Denimandjeans | Global Trends, News and Reports | Worldwide

Category: Denim Brands – Int’l

  • 7 For All Mankind – First Ever Warehouse Sale.. Get Ready !

     

    7 for all mankind jeans discount saleimage

    The first ever official sale from the VF owned 7 For All Mankind is coming to LA (September 25-27) and New York (1st –4th October)  . Better be prepared to grab the famed jeans for Big Discounts ((Jeans Starting $65) on the first day to Biggest Discounts (Jeans starting $ 45) on the third day and register on their website to get invited and get a hassle free entry.

     

    Over 25,000 discounted 7 For All Mankind Men’s & Women’s Jeans, Tops, Jackets, Handbags, Dresses , Kids Apparel etc shall be available in a full fledged sale.

     

    A brief bio: 7 For All Mankind is credited to have started the Premium Denim trend and has always been on an upswing ever since it launched in the year 2000. With a first year sale of $13 million (!), it exploded on the fashion scene and ultimately was acquired by VF in the year 2007 for $775 million.

  • Hudson Jeans – Designer Q&A with Benjamin Taverniti

    In this ever expanding world of Premium Denims ,with over 200 denim brands fighting for mindspace, some brands stand apart and one of them is Hudson Jeans  . Hudson Jeans collection was founded in Los Angeles in 2002 and is best known for unparalleled fit and craftsmanship, the iconic union jack logo and signature triangle flap back pocket. Created from the best premium denim from the finest mills in Europe and Japan, all Hudson products are hand finished and tailored to be truly one-of-a-kind pieces. The line ‘Marries California Freedom with British Cool’ and recently launched a hot new ad campaign featuring Georgia May Jagger, the 17 year old daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall.  With all the hype going on with this new ad campaign, I thought it was time to catch with the designer  BENJAMIN TAVERNITI (Ben) for a Q&A :

    1) Why do you think jeans continue to remain so popular in spite of economy being in recession?

    Denim is now the pillar of the outfit… Especially in a ‘recession’, it is much easier to accessorize what you already own around a new pair of jeans. Also, the utility and value that a premium pair of jeans offers is unbeatable. A $200 pair of jeans is not really expensive if you can wear them a lot.

    2) How do Hudson Jeans stands out from hundreds of other brands of premium denim brands out there?

    We are very confident in who we are and the denim we create. We stay true to the brand and provide both women and men with the ultimate premium denim that combines British cool with California freedom. We will never ride a trend for trend’s sake and fans of our brand love that about Hudson Jeans.

    3) What kind of denim fabrics do you use?

    We only use the best fabrics from the best mills in Japan and Italy. We are very tedious in our research and we always look for the best of the best, which makes our denim like none other. We like to incorporate new fabrics to take Hudson Jeans to the next level, making the line even more high fashion. I love to enhance denim with materials like satin and jersey.

    4) Who is your typical customer?

    The Hudson girl/guy is effortlessly stylish, takes chances, irreverent, and creates their own destiny, always. Style is woven in to who they are and the way they live their life.

    5) Which are your best selling jeans?

    We offer a wide variety of fits and styles, so it is hard to lock in on just one. If I had to pick, I’d say the bootcut and skinny have always been popular styles for us and consistently continue to perform well.

    6)What do you think are the latest trends in denim for Fall 2009 and Spring 2010?

    Some upcoming trends to look forward to are the flare, distressed, babyboot (a mix of straight leg and boot cut that hits just right at the ankle), baggy skinny, high-waist skinny, vintage distressed patchwork … That’s all I can say for now, I wouldn’t want to give away all of my secrets!

    7) What is the source of your inspiration for designing the jeans?

    My design inspiration comes from my everyday surroundings and life experiences. I pull inspiration for everything I read, the places I go…it’s usually a mix of travel, books, magazines, and my interactions with interesting people. If you are sensitive enough to your surroundings, you pick up on them and they are woven into who you are and what you love.

    8) What is your favorite pair of jeans and why?

    My favorite jean right now is the black distressed super skinny jean with 12” leg opening…repaired and patchwork…undoubtedly Hudson. We make them for women, too.

    9) Is there any place you won’t wear jeans to?

    Swimming !

    10) What do you think is the one single most important factor for jeans purchase  – brand name, fit, fabric, wash & finish or any other?

    It’s the combination of the fabric, fit, the wash, the design…it really depends on what you are looking for from your denim. A perfect brand needs to create jeans that combine all of these factors successfully into a jean.

    11) Which celebrities are currently wearing Hudson Jeans?

