We always thought “denim hunting” was that equal parts excruciating and exhilarating process of shopping for the perfect pair of jeans. Then we heard about Leon Keyworth, who can actually call himself a Denim Hunter in a professional context. Keyworth’s job, as it were, is to seek out, identify and create new trends in denim. Keyworth, who has an MA in menswear design from the Royal College of Fashion, is also well-versed in science and manufacturing, testing out various chemicals and physical conditions to manipulate the material and create different washes of jeans. From JC Report:
For one of Keyworth’s latest experiments, he called in a friend who’s the foreman of a building site. “You get a different type of manual wear from different jobs,” he says. “Brickies use different types of cement, so they end up with really crispy jeans with a stiff, dry feel. Chippies spend a lot of time on their knees, so their jeans become thin around the knees, and the local abrasion [the wear pattern on the thigh, to you and me] becomes very soft and a lighter color from wood and tools repeatedly brushing up against the denim, stripping the top layer of indigo from the fabric. Plumbers have lots of burns and solder on their jeans, and the flux they use can be quite oily, with a green tint.”
As for the trendhunting component of Keyworth’s denim hunting career, he explains:
“Obviously skinny jeans have kind of had their day, though they’re going to be around for a bit. But I think we’re moving into a straighter cut for guys that’s going to look really smart. This will develop into a great-fitting new take on boot-cut. Skinny jeans evoke a lot of feminine qualities, and I think now things are moving in another direction. Especially in London, I wonder what it means to be a guy, which is why I’m interested in traditionally masculine jobs.”
[via JC Report]
