Denimology

Designer Q & A - James Jeans

This week's Designer Q & A is with Seun Lim, Designer of James Jeans.

1) Why do you think after 200 years jeans are still one of the most popular items of clothing?
People have changed much more in so many respects in the last twenty years than the last two hundred years combined. We now have the internet and full-fledged globalization. We really feel like we are connected to the rest of the world. Denim jeans are a classic wardrobe staple that have kept up with such terrific changes. In coming years, jeans will play an even bigger role in our apparel choices. We live on one planet with limited resources but jeans are as natural and organic as they get. People no longer dress according to segregated social classes. Jeans are the ultimate expression of democracy and equality. We are born the same but what we do makes the difference and jeans are thus our highest and lowest common denominator of self-expression. From a fashion trend standpoint, we are seeing a convergence of high fashion and fast fashion and jeans are the obvious connective tissue of choice to harmonize the cultural gap. There are now jeans for every taste and choice. The faster the people change, the faster the jeans must adapt. Jeans will forever be in vogue. They are durable and versatile and ideal for our transforming lifestyles.

2) Last time I counted there were over 300 brands of premium denim jeans, what makes your jeans stand out from the rest?
From day one, James Jeans has been about the fit. And to date, we are sticking to the same program as there is still much to improve in our journey towards the land of perfect fit. Our fit is both comfortable and sexy at the same time. That's a duality hard to play out in co-existence. We give out and relax where we have to provide the comfort and we suck in and pull in where we have to create the sexy shape. Jeans by definition are tightly fitting on a person. How we can mold the shape of the body to create that sexy yet invitingly comfortable fit is our specialty. Our brand ethos has been three S's: Sophisticated, Subtle and Sexy.

3) Who do you imagine is a typical customer?
Our typical customer is a person who is comfortable being in her own skin. She understands her fashion credentials and has mastered her own styling. She is an early adopter, leading trends rather than following. For those who prefer to create their own fashion identity, James Jeans is an ideal starting point. Our loyal customers appreciate what we do the best, fit and quality fused with sexy styling. While we deepen our customer-product experience, we are forging new relationships with younger clienteles. James Jeans is not an age group specific brand. James transverses generational timelines because it has succeeded in appealing to timeless virtues of fit and quality. And depending on one's trend preference, we have it all covered.

4) Where do you get your inspiration from?
I like to think that I am a thinking designer. On a basic level, I make jeans that fit and look great. On a deeper one, I have connected with my customers who have for the most part found joy and happiness through my product. My designer life source is customer feedback. When I read that a woman in New York loves James Jeans above all because James Jeans is the pair she wore to her first date with her future husband and how they fell in love at first sight. His icebreaker comment was how good she looked in James Jeans. As a designer and as person, I could not be any happier.

5) Which style and wash of your jeans are flying out of the shops the quickest at the moment?
No doubt our Twiggy Legging Jeans (see above) are this season's top sellers. Legging Jeans (Jeggings for those who want to be cute) are the on point denim trend for this fall. I admit that this is tooting our horns. We have the best legging jeans in the business at the moment. What we are best known for and what we are best at are well translated and manifested in the form of legging jeans. The fit and touch must be impeccable on a legging jean to bring out the desirable merits of both a legging and a jean. James Jeans is fully utilizing its asset and know-how to bring to market the best and widest arrays of legging jeans. James Jeans' high rise series have been a permanent staple for some time. Now its legging jeans are the new legs to stand on and out. Some may toy with the idea of an elastic or hybrand waist but we stay true to the spirit of denim jeans. It is not enough that it looks like denim jeans. It must be true denim jeans. And mindful of the economic distress affecting billions of people everywhere, we have conscientiously lowered our price points.

6) Are there any essential jeans that everyone should have in their wardrobe?
There are the everyday basics and the fashion pieces which are subject to shorter trend cycles. Basics are still skewed around the skinnies but trend forecasting gurus predict the pendulum will swing back to updated bootlegs.

7) What are the first pair of jeans you remember?
Levi's 501. 1976.

8) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have owned and why?
I think it is the second season pair called James Bronze Hybrid. It was the start of our dry aged denim process. I think this wash and cut was ahead of its times.

9) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have produced and why?
Low rise Leggings called Belle. It's a legging but sits around the waist that makes it a really sexy cut.

10) How many pairs of jeans do you currently own and which are your favorites?
I own pretty much all the samples, I am still a sample size 25. My favorites are those which did not make the final production cut. They are 'one of a kind' jeans.

11) Are you a "wash your jeans after each wear" person or a "wear your jeans for six months before you wash them" person?
It depends on the wash and of course on the usage history!

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?
Basics cover 90% of the occasions but there are the SPVs. Special purpose vehicles we denim aficionados rely on.

13) Which is your favorite jeans shop?
Barneys New York, Ron Herman and American Rags and Selfridges and Donna Ida. All of these stores offer a great denim product range.

14) Which celebs are currently wearing your jeans?
It has been a busy season thanks to our legging jeans. Megan Fox, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Demi Moore, Ashley Simpson, Blake Lively (shown above), Marcia Cross, Lily Allen.

15) How important big an effect does it have on your sales when a celeb is seen wearing a pair of your jeans?
Star marketing is very important and is still the best way to prove our product strength. If the celebs endorse our product then we must have something validating. It earns an instant spot. Then it comes down to each individual to decide for herself.

16) Who is your current favorite denim icon (male & female). I am thinking the person who has the most denim style?
Icons come in many shapes and life forms. And I believe for each era a definitive style Icon takes her place.

17) Which person living or dead would you most like to see in a pair of your jeans?
Audrey Hepburn as she is our quintessential James Jeans girl.

18) What is the worst denim crime?
Over-embellishment to compensate for a lack of substance.

19) If jeans had not been invented, what would we all be wearing?
Maybe still potato sacks!

20) And finally, any predictions for denim in 2010
More Leggings and Retooled (i.e., slimmed) Basic Bootlegs.

The new styles from James Jeans are available from www.jamesjeans.co.uk