Dutch denim brand Denham’s latest collection puts the spotlight on Italian craftsmanship. For Spring 2022, the company debuted the MII collection of jeans made entirely in Italy.
Though the brand has been sourcing Italian denim and working with Italian laundries since it launched in 2008, the new collection rounds out the supply chain with sewing and finishing processes based in Italy.
The strategy, according to founder Jason Denham, is centered on sustainability. “We are aiming for smaller carbon footprints,” he told Rivet, adding that the collection will continue for the long term. “Italy is very important for the Denham brand—the quality, craftsmanship, knowledge, passion, taste and innovation [are] what our brand represents.”
The denim industry has been following suit, with a growing emphasis on nearshoring to both reduce emissions associated with logistics and overcome challenges with tariffs and supply-chain disruptions. German denim brand Closed has a similar model, with 82 percent of its products made in Europe. The nearshoring shift has also shined a new light on regions like Latin America, whose denim supply chain has been gaining traction in recent years.
Denham’s push for more responsible supply chains follows a recent circularity initiative turning pre-owned Denham jeans into 300 new pairs consisting of 21 percent recycled cotton, 65 percent organic cotton and 14 percent conventional cotton. The brand worked with Italian denim mill and longtime partner Candiani Denim located outside of Milan on the initiative.
To design the Made in Italy collection, the brand worked with Candiani as well the Perugia-based manufacturer C&S and Cagli-based laundry facility Le Group. Together, they developed a unique 12 oz. stretch selvedge and 11 oz. power stretch denim for men and women.
Featured in a range of washes with names like “6-month” signifying a dark wash and “21-month” a medium wash, jeans are available in men’s Bolt skinny and Razor slim fits, and women’s Bardot straight and Monroe girlfriend fits. Like all of its denim, jeans feature the brand’s iconic scissor logo inspired by the founder’s first pair of tailor scissors.
Italy isn’t the only region Denham has its eye on. In August, the brand launched a capsule collection honoring the Japanese aesthetic and incorporating Japanese fabrics and graphics, as well as jewelry crafted by a local artist. It featured a 13.5 oz. dark indigo relaxed fit and a 10 oz. slim fit selvedge jean and two denim jackets: One made of vintage Japanese “Boro” fabric and the other featuring a tiger graphic with the message “Worship tradition, destroy convention” on the back.
The Made in Italy range is available now on the Denham website. Women’s jeans retail for $283-$316 (259-289 euros) and are available in waist sizes 22-34 and lengths 26-34. The men’s collection ranges from $272-$436 (249-399 euros) and is available in waist sizes 27-40 and lengths 30-34.