Blue Gold: American Jeans (2014) Movie Script

GIVE ME A DOUBLE X.
AND $450 IS THE BES I CAN DO ON THOSE.
YOU HAVE SOME OF THIS, TOO?
YEAH, A FEW.
-$150.
-THAT'S $250.
YEAH, THAT ONE'S CRAZY.
THIS ONE IS, LIKE, SIX.
IT'S A LITTLE BI EXPENSIVE FOR A BIG E,
BUT CHARACTER AND SIZES,
IT'S ALL PERFECT.
THAT ONE'S $550.
-YEAH, A BIG E.
THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE
OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE
MAN-MADE TEXTURES
ON THE PLANET,
CHANGING SHADES
FROM LEG TO LEG
FROM LIFE TO LIFE.
COWBOYS, MINERS,
DUST BOWL FARMERS,
MOVING LIKE GHOSTS
IN THE WEAVE.
CLOTH MERGING WITH MEN,
FLOWING OUT OF POP CULTURE
AND INTO THE DREAMS AND HABITS
OF THE NATION.
MORE THAN JUST APPAREL,
JEANSWEAR LIKE A CONVICTION
ABOUT THE WORLD,
UNIMPEACHABLE,
INCORRUPTIBLE,
PRIMAL, A SECOND SKIN.
AND EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY,
LEAVING BEHIND AN IMPRINT,
A ROUGH BLUE SEED
FOR NEW CULTURES
AND SUBCULTURES.
UNDIMINISHED
IN THE NEW CENTURY,
CUT LOOSE FROM ITS MOORINGS
IN AMERICANA,
WANDERING TO THE FAR
CORNERS OF THE EARTH,
A UNIVERSAL STATEMENT.
NEVER QUITE EXHAUSTED,
NEVER SACRED,
EVERY PAIR TELLS A STORY.
I SOLD LIFE INSURANCE
FULL TIME.
SO I WORE A SUIT EVERY DAY,
AND DROVE A MERCEDES.
MY DAD AND MY FATHER-IN-LAW
BOTH KINDA THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY
TO LEAVE THE INSURANCE BUSINESS
AND TO SELL USED CLOTHES.
FOR ME, IT WAS--
IT WAS A PASSION
AND IT WAS KIND
OF IN MY BLOOD,
AND THE ONLY THING
I CAN REALLY COMPARE IT TO
IS KIND OF LIKE A GOLD MINER.
IT GETS IN YOUR BLOOD
AND YOU JUST WANT TO WORK HARD
AND PAN FOR GOLD AND LOOK
FOR THOSE BIG NUGGETS.
REALLY, THE MAJORITY
OF ALL THE VINTAGE DENIM
THAT PEOPLE FIND ANYMORE
IS IN UTAH, NEVADA, OREGON,
WYOMING, AND IDAHO.
THAT'S WHERE IT WAS USED.
THE GOLD MINERS AND THE PEOPLE
THAT WENT TO CALIFORNIA
WHERE IT ALL STARTED,
THAT'S WHERE A LO OF THAT CAME FROM.
BUT THE WORKING MAN,
THE GUY THAT STILL GOES OU AND WORKS EVERY DAY
IS FOUND IN
THE MID-WESTERN STATES,
AND THAT'S WHERE
WE'RE LOCATED,
AND THAT'S WHERE
WE FIND THE MAJORITY
OF OUR CLOTHES.
TRAVEL THE BACK ROADS
OF THE AMERICAN WES AND TRACES OF A LOST WORLD
BEGIN TO EMERGE,
AND BLUE JEANS STAR TO LOOK LIKE
THE LAST LIVING SURVIVOR
OF THE AMERICAN FRONTIER.
SO WE LOOK FOR OLD CLOTHES
IN OLD OUTHOUSES
AND FARMS JUST LIKE
THE OLD MAN'S WEARING.
JUST EXACTLY
THAT KIND OF THING. YUP.
REALLY ANY CLOTHING
THAT'S LIKE 1980S AND OLDER
IS STUFF
THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
DO YOU WAN TO GO OUT IN THE BARN?
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE--
YEAH, YOU SAID
YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME OLD TRUNKS
-I DON'T KNOW.
THERE USED TO BE
SOME OLD TRUNKS UPSTAIRS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S UP THERE.
I COULDN'T TELL YOU.
YOU HAVE TO COME UP
AND TAKE A LOOK.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
LOOK AT THE TRUNKS
HE TALKED ABOUT.
OH, THERE'S YOUR OLD TRUNKS.
LOOK AT THIS.
THERE'S SOME OLD
DEAD ANIMAL IN HERE.
IT'S A CAT.
THIS IS ABOU A 1930S DENIM APRON.
CONSOLIDATED
AIRCRAFT COMPANY.
"FOR VICTORY,"
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
DURING WORLD WAR II,
THAT DENIM APRON.
WELL, WE DID FIND SOMETHING
AWFULLY INTERESTING.
THIS OLD DENIM WORK APRON
AND THIS KIDS' FLANNEL
SHIRTS LOOK 1950S,
AND KINDA LIKE
A LITTLE SLEEPWEAR TOP
THAT'S FEL THAT'S REALLY PRETTY.
WE USE THIS KINDA FELT STUFF
TO MAKE OTHER PATCHES
FOR PIECES,
BUT JUST FOR THAT KIND
OF JUNK RIGHT THERE,
I CAN GIVE YOU 50 BUCKS
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
I IMAGINE THAT BELONGS
TO MY SISTER-IN-LAW.
-UH-HUH.
WELL, IF YOU FIND--
IF YOU CAN GET WITH HER
-AND LET HER KNOW WE--
-WELL, SHE'S DEAD,
BUT I'LL TALK TO HER--
MY BROTHER AND SEE IF HE--
-WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT IT.
-OKAY.
THIS WAS A HEADQUARTERS
FOR AN OLD SHEEP RANCH.
LIKE ALL GOOD FARMERS,
WE JUST TRY TO SURVIVE NOW.
ALL PANTS.
THERE'S SOME GOOD ONES,
IT LOOKS LIKE.
THESE ARE LIKE
NAVY DUNGAREES.
I JUST NEED A LITTLE
MORE WARNING.
THESE ARE PRETTY COOL BECAUSE
THEY WERE MADE IN HONOLULU.
YEAH, WE WAS IN AND OU OF BARBER POINT, HONOLULU,
IN '51 AND '52
AND LATE '53, I THINK.
TIMES DO CHANGE, DON'T THEY?
THAT THEY DO.
THIS IS THE ONE WITH A BUNCH
-OF YOUR NAVY STUFF.
-YOU OPEN THAT, DADDY.
WELL, I THINK THESE
ARE INTERESTING.
THE PANTS ARE INCREDIBLE.
WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN'T GET HIM
TO SELL THEM.
UM, REALLY, THIS IS
THE MOST VALUABLE.
THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF--
THE WOOL STUFF,
WE USE THE BUTTONS
AND PARTS OF--
TO MAKE OTHER PIECES.
THE BAG I LIKE AS WELL,
WITH THE STENCILS,
BUT, REALLY I CAN DO
100 BUCKS FOR THIS STUFF HERE,
AND THEN I DON'T KNOW
IF YOU WANT TO GET RID
OF THAT APRON OR NO FOR ANOTHER 50, BUT--
IF I DECIDE WE WANT IT,
I'LL HAVE ELLEN--
-GIVE HER A CARD OR SOMETHING.
-OKAY, WE CAN DO THAT.
THAT WAS A PLEASURE.
-BYE.
-THANK YOU, BOB.
YOU BET.
I APPRECIATE IT.
A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE,
OLDER PEOPLE THAT WEN THROUGH TIMES
WHERE THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH,
THEY STORE IT ALL
AND KEEP IT ALL
IN THOSE TRUNKS AND KEEP IT UP
IN THEIR ATTIC OR WHATEVER.
AND WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS
IS THEY JUST DUMP I AND SEND IT TO
A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
WHERE IT GOES
INTO THE RAG MILL
AND THEN WE GET I FOR $3 A POUND,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I CAN SAY I DON'T THINK
I'VE EVER GONE THROUGH A TRUNK
WHERE THERE WERE DEAD ANIMALS
IN THE TRUNK BEFORE.
THAT WAS PRETTY WILD.
IF YOU WANNA GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF HOW ONE PIECE OF CLOTHING
CAME TO MATTER SO MUCH,
THE TRAIL BEGINS OUT HERE
IN THE VAST TERRAIN
OF THE AMERICAN WEST.
IT'S NOT JUST A JEAN,
IT WAS BORN OUT OF THE SPIRI OF THE WEST.
IT STANDS FOR FAMILY,
COMMUNITY,
TRUSTWORTHINESS,
HONESTY,
IT'S ALL THE COWBOY ETHICS.
CLEARLY, JEANS GET STARTED
AS A SYMBOL OF AMERICA.
SOMEHOW THEY PRETTY QUICKLY,
LIKE MARLBORO,
GOT ASSOCIATED WITH COWBOYS.
AND COWBOYS,
GOING BACK TO THE EARLY PAR OF THE 20TH CENTURY,
WERE THESE MYTHIC FIGURES
OF AMERICAN INDIVIDUALISM.
AND WHEN HOLLYWOOD
BEGAN TO REIMAGINE
THE STORIES OF THE OPEN RANGE,
AN AMERICAN MYTH WAS BORN.
AND SO WHAT AMERICA
REPRESENTED GLOBALLY
AND WHAT JEANS SORT OF
WERE A PROXY FOR
WAS THIS NOTION OF AMERICAN
INDIVIDUALISM,
OF TOUGH KIND OF MASCULINITY
IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD.
AND THAT QUICKLY BECAME
WHAT WAS MARKETED AS WELL.
I MEAN, IT IN PAR WAS A FUNCTION OF HOW
AMERICA WORKED,
BUT ALSO BECAME
A COMMODITY ITSELF.
WRANGLER IS RODEO,
AND RODEO IS WRANGLER.
IF YOU SEE A RODEO SOMEWHERE,
YOU'RE GONNA SEE WRANGLER THERE.
IT'S THE AUTHENTIC BRAND
OF THE WESTERN LIFESTYLE.
AND THE FIRST WRANGLER JEAN
WAS DEVELOPED IN 1947.
1947, ABOUT 50 YEARS
AFTER THE LAS ORIGINAL COWBOYS
ROAMED THE WILD WEST,
AND THE REAL COWBOYS
DIDN'T WEAR THOSE ROUGH
BLUE PANTS.
SO WHERE DO THESE ICONIC
BLUE JEANS COME FROM?
THE ACTUAL STORY IS RIGHT THERE
IN EVERY DETAIL OF THE PANTS.
DETAILS THAT FOR
NO PRACTICAL REASON
ARE STILL THERE
IN YOUR SKINNY $300
FASHION JEANS.
AMERICA SYMBOLIZED
A KIND OF INFORMALITY,
A WORLD IN WHICH BIRTH--
I MEAN, NOT THAT IT'S
NECESSARILY TRUE,
BUT IN WHICH BIRTH
DIDN'T DETERMINE EVERYTHING,
IN WHICH CLASS STANDING
DIDN'T DETERMINE EVERYTHING.
AND KIND OF THAT LINE
FROM F. SCOTT FITZGERALD,
YOU KNOW, AMERICA WAS THE LAND
OF THE GREAT SECOND CHANCE.
LURED BY THE GOLD RUSH
IN 1849
AND THE PROMISE
OF INSTANT RICHES,
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF PIONEERS
MADE THEIR WAY TO CALIFORNIA.
THERE WAS A HUGE BUSINESS
IN WORK PANTS.
I THINK HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF PAIRS A YEAR
WERE GOING OUT TO THE MINES.
SIMPLE PANTS, WORK PANTS
MADE IN NEW YORK,
THEY REALLY HAD
NO STRENGTHENING DEVICES.
THEY PROBABLY
WORE OUT VERY QUICKLY,
MAYBE IN A WEEK OR TWO.
BUT THEN CAME
THE EVOLUTIONARY LEAP,
A DETAIL THAT WOULD MAKE
ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
WELL, IT SEEMS TO HAVE
ALL STARTED IN RENO, NEVADA,
WHEN JACOB DAVIS, A TAILOR,
HAD A NEIGHBOR ASK HIM
TO MAKE A PAIR OF PANTS
THAT WOULDN'T FALL APART.
AND THEY LOOKED
OVER ON THE TABLE
AND SAW THESE RIVETS.
HE SAYS, "OH, HECK,
I'LL ADD A RIVET TO IT."
HE PUT LITTLE METAL RIVETS
AT THE POINTS OF STRAIN
ON THE POCKETS AND VARIOUS
OTHER PLACES ON THE PANTS.
AND HIS CUSTOMERS
LOVED THEM SO MUCH,
HE KNEW HE HAD
A MONEY-MAKING IDEA.
HIS NAME GOT AROUND,
I GUESS,
AND HE DECIDED HE PROBABLY
SHOULD PATENT THAT.
BUT DAVIS COULDN'T AFFORD
THE $60 TO PATEN HIS INVENTION,
SO HE SENT TWO SAMPLES
TO HIS FABRIC SUPPLIER
IN SAN FRANCISCO
AND PARTNERED
UP WITH ITS OWNER,
A BAVARIAN BORN
DRY GOODS MERCHANT,
LEVI STRAUSS.
THERE REALLY WAS
A LEVI STRAUSS.
HE MADE HIS WAY
FROM HIS NATIVE LAND
TO NEW YORK
IN THE LATE 1840S
TO WORK IN THE WHOLESALE
DRY GOODS BUSINESS
WITH HIS BROTHERS.
AND HE WAS SEN TO SAN FRANCISCO TO OPEN UP
THE WEST COAST BRANCH
OF THE FAMILY BUSINESS,
WHICH WAS J. STRAUSS
BROTHER & CO.
BUT HE NAMED IT AFTER HIMSELF,
LEVI STRAUSS.
AND LEVI STRAUSS
ASKED JACOB DAVIS TO COME
TO SAN FRANCISCO
AND BE IN CHARGE
OF MAKING THE PANTS.
WE ADVERTISE
THE PRODUCT VERY HEAVILY
AS THIS IS THE ORIGINAL
RIVETED CLOTHING.
ORIGINAL RIVETED CLOTHING
COMES FROM LEVI STRAUSS & CO.
WHEN THEY STARTED
MAKING AND SELLING THESE
PATENTED PANTS,
THE REST OF THE WHOLESALE
CLOTHING MAKERS IN SAN FRANCISCO
STARTED LOSING THEIR BUSINESS.
SO IN THE INTERVENING 17 YEARS,
IF YOU WANTED TO SELL A PAIR
OF GOOD HEAVY
STURDY WORK PANTS
IN COMPETITION
WITH LEVI STRAUSS,
YOU HAD TO HAVE
SOMETHING ELSE.
BUT NOTHING COULD COMPETE
WITH THE RIVET,
AND THE MODERN HISTORY
OF AMERICAN WORKWEAR BEGINS
ON MAY 20, 1873,
WHEN JACOB DAVIS
AND LEVI STRAUSS
WERE GRANTED THE PATEN FOR RIVETED BLUE DENIM PANTS.
