A form of wet processing which, through prolonged abrasion, gives the garment and artificial aged look and a softer hand

*1961 (Karachi, Pakistan) Entrepreneurial founder of the Manchester-based cult label The Legendary Joe Bloggs, Shami(he prefers being known simply by his first name) uses sports and music sponsorship, product placement and special events as well as conventional advertising to promote his brands. Bought to the UK at the age of two, he appears to have followed the advice of his father, Nizam, who set up the Pennywise cash-and-carry warehouse in Manchester: “If you’re going to aim high, you might as well for the sky”. Shami ambition is to repeat his British success abroad, with Germany as the first target.

Otto Albert Bekleidungswerke, Germany Manufacture of Marshal, one of the great jeans labels, which had  its peak in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The traditional coat producer, established in 1948, entered the jeans market in 1971. When the second generation took over the family business (1973 Wolfgang Albert, 1976 Cornelia Dussman-Albert) the commercial and mid-style jeans range was supplemented by fashionable sportswear. Jointly with the Austrian subsidiary, a second label, Albergo, was developed. In the early  ‘80s the company became heavily involved in foreign markets. In 1985 for the first time special women’s and men’s fits were offered. The British Vivat Holdings (which also owns Lee Cooper) took over Otto Albert Bekleidungswerke GmbH & Co. and management was restructured. Wolfgang Albert and Cornelia Dussman-Albert left the company. The new proprietor changed the collection makeup as well as the label name—from Marshal to Ken Marshal. The jeanswear label was repositioned as a lifestyle label, but had little success. 1991 saw the jeans label struggling for survival; Vivat Holdings withdrew financial backing and the company dissolved. Since then the Ken Marshal label has been continued through the independent Otto Albert Bekleidungswerke in Braunau, Austria.

Term referring to a type of sanding treatment in which the garment is shot allover with sand blasted from an airgun.

*1946 (Pamiers, France). The Heart and wandering soul of French jeanswear. Co-conspirator with Jean Elbaz in the colorful, eclectic image of French Cimarron since 1986. At age 20, working in secondhand buying and selling for the retail store Jess, Alpuente was on the Bordeaux docks as the U.S. forces were closing French bases, leaving tons of surplus behind. In 1971, he formed the jeanswear brand Liberto with partners Christian Dain, Joe Escaffit and Pierre Morrisset. This group lasted until 1974, when Alpuente left them for a hippy existence in Aix-en-Provence, where he designed a collection called Mémé Féé. A number of freelance design assignments followed, including the well-known Tristan Villeroy and Custer.

A jeans style, popularized by Rifle and others, that loose and baggy in shape.

A step in the finishing process, before sanforization, that corrects denim’s natural tendency to twist in the direction of the diagonal twill weave. Also known as skewing.

ANTIQUE

A denim finish achieved through sanding and washing, which gives an look to the garment. Antique is also a type of ring denim in the yarn is strongly uneven

* 1986; Italy; by Edwin International. Created by Elio Fiorucci, The jeans feature saddle stitching and ring fabrics, for those jeans aficionados who love the wild country and its free, natural lifestyle. Fiorucci calls it “the Hermes of jeans”.

APPLE JEANS (In Germany, *1978† c.1982); Japan; by Texwood. Apple Jeans was launched in Germany by Tuxedo GmbH, the Hamburg distributor, under license from Texwood, on of Hongkong’s biggest jeans manufacturers. The establishing of Apple Jeans as a classic label in jeanswear retailing prospered chiefly because of selective advertising activities. The label disappeared from German market in the early ‘80s.

AQUAWASH A denim fabric introduced by Italian textile company Montebello in 1990. It look like faded bleached indigo, but in reality is a red indigo denim (a lighter shade of blue), which makes the wash-down process easier.

*1973; Germany; by Otto Versand. Proven in-house label for the Hamburg mail-order firm Otto. Arizona Jeans for women, men, and children appear in the Otto main catalog (circ.1990/91: seven million) and in the more selective trend catalog. The jeans with the favorable price/quality ratio are available in Holland, Switzerland and Germany.

