Denham is ready for summer with a new men’s capsule collection with Aloha shirt brand Reyn Spooner.
The Denham team initially connected with Honolulu-based Reyn Spooner in the winter of 2020. A discussion ensued, and a shared love for Eastern culture, kimonos and the Japanese ‘Otaku’ worship of Americana denim and traditional Okinawa printing techniques emerged, the brand stated.
Described as “a classic and sophisticated take on the Aloha shirt” and a collection that merges “West Coast cool” with “East Coast prep,” the collaboration arrives as demand for vacation wear picks up.
For the collaboration, Denham and Reyn Spooner were influenced by signature summertime looks from the 1950s and their own archives. In their research, the duo landed on a colorful hand-painted print based on traditional Okinawa prints and symbols of Japanese nature, like sakura blossoms, mountains, waterfalls, and Japanese gardens, set against a black jade background.
The print was applied to the original “Spooner Kloth” that has been used to make Reyn Spooner’s tailored Hawaiian shirt since the 1960s. Made with a blend of cotton and spun polyester, the cloth features an innovative reverse print construction.
The fabric is used throughout the collection on a regular fit Aloha shirt, chino shorts and as the pocket on a white T-shirt. A pair of stretch straight-fit jeans with a ’90s stonewashed finish features hand-applied rip and repair details at the knee with the special fabric. A co-branded T-shirt rounds out the collection.
Collaborations are a way for Denham to show its many sides. It teamed with ArkAir, a brand that blends streetwear, urban and outdoor aesthetics, for a gorpcore range of cargo pants, bucket hats and more in February, and a limited range of selvedge jeans with Grivec Brothers in 2021.
The brand marked its 10th anniversary in 2018 with eight collaborations spanning indigo-dyed furniture with Scandinavian company Norr11, outerwear with Barbour and prints with graphic designer Anthony Burrill.