influential people in the denim world

[Ryu]

I nominate miners, oil drillers, etc. of the early 20th century. Working class bad asses that shaped our world today.

Jack Kerouac...too?

i agree !!!

to think origin of our uniform 'JEANS' , it came from miners,oildrillers,cowboys......

[Ryu]

and

maybe this is my wrong knowledge,

you know in Japan, Dartisan is the pioneer who made replica denim

any comment?

[coleslawyum]

^^^ I agree, since Studio D' Artisan has been around for a long time. But I think Evisu has had the largest impact on the world about Japanese denim. They all had their hands in making repro denim what it is today.

[edmond]

im heading out and gonna go get me some sda natural indigo's

[cheep]

^^^ I agree, since Studio D' Artisan has been around for a long time. But I think Evisu has had the largest impact on the world about Japanese denim. They all had their hands in making repro denim what it is today.

then what about warehouse, since they were the ones to actually make the jeans for the earliest evis?

[indigo_junkie]

Weren't all these Japanese repro companies called the Osaka 5? (from that post on the Fullcount thread).

[beatle]

Also - I guess it was influential that Lee started to make - sell - prewashed jeans....so I nominate Jack Spence

[denimdestroyedmylife]

Sorry, I haven't been keeping up, but I thought Edwin Jeans preceded SDA/EVIS/WAREHOUSE. I did some quick googling (from kitmeout):

Edwin Jeans History or Edwin Jeans International???

Edwin Japan can trace its roots back to the 1950s. However, it’s generally accepted the brand started in 1961. The name “EDWIN” comes from playing with the 5 letters of “DENIM” Reversing the DE to ED and then reversing the NIM to MIN and then flipping the M to make a W: EDWIN!

EDWIN International quick history:

“1970

In 1970 more American WORK WEAR clothes are being made. A very important model, the OVERALL becomes a trend.

1972

The STRONG JEANS are being made which encourage the HIPPIES. A new folk fashion is born with the PATCHWORK by EDWIN.

1980

The CHICAGO JEANS are on the market. There’s a big fuss about the CHICAGO campain that year. Also, the STONEWASH series reaches the market.

1982

EDWIN is now on the market officialy via the ELITE FASHION CHANNEL. The sales of the INTERNATIONAL BASIC SERIES, which are the improvement of the WORK WEAR stabilizes. This year the LONDON SLIMS make their debute in Japan, after request of the people who already had heard of the great success the LONDON SLIMS had abroad.

1985

USA EDWIN International is founded. Musicians like Kenny Rogins, Hewy Louis and Billy Joel, appreciate the quality and fit of EDWIN clothes by wearing them. EDWIN starts to attract the peoples attention without advertising campains.

1986

The production in IOWA, USA begins. This way, the first made in USA EDWIN hit the market. EDWIN merges with the second greatest jeans company in the USA, LEE. This was the result of the fact that the creator of jeans in America had the KNOW-HOW of EDWIN.

1992

The BAGGY JEANS and the WORKMAN JEANS which were made with retro DENIM in 1991, make great sales. The ROSS which achieves great sales in Europe hits the Japanese market. There’s a merger with FIORUCCI (casual brand in Italy) and a cooperation with CARHART (an american WORKWEAR company). Assorted EDWIN models are being produced.”

Sorry to derail. Like it or not, Adriano Goldschmied deserves more than a passing mention in this thread.

[fade to black2]

I think Hedi Slimane is definetly an influence here on sufu.

if that's the case Jean Touitou should be given even more credit, as he was the influence on Slimane.

Definitely can't leave Helmut Lang out of this list. The dude basically changed the whole landscape and paved the way for what is now known as "designer denim." He was the one who did it best too (other than Jean)

[blake]

PLease edit that post!

It's not deserved, I'm just a passenger - it's the people who spoke to me who made the book happen. Hence, in addition to Adriano G and Yamane, I should also cite Stefano Aldighieri, a total expert on fabric, Marly Nijssen (sorry, haven't had chance to check spelling) from Diesel/Lee, Rikke Korff, who came up with the Engineered and Type ONe concepts, Neal Cassady, who pioneered the beat denim look, plus Lynn Downey, who keeps the Levi's legends alive, and Joe Vega, who did the same at Lee.

well played. This includes most of mine. I have to also give props to a jean and not a person. A viewing of the actual Nevada Jean led me to open my shop. It was beautiful. That jean was the biggest influence on my life.

[coleslawyum]

Sorry to derail. Like it or not, Adriano Goldschmied deserves more than a passing mention in this thread.