    Gisele Bundchen loves the Hudson Signature Bootcut. Jennifer Aniston, Leighton Meester, Sienna Miller, Sandra Bullock…there are so many!

    12) What would be your dressing advice to denim lovers?

    Don’t be afraid to experiment with new styles, washes, colors or cuts. Denim is a fabric that encourages women to have fun and express their personal style.

    13)We hear a lot about  the Denim Leggings – ‘Jeggings’ .Are they in fashion ? How do you style  ‘Jeggings’?

    The jegging is a fashion essential this season because it provides the comfort of the legging and chic design of the jean. It’s something that is very easy to wear and goes with anything in your closet. To dress up your new jeggings, wear them with Christian Louboutins or dress them down with a beat up pair of Converse tennis shoes. You can wear them with a tank top or a more dressy top, a canvas bag or a Balenciaga. The jegging gives your look an edge, no matter how you style them.

    geogia jagger denim jeans

    jeggings denim leggings

    A brief bio of Benjamin Taverniti : Born in 1980, Ben is a very young and talented head designer of Hudson Jeans. In 2002, Ben became the head designer for Kristina Popovich in Paris for 2 years.  In 2004, Ben relocated to Los Angeles, California and lead the design team for Yanuk Denim.  In early 2007, Ben joined the Hudson Jeans’ family.  Ben is currently the head designer and creative director at Hudson Jeans..

  • Gap 1969 Premium Denim Jeans – Promotion Strategy , Videos etc..

    The launch of the Gap 1969 premium denim has been widely covered by the press . Gap is a large retailer listed on the NASDAQ and it has been showing flat or negative results  for quite some time now –and now the world is watching whether " Gap can do it” and whether this new jeans can bring it back on rails..

    Here are some miscellaneous points about this launch – its promotion strategy, a video explaining the different styles in 1969 and a behind the scenes video on ‘Born to Fit’

    1. Gap will rely on Facebook instead of TV ads to reach customers. Gap has created a Facebook Page . The ‘Born To Fit’ campaign is designed to make it interactive and anyone with a facebook account  can upload their photos and create  a ‘Born to ….” tagline. So you will find  photos of people with interesting taglines like ‘Born to Smile’, ‘Born to Dance’ , ‘Born to Tell Stories’   and many more .. This  widget is posted on a users facebook profile and if approved, on the Gap’s facebook page also. The idea is clear – let people create their their own widgets around Gap 1969 and share with the world. This way consumers would be themselves marketing the company’s product . Cool..
    2. Gap seems to be luring the stock traders at the New York Stock Exchange to push up the Gap stock price by providing them 1200 free 1969 jeans..Well actually , it was in commemoration of Gap’s 40th Anniversary coinciding with the launch of the premium denim line.
    3. Learn about Gap 1969 from Gap’s Denim architect: This is a nice video from Gap explaining the different women’s and men’s styles and why they think they are so special .
      4. And here is a behind the scenes video for ‘Born to fit ‘ campaign.

      1. Super Premium Denim Jeans Sales Fall While Denim Rules ..

        The year 2008 has been bad for most of the industries and early 2009 has not been good either.Apparel industry has not been an exception and  has been hit with a 6.3% decline in the first quarter.. However, sales of denim jeans has been a bright spot in this otherwise dismal scenario. The sales of jeans has actually grown 2.3% in this period . Does it mean that denim jeans are actually cannibalizing the share of other apparel bottoms ? Possibly . Levi’s – which has seen a growth in denim sales, has its non-denim Dockers brand  hit hard, and several of its retail stores have gone out of business.

        But all is not gung-ho in the denim industry . Some of the segments of the industry have suffered while others have gained. Let’s try to find answers to some questions related to the denim industry in US.

         

        What is the situation of the total denim sales in USA ?

         

        1. The denim jeans industry – a $13 billion industry – has actually grown 2.3% December 2008 – February 2009 where the apparel sales as a whole has declined 6.3% !
        2. Sales of large denim companies has improved .VF reported revenue from Wrangler jeans was up 3% in the first quarter of 2009, and Lee jeans sales was up 7% !

        What is happening to the Super Premium Denim Category ?

         

        1. This category of premium denims with a price tag of $200+  has suffered and sales went down 17% in this category last year .
        2. Reason – Inspirational shoppers are not going that high and luxury customers are not buying more than 2-3 pairs anymore..
        3. So at 7 for All Mankind, about 95% of the company’s jeans are now less than $200, up from 70% a year ago.
        4. True Religion : Wholesale sales were down 17% in the first quarter, and sales at its stand-alone stores were down about 10%. But they are not yet changing their strategy and reducing prices. They expect consumers to come back for their jeans.

