Trend Direction: FESTIVAL

Close Up - Jacquards and Prints

Lurex star jacquard. Can also be translated as a print. This denim is reversible lighter on one side and darker on the other.

©TheDenimEye2016

Ronald Van Der Kemp £955

Stella McCartney £365

Givenchy £790

Marc Jacobs £685

Faded out multi pattern print enhanced by hand stitching and extra stone washed fading.  Looks great in wide legged cut offs. 

See below for a similar denim from a well known brand, Current Elliot.

Current Elliot Boyfriend Cropped Print £250

Multi pattern woven jaquard below reminiscent of Navaho decoration.

Tropical acid print onto denim shirt. After printing the shirt has been enzyme washed to fade out the print but not to wear it out with a stone wash. 

BEHIND THE SCENES : The Colour

Cotton yarn is raw white before we add the all important indigo colour dye.  

These are charming drawings of a dye range, beaming and slashing processes by Danny Southern late of Burlington Denim.  All are part of putting indigo colour onto the cotton yarn

©The Denim Eye 2016

A modern rope dye range showing cotton ropes before being immersed in the indigo baths or boxes.

There are traditionally a number of boxes through which the indigo can pass. Circulation pumps are used with individual boxes so that the depth and concentration of the indigo can be controlled in each box or in the number of dips. The question of numbers of dips which refers to the depth of the shade is misleading.  12 dips is regarded as being the darkest but there are not in fact 12 actual dips, the extreme depth is achieved by slowing the speed of the range to allow longer dwell time in each bath.  

Today the most modern dye ranges can in fact support 12 dye boxes thereby having the ability to create the most extreme depths of indigo shade.

©The Denim Eye 2016

The rope dye range with coiled ropes after being immersed in the indigo dye baths,

©The Denim Eye 2016

Decorated commercial yarn transportation in Pakistan.  

Traditional transport in Pakistan which still exists today. Mostly however such transport has been replaced by the Tuk Tuk which is a motor scooter with an integral carriage.

Trend Direction: FESTIVAL

Vintage

Real originals such as Fiorucci and Mr Freedom 70's pieces. Below original 1970's Fiorucci skirt. Note, pretty beading and liberty print edging and blanket stitching - all great ideas for your own customisation.

Note the skirt panels are all different denims which each have worn differently over time.

©TheDenimEye2016

The jeans in the shoot below were from a 'decorate your denim' competition held by Levi in the 1970s and shot by Sam Haskins, but were never used commercially. Such decoration led to the start of Levi commercially offering customisation to their retail customers. 

Trend Direction: FESTIVAL

Wear It - Festival

Decorate with braids and beads, badges and bows.

Wear chunky ankle boots with frayed cut offs to emphasise your calves. 

Embroidery in primary brights give your old denims a folksy flavour. 

Mixed patterns and mixed fabrics look spontaneous and fresh.

Collage ©TheDenimEye2016. Individual images (clockwise from top) ©topshop.com, ©foxyzingaro.blogspot.co.uk, ©wildandfreejewelry.com, ©studded-hearts.com, ©drielys.com, ©bewithstyle.com, ©lelookbcn.tumblr.com/lelook.eu, ©aviewfromtheshade.blogspot.com, ©asos.com, ©chicagostreetsyle.com, ©drielys.com

Faith Connexion £625

Junya Watanabe £495

Marc Jacobs £375

Roberto Cavalli £1,630

Ripping, repairing and fraying combined with contrast fabrics and prints.  Mix, match and play with unusual combinations of denim and other fabrics.  

Trainers or boots are the preferred footwear and fringing is a must for accessories. 

Traditional Festival girlie dresses from MiH and The GREAT!

MiH £245

The GREAT $275

Fringed suede waistcoat traditionally indian inspired, combined with a gathered bottom indigo shirt.

Abercrombie £58

Zara £29.99

Valentino £960

Zara £29.99

Trend Direction: FESTIVAL

Close Up - Painted Denim

Creative imagery painted onto pre-washed jeans. Original and unique.   These jeans are old Energie men's denims - also good for women's boyfriend trend.  Best to use dark slightly washed jeans as your personal canvas for painting.

©TheDenimEye2016

©TheDenimEye2016

Trend Direction: FESTIVAL

Close Up - Decoration

Folk appliqué, embroidery and delicate decoration onto dark denim. Burnt out leaf structure could be a tonal bleached print onto mid shade indigo enhancing the wash out abilities of the indigo dye.

©TheDenimEye2016

Mexicana embroidery onto worn out vintage denims.

©TheDenimEye2016

©TheDenimEye2016

Exotic printed florals onto worn out denims. giant flowers plus rough denims create a tension of opposites with added interest of weft shredding.

©TheDenimEye2016

Frieda Kahlo style Mexican florals pigment printed onto denims.  Make your own artistry using acrylic pigment paints on yesterday's denims.

Gold pigment looks more Boho than luxe when combined with scraped and worn-in areas.

Trend Direction: FESTIVAL

Close Up - Patched

Pieced and patched indigo boyfriend jeans from Egome - hand stitched patching with stripes placed inside the jeans and lined with natural lace are enhanced by scrape and spray finish.  All this can be achieved at home using whatever contrast fabrics you have to hand.

©TheDenimEye2016

Crazy creative Wrangler jeans pocket from the 70's. The Jean is a 2x1 real vintage twill and the pocket is a retro mix of hand woven plastic and denim enhanced by heavy stone wash to highlight the seamed weave.  The woven plastic looks like the formica patterns from the 50's.

Hand embroidered MiH jacket designed and made exclusively for Selfridges Denim Studio, London.  Light blue bleached out indigo embellished with graduated blues is refreshingly sunny after all the dark trends from fall winter.

©TheDenimEye2016

Hand embroidered patched MiH boyfriend jeans.  The lightweight denim is vintage ring spun with a slight aged tint which when combined with the Navaho style decoration is spot on for the summer trend.  Comfort with high style.

Trend Direction: FESTIVAL

Close Up - Whitewash

Painted or sprayed with white pigment onto dark denims.  Haphazard brush marks can be abstract or representational.

Apply thickly using quick strokes for the background and more precise for the motifs.

©TheDenimEye2016

Coat the whole of the denim piece with white pigment; rub off excess with a cloth and score into the heaviest coated areas with a sharp edged implement.  Wait to dry before adding another layer or wearing.

©TheDenimEye2016

Easy to do yourself by hand - don't overdo the pigment painted areas otherwise the garment will become too stiff.

Very lightly coated or brushed over the surface to give the appearance of white stains and raindrops.

©TheDenimEye2016

Abstract and haphazard splashing and spraying above evolves to hand stencilled flowers on these Abercrombie short ankle flares below.  Right on trend.

Abercrombie High Rise Ankle Flare £88