The “godfather of denim” Adriano Goldschmied has a progressive vision for the industry’s future.
During the Kingpins24 Canada event on Tuesday, the House of Gold founder discussed ideas for the fashion industry in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which he referred to as a “revolution for the denim world.” Like many others, he’s calling for the industry to scale back on production, focus entirely on quality and share space with emerging designers.
“My opinion is that we trash old fashion rules,” he said. “Who is telling us that every three or four months, we have to present a collection of 50-60 pieces?”
This sentiment echoes what Marc Jacobs and other fashion leaders proposed after global lockdowns prevented designers from working on new collections, breathing new life into an existing discussion on wasteful industry norms.
Goldschmied added to this, noting that a large percentage of what designers produce according to the traditional schedule will never be sold. Instead, he wants the new generation of designers to focus entirely on lasting value, and start by making one item with unbeatable quality.
Rather than discuss ideals, though, he decided to lead by example. Earlier this year, Goldschmied teamed with Ace Rivington founder Beau Lawrence to create Ace Gold Green, a brand that debuted with what the duo considered to be the ultimate basic white T-shirt, the Type One Tee. The shirt features a blend of hemp and Tencel—a formulation listed prominently along the bottom left seam—and an indigo back neck tape to pay homage to the founders’ denim expertise.
“We decided to go with one item to show that, if you put all your energy, all your efforts in making it the best, you can you can create a brand,” he said of the collaboration.
Related Story
Goldschmied added that post-pandemic consumers need a reason to buy, and it’s up to designers to come up with that reason. In the case of the Type One Tee, it’s almost symbolic of the pandemic culture. Many people found themselves working from home in casual wear, often participating in video calls where they’re on display from the waist up.
“We needed to make something that was not a jean, because we needed something that was typical of a Zoom call,” he said. “So here we are. We approached this according to the desires of consumers in the Covid era.”
Goldschmied’s hopes for the future also include welcoming new designers—and that requires help from the entire industry. He noted that established designers must share the wealth and offer things such as fabric to new designers that may lack the budget for high minimums, using himself as an example.
“If I have, for instance, 1,000 yards of fabric in my inventory and someone asks for 100 or 50 yards, [I should be able to help them],” he said. “You’ll create a new way to recycle and give value, and you’ll give an opportunity for younger designers to go into business.”