That's what I'm talking about. When I was younger, any product he was associated with (diesel, replay, retour, original AG) was a huge influence on me. When he did the original run of the '69 jean, for Gap, the whole product line blew my mind. This was before I knew about Japanese denim, which I have to thank Evisu for that.

My head may be in different place now, but I have to say, looking back at the excitement Goldschmied brought to the denim market in the 90's still is the shit for me.

[Chicken]

well, if we're talking about denim in japan, we probably need to mention him:

Really cool photo from BIG site, new home here.

This picture was taken in 1951 and depicts then 49 year old Jiro Shirasu (白州次郎) who, among many other things, is said to be the first person in Japan to wear a pair of jeans.

[coleslawyum]

^^^Werd. And of course the Dad Style Master Steve McQueen, who's in every Free & Easy issue ever printed.

Worshiped by many.

[kiya]

Weren't all these Japanese repro companies called the Osaka 5? (from that post on the Fullcount thread).

The original five where... SDA, Dry Bones, Edwin, Warehouse.. who else?

[cheep]

denime ?

[blake]

also do not forget about the earlier group of people who made the product available to all of us. I am talking about the retailers. Fred Segal has to be up there. He was selling denim forty years ago when the concept of "fashion" denim did not really exist. He is one of the people responsible for the stores that you see today.

[HumanError]

What an image. Dean on the cross, with Liz as a suffering Mary. George Stevens, the director, ever the photographer.

[beatle]

well, if we're talking about denim in japan, we probably need to mention him:

Yap, most def.

[alexryb]

if that's the case Jean Touitou should be given even more credit, as he was the influence on Slimane.

Good, good call.

Not only has he had a definite impact on denim, but Touitou also seems to be making waves in another area.. pre-schools. (?) Check out this article (& this one) on how the man is "giving back to the community." I love the idea, & I can only hope that when/if I have a kid, he/she will be headed off to A.P.E. for their first taste of formal education.

[andewhall]

Mr. Jacob Davis

[Paul T]

Mr. Jacob Davis

Absolutely!

For anyone who doesn't know (like the people who put together that f***in Wikipedia page) Jacob Davis was the man who designed Levi's jeans. He made the first ones by hand, perhaps 20 or 30, in white cotton duck and denim, then when they seemed to be popular he wrote to his denim supplier, Levi Strauss, to ask if he wanted to team up and buy a patent. Once Levi funded the patent, Jacob continued to oversee production, probably by homeworkers around SF.

(Lord knows where the wikipedia ino came from, for Levi certainly never claimed to have made the original jeans, nor did he buy any fabric from Nimes, he distributed American-made denim, which by then was extremely popular, made in Amoskeag, Manchester, New Hampshire.)

Jacob's grandson, Ben Davis, set up the US workwear company. I remember reading some of their recent shirts were based on Boss Of The Road designs. Which were probably based on Levi's design. What goes around comes around.

BTW, I'm glad so maby people have given props to Adriano Goldschmied. If you talk to anyone who's into purist denim, he's the name that comes up most often. Not only did he set up the Genous group - which is where Diesel and Replay started out - he was an early backer, and adviser to Evis, too...

[andewhall]

Letter from Jacob Davis to Levi Strauss 1872. (care of Ben Davis website)

Mess. Levi Strauss & Co.

Gents,

Inclosed please find Chack for $350.00 for which please give me credit balince my account and wright me how much thare is left to my credit, deduct $4. for the Plush and Thread which I have sent back. The reason I send you so much money is because I have no use for it here and you may alowe me Interest as well as the Baink.

I also send you by Express 2 ps. Overall as you will see one Blue and one made of the 10 oz Duck which I have bought a greate many Peces of you, and have made it up to the Pants, such as the sample the secratt of them Pants is the Rivits that I put in those Pockots and I found the demand so large that I cannot make them fast enough. I charge for the Duck $3.00 and the Blue $2.50 a pear. My nabors are getting yealouse of these success and unless I secure it by Patent Papers it will soon become to be a general thing everybody will make them up and thare will be no money in it. tharefor Gentlemen I wish to make you a Proposition that you should take out the Latters Patent in my name as I am the Inventor of it, the expense of it will be about $68, all complit and for these $68 I will give you half the right to sell all such Clothing Revited according to the Patent, for all the Pacific States and Teroterous the balance of the United States and of the Pecific Coast I reserve for myself, the investment for you is but a trifle compaired with the improvement in all Coarse Clothing. I use it in all Blankit Clothing such as Coats, Vests and Pents, you will find it a very salable article at a much advenst rate. Should you decline to spent the amount required for the Patent Papers please wright to me and I will take them out at my own expense, under all cercomestance please dont showe the pents to anybody I have allready obtained through Dewey & Co. of the Centific Press 2 Patents and one was rejected, but I am so situated with a large Family that I cannot do anything with it at Present tharefore as I have said if you wish to take out the Papers, Please go to Dewey & Co. of the Centrific Press and have the Papers made out in my name for 17 years they will send them up to me for Signature. Please answer these as soon as possible, these looks like a trifle hardley worth speakeing off But nevertheless I knew you can make up pents the way I do you can sell Duck Pents such as the Sample a $30 per doz. and they will readyly retail for $3. a pair excuse these long latter, as I could not describe particulars in a short space, I have nothing more at present.

