The Denimhunters Podcast

In this episode of the Denimhunters Podcast, Thomas talks about a tough decision you need to make before you start wearing your new raw denim jeans; whether to soak them or not. You'll learn the three approaches you can take, and when you want to use each of them. And, of course, Thomas also talks about the scenario where you don’t soak the jeans. IMPORTANT: If you're signed up for the Indigo Invitational, remember that you must NOT soak or wash your jeans before you've submitted your 'raw proof' photos on October 1, 2020. Visit indigoinvitational.com to register and stay up-to-date! This is the episode last of season 1 of the Denimhunters Podcast. If you’ve listened to any of the previous episodes, you might have noticed that I've implemented a few changes. Let me know what you think of them; any feedback that helps me make you enjoy this podcast more is always welcome! ATTENTION FUTURE SPONSORS: For season 2, we will be taking on sponsors for the podcast. If you want to get into the heads of your target audience—quite literally—and have YOUR BRAND recommended by someone they know and trust, send us an inquiry at [email protected] and we'll be in touch.

If you know Rudy Budhdeo, you probably know him for his store. That’s where I met him the first time, more than a decade ago when I visited London for the first time—before I’d even started Denimhunters. But the London-based denimhead not only retails jeans and other essentials for us blue bloods; he also distributes and even helps manufacture it. In fact, Rudy works with the entire value chain of blue jeans. That’s the topic of our talk.

Imagine if you could win prizes worth thousands of dollars just for doing something you surely truly love. I’m talking about fading jeans, of course. Well, in case you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard, you can! All you need is a pair of fresh raw jeans ready to go and register for the year 2 of Indigo Invitational by October 1 (2020). Co-founder of the year-long fade competition, Bryan Szabo, is the first guest to get a second appearance here on the Denimhunters Podcast. When Bryan was first on the show in episode 2, we talked about his story, how we got into the denim scene, a bit about ballroom dancing, and, most importantly, how he got the idea to start a fade competition and how it all came about. That episode came out just a week after year 1 of the competition had ended. Now we’re only two weeks away for the starting line of year 2, so in this episode, Bryan lays out the rules and presents his most compelling argument for why you should register. Register for the competition here: http://indigoinvitational.com/ Listen to Bryan's first interview here: https://denimhunters.com/bryan-szabo-podcast/

On March 11, the Danish prime minister went on national TV to make an announcement that would change the daily lives of every person in Denmark. In the weeks before and after, similar announcements were made by leaders across the globe. We were in lockdown. A couple of months later, Alex aka @yorkshire_denimal on Instagram had organised a ‘hang’ in Sheffield to bring together like-minded denim lovers. He’d attended the hangs at Ben Woodhouse’s Clobber Calm store and was picking up the baton as Ben was focusing on other projects. When COVID-19 made Alex’ plans impossible, he got the idea to a global denim day to bring the community together. This gave Ben the idea to arrange a 24-hour virtual hang. Amanda Barnes had already joined the team when Ben asked for help in a post on Instagram. That’s when I got involved. The first Global Denim Hang took place on May 31, 2020. Fast forward three months to this week and the second Global Denim Hang is about to happen. Continuing to support this unifying and fun initiative the best I can, I invited Ben on the podcast to give an update on how the second hang will be an improvement over the first and generally just what to expect. The second hang is scheduled for September 12, starting at noon UK time, with 24 consecutive 1-hour sessions. And the line-up is pretty spectacular! Check out the full programme on the GDH Instagram. Taking part of this hang will be (a lot) easier compared to the first one. You can still join via Zoom and interact, but you can also watch it on the official YouTube channel or on the Global Denim Hang website. No need to log in our anything. And don’t forget the auctions for charity that the team is organising alongside it. All money goes straight to Save the Children's global division.

This week, Tilmann Wröbel from Monsieur-T. design studio joins Thomas on the podcast to share his story and his opinions on how COVID-19 is affecting the denim industry, particularly the trade show business. As Tilmann and Thomas discuss, one of the key reasons people go to trade shows is to meet other people. To create relationships and get new ideas through interactions with others. Trade shows bring people together. Ideally a lot of people! And that's a big 'no go' for health authorities these days. So most showrunners have gone virtual. But not Munich Fabric Start, Bluezone's parent show that was established in the mid-90s. Renamed 'Fabric Days' for this autumn edition, the show is happening.

