DMJeans are Underway!
It is now the new year, and with 2008 comes the construction and development of the all new Dirty Mechanism jeans. It has taken me a while to be able to get back to the computer to write a full fledged blog entry about what’s coming - I’ve been extremely busy with getting everything ready for the January 20th photo shoot to show off the new 08 t-shirt designs. Speaking of which, there is an important issue to discuss later on as to how these jeans are going to be sold online, as well as more importantly: how they’ll be sold offline. But enough of all that, let me first talk about some of my inspirations as a designer for these garments.
One of the first things that I would like to emphasize is the concept of Dirty Mechanism as a brand. When it all comes down to it, Dirty Mechanism could almost be considered a lifestyle brand, but when you think about it - it’s very philosophized and intellectualized. The clothes themselves are, in essence, sort of ordinary clothes(especially right now). The jeans we’re going to be releasing later on in 2008 are going to be the kinds of jeans that you’ll look at and say: “holy crap” because you never thought of some of the design elements that these will have in it.
Take a look at these jeans from True Religion Brand Jeans. Maybe it’s just me making this understandably mistaken observation, but… these jeans do not appear to actually have any back pockets - only embroidery! One important thing to note is that the entire jeans craze has skyrocketed, especially since the late 1990’s and into the new millennium. The fast rising trend of the low cut jean that originally veered its head in the 1970’s is back with a vengeance, along with many other styles that are decidedly retro. The one thing that I love in this above picture more than anything else is the contrast between the dark wash and stitching.
What’s the average price tag on True Religion jeans? It is none other than $240.00. This is a company that is largely based out of New York, is publicly traded, and is probably pulling in far more in sales than many cheap Wal-Mart shoppers would care to think about. But why so thick of a mention about True Religion? Because I consider their rival to be one of my all time favorite brands, Lucky Brand Jeans. Average price for Lucky Brand is $120.00. But what does Lucky Brand Jeans or True Religion have to do with Dirty Mechanism? Well, there’s a few common trends that all of these brands will have in common.
Number one, Dirty Mechanism jeans will have lots of crazy embroidery, stylish contrast stitching, and beautiful denim color washes. Number two, virtually all of the jeans made by both brands are put together right here in the United States. With that in mind, that means that with all of these brands you will come to expect ‘American quality.’ Throughout a lot of the research I have been doing I have found that while the majority of the people out there are strongly satisfied with American made clothing, there are some that are just not that impressed. It all comes down to a big question, though, and the question is: who is the customer?
Dirty Mechanism jeans are going to be for the very fashion-conscious customer of what will likely be an urban, young, early 20’s kind of demographic. Every single pair that we release in 2008 will be very unique, but not necessarily one of a kind. Obviously we’re going to follow some patterns and manufacture things on a small scale. But one thing we do not seek to do, even if it happens, is create trends. Trends are typically a part of fashion, and we’ll acknowledge this, but my goal as a designer of this brand is to constantly reinvent what Dirty Mechanism is. The phrase: Dirty Mechanism is just that, a phrase - nothing more, nothing less. If something begins to catch on, obviously we’re not going to stop producing it, but we’re also not going to let ourselves be trapped artistically either.
What brands have become trapped artistically and are no longer taking any chances? Well, in terms of the critics, it’s kind of a Catch-22: the top selling apparel sellers are stuck in their own consistent styles, but are getting horrendous amounts of commercial success. It’s marketing genius, but unless they have the ability to introduce new trends, they’ll die and the likes of their name along with them. Some people do not even consider the likes of street wear to be a true genre of fashion worth pursuing in detail with reviews, critics, and no ties or silk dresses. I see billions of dollars in sales figures that says otherwise. Companies like American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Pacsun, and even the music-driven Hot Topic are setting a standard for young demographics.
My dream is to do the same but to be much more versatile. One of the first styles we’ll be introducing for our girls’ jeans is the DMPanel look: a low cut jean with unique stitching patterns and form fitting external pocket designs. I am also experimenting with what the response would be to a “brazilian style jean” like the one I’ve found at MakeYourOwnJeans.com:
I’ve heard two responses about this jean from two different age groups, and it’s the reason I know it will probably be a huge success. In fact, I remember these jeans being a success during my middle school years and I think that if a major seller were to reintroduce them with their own spin they’d be raking in the doe and making a huge impact on youth fashion. These are the kinds of jeans your mother says, “how awful” and both guys and girls from 15 to 25 say: “that’s hot!” Indeed, the designer of these jeans is on the right track to serving a very specific demographic.
And that about wraps it up for now. Throughout this post I’ve talked a bit about the DM philosophy, what some of my inspirations are right now in designing these jeans, and now - I’m going to try and give you a date. If all goes to plan, I hope girls will be able to buy their first pair of DM jeans starting March 7th, 2008. But right now, I can make no guarantees, that date is just my goal right now. Later on in 2008 we’ll also be introducing our first girls underwear, and jackets.
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