THE REST OF THE HISTORY
IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE
TO RECONSTRUCT,
BECAUSE IN 1906,
THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE
DESTROYED ALL RECORDS
OF PRODUCTION,
MAKING THE EARLIEST VERSIONS
OF LEVI'S JEANS
A KIND OF LOST TREASURE MAP
OF THE PAST.
JUST IF SOMEBODY IS
SAFETYING ME ON A ROPE--
I MEAN, THERE'S THE TOP
RIGHT THERE.
IT'S CLOSER FROM THE TOP
DOWN TO THERE
THEN IT IS FROM HERE UP.
SO WHEN YOU FIND THE TOP,
JUST A ROPE AND ME
CLIMBING DOWN
THAT WOODEN STRUCTURE
WILL GET IT IN MINUTES.
-WE DON'T HAVE
A CATCHY NAME FOR US.
-THE JEAN, NO.
WE'RE JEAN--
WE'RE JEAN HUNTERS.
WE'RE JEAN HUNTERS.
WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT PICKERS.
WE DON'T RELY
ON MEETING PEOPLE
AND GETTING LEADS.
IT'S FUNNER GOING OU AND ACTUALLY FINDING
THE STUFF YOURSELF.
-IT'S FOR SURE DENIM--
-OH, ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH, IT'S A BIG CHUNK.
IT'S FOLDED. IT'S FOLDED.
THAT'S GONNA BE
SOMETHING MAJOR.
IT'S NOW JUST A LITTLE FOLDED,
A PIECE OF WOOD.
-YEAH, IT'S NO A RIPPED UP PIECE OF LEG.
-IT COULD BE A WHOLE PIECE.
YOU HAVE TO SHINE A LIGHT.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU CAN
SEE THAT UP THERE.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE VERY
FIRST PAIR OF BLUE JEANS,
RECONSTRUCTING THE ORIGINS
OF AMERICAN WORKWEAR
FRAGMENT BY FRAGMENT.
I THINK IT'S NOT AS OLD
AS WE THOUGHT.
OF COURSE,
IT'S PATENT RIVETED.
IT'S KIND OF DANGEROUS.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT YOU'RE DOING,
YOU CAN KILL YOURSELF
PRETTY EASY.
-WELL, I SEE DIMPLES
IN THE RIVETS.
-OKAY.
HOLY SHIT. OKAY, HERE.
WE STARED FINDING
LEVI PIECES
THAT AT THE TIME
JUST DIDN'T QUITE JIVE
WITH THE HISTORY
OF THE TIME ON LEVI.
BECAUSE WE LOS EVERYTHING IN 1906,
WE HAD NO RECORDS TO TELL US
WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTS
WE WERE MAKING,
WHEN WE INTRODUCED THEM,
OR ANYTHING.
THIS IS THE DOUBLE X.
THIS IS THE OLDEST PAIR
OF 501 JEANS IN THE WORLD.
THEY DATE TO ABOUT 1879.
I'VE GOT WHAT WE THINK
IS A PAIR OF LEVI'S
FROM 1873,
PROBABLY THE FIRS FEW MONTHS OF PRODUCTION.
IT'S BEEN APPRAISED
AT OVER $125,000.
IT WOULD BE HARD
TO PUT A PRICE ON IT.
$100,000, MAYBE MORE.
IT STILL HAS
OUR ARCUATE STITCHING,
WHICH HAS BEEN ON THE JEANS
SINCE THE BEGINNING,
YOU CAN BARELY SEE IT.
BACK POCKET, UNDECORATED.
NO ARCUATE STITCH.
THE RIVETS,
OF COURSE, ARE BRANDED,
AND THEY HAVE
THE PATENT DATE ON THEM,
MAY 1873.
THESE RIVETS,
THEY DON'T HAVE A STAMP.
THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS
THAT I GET PIECES FOR
THE COLLECTION.
EBAY HAS TAKEN OVER
QUITE A BIT OF THE VINTAGE
CLOTHING MARKET.
WHEN YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY
OUT THERE GETTING THE STUFF
WHERE WE KNOW THE DATE RANGE
AND IF YOU'RE JUS BUYING THESE FROM PEOPLE,
THERE'S REALLY NO WAY
TO GET A GOOD HANDLE
ON THE AGE OF THIS STUFF.
I'VE TALKED TO LYNN
A FEW TIMES.
I SHOWED IT TO HER
WHEN I FIRST FOUND I AND THEY PROBABLY HADN'T SEEN
ANYTHING THIS OLD.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE
COMPLETELY OBSESSED
WITH THE WAY THE JEANS
HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED,
AND SOMETIMES SOME OF THESE
OBSESSED FANS
KNOW MORE THAN I DO
ABOUT HOW THESE JEANS
WERE CONSTRUCTED.
SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL
I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S ENORMOUS VALUE
IN ALL THESE DETAILS,
AND OVER TIME,
DESIGN AND BRANDING FEATURES
WOULD BE ADDED, TWEAKED,
AND IMITATED.
AS THE FRONTIER DISAPPEARED,
THE MINING PANTS
BECAME GENERAL WORKWEAR.
WHEN WORKERS LEFT THE FARM
FOR THE FACTORY,
THE JEANS FOLLOWED
TO THE CITY.
AND FINALLY,
TO MATCH THE MYTH,
THE JEANS WERE REDESIGNED
SO YOU COULD ACTUALLY
RIDE IN THEM.
THE WAIST OVERALL HAD EVOLVED
INTO THE FIVE POCKE BLUE JEANS WE ALL KNOW TODAY,
AND THE BIG THREE WOULD DEFINE
THE INDUSTRY FOR DECADES.
WHILE GROWING UP,
I JUST WORE 501S
AND WHATEVER TEE SHIR WAS THE CLEANEST.
AND YOU CAN SEE
THAT'S STILL THE SAME WAY.
I REALLY DON'T EVER
DRESS TO IMPRESS
OR, YOU KNOW,
I JUST TELL PEOPLE, MAN,
I'M JOE BLOW FROM IDAHO,
'CAUSE I'M LIKE THIS OLD
CONSERVATIVE FAT REPUBLICAN.
IT'S REALLY THAT SIMPLE.
WHAT YOU SEE
IS WHAT YOU GET.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED
IN THE BUSINESS,
EVERY DAY I WOULD GO
TO SALVATION ARMY,
I'D GO TO ST. VINCENT'S,
I'D GO TO SAVERS.
I'D HIT ALL THE FLEA MARKETS
AND THRIFT STORES
AND TRY TO GO
TO GARAGE SALES,
AND I COULD PICK
A LOT OF THINGS THAT WAY.
RIGHT NOW MY BEST PICKERS,
THE PEOPLE THAT SEND ME
THE VERY BEST ITEMS,
ARE GUYS THAT ARE
JUST DOING THAT,
THAT ARE GOING THROUGH
COUNTRYSIDE COMMUNITIES.
THEY'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE,
GOING DOOR TO DOOR,
AND FINDING WHERE
THE CLOTHES ARE.
FOR ADRIENNE?
HOW ARE WE SHIPPING THIS?
THREE-DAY, OKAY.
THANKS SO MUCH.
YOU, TOO.
-HI, GAY.
-HI, ERIC.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS.
ESPECIALLY YOURS.
I GOT SOME RED LINES
IN SOME BIG E'S.
-OH, WOW.
-YEAH.
-THOSE ARE BIG E'S.
-YEAH, THAT ONE'S BEAUTIFUL.
501/501.
NOT A BAD SIZE.
32-33.
THESE I CAN DO,
LIKE, 400 BUCKS.
I WAS WANTING TO GE $450 OUT OF YOU.
AT LEAST $425, ERIC.
THANK YOU.
HARD TO ARGUE,
BECAUSE THEY'RE SO PERFECT.
YEAH. $425.
-$425.
-OKAY.
CASH, NO CHECKS.
-OH, YEAH.
-THANK YOU SO MUCH.
-I'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.
-SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.
-OKAY, BYE.
OKAY, THANK YOU.
BYE-BYE.
BYE, HOLLY.
THESE ARE JUST ALL 501/
DETAIL 501S.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS
RIGHT HERE IN BOISE
THAT ARE LOOKING FOR 501S,
AND YOU REALLY CAN'T FIND
U.S.A. MADE 501S.
SO IF SOMEONE BRINGS IN
VINTAGE JEANS,
WE SHOW THEM WHY
THEY'RE VINTAGE
AND WE PAY THEM EXTRA MONEY
FOR THE JEANS,
AND IF YOU EDUCATE THEM
AS TO WHAT RED LINES ARE
AND WHAT INDIGO DENIM IS,
THEN THEY GET EXCITED ABOUT IT,
AND THEY GO HOME
AND THEY GO THROUGH
THEIR ATTICS,
THEY TELL THEIR NEIGHBORS
ABOUT IT,
AND THEN WE GET MORE AND MORE
VINTAGE JEANS THAT WAY.
THE CLOTHES
FROM THE '20S, THE '30S,
THE 40'S AND THE '50S
ARE REALLY STRONG CLOTHES,
BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL
MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.
I GUESS IF I HAD AN AGENDA
OR SOMETHING THAT I REALLY
WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE,
THAT WOULD BE BRINGING
MANUFACTURING
BACK TO THE U.S.
YOU DON'T SEE A GUY
ON A MOTORCYCLE
OR A HOT ROD WITHOU WEARING DENIM.
YOU MUST HAVE DENIM.
BLUE JEANS HAD LEFT AMERICA
FOR THE FIRST TIME
DURING WORLD WAR II,
WHEN GI'S WORE
THE PANTS OVERSEAS,
MAKING THEM A SIGNATURE PIECE
OF AMERICAN COOL.
BUT WHEN THE SOLDIERS
RETURNED HOME AFTER THE WAR,
THE COUNTRY WAS CHANGING.
AND WHILE MOST PEOPLE
EMBRACED SUBURBAN LIFE,
GROUPS OF DISENFRANCHISED
AMERICANS WENT SEARCHING
FOR A MORE AUTHENTIC
WAY OF LIVING.
WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR
THEY FOUND ON THE ROAD.
THEY WERE LOOKING
FOR THE AMERICA
THAT WAS NO IN THE NEWSPAPER,
THAT WAS NOT IN HOLLYWOOD,
THAT WAS ACTUALLY,
WHAT I THINK WE MIGHT SAY,
WAS A MORE AUTHENTIC
PICTURE OF WHO WE WERE.
WHEN I SAW "THE WILD ONE,"
I CALLED TWO OF MY BOYS.
"MAN, WE GOTTA START A GANG.
I JUST SAW THE COOLEST MOVIE--
'THE WILD ONE,' MARLON BRANDO."
WE GOT OUR PATCHES
AND WE WERE RIDING.
I THINK ONCE THAT SORT OF
HOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY DEVELOPED
AROUND THESE KIND OF REBELS
OR RULE BREAKERS,
YOU HAVE THIS PARALLEL
BETWEEN THE BEATS OF THE 50S
LOOKING BACK
AT THE 19TH CENTURY
FRONTIERSMAN.
AND WHAT THEY FOUND
WAS THAT THE PEOPLE
THAT SEEMED TO BE
THE MOST AUTHENTIC PEOPLE
WERE WEARING JEANS.
IF YOU GO ANYWHERE
IN EAST L.A.,
YOU SEE ALL THESE
KIDS WALKING AROUND
LOOKING LIKE FUCKING ELVIS.
THERE'S A LO OF ROCKABILLY KIDS,
A LOT OF HOT RODDERS,
BIKER GUYS.
YOU SEE EVERYBODY IN JEANS.
EITHER LEE, LEVI'S,
WRANGLERS-- THAT'S IT.
IT'S JUST IN OUR BLOOD.
I HAVE THESE JEANS,
LIKE, 18 YEARS.
THIS IS MY LIFESTYLE, MAN.
SOON ENOUGH THE BAD BOY IMAGE
WENT MAINSTREAM
AND JEANS COMPANIES
DID THEIR BES TO CONVINCE PARENTS
THAT IT WASN'T THE DENIM
THAT WAS CORRUPTING
THEIR TEENAGERS.
BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.
THE IDEA STUCK.
AS THE '50S GAVE WAY
TO THE '60S,
THE PANTS BECAME THE KEY
FASHION STATEMEN OF A FULL ON CULTURAL MUTINY.
YOU TAKE SOMEONE
LIKE BOB DYLAN.
AND IT WAS DYLAN'S
PUTTING ON JEANS
WAS IN A SENSE REJECTION OF
HIS MIDDLE CLASS BACKGROUND.
IT WAS SAYING
THAT THE WORKING CLASS,
THE PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE,
ARE CLOSER TO
A KIND OF REALNESS,
TO A KIND OF CORE THA HAS BEEN LOST IN AMERICA--
A MORE HONEST LABOR,
A MORE HONEST WAY OF LIVING,
THAN THE KIND OF SUBURBAN
PLASTIC WORLD
THAT HAD BEEN CREATED IN
THE POST-WAR PERIOD.
THE HIPPIES ALL OF A SUDDEN
EMBRACED THEM
AND MADE THEM VERY HIP.
THEY WASHED THEM,
THEY BEAT THEM,
THEY EMBROIDERED THEM,
THEY PATCHED THEM,
THEY STUDDED THEM
TO MAKE THEM VERY RELEVANT.
IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL'S
WAY OF SAYING,
"THIS IS MY JEAN.
THIS DOESN'T BELONG
TO LEVI'S ANYMORE.
THIS IS MY OWN JEAN,
AND I'M GONNA DO WITH I WHATEVER I WANT.
AND I'M GONNA PRESEN SOCIAL IDEAS,
AND I'M GONNA LOOK SEXY,
I'M GONNA LOOK COOL."
THIS IS ACTUALLY, BASICALLY,
IT'S A ME JACKET.
IT'S BEEN CUSTOMIZED
BY SERENDIPITY.
THIS IS MORE TYPICAL,
I WOULD SAY,
OF WHAT WE IMAGINE THE 1960S
AND '70S WOULD BE LIKE
IN TERMS OF HIPPIES
IN WOODSTOCK WEARING THESE
SORT OF VERY HIPPIE-ESQUE
SORT OF FASHIONS.
AT OUR FOLK MUSIC CIRCLES,
EVERYBODY WAS WEARING LEVI'S.
THEY WERE ALL SINGING VERSIONS
OF "THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND"
AND "JOHN RILEY,"
AND THEY WERE WEARING LEVI'S.
IT WAS A FASHION STATEMEN IN THE '60S,
AS WELL AS
A POLITICAL STATEMENT,
AS WELL AS A NECESSITY,
BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE
A LOT OF MONEY.
A LOT OF US DIDN'T.
ANYTHING WENT IN
SAN FRANCISCO AT THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT ACROSS
THE BAY HERE
IS THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY,
AND THAT WAS SORT OF A CENTER
FOR THE FREE SPEECH MOVEMENT.
THERE WERE SIT-INS,
MAN LANDED
ON THE MOON IN 1969.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE YEAR.
