Designer Q & A - Radcliffe Denim

This week's Designer Q & A is with Suzy Radcliffe, Founder of Radcliffe Denim.

1) Why do you think after 200 years jeans are still one of the most popular items of clothing?

I think Denim is such an iconic and versatile fabric that it can just keep re-inventing itself. At least every decade it is used in a totally different way - just think 10 years ago the concept of premium denim did not even exist.

2) Last time I counted there were over 50 brands of premium denim jeans, what makes your jeans stand out from the rest?

Many jeans brands are approaching denim in a traditional 'california lifestyle' approach. I was bored and tired of endless blue, boot cut jeans and wanted something different - something more refined. Being British, Radcliffe comes at Denim from a totally different perspective. Our background is in traditional Savile Row tailoring - so while we are obsessed with denim we use it in a very unexpected way - for instance our Denim Trafalgar trench coat is a very traditional tailored coat but cut in one of the most innovative denims it is transformed into something very contemporary

3) Who do you imagine is a typical customer?

Radcliffe is for a very modern woman, who is very confident in her style. She appreciates luxury and impeccable fitting clothes - but loves the energy and attitude of denim.

4) Where do you get your inspiration from?

Traditional mens tailoring, the world of luxury, English heritage, my travels and looking out of my office window onto the Portobello Road and seeing how the girls put together their unique look

Radcliffe W1 Lean Fit Jean

5) Which style and wash of your jeans are flying out of the shops the quickest at the moment?

For Spring Summer our new Lean Fit is proving very popular. For next season, our revoulutionary new '3 inch Jean' (in stores end of June) is already a buyers favourite - we have completely re-engineered the 5 pocket jean taking it up 3 inches on the back rise to give the ultimate flattering fit while being totally in tune with how the jean needs to move and perform as a woman wears it.

6) Are there any essential jeans that everyone should have in their wardrobe?

Jeans for different purposes - an ultra comfortable jean for wearing with flats, running around all day (Radcliffe W1 Lean Fit), a sexy dark dark pair of skinnies for dressing up in the evening (Radcliffe NW1). For summer we have a new wide leg called The Hamptons which is perfect for the Holidays. And a great pair of shorts for this summer.

7) What are the first pair of jeans you remember?

Buying second hand Levis when I was 14 from a vintage market

8) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have owned?

It must have been 10 years ago, and I bought a pair of dark blue Earl jeans from Henri Bendl in New York when you couldn't buy them in England - I thought they were the coolest thing as I hadn't worn jeans since I was 14

9) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have produced?

I have the prototype for our new wide leg '3 inch jean' and I have not been able to take it off for weeks...

Radcliffe Denim EC2 Ankle Skimmer Jean

10) How many pairs of jeans do you currently own and which are your favourites?

I have around 10 pairs of jeans each season from Radcliffe in all of our new washes and denims. The ones I am living in right now are a pair of our 'powdered grey' ankle skimmers (see above). I am tall so they cut off at my ankle so I find them really fantastic to wear with heels. My ankle skimmer is usually bought by our shorter customer but I wear them in a totally different way.

11) Are you a "wash your jeans after each wear" person or a "wear your jeans for six months before you wash them" person?

Somewhere in between!

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?

Absolutely - this is exactly how I design. When we first start prototyping I insprire my design team by saying 'I see myself wearing these our for brunch on a sunday morning' 'I see myself getting glammed up to go clubbing wearing these' - it just helps paint a picture for everyone and brings the jeans to life as we visualize them being worn. For everyday I have a pair of our lean fits, which I wear with flats in the office, But in my office I have a smarter trouser style (denim) that gets me through meetings with my banker and investors that I can change into. If I have to go straight out after work and need to feel instantly glamorous I will usually wear a pair of our NW1 skinnies with a pair of high high shoes

13) Which is your favourite jeans shop?

Barneys Co-op - they have the best range and the most well informed, passionate denim sales staff

14) Which celebs are currently wearing your jeans?

A broad range of women including Gisele, Katie Holmes, Jemima Khan, Mary Kate Olsen, Tyra Banks to name a few

15) How important big an effect does it have on your sales when a celeb is seen wearing a pair of your jeans?

We don't tend to shout about the fact that certain celebs love Radcliffe - it is just great to see people who have the choice of wearing anything they want, living in your jeans because they love them

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

I think Gisele always wears denim well. I am scanning well known men in my head and can't think of anyone

17) Which character (male & female) from a movie had the most denim style?

I was watching an old re-run of Flashdance the other day and there is this scene where Jennifer Beal is in these extraordinairy old school pair of blue jeans with a very very high waistband - if I had seen this a year ago I would have thought how scary the jeans were but seeing them now they looked fresh and where things were headed.

18) Which person living or dead would you most like to see in a pair of your jeans?

Jackie Kennedy. We have this shot of her on our design board in a pair of rolled up jeans playing with her daughter and she epitomises the glamour and playfullness of denim that we are aiming to capture with Radcliffe.

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

Corduroys?

20) And finally, any predictions for denim in 2007