Inside the Coachella of Denim at Amsterdam’s Denim Days Inline
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc1/13The first stop on my denim safari was to meet Jason Denham, the founder and designer of the cult-favorite brand Denham, and what a way to begin the journey! Jason is basically the king of denim—and also happens to be one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of meeting. He led us around all of his beautiful stores, one housing a coffee shop, another a repair station; another even had a bathtub to properly wash customers' dirty denim! I asked him how he got started in the business and he described his original interest in graphic design. Once we arrived at Jason’s office (which as you can see also functions as his private archive of fascinating denim memorabilia), it became clear that his eye for design beyond denim is equally as impressive.
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc2/13A is for Amsterdam and D is for Denham.
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc3/13Why doesn’t EVERY dressing room have a 360-degree mirror?! It saves you from straining your neck when trying to get a good look at your backside—obviously the most important thing when trying on jeans!
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc4/13This is the beautiful view from the G-Star Raw boat where we sipped champagne and admired the scenic seventeenth-century Canal Ring en route to the brand's headquarters. I much prefer this mode of transport over the New York City subways!
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc5/13Here we are at the impressive G-Star headquarters. This cutting-edge building is by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. Its stark concrete exterior perfectly embodies the brand’s military aesthetic.
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc6/13G-Star’s military archive has uniforms from every war since the 1890s! Their vast collectsion of purely functional utilitarian clothing has provided them with some of the best techniques for designing functional yet fashion-forward denim. G-Star also partnered with Pharrell Williams to design RAW for the Oceans, a capsule collectsion with the musician that used all bionic yarn made from recycled plastic bottles.
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc7/13Jolly Green Giant: This denim program has taught me so much about progress and sustainability, and how manufacturers and developers are coming up with new ways to cut down on water use throughout the denim industry’s supply chain (as if there weren’t enough reasons to already love the material!).
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc8/13This is the ceiling of the atrium at the Rijksmuseum. The museum’s architecture and of course its vast collectsion of works by many of my favorite Dutch masters was nearly overwhelming. Between this and the neighboring Van Gogh Museum, I almost forgot about denim . . . almost.
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc9/13Here I am on the roof at the Volkshotel for a mellow lunch with my fiancé Robbie. I was lucky enough to steal him from work to join me on this trip. He is becoming quite the denim head! I literally had to drag him out of some of the seminars to stay on schedule!
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc10/13Butcher of Blue. The Butcher really trims the fat and offers the best cuts of lean, high-quality denim!
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc11/13Jean School: Demonstrated by students from the AMFI and the Jean School, the Italian denim producer Candiani showed us the entire manufacturing process involved in making a pair of jeans. The best part was that for around $250, a student at the Jean School will cut and stitch you a pair of jeans on the spot. All proceeds go right back into the school to further support this next generation of denim masters.
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc12/13Alchemy Blues: Scotch & Soda’s first showing of five highly exclusive customized Japanese selvedge jackets. I wouldn’t mind introducing this bad boy into my otherwise quite wholesome denim collectsion.
Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Connor / @kellymcdc13/13No, I am not in the red light district! A gratuitous bathroom selfie at the Volkshotel before heading to the airport. Amsterdam, I will be back!
