Vintage Bling Ring

In the post war days of Rock jeanswear and screen idols overt bling embellishment was more popular than today.  Wear and destruction was achieved naturally and decoration was the way to express individuality.

Shiny silver early vintage motorbike working in harmony with the dazzler vintage sequin star biker babe.  

©American Denim: A New Folk Art

Rhinestone cowboys take bling to another level.  Layered appliqué with a Mexican influence - rhinestones, silver studs, soutache embroidery, silver threads, tassels and dancing disks. Extraordinary!

©American Denim: A New Folk Art

The Pearly King of vintage denim. Military braiding over embelished with shiny pearl buttons jumbled and superimposed to create handfuls of variations on the shine theme. 

Coating and Lustre

Coating onto denims is recent technology.  Initially developed for function but very quickly adapted to be used for effect alone.  Coatings onto denim can be achieved both in the denim Mill where the effect is coated onto the fabric during the finishing process as well as in the laundry where the effect is either sprayed or printed onto the finished jean.

©TheDenimEye

Coating effects of super glass shine, silver and gold, black leather looks and furred flocking are just a few of the effects that can be achieved in denim and jeans finishing.

Metallic coatings take different forms.  Dull pewter coatings which lend themselves to wear and destruction thus creating a modern vintage appearance; crackled dull silvered coatings again rendering the garment old and worn in; high shine silver and gold disco denims are not just for christmas.

©DieselJeans

High shine in silver and other metalics also lends itself to super stretch skin fit super sexy jeans, so popular they are worn both day and night. 

Trend Alert: Bling Ring

Perfect timing for the party season.  Bling plus jeans combine for the must haves of the season.  Denim, be it in jeans or classic silhouettes, is a perfect vehicle for sequins, shine and lustrous embellishment.

Combining coloured shiny coating with print, appliqué and sequins not only creates an occasion statement it elevates the simple denim jean or denim jacket to a go to party garment.

Dolly Parton style American country and western fringing combines with studs, sequins and appliqué embroidery created by Dolce and Gabbana jeans is the ultimate in party bling.

Create & Decorate Denim Fashionistas

Celebs love denim, whether in their down time or on stage.  It is a fabric and culture that enables anonymity and is a great leveller.  Once comfortable in the skin of denim it is natural that when in the spotlight it is this fabric to which celebrities turn.  Guys like to demonstrate attitude with rips and shreds and grunge effects gals love to embellish.  They love to add fun, colour, badges and messages.   Such flamboyance demonstrated by the "stars" spins off into young fashion quicker than from the catwalk through instagram, pinterest and other instant vehicles of communication.

Kylie is such a bundle of positive energy, a role model for all both young and not so young it is no wonder that when she decorates her denim others follow in droves.

The unconventionality of denim fits the controversial attitude of Miley Cyrus.  She is outspoken and unafraid of doing crazy things, likewise with her clothes, boldly decorating and embellishing herself with fun items.  Given she is such a pop icon she has huge influence on her adoring fans and has spawned many streetwise look a likes guaranteeing the continuity of this trend for decorating the blue stuff.

Cher has always been a fashionista changing her look at every turn and at every performance.  She has always based her look on a certain sexy bohemian jeans spirit with embellishment being very much a part of her look from when she first set foot on stage to even now. Never afraid to wear a lot of bling on her denim she is a great ambassador for the product and always has been a huge fashion influence.

Create & Decorate: Creative Repair

Creative repairing has risen above the mere mending of rips and shreds.  Enter flamboyant contrast and decorative fabrics to place on the outside of the garment or visibly from the inside. Either way it must be seen. Such additions to denim adds a new attitude and makes denims more appealing to a larger audience.  Taking the simple jean to an audience who may not hitherto have been in love with just denim.

©TheDenimEye

Repairing by MiH jeans; Egome Denim; Junya Watanabe.  Contrast repairing techniques can add to the love of the jeans or in the case of Watanabe they make a new attitude taking jeans to a whole new and different level.

©TheDenimEye

Creative repair can also be all about stitchery.  Stitching for its own sake.  Stitches looking for a place to work.  Stitches competing with each other in a myriad of patterns and scales.  Such stitches can take over the garment making it something totally different from whence it started its life.

©TheDenimEye

Egome denim excels in creative repair for both women's and men's jeans. Using hand printed indigo cloth from Japan they embellish and "repair" adding authentic attitude to their easy fitting jeans.

Create & Decorate : Denim Tattooing

Why is tattooing largely the domaine of denim heads?  Both women and men who love tattoos also love denim.  Both denim and tattooing represent an anti establishment attitude, against the rules, being creative, doing your thing.  Denim provides the blank canvas for personal creativity be it ripping and shredding, ripping repairing, heavy destruction or pure art denim.  Just as the body is the blank canvas for artistic, political or personal expression.

Forearms for mens tattoos enable them to visibly combine their denim with their tattoos.  Tattoos  are mostly indigo thereby being a perfect combo with their special denims.

Tattoos are depictions of symbols, creatures, mythology and political or emotional statements. Likewise are decorations on denim. Denim messages and stories are as effective as body tattoos.

From mythical creatures to delicate ethnic patterns in indigo both on fabric and on skin, such  decoration has become a hugely important part of our fashion scene.  Even if those that sport it do not regard them selves as being "in fashion".  Such decoration and embellishment renders our clothing so much more exciting and personal.  

Brand Spotlight: Caine London // Rialto Jean Project

Caine London

Matt Allchin and  Hayley Caine are the brains behind Caine London a cult denim brand born in Peckham London.  Their brand is "irreverent and fun" , they create "wearable works of art to be worn until they die".  Their ready to wear collections strive to be witty and effortless, with styles appealing to both genders. Each collection sees them source vintage denim jackets that they emblazon with unique hand-painted works of art. Influences for the designs deriving from sources such as canals of south London, 90s grunge, and everyone's favourite place, the traditional English Pub. 

Their AW16 collection, aptly taking its name from the London Cockney slang for pub, "Rub-A-Dub", celebrates the traditional signs you would see hanging above your favourite local boozer. 

Here at The Denim Eye we can't wait to see what's coming from for the next season from this brand.

For more check out cainelondon.com

©www.cainelondon.com

Rialto Jeans Project - Denim doing good.

RJP is an ethical philanthropic denim brand which specialises in hand painted one off vintage items.

Everything is handcrafted in the studio of ERIN FENIGER in South Street Seaport NYC with the brand counting A -list actors , musicians and super models among its growing customer base. Erin Feniger sources rare American made vintage and personally hand paints every piece herself thereby creating unique pieces with a current fashion awareness.

Rialto Jeans Project  benefits children through art with proceeds of the brand going to support innovative therapy programmes in the Children's Hospital LA and New York Presbyterian Hospital from the RJP charitable platform of "DENIM DOING GOOD".

Follow the brand progress at rialtojeanproject.com

All images ©rialtojeanproject.com

Create & Decorate: Jeans as a Canvas

Personalisation and creativity in jeanswear has been around since mid last century.  Then it was a craft based exercise to make the garment " something more" decorated in either embroidery or appliqué. With decoration being the key aim. Now it is much more about flamboyance and statement, hand painting, pure artistry, messages, motifs, branding - all of which are much more hard hitting than as pure decoration.

Hand painted canvas applique onto the back of a 1950's denim jacket. Make your denims more unique and personal - express yourself through your clothes.

Energie hand painted jeans. Mid Western hand painted ecru jeans - real statement denim as art.

Caine Jeanswear plus hand painted items from Denim by PV 2016. Ecru hand painted jeans the authors own.