V-shaped bust, trousers with a large bow and frayed hem; the singer’s outfit (reminiscent of Britney Spears’ 2000s silhouette, Justin Timberlake era) is signed by Marques’ Almeida label. A young London duo formed by Paulo Almeida and Marta Marquez, both graduates of the prestigious Central Saint Martins, whose spirit of grunge and denim couture has already won over pop stars such as Beyoncé, Rihanna and FK Twiggs.
In the video, basic jeans
More than two centuries after its creation in the 1800s, the iconic cotton canvas pant of gold prospectors and the indispensable companion of cowboys is more than ever the king of a woman’s wardrobe; office, party girlsgo dancing, celebrities, walking red carpet. Above all, it has become an iconic piece that fashion designers are constantly reworking and renewing into a luxurious version. It is the most important bestseller of collections (Dior, Celine…).
“Jeans have survived all the ages without falling out of fashion,” explains Frédéric Moneiro, professor of literature and fashion sociology at the University of Perpignan-Via Domitia. Its taste for luxury is largely due to Yves Saint Laurent, who in the 1970s felt the seductive power of this inimitable Nimes fabric before anyone else, introducing it into his haute couture collections. At that time, if Jackie Kennedy was already wearing white jeans, then ladies started going to social events, entered a pair of jeans paired with cute pumps or patent leather shoes. To better understand his success in the world of couture, I would quote Jean Cocteau who said: “Elegance is in carelessness.” Understand, elegance lies in relaxation. So, we can say that jeans contain a ferment of elegance. »
“Fashion’s Big Blank Canvas”
Over-the-top waist and patchwork canvas at Acne Studios, ruffled effigy flaps at Alaïa, corset-style zips at Balmain, beaded embroidery at Givenchy or patch pockets to the legs like wide-leg pants at Isabel Marant… Designer catwalks. The upcoming autumn-winter and spring-summer blue jeans are known for extended, complex, enriched versions. This month, the house of Karl Lagerfeld announces the launch of its Karl Lagerfeld Jeans brand, a label that would surely please the iconic luxury couturier, a lover of jeans himself. “Karl Lagerfeld was a master of the art of mixing cool and rock-chic jeans with more dresses,” explains Hoon Kim, the brand’s design director. It also showed that denim has no age. »
“Raw, bleachedtorn or over-worn, it’s fashion’s big blank canvas that continues to attract stylists season after season who don’t hesitate to mix shades and textures to deliver more creations. original, attests Lorenza Martello, denim. Premier Vision Specialist, one of the world’s most important shows for fashion professionals. It is a material that cannot be compared to any other that has accompanied the history of fashion and whose essence work clothes has united creators and generations for decades. »
They have character, modesty, sexiness, simplicity – everything I want in my clothes
Yves Saint Laurent
In the world of luxury, jeans are mostly defined by the quality of their finish. “In addition to choosing the best fiber (such as highly certified cotton), the detail of the seams, the washing process or the choice of dye, embroidery, rhinestones or any other insert often requires manual intervention. a detail that cannot be produced by a machine, says the indigo specialist. Meticulous, artisanal work and attention to detail that partly explains the high prices…” All brands and luxury houses now offer signature, branded, distinctive jeans. “They have character, modesty, sexiness, simplicity—everything I want in my clothes,” Yves Saint Laurent said of jeans in a November 1983 interview. New Yorker.
More ethical and sustainable
Nearly forty years later, in an era of affluence and stylish comfort, this statement does not seem to have aged. But the question of sustainability can change the situation… Because if it is the most worn clothing in the world (2.3 billion pairs are sold worldwide annually, according to the Environmental Transition Agency, that is, in 73 seconds), then so are jeans. one of the worst polluters on the planet. The production of one model uses up to 10,000 liters of water (equivalent to 287 showers) and it can travel up to 65,000 km before landing in our cupboards. It is a fact, customs change. According to a Boston Consulting Group study, 64% of future Gen Z luxury consumers want an engaged business. So the industry has to adapt to it.
Some big houses have already chosen to market ethical and sustainable jeans (such as Stella McCartney’s biodegradable five-pocket, created from organic plant-based yarns, plastic and natural rubber microplastics, retrofit jeans by Marine Serre, Margiela or Chloé -from someone): Others offer innovative denim, such as traceable leather pants with a denim-effect print at Bottega Veneta, or introduce new techniques to their creative process, such as eco-washing for a distressed canvas effect at Gucci with organic cotton left over from the cut. this product is recycled to form new fabrics as part of the Gucci Up program.
“In the next few years, new fabrics will allow us to focus on being more environmentally responsible,” adds Lorenza Martello. If hemp (which requires less water to grow and is therefore a sustainable alternative to cotton) has already made great strides in denim production, kapok is making a notable entry among textile manufacturers this season. For years, this super-light natural fiber from the tree, kapotier, has been used (straight from its giant pod where it grows) as a simple stuffing for mattresses and soft toys. Soon, denim woven from its yarns will offer a very strong material and, above all, very soft to the touch. “If the road is long, blue jeans can really see life in green.
Source: Le Figaro