MY FATHER BOUGH TWO PAIR OF LEVI'S,
AND HE GOT THEM HOME
AND TRIED THEM ON
AND IT WAS A SIZE
THAT DIDN'T FIT.
AND AT THE TIME
THERE WAS REALLY NO STORE
DEVOTED TO LEVI.
SO HE SORT OF SAW THA THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY.
MAYBE LEVI'S WEREN'T SO
READILY AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE,
AND SO THE IDEA
FOR "THE GAP" WAS BORN.
- THERE'S A STORE
-TELL ME MORE!
THERE'S A STORE
FULL OF LEVI'S
IN JUST YOUR SIZE
AT THE GAP
AT THE GAP
THE FIRST STORE OPENED
WITH RECORDS AND JEANS.
IT WAS A BIG SUCCESS
RIGHT FROM THE START.
PEOPLE WOULD COME IN
FOR THE RECORDS,
BECAUSE IT WAS A HUGE
MUSIC TIME, 1969,
AND THEY'D BUY THE JEANS.
IT TURNED OUT,
PEOPLE STOLE THE RECORDS
AND BOUGHT THE JEANS.
DO IT AT THE GAP
GET THAT DO IT UP FEELING,
DO IT UP
FISHER WASN'T ALONE.
AS THE 1970S BEGAN,
BABY BOOMERS EVERYWHERE
WERE STARTING TO THINK
IN MORE SOPHISTICATED WAYS
ABOUT THEIR JEANS.
I GREW MY HAIR LONG.
I STARTED WEARING BELL BOTTOMS
AND COOL CLOTHES.
AND ALL MY FRIENDS IN SCHOOL
WANTED TO LOOK LIKE ME
AND WANTED TO WEAR
THE CLOTHES I WAS WEARING.
SO I DECIDED TO TAKE
A ROAD TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY
AND BUY JEANS
OFF THE STREETS
AND BRING THEM BACK
AND SELL THEM TO MY FRIENDS.
AND I OPENED
A HEADSHOP BOUTIQUE
CALLED PEOPLE'S PLACE.
WE ORIGINALLY STARTED
WITH LANDLUBBER JEANS,
AND LANDLUBBERS,
IN THE LATE '60S, '70S,
WERE THE HIP JEAN TO WEAR.
AND IT WAS
MY IDEA TO BRING
ALL THESE JEANS
UNDER ONE ROOF.
EVENTUALLY THE IDEALS
OF THE '60S
WOULD FADE INTO
THE MAINSTREAM.
REBELLION WENT RETAIL,
AND JEANS WOULD BECOME MORE
AVAILABLE THAN EVER BEFORE.
WHAT PROPELLED THE GROWTH
OF THIS COMPANY
WAS THE SUBURBANIZATION
OF AMERICA.
WITH EVERY NEW SUBURB,
THERE WAS A NEW SHOPPING CENTER.
AND WITH EVERY SHOPPING CENTER,
THERE WAS A NEW GAP STORE.
FALL INTO THE GAP
I GUESS THAT'S A LO OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT,
THE ENTREPRENEURIALISM
OF AMERICA,
THE ABILITY TO CHANGE
WHEN NEEDED.
I GUESS, JEANS REALLY DO
SORT OF EMBODY THAT.
YOU EVER WONDER WHA THIS POCKET'S FOR?
I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED THAT.
WELL, NOW WE KNOW,
BECAUSE THIS
IS THE NEW IPOD NANO.
THIS IS A PAIR
OF LEVI 501 BIG E'S,
BUT THEY'RE CALLED 501/501.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN SEE
IN DARK IN THE CAR,
BUT OVER THE STAMPED 501
IS ANOTHER LITTLE TEENY
TINY STAMP THAT SAYS 501.
IT'S JUST IN THE TRANSITION
FROM 501XX TO BIG E,
AND THESE ONES
ARE EXTRA SPECIAL BECAUSE
THEY HAVE SINGLE STITCH
IN THE WAISTBAND.
AND THEN ON THE BACKS
OF THE BUTTONS
ARE THE HIDDEN RIVETS
THAT ARE USUALLY IN
THE BACK OF THE POCKETS.
SOMEBODY RAN OUT OF RIVETS
FOR THE BACK OF THE BUTTONS
OR SOMETHING,
SO THEY USED
WHAT RIVET USUALLY GOES HERE
FOR THE BACKS OF THE BUTTONS.
SO IT'S A REALLY,
REALLY UNIQUE PIECE.
HEY, MELISSA. I'M ERIC.
-NICE TO MEET YOU.
-NICE TO MEET YOU, TOO.
I BROUGHT A FEW GOODIES
FOR YOU TO SEE.
A 501/501,
BUT WHEN IT WAS CONSTRUCTED
THEY PUT HIDDEN RIVETS--
INSTEAD OF IN THE BACK
OF THE POCKETS,
THEY USED RIVETS FOR
THE BACKS OF THE BUTTONS.
THESE THREE PIECES,
WHAT WOULD YOUR BEST PRICE
ON THESE BE?
THAT ONE, THE ONE
WITH THE SPECIAL RIVETS,
I'D LIKE TO GET $1,200 FOR.
AND THOSE I'D LIKE TO GE ABOUT $1,000 FOR.
-SIX.
-YOU KNOW, I JUST HAD A KID.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING
CHARGING ME $600
FOR THESE FUCKING THINGS?
YEAH, I HAVE--
I HAVE A COUPLE PAIR
THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR
TO THESE.
I REALLY DON'T NEED ANYMORE.
IT'D BE BETTER
TO MAKE YOU A PACKAGE OFFER
FOR EVERYTHING.
WELL, I'LL HAVE
TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE BACKINGS
TO THE BUTTONS,
SO IF YOU LOOK ON THE BACK
OF THE BUTTONS,
THEY'RE ALL HIDDEN RIVETS.
-OH, MY GOD.
-UNHEARD OF.
-UNHEARD OF.
ARE YOU STILL FINDING
THIS STUFF?
-OH, YEAH.
YEAH.
I'D WANT TO FOLLOW YOU
AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
WELL, I LOVE THEM ALL,
I MEAN, I WOULD--
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
ALL OF THEM IN MY STORE.
THEY'RE GREAT JEANS.
EACH AND EVERY PAIR
IS AMAZING.
THAT GUY ERIC KNOWS
HOW TO CHARGE YOU.
NO. I THINK I TRY
TO BE PRETTY FAIR ON
A LOT OF THINGS.
THERE'S SOME PIECES
I'M IN LOVE WITH.
I'M THINKING $1,500
JUST 'CAUSE OF
THE RARITY OF IT.
I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE
IT'S A $2,000 JEAN, BUT--
WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO.
IF WE'RE GOING TO SELL IT,
IT'D BETTER BE MORE THAN THAT.
I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S REALLY
WHERE I'D LIKE TO BE.
I THINK IT'S FAIR.
I THINK WE CAN TURN
THAT OVER AND--
AND IF YOU NEED TO BEAT ME UP
ON THE CONCERT TEES
TO GET TO $1,500--
WE'LL GIVE YOU 5 BUCKS APIECE
FOR THE CONCERT TEES.
ALL RIGHT, MAN, THANK YOU.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WONDERFUL TRIP.
WONDERFUL TRIP.
IT'S ALWAYS FUN
TO COME TO THE CITY.
YEAH, LEAVING NEW YORK,
GET HOME,
JUST GET BACK
TO THE GRIND AT HOME.
BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING,
JUST BE WITH MY KIDS
AND BE HOME.
UM, MY NEXT TRAVEL--
IN TWO MORE WEEKS,
I GO UP TO
THE ROSE BOWL IN L.A.
BY THE 1970S,
JEANS WERE MORE POPULAR
THAN EVER.
BUT MAN OR A WOMAN,
EVERYONE WORE
THE SAME BASIC PAIR.
BUT ONE STORE WAS ABOU TO CHANGE EVERYTHING.
AND WHILE IT WAS LOCATED
IN NEW YORK CITY,
THE SENSIBILITY
IT WOULD UNLEASH
CAME STRAIGHT OU OF EUROPE.
I WANTED TO MAKE THE WOMAN
AS "SEXIEST" AS I CAN.
MAC KEEN WAS CREATED
AUGUST 20, 1970.
DURING THE SUMMER
IN ST. TROPEZ,
I WAS LOOKING FOR
THE REAL DENIM,
BECAUSE AT THIS TIME,
THE REAL DENIM DIDN' EXIST IN EUROPE.
I CALLED ONE OF MY FRIENDS
IN NEW YORK,
AND A COUPLE HOURS AFTER,
HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID,
"LISTEN, I FOUND
WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR...
THE BLUE GOLD."
WE SOLD, LIKE,
A COUPLE 1,000 PAIR
IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
TWO AMERICAN GUYS
WERE THERE--
JERRY HART AND JERRY BRANDT,
AND THOSE GUYS WERE VERY HIP
IN NEW YORK CITY.
THEY BOUGHT EVERY SINGLE PAIR,
BROUGHT THEM BACK
TO NEW YORK CITY,
AND OPENED
THE FRENCH JEAN STORE.
THE SUCCESS WAS IMMEDIATE
AND VERY, VERY, VERY STRONG.
I REMEMBER
THE FRENCH JEAN STORE
ON EAST 60TH STREE HAD A COUCH WHERE GIRLS
WOULD HAVE TO
LIE ON THEIR BACKS
TO ZIP UP THE ZIPPERS
BECAUSE THEY WERE SO TIGHT.
YOU KNOW THE STORY.
TO FIT INTO THE JEAN,
THEY HAD TO LIE DOWN.
YOU KNOW THE STORY.
THOSE JEANS WOULD BE
UN-SELLABLE TODAY,
THEY WERE SO UNCONTROLLABLE.
BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.
THEY WANTED TO LOOK SEXY
AND MORE SEXY.
THEY NEVER MADE REAL JEANS
FOR A WOMAN UNTIL
THE MID TO LATE '70S.
THEY ONLY CREATED
MEN'S JEANS WOMEN WORE,
AND WOMEN WOULD HAVE TO ADJUS AND DO ALL SORTS
OF TREATMENTS TO THEM
TO MAKE THEM FIT.
THESE JEANS WERE WORN
BY MARILYN MONROE
IN ONE OF HER MOVIES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, MARILYN'S HIPS
WERE A LITTLE BIT WIDER.
HER WAIST WAS
A LITTLE BIT THINNER.
BUT THESE JEANS
WERE REALLY RECU FROM A PAIR
OF MEN'S WORK JEANS.
ACTUALLY,
I BOUGHT THREE PAIRS.
I GAVE BEYONC ONE PAIR,
I GAVE BRITNEY SPEARS
ONE PAIR,
AND I KEPT ONE PAIR.
AND WHY DID YOU BUY THEM?
THESE ARE COLLECTOR'S ITEMS.
IN THE 1950S, FOR EXAMPLE,
THERE'S A BOOK CALLED
"WIFE DRESSING"
BY ANNE FOGARTY,
AND SHE DOES THIS
WHOLE THING WHERE SHE SAYS
ONCE WOMEN GET MARRIED,
THEIR CLOTHES SHOULD EXPRESS
THEIR HUSBAND'S POSITION,
AND THEY SHOULD ALWAYS
WEAR A GIRDLE,
AND THEY SHOULD NO WEAR BLUE JEANS,
EVEN AROUND THE HOUSE,
BECAUSE IT'S SEEN
AS BEING TOO CASUAL,
TOO MUCH OF A TEENAGE
YOUTH STYLE.
BUT THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION
OPENED UP A WHOLE NEW HORIZON
OF FASHION POSSIBILITIES.
IN AMERICA,
WE IDENTIFY JEANS
AS SOMETHING WE WEAR
TO WASH THE CAR.
AND THE EUROPEANS,
FROM THE FIRST MOMEN THEY STARTED
MANUFACTURING JEANS,
THEY SAWS IT AS
SOMETHING FASHIONABLE,
AND THEY ALWAYS
HAD A HUGE RELATIONSHIP
BACK TO AMERICANA.
SO, I THINK WE IN EUROPE,
BECAUSE WE LOVED
THE AMERICAN CULTURE SO MUCH,
SAW WHAT IT WAS,
TOOK ITS SPIRIT,
AND THEN IT WAS
RECREATED BACK.
AND WHEN FIORUCCI
OPENED IN MANHATTAN,
IT IMMEDIATELY
BECAME A HOT SPO ON THE NEW YORK
FASHION SCENE.
DESIGNER JEANS,
AS THEY CAME TO BE KNOWN,
HIT THE MAINSTREAM
IN A FLOOD TIDE.
I WANT THE IMPORTED
KIND OF JEANS.
-YES.
-FRENCH JEANS.
I'M NOT GETTING YOU
ANY JEANS.
YOU KNOW HOW MANY POOLS
I GOTTA CLEAN
TO GET YOU A PAIR
OF IMPORTED JEANS?
-WHAT'S THE MATTER
WITH AMERICAN JEANS?
-I DON'T LIKE THEM.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
A CATFISH HUNTER?
THE U.S. GARMENT INDUSTRY
QUICKLY RESPONDED
TO THE EUROPEAN INVASION,
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME,
THE BIG THREE TOOK A BACKSEA TO SEX CRAZED,
EURO-STYLED,
AMERICAN DENIM UPSTARTS.
WOMAN]
N'EST-CE PAS,
THE FRENCH-CUT JEANS
THAT HUG THE STUDENT BODY,
WITH ENOUGH POCKET STYLES
TO KEEP YOU IN STITCHES
FOR WEEKS.
N'EST-CE PAS DESIGNER
JEANS AND BELTS...
LES JEANS MAGNIFIQUE.
I BEG YOUR CHARDON.
UH-OH, SERGIO
SERGIO VALENTE,
SERGIO VALENTE
UH-OH, SERGIO
OOH, LA, LA,
N'EST-CE PAS
OOH, LA, LA,
N'EST-CE PAS
GLORIA VANDERBILT DENIMS
BY MURJANI,
FOR THE HUG
WITHOUT THE SQUEEZE.
YOU'VE GOT THE LOOK
I WANT TO KNOW BETTER
THE FIRST COMMERCIAL WAS--
THEY'RE SHOOTING IN A BAR.
THE COMMERCIAL COST ME
AT THE TIME,
I WOULD SAY
NO MORE THAN $8,000.
AND THEY ACTUALLY TOOK OFF
WITH THE NEW DESIGN.
TOOK OFF!
JORDACHE HAS THE FI THAT'S RIGHT
YOU'VE GOT THE LOOK
I WANT TO KNOW BETTER
YOU'VE GOT THE LOOK
DEPARTMENT STORES
LIKE MACY'S
AND SAKS AND BLOOMINGDALES
WHO TOLD ME,
"WE DON'T NEED
ANOTHER JEANS COMPANY,"
CALLED US AND SAID,
"HOW FAST CAN YOU
SHIP US THE GOODS?"
THEN I KNEW THA WE ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL,
AND THE GOODS WERE RUNNING
OUT OF THE STORES.
THEY WERE SELLING.
I USED TO GO TO STUDIO 54
AND SEE THE JEANS.
