This weekend is TEFAF. It's the world's largest art fair.
The crew at over at Accent Circonflexe were kind enough to invite us to get little artsy-fartsy with our message, asking us to create a special display for their shop timed to coincide with the fair.
We're not above boosting good ideas (we've already apologized to Bob Dylan for the same crime here on the blog) and this time we stole a bit of attitude from the artist E.V. Day. We can relate to the obsession for detail, the fascination with taking things apart to learn more about them, and the impulse to blow things up in order to move them forward.
A lunchtime trip to the local hardware store followed by a late-night adventure with low level power tools resulted in our contribution to TEFAF's invasion of Maastricht. Call it the Art of Jeanscraft. Call it Worship Tradition, Destroy Convention, call it an artsy homework assignment... a diorama (kijkdoos) for grown-ups. Check it out if you're lucky enough to visit the event and tell the folks at Accent Circonflexe we said, 'thanks'.
Well, Bob spelled backward is boB... -I guess. A name with great balance, and around here we talk about balance all the time. But a certain Bob's cue-card flipping stroke of filmic genius has a style that's been bitten by somanyothers we figured we'd jump in and loot it too. Maybe in the crowd of like-minded copycats nobody would notice us sneaking off with the concept. When we reviewed the tape backwards by accident we all looked at each other with the same thought; we should probably play it backwards on purpose.
Alsjeblieft...
Sorry to Mr. Dylan for joining the thieving frenzy and tearing our own little chunk out of his original idea. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Thanks to David Gensler over at the KDU who trusted us with pre-release poloroids of examples from his own amazing collection of tailors' shears. As fellow collectors we should have respected his request that we not publish them, but we went and stuck 'em in the video anyway. Be sure to keep an eye out for the moment when he publishes his own photo-journal of the full collection, it's sure to be amazing.
Seems ages ago I was standing in the airport in New Delhi after my holiday. A bit blue to leave India but excited to get back to work.
The airport there is always a feast for the eyes, particularly for people-watchers. Right in front of me a group of lovely looking nuns, maybe returing from missionary work. The pleating of their habits reminded me of one of the shirts in our DENHAM GARMENT LIBRARY archive. Also in the cue were maybe a dozen men from Rajasthan. Super cool faces, clothes, colors, textures.
The men's turbans were amazing. The "tray-table in front of me" on the flight home is where I began sketching up a top combining plisse and heavy twisting techniques.
The opening of the D E N H A M store marks the launch of the Blue Salad Bar. Visitors pick the riveting, shank-button specification, key-pocket ringback button, back-pocket four-hole button and leather waistband patch.
Any selection from any color-set in any combination ready for pick-up in 7 days. No, we're not the first but that doesn't make it any less fun. Besides, in our case the salad is tossed by Jason himself on the weekends and uses only our freshest ingredients. Time will tell if he'll look back at this as a good idea or not. In the meantime we're taking advantage of his good nature.
For His the Dart. Japanese selvedge denim given refined shape using our own twist on the traditional "tailorwise arts"; Darted articulation [darticulated...?], fully tailored waistband, boxed button-holes, bound flies, leather rivet-bushings and the signature 7-point pocket pattern.
For Hers, the Skinny. Premium finishing inspired by the mens' collection and featuring a slight dash of stretch to realize the optimum balance of shape and comfort.
For the last few months we've been spoiled. Tucked away in our new design studio here at 493 Prinsengracht regularly reminded of our luck by the steady soundtrack of "whoa shit, nice studio..." salutations we get from friends stopping by.
Cool digs indeed and we're daily aware of the privildedge of spending our time here. But none of us wants to horde it all to ourselves and now that the shop is completed, it just got a whole lot easier for folks to come share the atmosphere.
The D E N H A M Store has now opened next door to us at 495 Prinsengracht. Just a single plate-glass door between the studio and the shop, it's the set-up we all dreamed of having at the places we used to work, but never managed to pull off before. Thanks to everyone for joining us on the big night. -And, for the rest of you, swing by and say "hey" when you get a chance.
What's old today is new tomorrow. And invention always seems new. So when Jason brought back a Louis Vuitton steamer bag circa 1911 he had dug-up at a specialist shop in Japan, two things happened.
First; we bought a book. Paul-Gerard Pasols' Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury. Honestly we're on the fence as to the idea of luxury these days. But for sure we're all agreed on quality and innovation so it was inspiring to flip through the pages and find out about the sort of crazy inventions coming from the Vuitton clan back in the day. Some to do with transformer-style travel bags (like the case that sprouts a daybed) and some to do with travel itself (like DaVinci looking airplanes and helicopters).
Around here we try to worship tradition while destroying convention, so this stuff was spiritually right up our street.
Second; Jason collaborated with a small English bag atelier to re-imagine our own steamer, banker and ww2 pilot's navigator bags in Japanese selvedge denim, British saddle leather and solid brass hardware.
The book, The Cutters Practical Guide turned out to be the gift that kept-on giving. Passed down as a family heirloom printed in 1910 and sold at the time for 15 shillings and providing "economical cutting guides" for every garment in the wardrobe along with adverts for additional resources like uniform designs for "Military, Naval, Police and Fireman".
Our attempts to carry the torch are modest enough. A dart (or two) to ease the sleeves into a curve, selvege down the spine, boxed button holes... An homage as honest as we can offer.
“Our customer is not going to settle for less than jaw dropping, mouth watering, gotta have pieces. The only way we know how to make them is to create our own unique balance of deep authenticity, inventive contemporary detailing and a distinctly modern attitude”
The crew at over at Accent Circonflexe were kind enough to invite us to get little artsy-fartsy with our message, asking us to create a special display for their shop timed to coincide with the fair.
We're not above boosting good ideas (we've already apologized to Bob Dylan for the same crime here on the blog) and this time we stole a bit of attitude from the artist E.V. Day. We can relate to the obsession for detail, the fascination with taking things apart to learn more about them, and the impulse to blow things up in order to move them forward.
A lunchtime trip to the local hardware store followed by a late-night adventure with low level power tools resulted in our contribution to TEFAF's invasion of Maastricht. Call it the Art of Jeanscraft. Call it Worship Tradition, Destroy Convention, call it an artsy homework assignment... a diorama (kijkdoos) for grown-ups. Check it out if you're lucky enough to visit the event and tell the folks at Accent Circonflexe we said, 'thanks'.