        What are the manufacturers of Premium Denim Brands doing to fight recession ?

        1. They are trying to communicate to their buyers why their jeans are so expensive. As Topher Gaylord, President of  7 for All Mankind says "It’s the hand distressing and other denim treatments make his production costs 10 times higher than jeans sold in the mass market” and this is what they are tyring to teach their customers.
        2. Due to drop in sales at Luxury departmental stores, they are trying to open more of their own stores. True Religion opened more than 30 in the last year. Lucky Jeans, owned by Liz Claiborne , is adding a number of specialty shops .
        3. They are trying to become a Life Style brand – with non-denim clothes and accessories to thrive.

        What are Department Stores doing to shore up their denim sales ?  

        1. Discounting their prices . Not depending on sales of Premium Denim Brands and instead focusing on their own or other mid-priced denim brands.
        2. Trying to add more denim brands . J.C.Penny  now sells about 25% more brands of jeans than it did five years ago, including wide-leg dark-denim jeans with cuffs
        3. Department stores are buying more of the $200-and-under jeans for this  fall.

        What are traditional denim brands like Levi’s and Wrangler doing?

         

        1. Trying to understand the needs of their consumers better and delivering those products at reasonable prices.
        2. Levi’s eg, is capitalizing on the trend toward "boyfriend jeans," which are snug on the rear and loose in the legs.were snug skinny-fit jeans, slim-fit jeans that Graden says are "not as snug," as well as new back-pocket treatments.
        3. Wrangler began offering jeans with a "Comfort Solution," which includes a waistband that expands as you move.
        4. Gap is trying to build jeans every bit as good as any premium player and trying to regain lost market share by offering 7 seven different "fits" for men and seven for women, including "always skinny" and "curvy."

        So it seems that denim is there to stay – whether its good times or bad. But denim brands will have adopt different strategies and cater to their own niche in a proper way. Check out some more details on Premium Denims on this article from USA Today  here . 

      2. Bikini Jeans ? Hmmmm.. Interesting .

        We had seen  lot of ultra low waisted jeans that we had seen all through last couple of seasons and there was a  feeling that low waisted jeans were slowly fading away.

        But all the previous lows have been proved to be quite ‘High’ compared to this new Bikini Jeans that has come from a Japanese Brazilian company – Sanna Brazil Fashion. The bikini seems to have been merged with the jeans to create a new ultra low and exposing jeans. The bikini strings hold the jeans on to its place which would otherwise just fall off !

        bikini jeans

        bikinijeans21 

        bikinijeans

         

        Most men would not be complaining on women wearing these jeans though some women would.

        However, on a serious note , the jeans is meant for highly perfect bodies and will be difficult to carry off by most women. The occasions to put on such a dress would probably be limited and it is probably a fad which will not carry far.. But the fact that me and probably many others like me are writing about these jeans have created a visual sensation at least.. And if you (women only!) are bold enough to try these, visit the site of the company to buy online.

      3. Levi’s – X Large Spring/Summer 2009 Denim Jeans

        X large of Japan and Levi’s have colloborated to bring out a Spring/Summer 2009 collection of Jeans. It will be released on 28th Feb 2009. It is basically based on Levi’s yellow stitch 502 denim and has the crotch  a little lower.
        Striped print has been added on front and back pockets and contrasts with the raw dark indigo denim – a little too much .

        Here are some photographs of the jeans:

        Related Posts:

        Levi’s Engineer Garments
        Levi’s India adjusts price strategy

      4. Evisu Spring and Fall 2009 Heritage collection –Green cast, Red cast & more..

        In last couple of years Evisu seemed to have been losing some reputation among international denim buyers because of  too many flashy artifacts on the back pockets and for lacking subtelity. However, there is still lot of love among its dedicated consumers in Japan and Evisu seems determined to get much more of international attention and customers with its new heritage releases. Also it has to be remembered that Evisu is still one the best producers of Selvedge denim in the world.
        Evisu is releasing a set of  5 Heritage Denims for Spring and Fall 2009 . Each of them stays true to the traditional Japanese denim dyeing methods . The set includes both green cast and Red Cast denim.