I WAS SO PROUD THAT I SAID,
"IS THIS JORDACHE?
JORDACHE WAS A HIT."
THE REAL STUDIO
BECAME AN INCREDIBLE
PROMOTIONAL VEHICLE.
STEVIE RUBELL WOULD HAVE
HIS INNER PRAETORIAN GUARD
WITH, OF COURSE, ANDY
AND LIZA MINNELLI
AND BIANCA AND SO FORTH,
AND OF COURSE, HALSTON.
NOW EVERYBODY CAN GE INTO STUDIO 54 JEANS.
AND, YOU KNOW, CALVIN,
WATCHING FROM AFAR--
SAW, HELL, HE WANTED
SOME OF THAT.
SO IT WAS KIND OF
A JEANS KIND OF MOMENT.
YOU BEGAN THE WHOLE
DESIGNER JEAN CRAZE.
THAT STARTED ONE NIGHT--
I HAVE TO TELL YOU,
BECAUSE IT'S VERY FUNNY.
IT STARTED ONE NIGH AT STUDIO 54
AT ABOUT 4:00
IN THE MORNING.
-AND--
SOMEONE JUST CAME UP
AND ASKED ME
IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED
IN PUTTING MY NAME ON JEANS.
THIS IS CALVIN'S SIGNATURE
THAT WE STILL USE TODAY.
IT'S OUR OMEGA, IT'S OUR--
IT'S OUR STITCH.
EVERY OTHER JEANS BRAND
HAS THEIR CERTAIN SIGNATURE,
BUT CALVIN STARTED A SIGNATURE
RIGHT FROM DAY ONE
OF HIS OMEGA STITCH
AND THE CALVIN KLEIN BRANDING
ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE JEAN.
THEY COPY US,
AND CALVIN KLEIN COPIED
LE BILLET IN FRENCH.
HOW DO YOU SAY
THE BEAST. THE ANIMAL.
THE LAMB, MAYBE.
THE LAMB, THE GOAT.
BUT REGARDLESS OF WHERE
IMITATION ENDS
AND FLATTERY BEGINS,
IT IS UNDENIABLE
THAT CALVIN KLEIN,
WITH HIS SUPERSTAR
DESIGNER STATUS,
TURNED DESIGNER JEANS
INTO MASS MARKET REALITY.
THE CALVIN KLEIN BLUE JEANS
THAT WERE WORN BY BROOKE SHIELDS
WERE AN IMPORTANT MOMEN IN THE EVOLUTION OF JEANS.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT COMES
BETWEEN ME AND MY CALVINS?
NOTHING.
CALVIN KLEIN JEANS.
THEY WERE ALSO
AN IMPORTANT MOMEN IN TERMS OF THE EVOLUTION
OF AN IDEAL OF BEAUTY.
HERE YOU HAD
A 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL
DISPLAYING
A PIECE OF CLOTHING
IN A VERY PROVOCATIVE,
SEXUALIZED WAY.
HE WAS SPEAKING
TO THOUSANDS OF WOMEN
WHO WANTED TO BE LIKE THAT.
IN THE LAST 30 YEARS,
ONE SEES THIS
SORT OF MORPHING
FROM WHAT AT THE TIME
SEEMED LIKE A SEXY ITEM
INTO AN EVEN MORE SEXUALIZED
PIECE OF CLOTHING.
NORMALLY A JEAN V COMES DOWN,
SO THE V ACTUALLY
COMES HIGH DOWN
TO A FRONT POIN AT THE BACK.
WHAT WE DID, WE INVERSED I AND CURVED IT AROUND
TO REALLY FLATTER
A WOMAN'S CURVES.
THE '70S WAS THE GREAT ERA
OF GAY LIBERATION,
AND YOU HAD THE DEVELOPMEN OF A VERY KIND OF MACHO LOOK.
FROM BEING PREVIOUSLY SEEN
AS SOMEWHAT EFFEMINATE,
NOW THEY WERE
HYPER MASCULINE,
AND THAT WHOLE LOOK OF
BLUE JEANS AND BODY BUILDING,
YOU KNOW, SO YOU FILLED OU YOUR T-SHIRT WITH MUSCLES,
AND YOUR JEANS
WERE REALLY TIGH OVER YOUR BUT AND THEN THEY WERE TIGH IN FRONT,
THAT WAS A BIG PAR OF GAY STYLE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE,
GRADUALLY IT SPREAD
TO STRAIGHT MEN'S
FASHION AS WELL.
WHILE THE FEMALE BODY JEAN
ENHANCES HER BACK,
THE MALE BODY JEAN ENHANCES
HIS PROFILE FROM THE FRONT,
SO BASICALLY IF YOU LOOK
FROM THE SIDE PROFILE,
WE LITERALLY,
ON THE MEN'S JEAN,
LEAD INTO THE FLY
EXTRA DENIM LAYERS OF FLY
AND WE STITCHED
THE JEAN FLY ON TOP,
AND TOP-STITCHED I TO CREATE MORE FABRIC
AND MORE SHAPE IN THE FRONT.
JEANS ARE VERY SEXY ON PEOPLE.
THEY SHOW OFF THE PACKAGE,
THE BASKET,
THE TACO PIZZA,
THE WOMEN'S NAUGHTY BITS,
THE MEN'S NAUGHTY BITS.
AND WHAT ELSE IS A FRAME
AROUND THE DERRIERE
THAN JEANS?
THERE'S NOTHING BETTER
THAN A JEAN.
IT'S LIKE THE FIRS QUESTION WOMEN ASK
WHEN THEY COME OU OF THE DRESSING ROOM IS,
"DO THESE JEANS
MAKE ME LOOK FAT?"
AND "HOW DOES MY BUTT LOOK?"
I THINK THAT IN A WAY
JEANS REPRESENT SEXINESS.
AND ON THE RIGHT ASSES
THEY LOOK VERY SEXY,
SO THAT ON THE WRONG ASSESS,
THEY IMPLY SEXY.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
WHEN YOU WEAR THEM,
EVEN IF YOU DON' HAVE A GOOD ASS,
YOU'RE KIND OF PUTTING
YOUR ASS INTO AIR QUOTES.
LIKE, "OH, ASS."
YOU KNOW? SERIOUSLY.
WHEREAS SOME PEOPLE
WHO WEAR THEM HAVE GREAT ASSES
AND THEY LOOK INCREDIBLY SEXY,
BUT IN MY CASE,
I KIND OF GO LIKE,
"OH, YEAH, I'M WEARING JEANS.
I HAVE AN ASS.
YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN
NECESSARILY A GOOD ONE,
BUT JUST HAVE A LOOK AT IT."
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
YEAH.
WE WERE THE BOMB.
WE WERE IT.
BRANDO AND JAMES DEAN
WERE THE COOLEST,
RAMONES WERE THE COOLEST.
WHEN THE BEATLES STARTED OU BEFORE BRIAN EPSTEIN
GOT TO THEM,
THEY WORE JEANS,
AND THEY WERE THE COOLEST.
UPTOWN, FASHION JEANS
WERE EXPENSIVE AND SLEEK.
BUT BELOW 14TH STREET,
THEY RETAINED THEIR REBELLIOUS
SPIRIT AS PUNK MUSIC
TURNED THEM INTO RIPPED BADGES
FOR THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT.
TRASH AND VAUDEVILLE
IS THE PLACE.
THIS IS A NEW YORK
INSTITUTION,
YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH CBGB'S,
MAX'S KANSAS CITY.
TRASH AND VAUDEVILLE.
ME AND JOEY ALWAYS
USED TO COME HERE.
WE STARTED A LOOK.
WE HAD THE JEANS, SNEAKERS,
AND THE LEATHER JACKET,
BUT THE JEANS
WE WOULD WEAR SO MUCH
THAT HOLES WOULD STAR FORMING AROUND OUR KNEES
BECAUSE OF THE STRESS FACTOR
ON THE FABRIC.
SO, EVENTUALLY,
WE JUST KEPT WEARING THEM
AND THEN EVERYONE CAUGHT ON
AND STARTED WEARING JEANS
WITH HOLES IN THEM.
PEOPLE WERE PICKING UP,
I GUESS YOU COULD
CALL IT FASHION.
TO US, IT WASN'T FASHION.
IT WAS JUST WHAT WE WORE.
WANNA SEE IGGY POP
WEARING THESE JEANS?
I GOT A PICTURE OF IGGY
IN THESE JEANS.
-YOU CAN TOTALLY CURSE.
OUR BALLS HAVE BEEN
IN THE SAME PLACE.
MY BALLS HAVE GONE
WHERE IGGY'S BALLS HAVE,
ONLY MY BALLS WENT FIRST.
YEAH!
MY PANTS ON IGGY.
RIGHT THERE.
THESE ARE SOME KICK-ASS JEANS.
CUSTOM MADE FOR ME.
IF YOU'RE GONNA LEND
YOUR PANTS TO ANYBODY,
LEND THEM TO IGGY POP.
HE TOOK ME TO GERMANY AFTER
JUST FOR LENDING HIM
MY PANTS. AWESOME.
IGGY POP HAD A GREA JEANS-RELATED STORY
THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET.
HE SAID THAT THE BEST THING
ABOUT SUMMER,
SOMETHING
THAT HE ALWAYS DOES,
IS HE BUYS A PAIR
OF LEVI'S JEANS
AT THE BEGINNING
OF THE SUMMER
AND WEARS THEM
EVERY SINGLE DAY
UNTIL THE END OF THE SUMMER
AND NEVER WASHES THEM.
AND SOMETIME ABOUT JULY,
HE SAID THEY START TO STINK
A LITTLE BIT,
BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE
THAT'S WHEN THEY STAR GETTING GOOD,
AND THAT'S WHEN
THEY START FITTING.
AND HE SAID BY AUGUS THEY'RE STICKING TO YOUR ASS
SO PERFECTLY
THAT HE DOESN'T CARE.
LIKE IF NO ONE'S
GONNA COME NEAR HIM,
IT DOESN'T MATTER.
HE FINALLY HAS
THE PERFECT PAIR OF JEANS.
OF COURSE, FOR ME,
AND THE THING IS NOW...
THAT THING LOW AND TIGHT.
IF IT DOESN'T HURT,
IT'S NOT ROCK AND ROLL.
LIKE, THIS ONE'S A KILLER.
IT'S SO LOW AND IT'S SO TIGH AND IT'S SO TAPERED.
AND THEN YOU JUST THROW ON
A PAIR OF CHUCKS
OR DIRTY BOOTS
AND YOU CAN KICK SOME ASS.
AND YOU CAN CLIMB
A FENCE IN THESE.
IF YOU'RE REAL ROCK AND ROLL,
YOUR PANTS CAN BE REAL TIGHT,
REAL LOW, AND YOU CAN
STILL CLIMB A FENCE.
DENIM IS INTEGRITY.
IT'S BLUE COLLAR,
IT'S WORKING MAN.
THAT'S WHAT ROCK AND ROLL
ALWAYS IS.
A PERFECT EXAMPLE
IS SPRINGSTEEN.
ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC SHOTS,
I THINK, IN ROCK AND ROLL
IS HIS ASS...
IN A PAIR OF JEANS, RIGHT?
TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD
ON THE ROAD,
YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF WARDROBE
CHANGES IN YOUR SUITCASE,
SO YOU GOT A FEW PAIR OF JEANS
AND A GOOD LEATHER JACKET,
AND A COUPLE PAIR OF BOOTS,
AND YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH
READY TO GO.
FOR A MUSICIAN TOURING
THE COUNTRY,
YOU CAN WEAR THE SAME PAIR
OF JEANS FOR TWO MONTHS
AND THEY'RE ONLY GOING
TO START LOOKING BETTER.
I'LL WALK INTO THE SHOW
WITH CERTAIN CLOTHES ON,
CHANGE INTO THE EXAC SAME CLOTHES,
TAKE THEM OFF BECAUSE
I SWEATED THROUGH THEM,
AND PUT ON THE EXACT SAME
CLOTHES AGAIN AND WALK OUT.
SO LIFE AND PERFORMANCE
IS THE SAME THING NOW.
YOU PUT ON A GREAT PAIR
OF GREAT LOOKING DENIM JEANS,
AND SUDDENLY YOU'RE
THE ROCK STAR,
YOU'RE THE MOVIE STAR.
AND SEEING THE RAMONES
IN THESE SKINNY BLUE JEANS
WITH HOLES RIPPED IN THE KNEES,
THAT WAS AN EPIPHANY FOR ME.
IT WAS LIKE, "WOW, DENIM IS
GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN.
IT'S THE REBEL.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT."
AND THE RAMONES, OBVIOUSLY,
INFLUENCED SID VICIOUS.
HE WORE HIS JEANS
IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
AND THAT DEFINED
THAT REBEL LOOK,
WHICH THEN WENT THROUGH
INTO THE '80S.
YOU GET MADONNA
WEARING RIPPED UP DENIM
IN THE '80S.
THROUGH TO THE '90S,
THROUGH TO THE PRESENT DAY,
IT RETAINS ITS REBEL SPIRIT.
AND ONCE AGAIN,
MY FRIEND...
A HUNDRED BLOCKS NORTH,
THE BRONX WAS BURNING,
AND ANOTHER REVOLUTION
WAS IN THE AIR.
BUT HERE THE JEANS WEREN' RIPPED OR LOW RENT.
IT WAS ALL ABOU CLASS AND STYLE
AND ON THEIR OWN TERMS.
B-BOYS MAKE SOME NOISE
LET'S TAG IT UP
DJ'S GET BUSY
ON THE ONES AND TWOS
AND MC'S
JUST DO YOUR STUFF
I WAS A B-BOY FIEND
HIP-HOP STARTED ON THE WEST SIDE
OF THE BRONX, 1973.
CASANOVA BROWN,
CASANOVA FLY
EVERYBODY IN THE CREW
WAS A CASANOVA GUY
WE LIVED RIGHT UP
THE BLOCK FROM KOOL HERC,
SO THAT FIRST PARTY,
AUGUST 11, 1973,
I MEAN, THAT WAS IT.
AFTER THAT I BECAME
CASANOVA FLY
AFTER I JOINED
A GROUP OF B-BOYS.
AND CAZ IS GONNA
THE C-A-S AND THE O-V-A,
AND THE REST IS F-L-Y,
BUT WE WON'T GE INTO ALL THAT.
I MEAN, THE JEAN THING FOR US
STARTED WITH LEES.
YOU KNOW, JUST LEE JEANS,
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
'CAUSE WHEN YOU FIRST GE A PAIR OF LEES, THEY HARD.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE WASHED DENIM
AND PRE-WASHED,
AND YOU KNOW
HOW THEY SOAK THEM,
AND THEY BLEACHED THEM.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE
NONE OF THAT.
IT WAS JUST THAT HARD
BLUE DENIM.
YOU HAVE DIE-HARD GUYS
WHO STILL WEAR LEES.
LIKE ME,
I NEVER STOPPED.
