Denimology

Designer Q & A - April 77

This week's Q & A is with Brice Partouche, Designer of April 77 Jeans.

1) Why do you think after 200 years jeans are still one of the most popular items of clothing.

Because of the American Levi’s imperialism !

2) Last time I counted there were over 50 brands of premium denim jeans, what makes April 77 Jeans stand out from the rest.

April 77 is not a jeans brand. We sell an attitude and we make jeans just because it fits with our inspiration, with the music we love. All the jeans are unisex.The other point is the price: April 77 is an affordable label , don’t pay our jeans more than 150 dollars.

3) Who do you imagine is a typical April 77 customer.

Musicians and people into any underground scenes.

4) Which style and wash of April 77 Jeans are flying out of the shops the quickest at the moment?

All of April 77 jeans are in raw denim. Our best seller is The Joey in Overdrive (raw blue denim) and in High Standard (black drill).

5) Are there any essential jeans that everyone should have in their wardrobe.

Levi’s 501 and 505. We have made like a 505, The Sinner, which is a skinny jeans for dads!

6) What are the first pair of jeans you remember?

A Bonaventure with back metal label. I was 10 I guess…

7) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have owned?

That one.

8) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have produced?

The Joey (see above),it’s a 5 pockets unisexe skinny jeans

9) How many pairs of jeans do you currently own and which are your favourites?

I have a lot of April 77 but I wear always the same, the Joey in black denim. I don’t own collector jeans. I have some vintage pieces but nothing exceptional !

10) Are you a "wash your jeans after each wear" person or a "wear your jeans for six months before you wash them" person?

I literary wear the same pair during 6 months !

11) Do you own jeans for different occasions (for instance I have work jeans, smart jeans, weekend jeans, holiday jeans, jeans for going to concerts in, jeans for gardening in) if so what have you got?

One jeans, all the time, for everything.

12) Which is your favourite jeans shop?

I remember a vintage store in Low East New York. Jeans were expensive but the selection was great.

13) Which celebs are currently wearing your jeans?

We saw pics of Ron Wood wearing an April 77 jeans. Iggy Pop as well. We dress rock bands we like, such as The Horrors, Franz Ferdinand, Moneybroter, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Denis Lyxsen from Refused/International (Noise) Conspiracy/Lost patrol Band,Stuck In The Sound, Rhesus….

14) How important big an effect does it have on your sales when a celeb is seen wearing a pair of your jeans?

We dress a lot of cool obscure bands that no one knows, and when a bigger band wants to wear our stuff, we don’t make a huge advertising with them, posing in April 77 ! So there’s no selling effect.

15) Who is your current favourite denim icon (male & female). I am thinking the person who has the most denim style?

All the Ramones.

16) Which character (male & female) from a movie had the most denim style?

Matt Dillon in Rumble Fish

17) Which person living or dead would you most like to see in a pair of April 77 Jeans?

Joey Ramones

18) If denim jeans had not been invented, what would we all be wearing?

Sta-Prest?

19) And finally, any predictions for future trends in denim jeans?

Follow the leader! but don’t follow me, I’m lost