The concept behind the brand is quite an unusual one – ONVIS offers people selvage raw denim jeans –‘Bluevirgins’ - to a very reasonable price, asking them to live their products everyday by (ab)using them as much as possible. Once daily life has left it‘s traces on the denim ONVIS asks people to send back their pair of worn-out denim to choose and eventually replicate the mood for a possible next limited edition of the so called ‘Truestories’ collection. Once a new authentic ‘Truestories’ model has been created the respective originator will get paid a royalty on the collection‘s effective sales and will be portrayed on ONVIS.it.   

The style is a straight forward classic Five Pockets with updated comfortable and functional fitting. Unlike many other denim brands ONVIS does not follow any logo buzz but rather focus on finishing and subtle details. As this is not the common conduct for an Italian jeans brand, I wanted to talk to Shannon Sadler – the brand’s founder and designer – to clear a few points:

DM: First of all – you have a degree in Economics, what drew you to the world of denim? Why did you start Onvis?

SS: – By chance: I was working for REPLAY (www.replay.it) in London when I went to L.A. and after a discussion with ADRIANO GOLDSCHMIED I realized there was a need in replication of vintage look. I came back to Italy and I developed a new technology to achieve such look. – After 6 years in this field I started developing ONVIS because I realized there was a need for such kind of projects. I wanted to give a good product at a reasonable price (BLUEVIRGINS) even if made of salvage fabric and replicate real stories on denim (TRUESTORIES) recognizing a royalty to the owner of such story.

What’s in the name?

Might sound silly… but… because it represents me and at the same time it doesn’t. ‘SIANO’ is my nick name. If you rotate ONVIS logo you will read SIANO. At the same time I was looking for something short, easy to remember, and pronounced in the same way in different languages…

What makes Onvis different or better than other denim brands?

We try to be spontaneous and authentic; we don’t focus on logo buzz because we believe that in the long term people with the same attitude will appreciate this approach.

Continue reading after the jump

Without revealing any trade secrets, how do you create the different ‘aged’ looks?

With the technologies and know-how we developed here at the “chicken-farm” during these years in denim. The chicken farm is our studio where we share space with other creative designers working on shoes and other fields.

I noticed there aren’t a lot of Italian boutique denim brands, how do you explain that?

Maybe this is the result of how people dress here. They are addicted to brands and follow the total look concept. They don’t create their own style like happens in London, New York or Tokyo… Hard for a small boutique dedicate to denim to survive in such hard market.

Are you interested in creating a ‘total-look’ collection for your customers, or prefer to dedicate your brand to denim only?

In these first years we prefer to focus on denim only as we think there is still a long way to replicate an authentic used look and taste … and we would like to fill that gap. On the other hand the new ONVIS on line shop (deadline end of the year) will have unique washes (only one piece) and objects of design we called ‘rarities’ that we collect on flea markets in cities around the world.

What changes have you seen in the denim market in the last few years?

To be honest I didn’t see any big change in the last years and I think that all brands, including us, should focus on the mentioned gap and develop new tools, technology and ideas to move a step forward and surprise the final customer.

What’s the best way to age and treat Bluevirgins?

Wear it the longest you can before washing the first time, rinse wash them in a bucket with warm water and little soap. Hang them to dry. Always inside out. NO TUMBLE DRY, NO IRON.

You’ve lived in Paris, London and Italy; do you have a favorite denim shop(s)?

I don’t have a particular shop that I like, what I like most is getting lost in these cities and find small corners that can surprise me. If you are talking about inspiration I usually don’t go shopping, I rather go to flea markets, museums, events, gigs.

What lies in the future for Onvis?

Events, maybe temporary shops around Europe with gigs and exhibitions. We would like people to consider ONVIS more like a rock band then a denim brand. I would like people to come to our shows and have fun.

True to the labels Scandinavian origin, Won Hundred‘s spring summer 2010 collection is cool, clean and casual. You won’t find any of that vintage stuff here – perhaps a little nod to old times in their choice of materials, but other than that the collection’s relaxed, modern vibe is all about now, not then. My favorite look? The cropped chinos and denim shirt, of course!

More images from the lookbook after the jump

Showing their devotion to their hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina by granting its name to their product, husband and wife team Victor and Sarah Lytvinenko are used to doing things in the good old way. They began making jeans a few years ago in their apartment living room, with no grand plans beyond that. But as they made pattern after pattern and pair after pair, they became wholly enthralled with denim and jeans making. The rest is history – The couple handcrafts each pair of jeans into a modern fit, using the finest (Cone Mills White Oak) denim. Their simple style and meticulously detailed jeans have garnered a national following and are sold in Barneys New York flagship stores around the country.

In their own words: “As we grow, we continue to handcraft each pair of jeans. It is essential to us that we design and manufacture in a smart and artisanal way. We do everything under one roof, from initial design, pattern making, cut-and-sew to washing and finishing. From thread to denim, our raw materials are produced locally — all within 200 miles of our workshop. We do not have any automated equipment, preferring instead to incorporate traditional construction methods and vintage sewing machines. Our craft is an honest blend of traditional and modern. Marrying these two sensibilities results in a story and a garment that are timeless”. Kudos guys!

Check out their retail locations, or online.

More images after the jump

(Images by Nick Pironio)

Diesel’s S/S 2009 ad campaign. Need I say more? The surreal, dreamlike atmosphere speaks for itself… see the rest of the images after the jump

“Burberry has recently launched a newly expanded denim line for men as part of its London lifestyle Spring Summer 2009 collection. The men’s Spring Summer denim collection has three jean fits – regular, tapered and slim with a colour palette that includes washes in vintage blue, air force blue and navy. Burberry’s Spring/Summer 09 collection including the denim line is available in stores and on-line at Burberry.com“

Pepe Jeans is a british jeans brand, established in 1973. The Pepe Jeans men’s collection expands upon its quality jeans with contemporary fashionable tees, polos, hoodies, jackets and more. Dressing your individual personality is never a challenge with Pepe Jeans men’s line. Take a look at their collection here.

More pictures after the jump…

“Humor is an up and coming Danish brand. The collection is heavily influenced by the metropolitan underground music and the DJ culture. Music is a major source of inspiration for the Humor designers”.

I stumbled across humor at oki-ni, and was captivated by their use of color, and the attention they put to details. Don’t be mistaken by their name – they are very serious about their garments! More pictures after the jump… get them at oki-ni.com.

I’ve been a fan of Paul Smith for quite a long time. For me his collections embody the essence of English style, but in a modern way with a great sense of humor. Guess which one out of four lines he produces for men is my favorite? You’re right – Paul Smith jeans.

“Paul Smith Jeans celebrates the spring season in a vigorous grungy fashion. Light washes are in sync with muted brights, while tops take on a variety of bold graphic prints. Rolled or plain and relaxed, Paul Smith knows how to do casual in an elevated fashion that is uncomplicated, yet in vogue.”

More pictures after the jump… Shop the spring collection at the Paul Smith web store.