Q and A: Pray For Mother Nature Denim

This week's Designer Q & A is with Chip Foster, Founder and Designer of Pray For Mother Nature Denim.

1) Why do you think after 200 years jeans are still one of the most popular items of clothing?
Because they're durable, stable, and dirty... They're cool.

2) Last time we counted there were over 200 brands of premium denim jeans in the market. What makes your jeans stand out from the rest?
There are over 2,000 denim brands and 480,000,000 clothing brands worldwide. With Chip and Pepper, we got into that top tier of well known brands out of the 480,000,000 and we were cool and never sold out :)

3) Who do you imagine is your typical customer?
Brad Pitt and Zooey Deschanel

4) Where do you get your inspiration from?
Travel

5) Which style and wash of your jeans are moving the quickest at this moment?
Well Pray For Mother Nature launched with a motorcycle skinny in black denim, the 'Action Jackson'. That was picked up by Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens. That was also our best seller for that season and still has unbelievable sell through.

6) Are there any essential jeans that everyone should have in their wardrobe?
PFMN's, 'Slick Rick', which is our skinny, in superfine denim, or the 'Jesse Spano', a low rise flare jean. Everyone needs a least those two basics.

7) What are the first pair of jeans you remember?
My mum took me to a store called Boo Boo's and got me some beat up Levi's.

8) What have been your favorite pair of jeans that you've owned? Why?
My Chip and Pepper 'Bush Pilot' skinny's. They are a beautiful organic indigo, with slubby threads.

9) What have been your favorite pair of jeans that you have designed/produced?
I think the 'Jesse Spano'. That bum is sick, dirty hot!!

10) How many pairs of jeans do you currently own and which are your favorites?
3 pairs... A skinny, a skinny, and a skinny with holes.

11) Are you a "wash your jeans after each wear" person or a "wear your jeans for six months before you wash them" person?
This is a weird one... I'm way cleaner then my jeans. I shower twice a day, but I'll wear my jeans until they're really stinky, 'cause I like the way they fit all worn in. Oh, unless I go chicken catching then I have to wash them right away.

12) Which is your favorite jeans shop?
They're not "jean shops" necessarily, but boutiques. I love the style of The Grocery Store in San Francisco. I think the message of The Future Standard (an eco and fair trade website) in San Diego is really cool. There's Adresse in Philadelphia, which has an unbelievable caliber of collections and taste. I love Arcade in L.A. because of their concept and class, and I love Shopbop, I always have.

13) Which celebs are currently wearing Pray For Mother Nature Jeans jeans?
Fergie, Whitney Port, Jessica Simpson, Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Bosworth.

14) How important is it and how big of an effect does it have on your sales if a celebrity is seen wearing a pair of your jeans?
It helps a great deal.

15) Who are your current favorite male & female denim icons?
For Male, it's Randy Tuck. He's probably in jail now, he was a tough kid, but he always had the best Levi's Jeans.
For Female, it's my wife Nicole. Her ass is smoking hot. I gotta tell her to back that shit up.

16) Which person living or dead would you most like to see in a pair of your jeans?
Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison

17) What is the worst denim crime?
Really ugly back pocket logos, ie: sequins, studs, and huge threads!

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

19) And finally, what do you predict for denim in future seasons?
The world is moving toward being more eco-aware, natural, organic, and giving back to the environment. This will be the same for denim, oh and using OLD denim for insulation.

Jessie: 14/01/11