        NO.1 SPECIAL


        No1Special is unsanforized japanese selvage denim woven by Kaihara Corps Ltd. Unsanforized denim is the most authentic cloth, as used on the very earliest jeans. It has a slightly hairy surface and the warp and weft yarns are quite loose. When washed for the first time, the denim will shrink because it is not sanforized. Another effect would be that the legs would skew. Though highly undesirable to many users, skewing is  a sign of  Vintage Jeans (remember they did not have sanforizing facilities in the 19th century. The process  was invented in 1933 by Sanford Cluett). Buyer has to hot soak the jeans before wearing and they will get to the size he is looking for .

        NO. 2


        This denim is identical to No1Special, but sanforized – which means that the jeans will not shrink unduly and will hardly have any  hair on the surface.Woven in Osaka Japan on half-width shuttle looms with signature pink selvage. No2 is a mid-to heavy-weight 13.7 oz denim and has a deep blue tone with a very slight red cast.
        NO. 3

        No3 is the original famous Evisu Heritage selvage denim, previously known as D85. It is rope dyed with indigo to an extremely deep blue, almost black tone. No3 can be recognized by the unusual ‘rising’ sun red and white selvage
        NO. 4


        No4 is something different developed for the  Evisu Heritage Spring 2009 collection. The denim is woven from open-end yarn, as against Ring spun traditionally used by Evisu. Open-end yarn denim has a smoother, flatter surface than ring-spun denim. Like all Evisu Heritage denim, No.4 is woven on half-width shuttle looms.
        NO13


        And if you are looking for softer denim, then No13Left is the one to go for because of its Left hand twill weave . It  is a close reproduction of the early denim used by Lee from the 1910s onwards. Left hand twill denim has a twill direction opposite to the right hand twill and is softer because the direction of the fibres aligns with the direction of the twill. No13Left is green caste indigo, and has mismatched selvage: one side is plain white, and the other side has a single warp thread of indigo woven into it, staying true to the specifications of the original Lee version.

        Related Posts:
        Evisu Spring/Summer 2009 Collection
        Evisu DD1 project

        More details on Evisu blog

      5. Denim Jeans in the U.S wardrobe – a report

        Report on denim consumption in US
        Report on denim consumption in US 2008

        A report by CottonInc brings out the latest facts and trends in the jeans consumption in the US. It corroborates our previous report that the consumption and imports of Jeans in the US in 2008 was about 5% more than that in 2007.

        Here are some interesting facts from the report:

        a) US consumers:Own about 15 denim garments each on an average.
        Out of these are 7 pairs of jeans.
        Of all apparel purchased , denim formed 17% ( remember ,denim is the highest selling
        clothing item in the world.
        Are buying more of denim especially now since denim is more value for money.

        b)Brand loyalty: Brand loyalty is quite high across genders,income levels and age groups.
        73% of the consumers preferred to buy the same brand of jeans they owned.
        64% of men and 45% of women preferred the same brand of jeans for 6 years.
        What is interesting to note is that brand loyalty has been generated due to product
        features rather than brand name. 66% consumers listed fit as the most important factor
        for buying a jeans rather than its name (1%)

        c)Price  sensitivity:Price senstivity is going to increase in the year 2009. Though only  9% respondents
        mentioned price as the reason to buy a brand, over 26% mention price will be the most
        imp factor in the next purchase. With the economy slowing down, we should not be
        surprised  if this figure increases further.
        Average price that a consumers were willing to pay for a good fitting jeans fell down from
        $36.10 in January 2008 to $ 32.13 in October 2008.

        d) Denim Imports:Mexico , China and Bangladesh remained the top three exporters of jeans to US in
        2008.They exported (till September 2009) the following million units of jeans :
        Mexico – 92.8 million units
        China – 55.6 million units
        Bangladesh – 39.1 million units
        Egypt – 23.4 million units
        Hongkong – 23.2 million units
        Out of these, Bangaldesh had the lowest average price of jeans exported – $5.07 against
        a world average export price  of $ 7.45

        Going by these figures and previous reports coming in regarding denim consumption in the US, we get the indications that the consumption of denim/jeans would perhaps not experience the serious fall in consumption as expected in other clothing (esp fashion products) items. The reason is clear – consumers want to invest in jeans as – it lasts longer, can be worn at wide variety of occasions, offers wide price ranges and remains its fashion appeal. Will we  see the  market share of some clothing items cannabalised by
        Jeans ?.
        Another lesson , oft repeated, for jeans producers is that FIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT factor consumers . Identify your target consumers and give them the best fits possible.Though quality of denim, wash, brand name all are important, they are secondary to THE FIT ..