AND THEN YOU HAVE
OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE LIKE,
"WELL, WE'RE GONNA
CHANGE WITH THE TIMES,"
AND, YOU KNOW, THE SONGS,
THERE'S A SONG
BY TEARS FOR FEARS,
"SHOUT, SHOUT,
LET IT ALL OUT,"
YOU KNOW, ET CETERA.
THERE WERE MC'S,
EVEN A SONG CAME OU WHERE RAPPERS WERE GOING,
"SHOUT, SHOUT,
LEES ARE PLAYED OUT,"
AND THEY WOULD MOCK PEOPLE
WHO WERE STILL WEARING
OLD SCHOOL STYLE.
WHEN THE DESIGNER JEAN
CAME INTO PLAY, THE JORDACHE,
YOU KNOW, THE SASSONS,
AND STUFF LIKE THAT,
IT WAS LIKE A STEP UP.
PART OF THE INFLUENCE CAME
FROM WANTING TO LOOK GOOD
FOR THE WOMEN.
AND TRYING TO LOOK
A LITTLE MORE PRESENTABLE
TO SEE IF MAYBE
YOU CAN GET IN A CLUB.
YOU WOULD TAKE YOUR
LEE RIDERS AND--
AND THIS WAS SOME
REAL B-BOY SHIT.
IF YOU KNEW SOMEONE,
TYPICALLY, LIKE,
YOUR GRANDMOTHER OR YOUR AUN OR SOMEONE WHO COULD SEW,
UH, YOU WOULD MAKE
A PINTUCK.
AND YOU WOULD TAKE THIS
PINTUCK FLAT CREASE.
YOU'D SEW ALL THE WAY DOWN
FROM ABOUT SIX INCHES
FROM THE TOP OF YOUR RISE,
ALL THE WAY DOWN
TO THE CUFF.
AND IT WAS
THIS EXTRA NEW LOOK.
IT WAS A GUARANTEED TO BE,
LIKE, SUPER STAY FRESH
'CAUSE YOU WERE
ALWAYS CREASED.
THEN WE'LL TAKE STARCH
AND SPRAY THE--
FLOOD IT WITH STARCH
ON AN IRONING BOARD
AND IRON THEM TO DEATH.
THEY COULD LITERALLY
STAND ON THEIR OWN.
CRISP AND CREASED
DESIGNER JEANS
MAY HAVE BEEN A STEP UP
FROM THE PAST,
BUT THE NEXT GENERATION
OF HIP-HOP ARTISTS
WOULD TAKE REBELLION
TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL.
THE REBEL NATURE OF MY TIME,
"WE'RE GONNA PISS OFF
EVERY PAREN AND SHOW EVERYBODY
THE CRACKS OF OUR ASSES
WHEN WE'RE IN OUR JEANS
'CAUSE THEY WERE DOWN
TO OUR ANKLES.
THE BAGGY JEAN,
THERE'S A LOT OF THEORIES
ABOUT WHERE THE BAGGY JEAN
COMES FROM.
IN THE GHETTOS
AND IN THE HOOD,
THE JEANS ARE CUT LARGER
BECAUSE THE KIDS
WOULD NORMALLY
HAVE THE HAND-ME-DOWNS
OF THEIR OLDER SIBLINGS.
SO THAT LOOK
WAS ALWAYS REALLY
A REFERENCE
TO JAIL CULTURE.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED
TO WEAR BELTS IN JAIL.
IT WAS KIND OF
A BADGE OF HONOR,
IF YOU WILL.
FOR A WHOLE GENERATION,
THAT BAGGY FI WAS, UH, YOU KNOW,
MORE ABOUT ATTITUDE,
MORE ABOUT JUST BEING
REBELLIOUS.
WHEN IT CAME TO HIP-HOP
AND THIS TYPE OF MUSIC,
THAT WAS OUR WAY OF REBELLING
WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
WELL, ALL THIS SHOWING
OF UNDERWEAR,
IT'S SORT OF KIND OF
"FUCK YOU" FASHION.
THE INFLUENCE OF PUNK
AND HIP-HOP REBELLION
WOULD INSPIRE FASHION DESIGNERS
ALL OVER THE WORLD
FOR DECADES TO COME.
FROM THE '80S ONWARDS,
MOST HIGH FASHION LABELS
LIKE DOLCE AND GABBANA,
JEAN-PAUL GUALTIER,
WERE CREATING JEANS LINES.
COMMERCIALLY THEY'RE--
THEY'RE A GOOD INVESTMENT.
THERE ARE TWO BIG
REVOLUTION IN THE DENIM.
THEY ARE, ONE, THE FAC THAT WE WASH THE GARMENT,
AND SECOND IS A STRETCH.
THEY WERE KIND OF
DARK BLUE PLYWOOD
FASHIONED INTO PANTS.
THEY PRACTICALLY
STOOD UP BY THEMSELVES.
SO THE CHALLENGE WAS
TO BREAK THESE THINGS IN
WITHOUT HAVING TO SUFFER
THROUGH WEARING THEM
FOR WEEKS.
THE WHOLE THING
STARTED WITH THE IDEA
OF MAKING THE FABRIC
MORE COMFORTABLE.
I REMEMBER
I WAS LAYING ON THE BEACH
AND, UH,
I SAW A KIND OF WHITE
KIND OF THINGS
ON TOP OF THE WATER,
AND THEY WERE STONES.
SO THIS WOULD MEAN
SO THAT THEY ARE VERY LIGH AND THEY COULD
CREATE AN ABRASION.
I WENT TO MY LAUNDRY AND SAID,
"WHY DON'T WE TRY THIS?"
HONESTLY, I WAS INSPIRED
BY ACCIDENT IN SOME WAY.
OF COURSE,
IN ADDITION TO THE FAC THAT THE FABRIC WAS SOFT,
THE STRETCH,
IT WAS LIKE THE ATOMIC BOMB
FOR THE JEAN BUSINESS.
I'M PLEASED THAT I WAS
THE FIRST GUY TO CREATE--
I WON'T SAY INVENT--
CREATE THE STRETCH JEANS.
I WENT TO HONG KONG,
AND BY TOTAL CHANCE
I FOUND AN AMAZING FACTORY.
THEY SAID, "RONNIE LAU'S
JUST BEEN IN THE SHOP
AND HE'S LEFT YOU THIS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?"
AND IT WAS STRETCH DENIM.
ANYWAY, I WAS QUITE
A TECHNICIAN.
I KNEW ABOUT FIT.
I KNEW ABOUT WOMEN
THAT LIKED FIT,
AND SUDDENLY
A STAR WAS BORN.
I CAME INTO THIS BUSINESS
BY ACCIDEN BECAUSE I WAS
A PROFESSIONAL SKIER
AT THAT TIME.
I DIDN'T HAVE
ANY RESPECT FOR CLOTHING.
FOR ME, CLOTHING WAS JUS A KIND OF FUNCTIONAL THING.
BUT DESPITE HIS EARLY
RESERVATIONS,
ADRIANO WOULD STAR MAKING JEANS IN ITALY
IN THE LATE 1960S
AND WOULD GO ON TO STAR DIESEL, REPLAY,
AND SEVERAL OTHER BRANDS.
THE JEAN WAS BASICALLY
THE SAME FOR YEARS
AND YEARS
AND YEARS AND YEARS.
I INTRODUCED THE CONCEP THAT THE JEAN WAS THE SAME,
MAXIMUM, FOR A MONTH.
AFTER THAT,
WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
A BRAND LIKE DIESEL
ACTUALLY TOOK THE EVOLUTION
AND RAN WITH IT, AND CREATED
MANY DIFFERENT LOOKS,
FINISHES, WASHES,
AND REINVENTED
THE IDEA OF A JEAN
THAT COULD BE $95,
$120, $200.
30 YEARS OF MOLDING
AMERICAN WORK PANTS
INTO A FASHION ITEM
HAD PAID OFF,
AND BY THE EARLY 2000S,
BRANDS LIKE
7 FOR ALL MANKIND
AND TRUE RELIGION
WOULD CHARGE $300 OR MORE
FOR A PAIR OF BLUE JEANS.
MOVIE STARS MODELED
THE MERCHANDISE
AND L.A. BECAME THE CAPITAL
OF PREMIUM DENIM BRANDS.
BUT MOVIE STARS
AND OTHER MARVELS
OF SELF INVENTION,
SLIPPING ON A PAIR
OF $1,000 JEANS
DOESN'T ACCOUN FOR THE HEADY RISE IN
THE FORTUNES OF DENIM.
FOR THAT TO HAPPEN,
THE ESSENCE OF BLUE JEANS
HAD TO BE REDISCOVERED.
THIS VAN GOES TO L.A.
ALMOST EVERY MONTH.
IT'S THE THIRD ONE I'VE HAD,
AND NOW IT HAS
221,000 MILES ON IT.
GO DOWN AROUND
THROUGH UTAH AND NEVADA,
ARIZONA, INTO CALIFORNIA.
THE BEST FLEA MARKE FOR VINTAGE ANYTHING
IS THE ROSE BOWL.
AND I'VE BEEN COMING
TO THE ROSE BOWL
FOR JUST OVER TEN YEARS.
EVERYTHING FROM
AMERICAN COLLECTORS
TO DESIGNERS,
EVEN TO RETAIL.
WE HAVE FLEA MARKETS
HERE IN NEW YORK,
BUT NOT A THAT KIND OF LEVEL.
I'VE DONE ABOUT $5,000
IN SALES TODAY.
HOPEFULLY,
IN A ROSE BOWL WEEKEND
YOU CAN DO BETWEEN
TEN AND $25,000 IN SALES.
IT REALLY IS KIND OF THIS
DESIGNER'S DREAM.
IT'S, LIKE, YOU KNOW,
THIS BIG ARCHIVE.
IF ANYBODY WANTS TO GE INTO THE BUSINESS,
THAT'S KIND
OF THE CORE PLACE.
MY FAVORITE JEANS ARE
USED LEVI'S, MAINLY 501S.
THE TIME PERIOD
THAT I'M MOST INTO,
I LOVE 1950S.
-'68 TO '78.
-I NEED STAINS.
I NEED THESE JEANS
TO LOOK LIKE THEY'VE BEEN
ON THE BACK OF A HARLEY
FOR TWO YEARS STRAIGHT.
THERE'S THIS GREAT LONGING
FOR AUTHENTICITY,
AND VINTAGE JEANS, OF COURSE,
ARE REALLY AUTHENTIC.
I MEAN,
SOME ACTUAL WORKING PERSON
SWEATED IN THEM.
SO OF COURSE YOU WANT THOSE.
TO MOST AMERICANS,
OIL-SOAKED DENIM'S
NOT THAT APPEALING,
BUT PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND
VINTAGE DENIM,
THIS IS A REAL
VALUABLE PIECE,
BECAUSE SOMEBODY WORE I AND WORKED IN IT.
AND THAT'S WHA VINTAGE DENIM'S ALL ABOUT,
IS THE WORK PART OF IT.
PEOPLE DON' UNDERSTAND AUTHENTIC.
AUTHENTIC COMES FROM A PLACE
OF NATURAL WEAR.
IT'S VERY SIMPLE.
PEOPLE NOW
WHEN THEY RECREATE THIS,
IT'S LIKE THEY PU CAT SCRATCHES
AND THEY PUT A HOLE HERE
BECAUSE THEY JUST THINK
MAYBE A HOLE CREATED THERE.
THERE'S A RHYME AND A REASON
FOR NATURAL WEAR.
IF THEY ALWAYS CARRIED
A KNIFE IN THE POCKET,
YOU CAN SEE
WHERE THE KNIFE WORE.
WHETHER THEY HAD
A BIG WALLET OR NO WALLET,
OR HAD A CAN OF CHEW
IN THEIR BACK POCKET.
IF A GUY SMOKED,
THEY ALWAYS STRIKE THEIR
MATCHES ON THEIR JEANS,
SO YOU CAN SEE STRIKE MARKS
ON THE SIDES OF THE LEGS,
SO YOU KNOW THE GUY
WAS A SMOKER.
YOU CAN TELL SO MUCH ABOU AN INDIVIDUAL BY HIS JEANS.
THIS IS PROBABLY ALL ABOU WHAT DESIGN
IS ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, IF YOU
LOOK AT ANYBODY'S RACK
FROM GAP TO ARMANI,
THEY'RE USING THESE EFFECTS,
THEY'RE USING THESE WASHES,
THESE REPAIRS.
THIS IS SORT OF IT.
DESIGNERS ARE GONNA FIND
THIS APPEALING.
THEY USE THEM
FOR INSPIRATION.
THEY SAY,
"WE WANT OUR PAIR OF JEANS
TO LOOK JUST LIKE THIS."
IT'S AUTHENTIC.
IT'S REAL.
BASICALLY,
TAKING THESE STORIES,
BECAUSE THE STORIES
ARE REFLECTED IN THE PANTS,
AND THEN PUTTING THAT BACK
INTO THE JEANS.
THEY'RE FINDING THEIR
INSPIRATION FROM THE PAS AND TAKING IT AND PUTTING
THEIR OWN TWIST ON IT.
BUT SOME ARE NOT EVEN PUTTING
THEIR OWN TWIST ON IT.
SOME ARE JUST DIRECTLY
KNOCKING THEM OFF.
DESIGNERS, PARTICULARLY
DENIM DESIGNERS,
HAVE TO BE ALCHEMISTS.
THEY HAVE TO MAKE THE GOLD.
I MEAN, TO CONSTANTLY
REINVENT ONE FABRIC
IS A HUGE CHALLENGE.
RALPH LAUREN,
ABERCROMBIE FITCH,
J. CREW, YOU KNOW,
BIG DESIGN COMPANIES,
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY LINED UP
LIKE A BEEHIVE
TO BUY THOSE GOODS.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE'S
FROM RALPH LAUREN,
YOU'RE GONNA CHARGE THEM
TWO OR THREE TIMES
WHAT YOU WOULD CHARGE
SOMEBODY ELSE.
- OH, COOL.
- I LOVE ADRIANO.
ADRIANO'S AMAZING.
DON'T YOU LOVE HIM?
THIS ONE IS ALSO BEAUTIFUL.
YOU HAVE TO GET READY
FOR THE ROSE BOWL.
YOU TRY TO BE FOCUSED,
AND YOU GIVE A DIRECTION
TO YOUR RESULTS.
WOW. THIS ONE
IS A GREAT PIECE, HUH?
THANK YOU. IT'S LATE '30S,
EARLY '40S.
-VERY UNUSUAL.
ESPECIALLY
THE TWO-TONE POCKETS.
YEAH.
GOOD INSPIRATION FOR US.
THIS ONE ALSO A GOOD ONE.
YEAH, THE OFF-BRANDS
HAVE BEEN MY BEST SELLER
THE LAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
YEAH?
STILL LEVI'S
IS THE BEST MONEY,
BUT THE BEST SELLING
IS OFF-BRAND DENIM.
PRETTY UNIQUE TO FIND
A ROEBUCKS WITH DOUBLE--
YEAH, YEAH.
HOW MUCH?
I TOLD YOU 150 AND 250,
IS THAT RIGHT?
- YEAH.
THREE'S FINE.
- YEAH.
- WOW, OKAY.
