This year, we’ve seen quite a few unconventional denim trends: Topshop’s Clear Knee Mom Jeans, Opening Ceremony’s Detachable, Reformation’s Zipper Jean and PRP’s mud-splattered jeans, to name a few. But the barely there denims that came sauntering down the runway at last Tuesday’s Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo may be the most unusual yet.
The pant, a creation of Tokyo-based choreographer-turned–fashion designer Meiko Ban, takes cutouts to the next level. Most of the garment is cut away, leaving only seams, the waist, yoke and hems. The jeans are part of Ban’s fashion brand Thibaut’s RTW Spring/Summer 2018 collection, which debuted in its entirety at Tuesday’s show.
Although it’s just one item in the 24-piece collection, it’s the one that has everyone from the Internet to fashion mags all abuzz. Harper’s Bazaar coined them the “jeans apocalypse,” one New York City paper labeled them “a disgrace to denim” and Twitter, naturally, asked the burning question on everyone’s mind: “Would you wear thong jeans next summer?” The answer is in the reactions pouring in after Tuesday’s showing.