        Download the full report on denim jeans consumption in US here – right click and ‘Save link as’

      6. Premium denim line from Levi’s – Engineer Garments.

        Levi’s is trying hard to make its presence felt in the Premium Denim segment. The latest effort in this direction came with the launch of the Levi’s Engineered Garments – a collection of high end Men’s Jeans and casual clothes. Not to be confused with the (much cheaper) Engineered Jeans® of Levi’s, this collection derives its name from a New York label – Engineered Garments – who designed the same.
        The 501 button fly jeans modeled after 1947 versions is priced at USD 235/- which is signicantly higher than the previous premium denim collection of Levi’s – Capital E which were in the range of USD 150.
        The jeans are available for sale at Bloomingdales

        Levi’s has been struggling to reinvent itself as (also) a premium denim label due to the large market of about USD 1 billion (in US) which seems to be still growing well. However, it has not been able to make any significant dent in this market till now which has been dominated by the likes of 7 for all Mankind, True Religion, Earl Jeans .

        The words ‘Engineered garments on the rollback

      7. Levi’s India adjust pricing strategy


        Levi’s India plans to vacate the middle price segment and concentrate on the lower and the higher ends.Its Signature brand – which is the value offering – will see a further fall in price and start at Rs 900 instead of Rs 1000(USD 22 instead of USD 24 approx.). On the other hand, the premium segment will see an increase of about 15% in average pricing and increase to about Rs 2400(about USD 58). The report by Economic Times also mentions that in the next six months, the company will roll out its high-fashion, high-end brand Levi Rivet nationally.
        The company is also planning to increase its adspend significantly during the next few months as it sees a slowdown and counts on its advertising to perk up the sales and take an increasing share in the 10 million value jeans and about 3 million premium jeans market in India.
        Levi’s has been continously moving in the direction of vacating the mid-priced segement – as I mentioned in a previous post also and probably this is a sign of times to come for many large denim labels. The mid-priced segment of the Jeans is experiencing the miniumum growth and its share is being taken up by local brands who are more adaptable to local conditions (in India brands like Spykar,Killer etc)

        Related articles : Levi’s ipod Jeans in India
        Levi’s Footwear range in India
        Levi’s new model for India – actor Akshay Kumar

      8. Self Edge – the cool denim store in San Francisco


        Though most of the denim afficionados might be aware of this store, I think its worth a post on this blog because of its importance to denim lovers.
        Self Edge is a store in San Francisco and is not the typical retail store where one goes and buys out the apparel. As you enter, you can feel that it has that ‘air of denim’ which is full of passion and history.As New York Times mentions
        ,Self Edge is “something between a premium specialty shop and a museum dedicated to a yearning for past quality — a sentiment easily detected in the antique wooden furniture and Persian rugs that decorate the shop”.
        Most of the denim labels found here are of Japanese origin made with Selvedge denim, though some other brands are also found.Brands like Iron Heart,Sugarcane,Nudie Jeans,The Flat head are found here(some of them exclusively).It becomes difficult for newcomers to understand why these brands here are retailed for prices like USD 200 and going up to USD 500 and sometimes more. But, the passion that goes into the building of these jeans also goes into retailing of these brands at stores like Self Edge..
        Keep Going Self Edge………..

      9. Victoria Beckham sues Rock and Republic – lessons for Celebrity denim labels

        The trendy posh spice Victoria Beckham, has sued the denim brand Rock & Republic for USD 100 million.
        Victoria was engaged by Rock and Republic in 2004 to endorse their denim brand. Subsequently, she broke with them and started her own label – DvB denim . However, the label has not been faring too well recently . On the other hand, the Rock and Republic line that she had endorsed seems to have done very well. And, Victoria feels that Rock and Republic should pay her USD 100 million for additional profits earned(which seems quite ridiculous)..
        Here is a lesson to be learned by the celebrities the world over – who are following this trend of launching their denim label to encash their celebrity status. The celebrities have to understand that Denim is a specialised product and those who do not understand it , should not jump into it. Their hundreds and thousands of labels available and the customers need a very strong reason ,besides their name, to buy the label. Initial crowds can be drawn on the basis of celebrity image but sales cannot be sustained on the same.
        Another example of Paige Premium Denim would be very appropriate here. Adams Geller was a famous model who endorsed denim labels like 7 for all Mankind, True Religion and made them popular . She then launched her own label – Paige Premium – and made it successful. The reason was that Adams Geller thoroughly understood denim,its customers requirements,fit issues and most of all SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH DENIM. Her celebrity status must have made initial things easier for her,but it was her passion about Denim which made the label successful.
        So, all the celebrities out there- I hope you are listening. Don’t just follow the herd and launch a Denim label.