*1934 (Piacenza, Italy) Internationally known star of Italian fashion design who rose the fame in the early ‘80s, thanks largely to his innovative approach to jacket construction. His very successful jeanswear line, Armani Jeans, is considered to have been the first Italian designer jeans.

*1981; Italy; by Simint Spa. Due in part to Giorgio Armani’s commercial charisma, the line quickly established it self as an Italian bestseller, opening the path for the designer jeans era in Europe. The typical Armany Jeans is shapely, fitted at the waist and hips and loose on the legs. Recognizeable by its famous “eagle” logo, the collection normally features trendy pieces and innovative fabric and color ideas.

*1977; Germany; Kübler Bekleidungswerke GmbH & Co. Created in 1964 as a second label of the workwear producer who, with this label, started up production of fashionable jeanswear in 1977. In 1984, in order to better exploit this market segment, the company joined an Italian styling office, and since then has offered a fashionable women’s jeans range in the medium price segment. Distribution in Austria and Germany.

Formerly the European operation of Burlington USA, this Ireland-based manufacturer of heavyweight denim is jointly owned by Dutch group Ten Cate and French giant DMC. Main markets are Germany, France and the UK; Atlantic is known for its innovation at the middle to top end of the market. Among its claims are that it was the first European mill to produce blue/black denim, the first to introduce ultra-blues and the first to bring in high-contrast denims. New in 1991 was Retro, an open-end denim with a ring-spun look. Atlantic is licensed to use the Cotton USA mark.

Giant two-level store near Paris’ Place des Victoires which introduced the idea of jeans store as an event. Opened in 1991 by Jean-Michel Signoles of Chipie, Arnaud and Jacques Ventilo and Philippe Avanzi, the store features several shops-within-a-shop and includes everything from an antique jeans museum, vintage cars and motorcycles and rare records to old decorated plates from U.S. cafetarias and private clubs.

*1958 (GAP, France) One of France’s leading jeanswear designers and founder of the first jeanswear styling office, Topsider, later called Christian Audigier and His Gang. He began his career as manager of Jean Machine. Soon he was designing jeanswear for Mac Keen, then women’s wear for Fiorucci. In 1991, he redesigned the jeans and Young Fashion floor of Paris department store La Samaritaine.

A finishing process similar to vintage, using stonewashing or a cellulose enzyme wash, with or without bleach, for an old and worn look. Also a type of ring fabric in which the ring yarn has evident slubs.

A jeanswear adjective that became a marketing buzzword in the early ‘90s as the quest for original denim qualities swept the European market. Among the characteristics of “authentic” jeans are traditional fabric weaves and finishes and jeanswear styling details.

*1983; France; by Aviatic SA. Founder Michel Faraut has maintained Aviatic’s basic identity with models like “Vintege Button Fly” in heavy denim woven on old 70 cm looms. In 1988 Aviatic began exporting, notably to Japan, the U.S. and England, thanks to its timely introduction of the Used Wash.

*1975; USA; by Avirex Ltd. Originally in business as Cockpit, a catalog/store that specialized in reproductions of World War II flight jackets, Avirex later expanded into a wholesale line, which cam to include jeans. The line is classic in styling, with retro-American themes of authenticity, nostalgia and romance. The markets are menswear and juniors.

Denim producer based in Sylacauga, Alabama, with two mills in the U.S. Its product offerings are strictly all-cotton indigo, in 14 ¾ oz. and 11 ¼ oz. It has been manufacturing denim for nearly 100 years.

Armani Exchange. An ambitious retail program conceived in 1991 by Giorgio Armani and Simint Spa, with an eye toward conquering the American jeanswear market with strong price-point awareness and good basic styling.

*1957 (Algiers, Algeria) The founder of Charles Chevignon started with distressed leather blousons inspired by fighter pilots, which he perfected with the help of his cousin, designer Jean Elbaz, in 1979. Azoulay turned his fascination with Americana—his impressive collection includes American advertising art and Coca Cola vending machine—into France’s hottest logo-covered sportswear of the ‘80s.