I remain yours Truely

J.W.Davis

[blake]

Absolutely!

For anyone who doesn't know (like the people who put together that f***in Wikipedia page) Jacob Davis was the man who designed Levi's jeans. He made the first ones by hand, perhaps 20 or 30, in white cotton duck and denim, then when they seemed to be popular he wrote to his denim supplier, Levi Strauss, to ask if he wanted to team up and buy a patent. Once Levi funded the patent, Jacob continued to oversee production, probably by homeworkers around SF.

(Lord knows where the wikipedia ino came from, for Levi certainly never claimed to have made the original jeans, nor did he buy any fabric from Nimes, he distributed American-made denim, which by then was extremely popular, made in Amoskeag, Manchester, New Hampshire.)

Jacob's grandson, Ben Davis, set up the US workwear company. I remember reading some of their recent shirts were based on Boss Of The Road designs. Which were probably based on Levi's design. What goes around comes around.

BTW, I'm glad so maby people have given props to Adriano Goldschmied. If you talk to anyone who's into purist denim, he's the name that comes up most often. Not only did he set up the Replay group, he was an early backer, and adviser, I believe, to Evis, too...

Adriano was one of the original founders of Diesel.

[AK47AZ]

To me no one is influential, be you, do yourself and stop letting other people's styles mask your own. As far as I'm concerned I could make a jean that is superior to anything on the market if I wanted to. Everyone just copies someone else nowadays. And everyone wants to cut corners and have the highest profit margin possible obviously. I would rather take attention to detail and know that the shit is gonna look how I want it to instead of some japanese levi-rip off that every other little sufu internet-rat is gonna buy.

[Paul T]

Actually, I should have said that Adriano was the founder of the Genius group - which originally included both Replay and Diesel.

[blake]

Actually, I should have said that Adriano was the founder of the Genius group - which originally included both Replay and Diesel.

sorry, that was what I meant to say as well.

[salaami]

i love the letter from davis to levi...especially the part where he lets him know straight up that if he doesnt want to roll w/him, he has his own money. he had the 'secratt' of the 'rivits'. usually the story told is that although davis had the idea, he didnt have the dough, so he came begging strauss for financing. truth is, he told him what was good, offered him a uber-lucrative deal neither on of them could imagine, gave him the plan, and then the friendly ultimatum. beautiful. davis and jiro get top honors, imho.

[Paul T]

i love the letter from davis to levi...especially the part where he lets him know straight up that if he doesnt want to roll w/him, he has his own money. he had the 'secratt' of the 'rivits'. usually the story told is that although davis had the idea, he didnt have the dough, so he came begging strauss for financing. truth is, he told him what was good, offered him a uber-lucrative deal neither on of them could imagine, gave him the plan, and then the friendly ultimatum. beautiful. davis and jiro get top honors, imho.

I love that letter, too. It's such a combination of old-school and modern, the way he writes of it as "a trifle hardly worth speaking of" is very 18th century - but then the idea that he's writing about is still inspiring hundreds of designers today.

He writes elsewhere in the letter that he was sending Levi some money to look after, that Levi might as well have it as the bank - so he must have heard/known that Levi was someone he could touch... it's likely they got to know each other via SF's Jewish community. (I like the fact that when I did the denim book the Jewish Chronicle did a story on it, and that Jacob and Levi are their heroes alongside Bob Dylan).

Jacob also supervised production of all the early jeans, which were probably outworked to seamstresses around the city, who'd sew them in their own homes.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

Bart Sights

Devon Burt, creative director at Levi Strauss, calls Bart Sights "somewhat of an industry legend." He adds, "Ten years ago, you would've never thought there would have been someone like him, whose expertise is destroying denim."