You probably didn’t know that there are people who have made whole careers out of the humble jean alone. But Amy Leverton, who has worked in denim trend forecasting for eight years, has done just that. What she doesn’t know about denim, ain’t worth knowing. And now, she’s even written a book about the stuff - Denim Dudes - which gives you a world tour of all the cool guys making and wearing denim, looking at styling and subcultures, everywhere from Stockholm to Tokyo. Pretty damn cool.
We figured Amy was the right kind of gal to ask all about the future of denim - what trends can we expect to show up? Is the skinny really dead? Will we really all be wearing the cropped flare? And why are we now seeing furry denim? Yep, fuzzy denim is a thing. So we asked Amy all about it...
Weird Surfaces Are Major
‘Unusual surfaces are very current, we’re seeing incredible effects at the fabric trade shows like wool effect and brushed denim, which makes it feel really wintery,’ explains Amy. ‘There are some amazing designers like Faustine Steinmetz who are doing really interesting, almost couture takes on denim, like using mohair.’ We checked out Faustine’s fuzzy denim at the AW15 shows, and we too were suitably impressed with this new furry retake on the jean. ‘There’s a really cool fabric called Scratch'N Jean, too,’ Amy continues, ‘It’s like a jean with a top coat that you can scratch off to create a really destroyed look.’
Drapey Denim
‘Jersey denim has been around for a while now, and it’s so damn comfortable, it’s unlikely it will go away anytime soon,’ says Amy. You know the stuff, it’s impossible soft and makes you want to rub your face against it. Plus, it’s ideal for summer, as it’s not as stiff and hot as your purist thick jeans.
Will The Cropped Flare/Culotte Really Last?
‘The cropped flare is so popular at the minute,’ says Amy. ‘It has come from that idea of normcore, of making things slightly ugly so that they’re almost anti-fashion.’ Amy flags up Rachel Comey as the designer who has really owned the denim culotte, she’s been hailed as the new Isabel Marant, but we’re seeing cropped styles everywhere on the highstreet right now, too. ‘Culottes and cropped flares are certainly going to continue to be popular, but I’m seeing a very super skinny fit and flare style coming through too,’ says Amy. Make sure yours don’t look too sleek though. ‘The fit and flare style will be quite directional and edgy though, because it’s kids on the street who are pushing boundaries that are really directing the trends, along with key bloggers like Man Repeller who are championing that vibe,’ Amy explains.
The Raw Stuff Is Big In Denim As Well As Food
‘Ecru, or unbleached denim is now going to be important for womenswear,’ says Amy. ‘It has always been a men’s workwear thing, coming from the history of denim being caught up with the late 1800s railroad innovations and gold rush, but now we’re seeing it enter women’s design and that’s really exciting.’ Check out Topshop’s take on ecru here.
**Customising Will Always Be Cool **
‘Customisation has always been key to denim trends,’ says Amy, ‘because when kids on the street who don’t always have a lot of money are establishing those trends, you end up seeing a lot of imaginative stuff.’ We’re very into the spirit of revamping your old jeans, and so is Amy, who will never chuck out a pair, no matter how old. ‘There’s always something you can do with denim, it can change with you, from adding patches, to unusual stitching, to embellishing with sequins and eyelets.’
The Skinny Ain’t Dead
Despite what you major fashos might think, trussed up in your flares and cropped culottes, the skinny is officially not dead. ‘The skinny still constitutes over half of sales,’ says Amy. ‘It’s easy for people in fashion to think it’s over, but actually for the wider public, who are only just becoming comfortable with boyfriend jeans, it can take a really long time for styles to come in, or out.’ You might also soon be wearing a straight style, like you used to back in the noughties. ‘It might feel alien to go against the idea of exposing your ankles, but the straight jean, worn straight to the top of your trainers with no gap, is also coming through,’ Amy explains.
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Picture: @denimdudes
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.