Fri, Mar 24, 23
Hiroki Nakamura finishing jeans by hand using natural dye and paint. Image by Visvim.
That proper denim is a cornerstone of any wardrobe, is very much the case according to Visvim’s lead designer Hiroki Nakamura; "You might even say it’s what originally sparked my interest in fashion" the cult designer states. At Tenue de Nîmes we couldn't agree more, of course. Time to introduce the origin of the brand’s revered ‘Social Sculpture Denim’ line, which we happily stock again for this SS23 season.
At a young age of 15 years old, Hiroki Nakamura found himself in the lucky position to stumble across an old pair of Levi’s XX jeans during the huge denim movement in the 1980’s. Finding a pair of jeans like these with a certain sturdy feel, a sense of character and warmth felt quite extraordinary to the then mass-produced jeans flooding the market at the time.
Later on, inspired by the characteristics of natural indigo dye, Nakamura sought to create something with a similar warmth and feel for the brand’s selvedge denim jeans.
(Left) Hiroki Nakamura, 01 SLIM UNWASHED (Center, Right) Eric Clapton, 01 UNWASHED. Image by Visvim.
Visvim’s denim line ‘Social Sculpture’ gets its name from being “constructed from the yarn up” as Mr. Nakamura states. This process of reconstructing the fabric to make it stronger, is reminiscent of sculpturing. Rope dyed with natural indigo and the use of uneven yarn, effectively producing one-of-a-kind jeans that all differ from each other. Over time the garment will reflect the personal lifestyle of the wearer, with deep contrast fading and character like gems of era’s gone by.
The Social Sculpture jeans may look like ‘just a pair of jeans’ from a far, but listen to what Sir Eric Clapton had to say about the collection: "I have collected vintage denim all of my life, and in my humble opinion these are the best." Mister Slow-Hand himself has been seen wearing these blue jeans on and off stage, and they sure have got that vintage look to us. A true piece of denim art and we're happy to stock the Social Sculpture 01 Raw denim for the SS23 season.
Alongside the Social Sculpture jeans, Visvim's SS23 collection just landed at Tenue de Nîmes! Discover all things Visvim online and our Elandsgracht store now.
Eric Clapton in Visvim jeans and FBT shoes performing live at the Royal Albert Hall, 2017. Image by George Chin.
