Designer Q & A - Work Custom Jeans

This week's Designer Q & A is with Jerome Lew, Creative Consultant to Work Custom Jeans.

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

Since the time that Levi Strauss started it all, jeans have evolved from being an entirely functional work wear item to the one garment that is now coveted globally that defines American style and culture. Politics aside, people resonate with denim because it has been long associated with coveted attributes: from being a pioneer to rebellious rock and roller. It runs the gambit and consequently denim today has characteristics that have taken on cultural cues and nuances: there’s clean denim for the understated on one hand, then on the extreme side are more obvious, contrived styling cues you find on brands like True Religion, and of course, the plethora of brands that fall in between.

Last time I counted there were over 200 brands of premium denim jeans, what makes your jeans stand out from the rest?

We are all about provocative elegance. We push the envelope a bit for sure, but within the boundaries of iconic and classic styling. Our differences really lie in the details: our choice of fabrics, finishes and hardware. We put a lot of love into our jeans. Our fabrics are all hand selected directly on site at mills in Japan and Italy. Our hardware substrates are made of real gold and platinum. Quality and substance over fluff.

Who do you imagine is a typical customer?

She’s definitely following trends, but always wants to have core denim pieces to tie her fashion accessories together. She’s also a girl that doesn’t subscribe to predictable or historical fashion trends and paradigms. She’s just as apt to sport her Christian Louboutins with our jeans as she is to roll them up with a pair of flip flops. She doesn’t want to be defined or limited to how she can mix things up. She likes to keep things exciting. You’ll find her in LaPerla and Agent Provocateur when she peels are jeans off. She’s very Helmut Newton.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Mainly from contemporary art: the color palettes of Jackson Pollack, Helen Frankenthaler... The irreverence of Bansky, the irony and psycho sexual drama of Eric Fischl. We try to break patterns and mix up the functionality timelines with different eras. For example, take the Moto Zip. The Peter Fonda Hell’s Angeles Biker look was big in the 60’s, but we mixed it up with a sleek disco silhouette of the 70’s-80’s.

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

The Moto Zip (see above) in a simple rinse and the Viper skinny in Tsunami black over dye. Both are sleek sexy silhouettes that have subtle bling and attitude.

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

Our Viper Skinny (see above), Coyote Boot and Avalon Bell. You can wear these core styles at a dressy cocktail party, clubbing or dress them down with a tee for a weekend at the beach. Our jeans and our customer don’t like to be defined, so versatility is mission critical for us.

What are the first pair of jeans you remember?

Levi 501 button fly.

What have been your favorite pair of jeans that you have owned and why?

My Levi 501’s for nostalgic, sentimental reason; my Levi Austin’s because I love a great flare. Love Citizens for the comfort and fit, and my Rock and Republic boots for the attitude and my gal says my ass looks great in them.

What have been your favorite pair of jeans that you have produced and why?

Definitely the Moto Zip. It was a collaboration with the co-founder Brian Kim. Our design and sales team reworked the concept by reshaping the front leg panel, narrowing it, which results in a much more flattering leg. You’ve got those chunky zippers, so it was critical to maintain the sleekness or we wouldn't have released the product. The time we took to engineer the balance of this style really set the bench mark for our development process and we’re all really proud of the result.

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

My former boss was pretty eccentric and use to wear his jeans only once. Fortunately, I didn’t pick up that habit. I know it’s sacrileges for denim purists, but I’m a wash and wear person. I like the softer hand you get from laundering denim.

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?

I’ll bust out the black Dior’s for more formal occasions.

Which is your favorite jeans shop?

45 rpm, Double RL, the denim bar at Fred Segal and Barney’s NY, Beams and United Arrows in Tokyo, Diverse, Selfridges and Absolute Vintage in London.

Which celebs are currently wearing your jeans?

Jessica Alba (see above), Rene Zellweger, the girls from "The Hills" and "The City" and "90210".

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

Let’s just call it the Oprah effect. Celebrity placement is all about brand visibility, and positioning is critical to generating buzz and building street cred.

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

Jessica Alba, Katie Holmes the girls from "The City", "The Hills" and "90210".

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

The Helmut Newton girls, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Kate Moss.... For mens: James Dean, Johnny Depp, Keith Urban, Kanye West.

What is the worst denim crime?

Harem pants in denim, they look like a woman trying to wear her Bugaboo stroller.

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

Have you seen Karl Lagerfeld’s garter belt? (speaking strictly for the women).

And finally, any predictions for denim in 2009?

I think we’re going to see continued fall out of denim brands simply due to the economic challenges of sustaining a business in today’s market climate. I also think, consumers are going to demand more value for their money and when they do make the choice to part with their dollars, they will want to look, feel and know they got more bang for the buck. I think we’re going to see a return to more complex finishes, from vintage inspired rips and tears as well as continued traction with skinnies and bellbottoms. Women’s closets are choked with basics. They’re gravitating toward the extremes now.