I'M A PRETTY TOUGH
NEGOTIATOR.
THERE WAS A WAY
OF MAKING THINGS
IN THE UNITED STATES
IN THE '30S
AND '40S AND '50S.
IT WASN'T ONLY
VERY SPECIAL,
IT WAS ALSO VERY UNIQUE
TO THE UNITED STATES.
IT WAS VERY ROBUST.
IT WAS VERY STURDY,
IT WAS VERY MASCULINE.
ONE STITCH IN PARTICULAR
SIGNALS THE PAST.
THE OLD NARROW SHUTTLE LOOMS
CREATED A CONTINUOUS EDGE
CALLED THE SELF EDGE.
THE COLOR-CODED LINE
ON THE SELF EDGE
INDICATED THE DENIM BRAND
AND TYPE.
BUT THE WIDER
AND MUCH MORE EFFICIEN MODERN LOOMS
FIT SEVERAL PAIRS
OF JEANS ACROSS
AND NO LONGER CREATED
A SELF EDGE.
THE LOSS RESONATED WITH
ONE COUNTRY IN PARTICULAR,
AND ANOTHER LEAP
IN THE EVOLUTION OF JEANS
WOULD SOON TAKE PLACE.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE INNOVATION
WOULD COME FROM ABROAD.
YOU KNOW, A BIG PORTION
OF THE VINTAGE BUSINESS
IS SUPPORTED
BY THE JAPANESE.
OH, YEAH,
A LOT OF JAPANESE
FRIENDS HERE TODAY.
THEY JUST BUY AND BUY AND
CONSUME EVERYTHING THEY CAN.
I'VE HAD THREE DIFFEREN JAPANESE APPOINTMENTS TODAY.
THEY ARE MORE PASSIONATE
ABOUT OUR AMERICANA
AND OUR CULTURE THAN WE ARE
OF OUR OWN CULTURE.
MY ONLY EXPERIENCE
WITH JAPANESE
WAS WHAT I LEARNED
IN HIGH SCHOOL ABOU WORLD WAR II.
SO I WOULDN'T EVEN THINK
THAT JAPAN LIKED AMERICA,
OR AMERICANS,
FOR THAT MATTER.
JAPANESE BUSINESS IS
REALLY DONE ON RELATIONSHIPS,
AND THE PEOPLE
THAT YOU WORK WITH
ARE YOUR FRIENDS.
AND THERE'S PEOPLE
THAT I WENT TO THEIR STORES
EVERY THREE MONTHS
FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS
AND STILL
NEVER DID BUSINESS.
BUT AFTER A COUPLE YEARS
OF ALWAYS VISITING
WHENEVER I WENT TO JAPAN,
WE STARTED DOING
BUSINESS TOGETHER.
AND TODAY I PROBABLY HAVE
A DOZEN CUSTOMERS
I DON'T GO A WEEK
WITHOUT TALKING TO
WITH EMAIL OR ON THE PHONE.
MOSHI MOSHI.
THIS IS ERIC SCHRADER,
JUNKYARD JEANS.
IT'S JEANS, ONE POCKET,
DUCK CLOTH, BUCKLE BACK.
AND MOST OF THE RES IS JUST REGULAR DENIM,
BUT I'VE GOT ONE
SPECIAL PIECE.
JUST HAVE A NICE DOUBLE X
WITH HIDDEN RIVETS.
THESE SHOULD FETCH
MORE THAN $5,000
TOMORROW IN THE AUCTION.
OH, MY GOODNESS.
I THINK SOME GOOD CHOW,
AND I'LL BE READY TO SNOOZE.
15 YEARS AGO, ERIC STARTED
THE BLACKSHIP VINTAGE
CLOTHING AUCTION IN JAPAN,
CATCHING ONTO THE JAPANESE
FASCINATION WITH AMERICANA,
AND PARTICULARLY
VINTAGE JEANS.
AS AMERICANS GE MORE AND MORE EDUCATED
ABOUT VINTAGE CLOTHING,
IT'S GONNA DRIVE THE PRICE UP,
SO WE'RE GONNA BE OVER HERE
BUYING ALL THIS STUFF BACK UP
SOONER OR LATER.
I SEE IT, LIKE,
THREE OR FOUR YEARS FROM NOW,
WE'RE GONNA BE OVER HERE
BUYING EVERYTHING,
JUST LIKE JAPAN DID TO US
10 YEARS AGO.
SEE UP FRONT, THOSE PIECES?
THERE'S A BUNCH MORE BESIDES,
BUT THAT'S JUS WHAT I BROUGHT.
THEY WANT THE HISTORY
AND THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
FOR THAT PIECE
THAT HAS THE RIGHT CHARACTER,
THAT HAS THE RIGHT LOOK,
AND IT'S FROM THAT ERA.
BIG JOHN!
A LOT OF THESE COMPANIES
WERE FOUNDED UPON
THE PRINCIPLES
OF VINTAGE PIECES
THAT THEY FOUND,
THAT THEY WEN AND THEY HUNTED FOR
AND THAT THEY BOUGHT.
AND THEY STARTED OUT MAKING
JEANS THAT WERE AN HOMAGE
TO THE VINTAGE PAIRS
THAT THEY BOUGHT.
THE JAPANESE,
THEY GET ANTHROPOLOGICAL
WITH THAT SHIT.
THEY'RE FINDING THE LOOMS
FROM KENTUCKY
WHERE THIS SHIT WAS WOVEN,
AND THEY'RE TRYING
TO REPRODUCE THE EXACT YARN.
AND THEY'LL FIND DEAD STOCK,
AND THEY'LL GO SALVAGE,
AND RECAST THE RIVE IN A CERTAIN WAY.
THEY JUST, YOU KNOW--
BUT IT WAS MORE THAN
SIMPLE LIMITATION,
BENEATH THE IMMEDIATE ALLURE
OF AMERICAN COOL,
THERE WAS ANOTHER
LESS OBVIOUS ROUTE
TO THE JAPANESE FASCINATION
WITH JEANS.
THEY'RE MAKING JEANS
THAT FADE MORE BRILLIANTLY.
THEY'RE MAKING JEANS
THAT ARE FAR HEAVIER WEIGH THAN ANYTHING YOU'D FIND.
THEY'RE INNOVATING
WHILE PRESERVING THE PAST.
THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD
AND THEY'RE TRYING NEW THINGS.
WE'D HEAR JAPANESE DENIM,
AND IT WAS LIKE
LOOKING AT CAVIAR
OR PLATINUM.
IT WAS SOMETHING
THAT WAS KIND OF RESERVED
FOR THE GLASS CASE.
LOCATED IN THE AREA AROUND
OKAYAMA AND HIROSHIMA.
CENTURY OLD COMPANIES
LIKE KAIHARA, KURABO,
AND SAKAMOTO DENIM MILLS
HAVE BEEN PERFECTING
THE ART OF MAKING DENIM
SINCE THE 1970S.
AND ONE ASPECT OF THE PROCESS
HOLDS THE ANSWER
TO THE SEEMINGLY MAGICAL
PROPERTIES OF THE PANTS.
SPUN FROM COTTON,
THERE IS THE WARP,
THE YARN THAT IS
STRETCHED TAUT BY THE LOOM.
AND THERE IS THE WEFT,
THE THREAD THAT WEAVES
BACK AND FORTH.
DENIM IS A TWILL.
IT HAS AN OFFSE THAT CREATES THE FAMILIAR
DIAGONAL PATTERN,
MAKING IT BOTH STRONG
AND FLEXIBLE.
BUT UNIQUE TO DENIM,
THE WARP IS BLUE
AND THE WEFT IS WHITE,
AND AS JEANS ARE WORN
OR RIPPED,
THE WHITE COTTON UNDERNEATH
SHOWS THROUGH.
WHAT MAKES JEANS BLUE
IS THE INDIGO.
I'VE GOT A STORY FOR YOU
THAT GOES EVERYWHERE
AROUND THE WORLD.
WELL, IT'S THE STORY
OF INDIGO.
AN ANCIENT DYE ONCE MADE
FROM A RARE PLAN AND EXPENSIVE--
NOW SYNTHESIZED
AND VERY, VERY CHEAP.
THIS IS SOMETHING THA EVERYBODY NEEDED LOTS OF
FOR UNIFORMS, FOR ARMIES,
FOR EVERYTHING.
SO THE BLUE GOLD
FOR THE JEANS
WAS BLUE GOLD
EVEN BEFORE JEANS.
THERE'S ALSO THE ALLURE
OF THE THING ITSELF.
IT'S NOT BLUE.
IT STARTS OU A DIFFERENT COLOR.
AS SOON AS THE OXYGEN HITS IT,
IT STARTS TO TURN BLUE.
SO THERE'S A MAGICAL
TRANSFORMATION,
WHICH ONE WOULD THINK
IN ANCIENT TIMES
IS REALLY MAGICAL.
"AIZOME" IS A JAPANESE
WORD FOR INDIGO,
A DYE THAT WAS KNOWN
FOR CENTURIES AS BLUE GOLD.
JAPAN'S GOT AN INCREDIBLE
INDIGO HERITAGE.
BEFORE THEY EVER
PRODUCED DENIM,
THEY WERE PRODUCING
INDIGO TEXTILES
FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS--
KIMONO FABRICS
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUS THE HERITAGE OF JAPAN
COMBINED WITH
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
AND THE APPRECIATION
OF IMPERFECTION,
WHICH IS WHAT DENIM
IS ALL ABOUT.
IT'S A DYE THAT ESSENTIALLY
WON'T STAY ON.
THAT'S THE ONLY REASON JEANS
LOOK THE WAY THEY ARE,
IS 'CAUSE THE INDIGO
KEEPS RUBBING OFF.
IF YOU DON'T STAR WITH A BEAUTIFUL FABRIC,
YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE
A GOOD PRODUCT.
SINCE THE 1970S,
ALMOST ALL OF THE U.S. TEXTILE
INDUSTRY MOVED ABROAD.
BUT LEARNING
FROM THE JAPANESE,
THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF BRANDS
MAKING THEIR JEANS IN THE U.S.,
SOME EVEN LURING
JAPANESE CUSTOMERS
BACK TO BUY THE GOODS HERE.
OH, YEAH,
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW
CUSTOMERS FROM JAPAN
THAT COME IN.
WE EVEN HAVE SOME CUSTOMERS
AND THEY'LL COME IN
WITH A LITTLE CARD
THAT SAYS THE SIZE
AND THE FIT THAT THEY WAN AND JUST HAND IT TO US.
THE JAPANESE LOVE THE FAC THAT IT'S A NEW YORK
BASED BRAND,
AND THAT IT'S
ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED
IN THE UNITED STATES.
CLOTHING USED TO TAKE
A LOT OF TIME TO CREATE.
IT WAS AN ART FORM.
WHEN DENIM KIND OF MADE
THE TRANSITION FROM WORKWEAR
TO BECOMING A FASHION PIECE,
A LOT OF THAT ARTISAN QUALITY
GOT LEFT BEHIND
BECAUSE COMPANIES NEEDED
TO STEP UP PRODUCTION.
AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE
IS A RETURN
TO THAT PAINSTAKING DETAIL
THAT USED TO GO INTO
MAKING A GARMENT.
LEVI'S IS REMAKING
THEIR ORIGINAL 501 XX
USING DENIM FROM THE CONE MILL
IN NORTH CAROLINA,
THE SAME MILL THAT HAD
MADE MOST OF THEIR DENIM
UP UNTIL THE 1980S.
CONE MILL'S REALLY THE ONLY
AMERICAN DENIM MILL RIGHT NOW.
THE FABRIC THEY MAKE
IS BEAUTIFUL,
AND THEY'RE THE ONLY MILL
IN THE WORLD
THAT STILL IS USING
THE DRAPER LOOMS,
WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL TYPE
OF SHUTTLE LOOM
THAT MADE ALL
THE LEVI'S FABRIC.
BUT THE FACT REMAINS
THAT THE MOST AMERICAN
OF ALL FASHION ITEMS
IS NO LONGER REALLY MADE
IN THE U.S.
WHY?
BECAUSE WHEN YOU
HAVE PLACES
LIKE SUB SAHARA,
KENYA, MADAGASCAR,
WHO ARE THE POORES IN THE WORLD,
THERE'S NO WAY
YOU CAN PRODUCE I IN THE UNITED STATES.
I USED TO GO TO EL PASO.
I'D GO TO MISSISSIPPI,
ALABAMA, NORTH CAROLINA,
SOUTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA,
TO ALL THE JEANS FACTORIES,
AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE.
PEOPLE MAKING 100,000,
200,000 PAIRS A WEEK.
AND IT'S KIND OF SAD
THAT ART IS DYING.
I HOPE THAT ONE DAY
WE BRING IT BACK.
THE AMERICANS
INVENTED THE JEAN.
THEY CREATED THE MYSTIQUE
AROUND THE JEAN,
THEY MADE IT WHAT IT IS.
AND NOW,
APART FROM IN L.A.,
THEY DON'T MAKE ANY
OF IT HERE.
THIS COUNTRY HAS ONE
OF THE BEST COTTON
IN THE WORLD,
A LOT OF WORKERS,
WE HAVE THE BES DENIM TRADITION.
IT SHOULD BE MADE HERE,
PERIOD.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALLY GE THE FACT THAT WE WANT I THE WAY IT USED TO BE MADE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK
WE JUST WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE
THE WAY IT USED TO BE MADE,
BUT WE DON'T.
WE WANT IT TO BE
EXACTLY THE SAME.
THE PRICE OF BUSINESS
TO MAKE A JEAN,
WASH IT HERE,
USE U.S. FABRICS,
LIKE YOU WOULD ALL WANT TO DO
IS VERY EXPENSIVE.
THAT'S WHY THE PREMIUM MARKE IS ABLE TO DO IT.
MAYBE IT'S JUST THE REALITY
OF MODERN ECONOMIC TIMES,
BUT I THINK IT'S A SHAME.
THE PREMIUM SEGMENT,
AS YOU KNOW,
IS JUST A SLIVER OF
THE OVERALL DENIM MARKET.
THE REALITY IS THA MOST PEOPLE ARE SPENDING
ABOUT $23-$24
ON THEIR JEANS.
IT'S VERY SIMPLE.
IF YOU BUY A JEAN FOR $22,
EVERYBODY ALONG THE WAY
DIDN'T GET PAID VERY MUCH.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE
A GENIUS FOR THAT,
BUT THE CONSUMER THINKS
THAT'S A GREAT THING.
YOU'RE JUST KIND OF CHASING
THE LOWEST PRICE
AROUND THE WORLD
OF WHERE YOU CAN GE YOUR GOODS MADE.
40% OF ALL JEANS SOLD IN
THE U.S. ARE MADE IN CHINA.
MOST OF THE DENIM IS SPUN,
DYED, AND WOVEN THERE.
BUT IT TAKES MORE COTTON THAN
IS ACTUALLY GROWN IN CHINA,
SO ADDITIONAL COTTON
IS SHIPPED
FROM THE UNITED STATES
OR AFRICA.
