Hudson Jeans, a denim company with celebrity fans including Sandra Bullock, Pink and Gisele Bündchen, has a new concept hitting stores this month: one-of-a-kind, hand-cut and hand-sewn jeans, available at your usual fine retailers for the steep price of $995.. They may not be bespoke, but the result is the same; you can find a pair that's uniquely "you," whether that means sideways back pockets and zippers everywhere or whitewashed denim with artfully placed seams in unusual places, and be certain no one else will have the same pair of blues.
The collection is called Resurrection (right), and comes at a premium price of $995 per pair (most Hudson denim goes for $215 to $325). We chatted with designer Ben Taverniti (below), who has been creating couture pieces featured in the likes of French Vogue since age 19, about the collection, his philosophies and all things Hudson Jeans.
Luxist: What makes Hudson jeans so special and worth so much more than other brands?
Benjamin Taverniti: The Spring/Summer 2010 HUDSON Collection is the ultimate expression of the HUDSON brand consisting of four distinct groups - Minimalist, D.I.Y., Subversion and Resurrection (each jean is one of a kind). We source our fabric from the finest mills in Japan and Italy. Design, construction, and quality are our utmost priority.
L: How has your notorious couture past influenced the way you design jeans?
BT: It's trained my eye to be extremely critical and precise with fits, which is the most important thing when it comes to denim.
L: Do you have any advice for men and women who want to look hot in their jeans? What should they look for?
BT: Jeans do not make you ... you make the jeans ... Style should be fearless and confident.
L: What's your favorite style of jeans? What do you wear (and why)?
BT: Skinnies -- they just feel right.
L: So, let's talk about Resurrection. What makes each pair different? Are there any similarities between pairs?
BT: Each pair is completely one of a kind. To create the jean, we sew blankets out of past samples and vintage Hudsons, then cut a pattern from there. We never use two of the same jean to create a single pair.
L: How did you decide on the placement and usage of buttons, pockets, cut, color, zipper style, seams, etc.?
BT: I created the first pair with placements that I like, but I really wanted each pair to be an individual expression of the person creating it. Every resurrection jean is hand cut and hand sewn, so it portrays the unique style of the person who made them, and the wearer.
L: I like that they are recycled from previous styles -- but why? Were they left over from past seasons?
BT: We keep archives of all of our past collections going back to the start of the company. I wanted to find a way to breathe new life into them -- they are a reinterpretation of Hudson history.
L: What is the size range for Resurrection jeans?
BT: Sizes 24-32.
L: If you could design a pair of jeans for anyone in the world, who would it be -- and what kind of jeans would they be?
BT: Georgia May Jagger is the "face" of our brand. Her genetic DNA and our brand DNA are one and the same ... her mother Jerry Hall is American (born in Texas) and her father is Mick Jagger (British rock royalty) and Hudson is born in California, but rooted in London. She is also the ultimate Hudson girl -- the personification of rock-and-roll meets glamour, who embodies California freedom and British cool. She is effortlessly stylish and isn't afraid to take risks or to be herself while creating her own destiny.
To purchase Hudson Jeans Resurrection or any of their other collections, visit the website for a list of stockists (like Barneys and Jeffrey).
Tags: ben taverniti, benjamin taverniti, denim, designer interview, designer jeans, expensive jeans, hudson, jeans, pricey denim
(luxist.com)
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