Liberty Fairs in Las Vegas was home to new denim concepts for Fall ’18.
For fall, PRPS is adding a touch of stretch to its premium Japanese denim collection. The amount is minimal—just 1.5% to 2 percent—but adds just enough give while maintaining the brand’s DNA, said Kristina Jensen, PRPS women’s account executive.
The iconic denim label is also rolling out its first-ever collection made in Italy for fall. The capsule features Japanese fabrics designed and stitched in Italy with new cuts driven by the European market, including straight leg crop and wide leg crop. The collection will retail for $248-$448.
The addition of lifestyle pieces also widens PRPS’s reach. The brand is dabbling in long-sleeve shirts, fleece tops and button-down shirts, offering men various ways to wear PRPS. The sportswear collection is enlivened with unexpected pops of orange, cobalt and lime pulled from the athletic world, while distressed jean jackets are embellished with Pop Art-inspired underlays.
Parasuco Jeans taps into athletic styling with a new line of track denim pants. The jeans feature racer stripes down pant legs, drawstring waists and buckle flies. Levi’s Premium captures the sport look with jeans featuring ticker-tape logo ribbon down the outside seam of jeans.
Levi’s Made & Crafted presented its largest collection to date, including a deep range of button-down shirts and hoodies. For Fall ’18, the premium brand welcomes the addition of the 501 and 511 for men, and the 700 series for women—a move aimed at making it easier for consumers to shop across the Levi’s lines. It also allows consumers to buy elevated versions of their favorite styles.
At Royal Workshop, it’s about an upgrade to vintage goods. Part of Adriano Goldschmied’s Los Angeles-based Genius Group, the unisex brand launched in 2017 with deconstructed and embellished band tees. The line, which is carried at retailers like Intermix and Neiman Marcus, has since expanded to include vintage denim jackets and jeans.
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Ingrid Rodriguez, Royal Workshop chief of operations, said designing in the confines of what’s available in large quantities forces a higher level of creativity. The brand sources bulk vintage goods from warehouses and fleas, and reinterprets pieces with chain fringe and Tiffany rhinestone settings.
Other styles are hybrids, like the vintage Levi’s jacket with an elongated military camp fabric bottom.
The collection’s retail prices start at $398 for a T-shirt and climb upward to $1,020 for a Levi’s jacket. However, Rodriguez noted that nowadays an authentic vintage Levi’s jacket is a rare find in the U.S. She added that the brand will likely need to start looking outside the 50 states for vintage Levi’s.
Australian label Outland Denim made its U.S. debut at Liberty Fairs. With prices around the $200 mark, the men’s and women’s denim collection targets the premium luxury market.
“The biggest point of difference from other brands is that we have a story,” said founder James Bartle. “We married our passion for denim with a social platform that supports women at risk.”
The socially-minded brand prides itself in offering sustainable employment to women rescued from human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Launched in 2016 during one of Australia’s hottest summers, Bartle set out to create a line of premium denim jeans from the finest, environmentally sound raw materials from around the world. He said every step in its supply chain comes from an eco-conscious point-of-view, from the organic cotton fabrics sourced out of Turkey, to the organic washhouses it uses. Garments are manufactured in Outland’s own production facility in Cambodia.
The debut collection for the U.S. includes women’s high-rise skinny and girlfriend jeans, scoop neck T-shirts and a ’50 style cropped jean jacket. The men’s collection spans skinny, slim and relaxed slim tapered jeans, short- and long-sleeve T-shirts and a unisex six-pocket jean jacket.
Turkey-based mill Calik made its second appearance at this Liberty show. Calik sales executive Rabia Cevik said the show presents an opportunity to meet with clients and share denim’s technological evolution with buyers.
Calik showcased Athfeat, a collection of athleisure jeans, leggings and jackets made with its Fly Jean concept. The garments were designed by Turkish designer Ozak Tekstil.
Fly Jeans use Invista’s Lycra fiber, Coolmax and Thermolite IR to create true performance-driven denim. The lightweight fabric keeps the wearer cool, dry or warm without bulk, offers excellent shape retention and has a creamy soft touch, while maintaining the authentic look and wash down of denim.