THE ACTUAL DESIGN
MIGHT BE DONE IN THE U.S.,
BUT THE PANTS ARE CUT AND SEWN
IN THE PHILIPPIANS OR VIETNAM,
THE ZIPPERS, RIVETS,
AND BUTTONS ADDED BACK IN CHINA.
THEN THEY ARE WASHED,
BLEACHED, AND TREATED
BEFORE THEY ARE PACKAGED
AND PUT ON THE SHELVES
BACK IN THE U.S.
NOW CHINA IS TRYING TO MOVE
THEIR PEOPLE UP THE LADDER.
THEY WANNA BE PRODUCING
ELECTRONICS AND CARS.
EVERYBODY WONDERS
WHEN THE CHASE WILL STOP.
BECAUSE EVENTUALLY
YOU'LL RUN OUT OF PLACES,
AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA
HAVE TO START PAYING
A LITTLE MORE.
ONE OF THESE DAYS,
THERE MUST BE
A CONSUMER MOVEMEN WHERE THEY SAY THINGS LIKE,
"WELL, I'M NOT GONNA
BUY THAT JEAN.
I DON'T CARE
WHAT IS THE PRICE,
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW
WHERE IT'S MADE, REALLY."
WHO IS THAT FACTORY?
WHAT IS THAT FACTORY'S STORY?
WHEN DID THAT FACTORY START?
HOW MANY WORKERS DO THEY HAVE?
HOW DO THEY TREA THEIR WORKERS?
THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS
THAT I THINK THE CONSUMER'S
ENTITLED TO HAVE.
WHERE YOU MAKE IT,
I THINK, IS IRRELEVAN AS LONG AS YOU EXPLAIN
WHO IT IS THAT MADE IT.
I MEAN, OKAY, YOU MAKE I IN A FACTORY IN CHINA,
THAT'S A GREAT FACTORY,
BUT WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
I WENT TO A LAUNDRY IN ITALY
AND ALL OF THE HAND SANDING
WAS DONE BY CHINESE
THAT WERE ILLEGAL
IN A FACTORY OUTSIDE
THE LAUNDRY.
I REALLY DON'T THINK
THAT SOMEBODY WHO BUYS
AN EXPENSIVE PAIR
OF ITALIAN JEANS
IN THE UNITED STATES
WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT.
SO WHAT DOES
THE CONSUMER REALLY WANT?
TO BE DECEN IN WHO THEY BUY FROM
OR JUST GET A CHEAP PRICE?
AND NO AMOUNT OF AMERICAN COOL
OR FASHION GENIUS
CAN BAIL OUT THE BLUE JEAN
IF THE CLOTH OF THE REBEL SPIRI TURNS OUT JUST LIKE COUNTLESS
OTHER CONSUMER GOODS.
AS A DESIGNER,
YOU DEFINITELY SEE
EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN A JEAN
IS WASHED INDUSTRIALLY.
AND A LOT OF THE TIME,
THERE'S AN ECOLOGICAL COST.
THERE'S AN AWFUL LO OF WATER USED,
AND A HUGE ARRAY
OF CHEMICALS--
BLEACHES, DYES, ENZYMES,
OVERDYES, SPRAYS,
ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
IF THE LAUNDRIES ARE NO USING THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY,
THEN UNCLEAN WATER,
CONTAMINATED WATER,
IS GOING BACK INTO
THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND THAT'S WHERE
THE PROBLEM LIES,
AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM
THAT CHINA HAS CERTAINLY
EXPERIENCED.
WHEN WE INVENT THIS
TYPE OF WASH,
WE DIDN'T REALIZE
AT THE TIME
THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW
WE DESTROY THE RIVER,
HOW WE DESTROY EVERYTHING.
I DON'T PRETEND
TO BE ECOLOGICAL.
FRANCOIS GIRBAUD IS NO AN ECOLOGICAL COMPANY.
BECAUSE WE INVENTED
THE STONEWASH,
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE.
LEVI'S ACTUALLY GAVE ONE
OF THE BEST EXAMPLES
OF HOW INTENSIVE
THE PROCESS IS.
TO MAKE ONE PAIR OF JEANS
GENERATES AS MUCH CO2
AS DRIVING YOUR CAR
FOR 78 MILES,
USES AS MUCH WATER
AS RUNNING A GARDEN HOSE
FOR OVER 100 MINUTES,
AND TAKES THE SAME AMOUN OF ENERGY AS WATCHING TV
FOR OVER 300 HOURS.
IF I JUST FOCUS
ON SUSTAINABILITY
AS AN EXAMPLE,
WE'RE DOING SO MUCH NOW
TO MAKE OUR MANUFACTURING
SUSTAINABLE
USING SIGNIFICANTLY LESS WATER
IN THE PROCESSING.
REMOVING THE WATER FROM
THE STONEWASHING PROCESS
AND INSTEAD USING
OZONE WASHING MACHINES
TO CLEAN THE JEANS
AND LASERS TO BLEACH
AND AGE THEM
CAN BRING WATER USE DOWN
FROM ABOUT 42 LITERS
TO 1.5 LITERS PER JEAN.
IN COUNTRIES
WHERE THEY'RE PRODUCING,
THEY'LL TAKE WATER
FROM A LOCAL STREAM
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY'LL RETURN THE WATER
IN BETTER CONDITION
THAN WHEN IT CAME
INTO THE FACTORY.
YOU CAN WASH DOWN OR WEAR DOWN
A JEAN BY YOURSELF.
YOU DON'T NEED
TO BUY IT WASHED.
I THINK YOU ACTUALLY GE A MUCH MORE AUTHENTIC,
NATURAL LOOK.
JEANS ARE REALLY DURABLE.
WASH THEM LESS.
LINE DRY THEM.
IF YOU'RE A DENIM HEAD,
PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER.
DON'T WASH THEM,
WEAR THEM FOR A YEAR.
JUST GETTING PEOPLE
TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND WHEN THEY'RE DONE
WITH THE PRODUCT,
DONATE IT TO A RECYCLING
ORGANIZATION
WHO'S MAKING DENIM INSULATION
OR GIVE IT TO GOODWILL.
BUT THESE STEPS ARE JUS THE BEGINNING,
AND FAR FROM EVERYONE
HAS JOINED IN.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO
TO A RESTAURAN AND YOU KNOW THE FARM
THAT YOUR BACON HAS COME FROM,
OR WHERE THE POTATOES
HAVE GROWN, FOR EXAMPLE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THA IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY,
IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY.
WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS
A KIND OF GLOBAL AWARENESS
THAT WE'RE ALL CONNECTED
TO TRY AND CREATE
HIGHER WAGES AROUND THE WORLD,
BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL
STANDARDS.
THAT WOULD ALSO BOOS CONSUMPTION AROUND THE WORLD.
THINGS MIGHT BE
MORE EXPENSIVE,
BUT IN THE END THAT WOULD
BENEFIT EVERYBODY.
YEAH, I THINK THE AUCTION
WAS GREAT TODAY.
I SOLD A LOT OF GOOD PIECES.
AND ONE OF
MY GOOD FRIENDS, HITOSHI,
HE'S A BIG DENIM
AND WORKWEAR DEALER HERE,
HE'S THE GUY THAT BOUGH THE DOUBLE X'S
AND THE BROWN DUCK
BUCKLE BACK PANTS.
I'VE BEEN DOING
BUSINESS WITH HIM
FOR A LOT OF YEARS NOW,
AND HE COMES TO THE ROSE BOWL
ALMOST EVERY MONTH
AND HE DROPS A LO OF COIN WITH ME.
EVERYTHING GET FUNNIER
WHEN WE'RE TIRED.
-YEAH.
SHIT.
GOOD MORNING.
YOU NEED TO HELP ME
FIND SOME GEL.
I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF I THE IDAHO WAY.
THAT'LL FIX IT.
I'M WIDE AWAKE
AND IT'S A BRAND NEW DAY
GONNA MAKE
SOMETHING HAPPEN
THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS
AS WE GO AROUND TOKYO,
WE'RE GONNA BE STOPPING
AT LOTS OF DIFFERENT STORES
AND THERE'LL BE
LITTLE PIECES HERE AND THERE
THAT WE CAN BUY
THAT ARE WORTH
A WHOLE LOT MORE IN THE STATES
THAN OVER HERE.
SO, YEAH, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON
AT ALL NOW TO DO THAT.
PERFECT.
-VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE.
-OOH.
I WORK WITH A BUNCH OF
DIFFERENT DESIGN COMPANIES,
AND THEY ALL HAVE TOLD ME
THINGS THAT THEY NEED
THIS SUMMER.
SO WHEN I'M HERE,
I'M LOOKING FOR THOSE ITEMS.
IT WAS A TREASURE CHES BEING HERE,
BECAUSE THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN
BUYING THIS STUFF FOR 15 YEARS.
WOW.
I NEVER SEE A HOUSE MARK
TAG IN THE MIDDLE.
I'VE SEEN THIS TAG
ON THE OUTSIDE BEFORE,
BUT NOT IN THE MIDDLE.
THEY'RE ONLY $20,000?
-MM-HMM.
THAT'S ALL?
THERE'S THE MOS BEAUTIFUL WAR JEAN
WITH THE GREEN POCKET.
DURING WORLD WAR II,
THEY HAD TO CONSERVE THREAD,
SO LEVI'S WANTED
TO DO THEIR TRADEMARK,
BUT THEY HAD TO CONSERVE,
SO THEY PAINTED THE TRADEMARK
INTO THEIR POCKET.
ALSO THERE WAS CONSERVATION
OF METAL RIVETS,
SO USUALLY LEVI
HAS METAL RIVETS
IN THE COIN POCKET.
BUT SINCE THIS
IS JUST FOR DECORATION,
NOT FOR THE QUALITY
OR STRENGTH OF THEIR GARMENT,
THEY DIDN'T DO
METAL RIVETS HERE.
ALSO DURING THAT TIME,
FABRIC WAS REALLY HARD TO GET,
SO MOST OF ALL THE PEOPLE
THAT MADE TEXTILES,
ONLY MADE O.D. GREEN TEXTILES.
SO LEVI STRAUSS HAD TO PU O.D. GREEN POCKETS
INSIDE THEIR JEANS.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE
O.D. POCKETS
DURING WORLD WAR II.
ONE SIDE OF THE RED TAB,
NOT ON BOTH SIDES.
REALLY EARLY LEVI
ONLY HAD IT ON ONE SIDE.
THIS IS ABOUT AS BEAUTIFUL
A JEAN AS YOU GET.
HOW MUCH IS THE PRICE?
-UH, SO, $25,000.
-$25,000, YEAH.
I HAVE BOUGHT THESE
FOR $10,000 BEFORE
AND SOLD THEM FOR MORE
THAN I PAID.
-DOMO. THANK YOU.
-THANK YOU.
I SOLD THEM TO HIM
LAST MONTH FOR 14,000.
I CAN'T BELIEVE HE SHOWED ME
THAT HE SOLD I TO HIM FOR 25.
I'M LIKE, WHY DID
HITOSHI JUST DO THAT?
BUT REMEMBER I SAID, LIKE,
DON'T BELIEVE
ANYTHING YOU HEAR
AND ONLY BELIEVE HALF
OF WHAT YOU SEE.
MAYBE THAT'S THE HALF
YOU DON'T BELIEVE BUT YOU SAW.
ALWAYS HARD TO TELL
WHO'S THE MASTER
AND WHO'S THE STUDENT.
EVERYONE'S GETTING
SCHOOLED ALL THE TIME,
SO IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING.
SO I TOLD YOU I WOULD
SHOW YOU THE BIGGES DENIM FREAK IN JAPAN.
THE GUY HAS PROBABLY
THE BIGGEST COLLECTION
OF AMERICAN DENIM
HERE IN TOKYO.
IT'S GOTTA BE WORTH
A MILLION AND A HALF
TO TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
I'LL CHANGE OUT OF MY SHOES.
NO, NOT THAT ROOM..
WHO GONNA SLEEP
IN THIS ROOM?
NOBODY.
I'VE SLEPT IN
THIS ROOM BEFORE.
BEFORE? BEFORE EMPTY.
BEFORE RIGHT NOW.
DENIM FREAK.
HERE, ERIC.
I'M ALWAYS BUYING.
YEAH. I DON'T KNOW WHY.
BECAUSE I'M SICK.
CORRECT MEANING,
YOU KNOW?
-I KNOW YOU'RE SICK.
YOU HAVE SO MUCH COLLECTION,
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW
WHAT IT IS.
-YEAH.
-YOU FORGET.
I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER
HOW MANY HUNDREDS
AND HUNDREDS.
SOMETIMES I BUY THEM
AT THE FLEA MARKE AND SOMETIMES I BUY THEM
FROM MY FRIENDS.
SOMETIMES BUYING ON EBAY
AT THE AUCTION.
REGULAR PEOPLE DON'T CARE.
A LITTLE BIT CRAZY, HUH?
THROW IN THE GARBAGE
OR DONATE
IN THE THRIFT STORE.
THEY'RE PRICELESS.
I DON'T KNOW THIS BRAND.
I DON'T KNOW.
THIS ONE IS, UH,
LOOKS LIKE
THE FIRST WORD
IS "SIERRA."
YEAH,
"SIERRA, NEVADA," I SEE.
-IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.
-YUP. BUTTON BROKE.
THIS IS CONTINUOUS FLY.
FRONT IS ONE PIECE.
J.C. PENNEY STARTED
IN KEMMERER, WYOMING.
BY J.C. PENNEY.
AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY,
ALL THE JEANS WERE THE SAME,
JUST LIKE LEVI.
EVERYONE WAS MAKING
THE SAME JEANS.
YOU PULLING OUT THE VEST?
1880S. THIS IS A LEVI.
HOW MUCH DID YOU
PAY FOR THESE?
I DON'T REMEMBER.
I DON'T REMEMBER
HOW MUCH I PAY FOR.
-NO.
-IT'S NOT THA HE DOESN'T REMEMBER.
-YEAH.
IT'S THAT HE DOESN'T WAN TO REMEMBER HOW MUCH HE PAID.
-CRAZY MONEY.
-IT'S A SICKNESS.
-I JUST GOT THIS ONE.
-WOW.
I BOUGHT ONE OF THESE ONCE
THAT WAS JUNK.
YOU FOUND THE TWO OF THEM?
YEAH, TWO OF THEM,
AND I SOLD ONE
IN AUCTION FOR $7,000.
YUP, I REMEMBER.
BUT THAT ONE IS SUPER OLD.
THIS ONE'S 1920S.
-YEAH.
-I HAVE TO STOP BUYING.
LOOK.
WHAT?
EVERYWHERE YOU TURN,
MORE DENIM.
YEAH.
HOW MUCH THIS
WHOLE PILE I CAN BUY?
-THIS ROOM.
YEAH.
-$600.
-MM-HMM.
600K, HUH?
-WOW.
-MAYBE, YES.
-IT'S YOURS.
YOU BRING 600K,
IT'S YOURS.
-YEAH, IT'S YOURS.
-AT ONCE.
CASH?
I DON'T CARE IF IT'S CASH
OR A TRANSFER.
-I THINK SO.