Do you know what selvedge is? Rivets? Roping? If you're into raw denim, and you probably are since you're listening to this podcast, you've surely read or heard about terms like these. And chances are you already know what they mean. In this episode of the Denimhunters Podcast, Thomas discusses 18 common must-know terms from the denim vocabulary. This should be a good place to start if you're new to raw denim (and denim in general). But it's also relevant if you already consider yourself a denimhead but you're looking to brush up on your vocabulary. The episode is part of the series where we dive into the Denimhunters content archives and our Denim Encyclopedia to discuss some of the essential and most frequently debated topics of raw denim. You can learn more about the 18 terms (and many more) in the Denim Encyclopedia: https://denimhunters.com/denim-wiki/

In this episode of the podcast, Thomas answers seven of the most frequently asked questions about buying raw denim jeans. The questions and answers are pulled straight from a previously published blog post that he wrote together with Bryan Szabo from the Indigo Invitational, and published on Denimhunters. The goal of this episode is to help you make a more informed raw denim purchase. And while the questions are most commonly asked when you’re starting out in this scene, the answers (should be) equally relevant whether you’re about to buy your first or your fiftieth pair.

In this episode, Thomas is joined by Palle Stenberg, one of the three owners of Nudie Jeans, to talk about his story and, of course, the story of Nudie Jeans. We talk about the origins of the brand, about what makes it different from other denim brands; we talk about organic cotton, about repairing jeans, and the brand took raw denim mainstream and beyond.

This episode of the Denimhunters Podcast is the second instalment in my ongoing series where I tackle some of denim’s big questions and discuss the most frequently debated topics. In a previous episode, I talked about the three key elements of quality jeans: denim, fit and details. In this one, we dive deeper into that second key element, the fit.

In this episode, Thomas talks about the three key elements that all quality raw denim jeans share: Denim that fades well, great fit, and details that're made with attention to detail. If you want to learn more about everything Thomas talks about in this episode, check out the Denim Encyclopedia on Denimhunters. It has answers to all of the most frequently asked questions about denim and jeans, as well as explanations about how denim and jeans are made.

Dutchman Tony Tonnaer has spent more than 15 years doing his part in making our shared denim addiction less harmful to the planet. After falling in love with denim during his time at Pepe Jeans in the early 00s, he became the CEO of Kuyichi, one of the brands that pioneered a more sustainable approach to making blue jeans. In 2010, Tony decided it was time to branch out on his own. That’s when he created KOI, also known as Kings of Indigo. Not long after, at the 2011 Bread and Butter summer show in Berlin, Tony presented his brand to the world. In this episode of the podcast, Tony and Thomas talk about the philosophy behind Kings of Indigo and how jeans can be more sustainable.

In this episode of the podcast, Merv Sethi from Okayama Denim tells his background, how he started his store with a tsunami relief project, and the USPs of his business. Merv shares his story and gives some insights into his background: his grandfather immigrated from India in 1952, and his family has been in the trading business ever since. We also talk about how the Okayama Denim Project that Merv did in 2011, in the wake of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, became the start of the Okayama Denim we know today. It all start when Merv was looking for a maker of the bracelet he did. That’s when he met Ken-ichi Iwaya, the founder of Pure Blue Japan, in his store on Jeans Street in Kojima. Okayama Denim is one of the few international Japan-based online retailers of Japanese raw denim. They retail most of the brands we all love to countries around the globe. In fact, in 2019, Okayama denim shipped to more than 70 countries! But the key USP of Okayama Denim has to be collaborations. They have to be right at the top of the ‘most collaboration’ list of any denim retailer. And they collaborations go far beyond the details of the jeans; they also collaborate with the makers on the denims. Make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast on your favourite player. The show’s on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and of course on denimhunters.com.

Thomas talks to Dave from Japanalogue about his story, the philosophy behind his website, and how he might be able to turn it into a full-time thing. Dave runs Japanalogue entirely as a hobby project (at least so far). As a single parent and a job as an English teacher at a girl’s high school, it’s not like Dave hasn’t got other things to do and take care of. That’s also why, on this podcast, I asked Dave about his plans to take his side to the next level. Knowing the language and the culture is probably one of the key reasons he seems to be able to get the Japanese denim bosses to open up in a way the rest of us simply can't. He's practically become friends with all of them, it seems. And that puts him in a very unique position.

