Designer Q & A - Ande Whall

New Zealand's best kept secret in the world of denim is hands down, Ande Whall. Whall is the designer, pattern maker, sewing machinist and salesman of all goods produced under the Ande Whall banner. With an eye for detail and craftsmanship coupled alongside some selvage denim that would make any denim enthusiast eyes water, Ande Whall is making some great inroads into the world of premium men's denim. With all this hype going around about the man, we thought it was about time we caught up with him for a Designer Q & A.

1) Why do you think after 200 years jeans are still one of the most popular items of clothing?
It's the wonder cloth of all people and they do an honest days work.

2) Last time I counted there were over 200 brands of premium denim jeans, what makes your jeans stand out from the rest?
When I like a product or brand it's more of an overall vibe, there is some sort of essence that takes your fancy. Hopefully my customers feel the same.

3) Who do you imagine is a typical customer?
Not really sure, I talk to customers every day from all over the world which is amazing. They are all special flowers.

4) Where do you get your inspiration from?
Inspiration comes from old stories of denim companies making their mark in the late 19th and early 20th century. Old advertisements and stories of how things came about in the factories when garments were being made. A lot of vintage details people love today were born from those early innovative days of workwear. The big companies were battling each other to have the strongest and most useful pants on the market. Hidden back pocket rivets prevented scratches on an expensive horse saddle, a "U" shaped crotch was more comfortable to wear in the saddle, sanforized denim...."no more shrinking jeans, buy your true size"! As the ad says. There is also a host of vintage details born from a sort of rugged old sewing, it was only workwear afterall and before sewing machines really started to evolve to perform specialized individual tasks. The angled back belt loop supposedly came about by one machine operator not being able to get the bar tack through the thick layers of the seat seam and belt loop, so instead opted to off set the loop to sew through less fabric and hence save time. Could be true. The back pocket stitching style (wider at the top) that was used to avoid running over hidden back pockets rivets is still widely used today, even though most jeans don't have the hidden rivet anymore. Having said all that I don't subscribe to the strict reproduction brand ethos, I just take my favorite details from the past and use them on modern and more vintage style cuts. Neo vintage if you will.

5) Which style and wash of your jeans are flying out of the shops the quickest at the moment?
Grifters have always been the best seller. It's just a good slim cut. Raw as always.

6) Are there any essential jeans that everyone should have in their wardrobe?
Some nicely beaten up ones.

7) What are the first pair of jeans you remember?
As a kid I had these jeans from a New Zealand company called "Skin Jeans", they were really popular and I even remember that they faded really cool. Can't seem to find much info on the brand though, I think they went out of business in the 80's.

8) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have owned and why?
Probably the ones I am wearing now, Cougar XX-DI just because they are the first ones from the main line that started about a year ago. Up until then I was doing a lot of smaller six month collections and some really small 12-18 pair limited edition models etc. It was kind of like a re-launch when I finally decided, "this is the set up" from now on, the details, pocket stitching, branding etc. A few little things have changed and improved, but the overall look is still the same.

9) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have produced and why?
I have a soft spot for a small collection from a couple years ago. They were all single needle sewn with no overlocking at all, hand felled inseams and the really old copper rivets that nearly break your hands when you apply them. I don't own a pair, which is a bummer.

10) How many pairs of jeans do you currently own and which are your favourites?
I have seven pairs which is about one each from all the smaller collections over the years, a few are unworn. Favorite right now are the Cougar XX-DI's I am currently wearing.

11) Are you a "wash your jeans after each wear" person or a "wear your jeans for six months before you wash them" person?
I would wash jeans every three to five months. You know when they need a wash. It also strengthens the denim and they will last longer.

12) 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?
Not really. I just wear one pair everyday until they are really worn in. I do have a gardening pair though, it was a prototype of a workwear pant. They don't see much action, you should see my garden....it's ridiculously overgrown.

13) Which is your favourite jeans shop?
Where I live there isn't a whole lot. Had a chance to visit Cinch in London, that was a really nice store. I check out online stores, Self Edge, Blue in Green, Context, Superdenim UK and Cultism are my favorites. There is also new store in L.A. called Craft which sounds great too. Keep up the good work guys.

14) Which celebs are currently wearing your jeans?
None that I know of.

15) How big an effect does it have on your sales when a celeb is seen wearing a pair of your jeans?
Nothing.

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

17) Which person living or dead would you most like to see in a pair of your jeans?
Steve McQueen, rest in peace and Vince Noir from the Mighty Boosh.

18) What is the worst denim crime?
Daisy Duke jorts on men.

19) If jeans had not been invented, what would we all be wearing?
I'm not sure, maybe grey wool strides.

20) And finally, any predictions for denim in 2009/10?
Possibly less of the skinny and more looser cuts. I am working on some older style buckle back jeans, hopefully more of that.....with suspenders!