YEAH, AND I CAN QUI IN BUSINESS.
THEN YOU CAN STOP,
FINISH BUSINESS?
YEAH, YEAH.
HMM, THAT GETS ME THINKING.
I'M WONDERING WHO'S GO ANOTHER HALF A MILLION
I CAN BORROW TO BUY THIS.
OH! THIS IS THE ONE
YOU COULDN'T FIND.
YEAH, I FOUND IT.
TWO
OH, YEAH, YEAH.
JUST BUY.
-I WANT TO.
-JUST TAKE IT, THE PANTS.
-OKAY, FLIP.
-NO!
-OKAY.
-YEAH.
-THAT'S IT.
-I SOLD 50.
-NO, YOU DIDN'T.
THANK YOU.
I'M STILL THINKING.
600K? WOW.
FOR A DESIGN COMPANY,
THAT'D BE CHEAP.
-YEAH.
ONE OF THE THINGS
ABOUT BEING HERE,
IT REALLY MAKES ME REALIZE
I GOTTA GET HERE
MORE OFTEN.
I KNOW I TALK ABOUT I ALL THE TIME,
BUT I GOTTA GET HERE
AND BUY THIS STUFF
AND BRING IT BACK
TO THE U.S.,
'CAUSE ALL THE BEST STUFF
IS HERE IN JAPAN.
I PUT A SPELL ON YOU
'CAUSE YOUR MINE
IN THE LEAS EXPECTED QUARTERS,
THERE THEY ARE,
AMERICAN MINING PANTS--
MAYBE BECAUSE IN SO MANY WAYS,
JEANS HAVE TRANSCENDED
THEIR NATIONAL ORIGIN.
ONE DOES HEAR OBJECTION
TO JEANS IN CERTAIN QUARTERS,
AND THEY ARE LARGELY
FROM RELIGIOUS FIGURES.
IN THE CASE OF WOMEN,
THEY'RE OBJECTING TO THE FAC THAT THE JEANS ARE DRAWING
PEOPLE'S ATTENTION
TO THE FEMALE BODY.
IN THE MIDDLE EAST,
THERE ARE TWO PIECES
OF CLOTHING
THAT REALLY CARRY
REAL SOCIAL MEANING.
ONE IS A HIJAB,
THE WOMEN'S HEAD SCARF,
AND THE OTHER IS JEANS.
IF YOU DO THEM BOTH
AT THE SAME TIME,
YOU'RE REALLY
CONFUSING PEOPLE,
YOU'RE REALLY SHAKING
THINGS UP,
BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
WHICH SYMBOL ARE YOU ADOPTING?
ARE YOU GOING WITH
THE TRADITIONAL, THROWBACK,
"I RESPECT MY ELDERS.
I RESPEC THE RELIGIOUS TRADITION"?
THAT'S WHAT THE HIJAB
USUALLY MEANS.
OR ARE YOU GOING WITH
THE JEANS?
WHICH MEANS
"I'M DOING IT MY OWN WAY.
I'M OUT OF THE BOX.
I'M YOUNG.
I'M INTERNATIONAL."
THE THING ABOUT THE WAY
WOMEN IN PARTICULAR
DRESS IN THE ARAB REGION,
IS THAT IT'S REALLY DIVERSE.
IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU ARE.
WE'RE TALKING
350 MILLION PEOPLE
SPREAD ACROSS 22 COUNTRIES.
PEOPLE ARE TRYING OU FOR THEMSELVES
THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS
THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
AND THEY DON'T THINK
THEY HAVE TO ONLY DO
ONE THING
OR THE OTHER THING.
THEY THINK THEY CAN BE BOTH
TRADITIONAL AND MODERN.
THEY CAN PICK
AND THEY CAN CHOOSE.
IT'S NOT EXACTLY
A CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS,
MORE OF A MESH.
BUT THE TENSION IN THE WEAVE
IS UNMISTAKABLE.
THE SYMBOLS OF YOUTH,
OF INDEPENDENCE,
OF INDIVIDUAL CHOICE
STILL HAVE BITE.
THEY STILL EXCITE PEOPLE.
THEY HAVEN'T IN SOME WAY
BEEN SUBSUMED
INTO THE PURE
CONSUMERIST PICTURE
OF SELL MORE JEANS,
MAKE MORE MONEY.
THEY ACTUALLY STILL
MEAN SOMETHING.
THE POWER OF JEANS TO OUTRAGE
AND SIGNAL CULTURAL CHANGE
IS NOTHING NEW.
BEFORE THE BERLIN WALL
CAME DOWN,
EAST GERMANS WEARING
BLUE JEANS WERE TARGETED
BY THE SECRET POLICE,
SEEN AS ENEMIES OF THE STATE
WANTING TO CONNEC WITH THE WORLD OUTSIDE
THE IRON CURTAIN.
AS CHILDREN, WE KNEW
ANYBODY WHO COULD WEAR JEANS
HAD SOME KIND OF CONNECTION
TO THE FREE WORLD.
WELL, THE BLUE JEANS,
THEY BECAME THIS SYMBOL
OF THE WEST.
MORE IMPORTANTLY,
SYMBOLS LIKE THA BROUGHT COMMUNISM DOWN.
I LOOK FOR BLUE JEANS.
DESIGNER JEANS?
UM, UH, JORDACHE,
CALVIN KLEIN.
CALVIN KLEIN.
KHRUSHCHEV AND THE COMMUNISTS,
THEY DID NOT ALLOW
THE BLUE JEANS.
MY GOD, WHAT DECADENCE.
THEY KNEW THAT WESTERN CLOTHES,
WESTERN CIGARETTE,
THAT WAS BAD
FOR THE PEOPLE.
LET'S SAY
THAT IF IN THE '70S
A FOREIGNER SMUGGLED IN,
LET'S SAY, TWO PAIRS
OF BLUE JEANS, RIGHT?
I THINK THAT WOULD
HAVE COVERED
15 REALLY EXPENSIVE DINNERS
WITH RUSSIAN CHAMPAGNE
AND RUSSIAN CAVIAR.
SO THE BLUE JEANS KIND OF
SNEAKED INTO THE SOVIET UNION,
AND IT STAYED.
AND AS ALWAYS,
THE JEANS WERE A SIGN
OF THE TIMES.
AND AN INCREASINGLY OPEN
AND CONNECTED WORLD
NEEDED A NEW KIND OF HERO.
MY DAD WOULD WORK OU IN JEANS.
IT WAS REALLY HIS MANTRA,
WAS TO FIGURE OU AND KNOW HIMSELF
AND THEN EXPRESS WHO THAT WAS,
AND PART OF THAT WAS THROUGH
THE CLOTHING THAT HE WOULD WEAR.
BORN IN SAN FRANCISCO,
RAISED IN HONG KONG,
BRUCE LEE ACHIEVED
INTERNATIONAL FAME
BY KEEPING IT REAL,
STAYING TRUE TO HIMSELF,
HIS HERITAGE,
AND BECOMING
A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD.
HIS WHOLE SYSTEM
OF MARTIAL AR WAS BASED AROUND
THAT IT WAS REAL.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT,
HE WOULD OFTENTIMES PRACTICE
IN EVERYDAY JEANS,
BECAUSE HIS FEELING WAS
IF YOU COULDN'T DEFEND YOURSELF
IN THE CLOTHES
THAT YOU HAD ON,
THEN YOU COULDN' DEFEND YOURSELF.
BUT NOT IN
AN AGGRESSIVE WAY,
IN JUST AN ABSOLUTELY
I KNOW WHO I AM
SORT OF WAY.
HE'S THIS QUINTESSENTIAL HERO
AND THE SELF-MADE MAN,
A LOT OF PEOPLE
REALLY LOOKED AT HIM
AS AN INSPIRATION.
THE WORLD HE EMBODIED
IS BECOMING CLOSER TO REALITY,
WITH OVER 250 MILLION PEOPLE
MOVING AROUND THE PLANE EACH YEAR FOR WORK,
FOR SAFETY,
FOR NEW POSSIBILITIES,
AND ONE GARMENT FITS
ALL OF IT PERFECTLY.
HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT THE WORLD
WITHOUT LOSING
MY INDIVIDUALITY
IN THE WORLD?
PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T NECESSARILY
WANT TO SPEND THEIR TIME
SIGNIFYING THEY CAME
FROM ANYWHERE IN PARTICULAR,
BUT EQUALLY, THEY DIDN'T WAN TO BETRAY THOSE ROOTS.
BLUE JEANS WORK.
YOU DON'T HAVE
TO MAKE A CHOICE.
ARE YOU REPRESENTATIVE
OF WHERE YOU'RE FROM
OR WHERE YOU'VE COME TO?
THEY'VE BECOME AN INCREDIBLY
NEUTRAL GARMENT.
THE PREDOMINANT DESIRE
THAT SO MANY
OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE
WAS THEY WANTED
TO BE ORDINARY,
AND IT WAS-- JEANS WAS
A REALLY IMPORTANT MEDIUM
FOR THEM TO BE ABLE
TO DO THIS.
EVEN IF WE SAID TO PEOPLE,
"IS THERE ANY OCCASION
WHERE YOU THINK YOU SHOULD
WEAR A PAIR OF JEANS?"
NOBODY REALLY HAD
ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT.
AND IF WE SAID,
"IS THERE ANY OCCASION WHERE
YOU SHOULDN'T WEAR JEANS?"
OFTEN THEY WOULD SAY,
"I WOULD NEVER WEAR JEANS
IF THE OCCASION IS
SEEN AS A SPECIAL OCCASION.
SO BY DEFINITION,
JEANS ARE SEEN AS NOT SPECIAL.
AND WHEN WE ASK PEOPLE,
"WHERE DO YOU
ASSOCIATE JEANS WITH?"
AND THEY SAY, "WELL, NOWHERE.
THEY'RE JUST JEANS."
SO THE IDEAL GARMEN IS ONE THAT ON THE ONE HAND
RELATES YOU TO
THE WIDE GLOBAL WORLD,
BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY RELATES
TO THIS VERY PERSONABLE,
INDIVIDUALIZED ASPECT.
THE ATTRACTION OF BLUE JEANS
IS THAT IT MANAGES TO RESOLVE
THAT BASIC CONTRADICTION.
BY WEARING BLUE JEANS,
YOU COULD BECOME ALMOS A KIND OF CITIZEN
OF THE WORLD.
DO YOU STILL THINK
OF YOURSELF AS CHINESE
OR DO YOU EVER THINK OF
YOURSELF AS NORTH AMERICAN?
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO
THINK OF MYSELF
AS A HUMAN BEING.
BECAUSE UNDER THE SKY,
UNDER HEAVEN, MAN,
THERE IS BUT ONE FAMILY.
IT JUST SO HAPPENS, MAN,
THAT PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT.
I THINK THE MOST IMPORTAN THING THAT CAN HAPPEN
IS PEOPLE WILL FEEL
MORE CONNECTED
TO EACH OTHER AT THIS MOMENT,
AS WELL AS TO
ONE ANOTHER IN THE PAS IN DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE WORLD.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT ANYTHING,
YOU LOOK AT ANY OBJECT,
YOU LOOK AT ANYTHING
DEEPLY ENOUGH,
YOU ACTUALLY FIND THE WORLD.
MAYBE THE FACT THAT JEANS
ARE ALL OVER THE WORLD
IS A GOOD SIGN.
BECAUSE MAYBE IT MEANS
THAT THE THINGS
THAT ARE AMERICANA,
LIKE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH
AND FREEDOM TO CREATE YOUR OWN
ARTISTIC VIEW OF THE WORLD
CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE.
YES, A PAIR OF JEANS
CAN ACTUALLY CONNECT YOU
TO THE WORLD.
IT INITIALLY MATTERED
THAT LEVI'S WERE MADE
IN THE U.S.
THAT INITIAL ASSOCIATION,
I THINK, MATTERED,
BUT THE ICONOGRAPHY,
THE MYTHOLOGY STILL TRUMPS
ALL OF THAT STUFF.
OKAY. YEAH.
AND AT WHAT PRICE POINT?
OKAY.
I KNOW JOHNNY BUYS
A LOT OF THEM OUT HERE
FOR 12 TO 14, SO,
I KNOW THAT'S WHO
I GOTTA COMPETE WITH.
YOU CAN'T GIVE UP
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BEING HERE
BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S IN STORE FOR YOU.
IF YOU'RE NOT HERE,
YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET THE DEAL
THAT YOU NEED TO GET.
JUST SHOWING UP, YOU KNOW,
IS 90% OF IT,
AND THAT'S REALLY IT.
IF YOU GO AND GO AND GO
AND YOU BE THERE,
THEN YOU ALWAYS
HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
I'VE TRAVELED
ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
I'VE ATE $700 PIECES OF SUSHI
IN TOKYO BEFORE--
JUST STUFF
THAT YOU'D NEVER THINK
IN A MILLION YEARS
THAT YOU'D DO
IF YOU GREW UP
IN JEROME, IDAHO.
THAT'S THE THING THA MAKES IT THE ADVENTURE.
YOU NEVER KNOW
WHEN YOU GET ON THE ROAD
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THEY SEEM TO BE
OUTSIDE OF FASHION,
TO BE REAL CLOTHES.
JEANS ARE FUNCTION THA TURNED INTO AN ART FORM.
PEOPLE WEAR JEANS BECAUSE
JEANS ARE FUCKING COOL.
IT'S SO COOL BECAUSE
IT'S CHANGING ALL THE TIME.
IT'S CONSERVATIVE,
SO IT DOESN'T--
IT DOESN'T STEP OU TOO MUCH.
IT'S REALLY ANTI-FASHION,
REALLY ANTI-STYLE.
IT'S GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN.
IT'S THE REBEL.
FIRST AND FOREMOS IS HOW WELL IT FITS
ON THE TUSH, THE BEHIND.
MY SISTER GOT THE BUT IN THE FAMILY,
SO ANYTHING THAT HELPS,
WHERE I CAN JUST, LIKE,
THROW ON, IS AMAZING.
I CAN CHANGE MYSELF
BY WEARING THIS JEAN.
IT'S A QUICK FIX
FOR A WEEKEND.
I NEED A NEW JEAN.
THERE IT IS.
IT'S LIVING WITH YOU,
IT'S CHANGING THE COLOR,
IT'S TAKING THE SHAPE
OF YOUR BODY.
IT'S LIVING WITH YOU.
TECHNOLOGY,
THAT'S WHERE IT'S GONNA GO.
MORE TIGHT FABRIC,
MORE LIGHTWEIGHT,
MORE STRETCH, MORE THIS--
IT'S JUST GONNA KEEP GROWING.
THIS IS THE EVOLUTION,
BUT YOU'VE GOT THE SPIRI OF JEANSWEAR THAT'S STRONGER,
AND THE SPIRIT WILL REMAIN.
IT'S LIKE MICHAEL MYERS
IN THE "HALLOWEEN" MOVIES.
EVERY TIME YOU SAY
IT'S DEAD, IT'S BACK.
I'll DIE A POOR JEANS MAKER
OR A RICH JEANS MAKER,
BUT I'll MAKE JEANS.