In this episode of the Denimhunters Podcast, Thomas talks to Tracey Panek, the historian at Levi Strauss & Co., about what she does, why it's such an important department in the Levi's organisation, and why what she does influences denim and blue jeans from any brand.

Tenue de Nîmes is different from other high-quality denim-focused retailers. The Amsterdam-based retailer is inarguably one of the world’s finest denim destination. On this episode of the podcast, Thomas talks to the man behind Tenue de Nîmes, mr Menno van Meurs. They talk about his dad’s old jeans and cowboy boots. They talk about his love for sports and later denim. How he got a job in Mode d’Emploi, whose owners also did the Atelier la Durance brand. And how he, together with two others, started Tenue de Nîmes in 2008. Of course, they also talk about what I think is one of the coolest in-house marketing platforms of any denim retailer, their publication Journal de Nîmes. And they talk about why the fashion industry is so f*cked up and actually really needs to change, which the COVID-19 crisis is facilitating.

Naked & Famous is clearly a raw denim brand. But, at the same time, it’s different from any other raw denim brand. They were part of the raw denim wave that hit the US and Europe in the late-00s. And they’ve been disruptors since day one, doing things their own way. With a combination of great fits, minimalistic detailing, and a price point that doesn’t scare first-time buyers, it’s easy to see why Naked & Famous has been the gateway drug for many raw denim enthusiasts. The recipe for their success? You take an extensive range of Japanese raw denim (some of which are outright gimmicks). Cut and sewn that into jeans in Canada. Add some fun branding. Launch it at the perfect time. Sell it at a price most people can afford. And continue to run and market your brand with the same personal and direct touch, even when you grow big. That and a lot more. On this episode of the Denimhunters Podcast, Thomas talks to Bahzad Trinos, who’s employee no. 1 at Naked & Famous, about his story and the story of the brand. We talk about how Brando Svarc founded the brand in 2008, and his family’s background in the clothing business. We talk about how Bahzad got involved in the company when he was working in retail. How they were able to sell their jeans at a very attractive price point when they first launched. And a lot more.

In the second episode of the Denimhunters Podcast, Thomas talks to Bryan Szabo, the founder of the Indigo Invitational fade competition. Bryan’s been guest blogging on Denimhunters since last autumn, sharing denim knowledge that’s particularly relevant for faders and spectators of the competition he started in 2019. On the podcast, Bryan tells the story of how it all began. How he got into denim in the first place. About his first pair of raws (Average Joes from Nudie). About ballroom dancing (yes, you read that right). And how he ended up living in Budapest in Hungary. Naturally, the two denimheads also talk about the Indigo Invitational and why Bryan started it. And what he expects and hopes for its second year, which starts on October 1, 2020.

Brit Eaton is a true denim hunter. The kind that risks his life on a daily basis going into abandoned mines searching for old denim and jeans. That’s his profession, and he’s been doing it for more than 20 years. On this very first episode of the Denimhunters Podcast, Thomas talks to Brit about why and how he does what he does. He shares the story of how it all started when he was exporting Harley Davidsons in the mid-90s; how he almost ended up in prison in Greece; and about piles of vintage denim and lost treasures.

Welcome to the Denimhunters Podcast. Whether denim is your passion or your profession (or maybe both), this is the podcast for you. In this trailer, Thomas Stege Bojer - the founder of Denimhunters and the host of this podcast - gives you a preview of what it'll be all about. Denimhunters is a blog turned consultancy platform. We direct denim business through insights, creativity and action. So, if you’re wondering whether this really is the podcast for you, here’s what to expect: Just like the blog posts on Denimhunters, this podcast will be tackling some of the big questions about denim and jeans. Often, one question leads to another, and on this podcast, Thomas talks to denim personalities and experts, to hear their inspiring stories, but also to get their answers to some of these questions. The podcast launches on June 1, 2020. In the first episode, Thomas talks to a true denim hunter, Brit Eaton. You do not want to miss this episode! Make sure you’re subscribed to the show wherever you get your podcasts and stay tuned for the first episode. Oh, and one last thing: if you have any questions that you'd like Thomas and his guests to answer, you can submit them at denimhunters.com/questions.