Denimology

Resin Denim Designer Interview

From the visionaries behind Paper Cloth and Denim, founder Chris Gilbert teams up with designers Durango Adams and Chantel Valentene Inniss to launch Resin Denim this fall. Blending American styling with the vibe of New York City the line is made from Japanese Kurabo denim which is one of the oldest and most respected denim mills operating today. Each season an emerging artist will be designing special pocket linings creating one-of-a-kind collection pieces. The line for men and women is set to retail between $128 - $158 and will be available in stores and online at ResinDenim. Denimology had the great luck to chat with the designers before their launch.

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

Jeans are ingrained into our culture, They have crossed generations and class barriers because they are a staple item for the rebel and the conformist. Easy to wear and always sexy, their ability to evolve has cemented their position in our present and future wardrobes.

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

RESIN was birthed from a company rooted in the genesis of the "premium" denim market. Working with founder Chris Gilbert and having the history of Paper Denim and Cloth as a foundation, we have built a new vision maintaining the same ethos of quality denim and great fit. There are many denim brands trying to find their niche in a very saturated market. RESIN appeals to a customer whose appreciation of great denim goes beyond the hype.

3) Who do you imagine is a typical customer?

It's difficult to imagine a RESIN customer as typical. We don't dictate how to wear what we make. Our "typical" customer styles our jeans as they see fit, inspired to express their individuality. Denim, like all personal style should be effortless and organic. In turn, the way they wear it inspires us when designing the future collections.

4) Where do you get your inspiration from?

New York City is a concrete canvas. Living here we cannot help but to absorb the energy and confidence that thrives in the mix of individuals who take to the streets. It's music, history, our friends, the people we meet, and the people who pass us by.
The Inspiration is constant - whether it be a trip to visit family in Barbados, vintage shopping in Texas, or brainstorming around a table listening to music and drinking whiskey - it's all filtered through our New York state of mind. As the city and those in it evolve, so do we as a brand.

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

So far the most interest has been in the Orion and the Aslan fits within the women's collection. Indigo Slick is a favorite wash - it combines the ease and simplicity of a rinse wash, with the grit and age of a vintage.
Our Men's style, the Cain in Tarnished Indigo wash, and the Cypher which is sleek, black and coated, have also been very popular.

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

From RESIN, women should have the Catalyst (It's the style jean that started the collection, hence the name) For men, the Cain in Selvedge.

Every woman should have a pair of dark rinsed skinnies - they go with everything. Men need a pair of slim straight selvedge jeans and the rest is history.
We believe that the most essential jean is the one that make you feel your best. That jean that fits you just right, the one pair that you never want to take off, break in, and have forever.

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

Chantel: A pair of washed out Jordache jeans that were self-customized into above the knee shorts in 5th grade. Maybe not the first pair I remember, but the first pair I loved.

Durango: The first pair of jeans to make a lasting impression on me were definitely Jordache. I can remember seeing the commercials for the first time, and seeing the expression on my mother's face. Memorable - the first time I saw jeans elicit desire.

8) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have owned and why?
Tough question for both of us! Favorites come is phases -- You live in a pair of jeans... forget you have them... then fall in love when you rediscover them. The favorites stand the test of time -- Can't pick just one.

9) What have been your favourite pair of jeans that you have produced and why?
Chantel: Currently, I'm loving our Aslan style. They manage walk the line of simply understated and rebellious - effortlessly.

Durango: I've been living in our Cypher jean - all renegade beneath a non assuming exterior.

10) How many pairs of jeans do you currently own and which are your favourites?
We both are guilty of having too many pairs to count. We buy jeans just because...they don't even have to fit. (See Question 8.)

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

Chantel: I wash my jeans that have Lycra fairly often, but if they are rigid I'll wear them until it's illegal not to clean them.

Durango: I wear my jeans in awhile before I wash them. The character that can be captured in naturally worn jean is hard to not appreciate. For women this is a hard concept to push, but for guys, I think it is important that a jean tells its story.

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?

Chantel: Saturday morning waiting in line at Trader Joes jeans. Night out with the girls jeans. Riding my bike hot shorts. The go-to and always dependable jean. The list goes on. My jeans aren't intended for particular events, they just tend to be repeat offenders for certain occasions.

Durango: My jeans are less about occasions, and more about attitude. My jean choice is a definite reflection of my mood on any given day.

13) Which is your favourite jeans shop?

If you sell denim, we'll be shopping around your store - half of the fun for us is the search for the next pair we can't live without. However, there are a few stores where the denim selection, store character, and vibe keep us coming back.
Barney's NY, Oak, Odin, RRL, Acne, Blackbird, Any flea market and vintage shop - depends which city we are in.

14) Which celebs are currently wearing your jeans?
Zooey Deschanel, Zoe Kravitz, Jessica Szohr, Shia Lebouf, & James Franco.

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

RESIN is about the personal experience of our jeans and their wearers. We truly believe that the strength of our direction and longevity of our brand depends on our connection to our customers and the people we see everyday. We can't deny the effect of celebrities'; we just aren't driven by it.

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

A couple we saw walking on the corner by Bond & Lafayette in NYC.

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

On our boards now are Bob Marley, Alison Mosshart, Sessilee Lopez, Mick and Bianca Jagger (circa 1972), Kate Lanphear, Bonnie and Clyde and Miroslava Duma.

18) What is the worst denim crime?

Falling into the belief that just because it's trendy, means it works on you should be criminal. Wearing jeans that are ill fitted is the worst of all denim crimes. Whenever you adopt "fashion", especially jeans, without a true self examination of how it looks on your size and proportion, the results are most often disastrous.

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

We would be frolicking around is white tees, leaves and loincloths. A world without jeans is hard to imagine - who doesn't own at least one pair???

20) And finally, any predictions for denim in 2010?

Modern meets vintage, matched with the attitude that anything goes.