Denim Therapy has been in bed with The Laundress and we love the service she gives…laundering our denim, that is.  Oh, behave!  I bet you didn’t know that besides their amazing Denim Wash product, they have a special denim cleaning service?

The Laundress Denim Service offers the best care for your beloved (and often overpriced) denim. There’s no need to run to the dry cleaners or deny those beloved pairs a good washing because you are afraid they will fade, won’t be the same or have the perfect hole ruined. Fret no more, we have the perfect method which combines The Laundress Denim Wash and cleaning from the experts in laundering.

So, don’t let your dirty little dungarees get out of control.  Shower them with love in the loving hands of The Laundress Denim Service for only $20 per item.  It’s all about the Denim Therapy.

THE LAUNDRESS

–Nikki Cho Russo

And for all you proud daddy’s to be, why not give your expecting wife’s jeans some magical maternity transformation, comfort made to order.

It’s all the little things in life that make mom the happiest.  Give her the gift of Denim Therapy!

REPAIR JEANS NOW!

–Nikki Cho Russo

“I just got my jeans back and I am ELATED! I can’t believe just how good they look. You guys are the best - thank you, thank you, thank you!!”

Brittany (February 2010)

Got several inches of unintentional rips, shreds and punctures on your favorite pair of jeans?  Don’t throw them away!

In honor of Earth Day, Denim Therapy is offering customers a Free Inch Off your repair service, for jeans that are received from April 20 - 30.  So, if you have a six-inch rip, you’ll only pay for five inches (excludes shipping and handling).

To take advantage of this special offer, you must reference EARTH DAY FREE INCH when mailing your jeans to Denim Therapy.

GET DENIM THERAPY

–Kathy Ng Hassan

Denim Therapy makes New York Magazine's Best of 2010 list.

Yeah, baby!  Just when I was feeling a bit left out of the whole Oscars awards and parties, it’s nice to get a supreme nod from New York Magazine, for Denim Therapy’s expert craftsmanship.  We are Best Jeans Repair for 2010! I’m telling you, people, Denim Therapy works miracles on your unintentionally blown out, ripped, punctured, scuffed, distressed jeans.

And now I just want to thank our leader, Francine Rabinovich, for making this all happen.  I’m just a denimphile who loves to spout about here in her denim sphere.  *Hugs*

GET DENIM THERAPY

– Kathy Ng Hassan

For Spring 2010, denim is celebrated in an old fashion way.  A return of true denim heritage of tough work wear aesthetics, rugged washes, androgynous, liberating silhouettes, patchwork, and attention to the most minute details. Pleated trousers, faded button downs, worn in overalls, emphasis on high-end selvage denim, think  James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause feat John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever…disco meets rag time.

Let’s see how long the return trend of head to toe denim will last.  My guess is that it will fade faster than a cheap pair of jeans!

–Nikki Cho Russo

The Laundress has developed The Laundress Denim Wash in a classic scent.  Non-toxic, biodegradable and allergen free, this exclusive product blends detergent and fabric softener to clean and soften, giving denim that perfect worn in feeling.  And, of course, when the love starts to unravel, Denim Therapy is here to help patch things up.  All it takes is a little therapy.

Shop The Laundress

–Nikki Cho Russo

Denim Therapy: revolutionizing designer jeans for moms.

Assuming you’re a haute mama, who has her denim jeans hanged, rinse- and degree-of-destruction coordinated and alphabetized by brand inside her closet, what else could you need?  Does that woman even exist?  Perhaps a visit by the Closet Guru, Ruth Kahn Sonnenshein, is in order?  A former Glamour magazine editor, Ruth is now an editorial and celebrity wardrobe stylist in L.A.   For less than a new pair of Jimmy Choos, she’ll come over, go through your entire closet, tell you what works for you (and your body type), what would be best altered (often times minor alterations do wonders), and shed the unflattering and outdated (for consignment and charity).  Once she’s gone through what you have, she’ll make a list of the few basics you may need (and also shop with you if you’d like) to add to your wardrobe that will give you that many more looks to incorporate into your life.  Ruth will also put together and photograph looks for you to use as reference when you just need a quick go-to (but extremely chic) outfit. Typically her rate starts at $250 (based on a hourly rate of $125).  Once you’ve had a conversation and established your needs, she can give you a better idea of how long your closet and wardrobe will take and is often able to give suggestions over the phone so that you are prepared in advance, and waste no time (and money).  So if you’re a working mom, a stay at home mom, still wearing maternity jeans and shouldn’t be, hiding behind your husband’s dress shirts or just need a little revamp, email Ruth.

Now, if you’ve got several pairs of skinnies, Boyfriends or motorcycle jeans that you’re dying to wear, but your ever growing tummy is just not gonna let you, then consider applying some Denim Therapy.  Yes, we at Denim Therapy can make your favorite designer jeans into maternity jeans.  The miracle of it all, which includes the little bun in your oven, is, we can turn your maternity jeans back into regular jeans again, should you desire it.  And, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg.  GET DENIM THERAPY

Here’s a collection of some other neato finds for discerning denimista mamas:

BTrendie - Go out in style!  BTrendie is a new below retail online outlet that specializes in mommy and kiddie related goods.  Save 40% now on the stroller that opens itself: Quinny strollers (and accessories).  *Hurry: sale ends in a few hours! Coming soon: Chaiken Maternity.  SHOP BTRENDIE

Milkalicious - Where else can you score the much coveted, celeb-loved Bravado Nursing Tank for less than what you could at Amazon?  Join their mailing list and grab their coupon which will save you 20% off your entire in-store purchase through October.  In addition, they’re having a sale on the popular Bob strollers (20% off).  SHOP MILKALICIOUS

Milkstars - Their shirts go fabulously with your premium denim!  Featuring yummy colors and discreet nursing access, these incognito nursing shirts are super soft and made to last all day.  They even have a “great-with-denim blue” color!  Denim Therapy readers: save $5 off on your purchase.  Enter DENIMCOUPON at checkout.  Offer good through October 31.  SHOP MILKSTARS


– Kathy Ng Hassan

by Rachel Brown and MARCY MEDINA

From WWD ISSUE 10/07/2009

LOS ANGELES — Fashion week here, which now stretches for several weeks, is trying to overcome an identity crisis. 

Many in the industry thought Los Angeles Fashion Week would implode with the exit of event producer IMG a year ago after a five-year run, but organizers have been able to return to the original goal — shows featuring local designers, timed with the city’s two apparel markets, and staged in landmark venues in the garment district and in Hollywood. 

Although sponsors are still scarce, the activity hints at optimism for the city’s fashion scene. 

“I have watched so many fashion weeks fail, so part of my mission is not just to be an exhibition space for designers, but also to support the industry’s new talent,” said Barbara Graff, a partner in the returning Downtown Fashion Week with Leanna Lewis and Juan Rodriguez. One of its shows featuring emerging designers is being sponsored by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs. 

Other new players also see opportunity in the region with the biggest retail market and clothing production center in the U.S. 

“People were disappointed with events in the past, but I see potential to build a fashion monster,” said Nicole Purcell, a partner in New York-based Rock Media and Entertainment. The firm recently merged with Gen Art, which has staged biannual events in Los Angeles since 1997, to become RMGA LLC. Their new three-day event, Rock Fashion Week L.A., will open with Gen Art’s Fresh Faces in Fashion show Oct. 29 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. 

“Our merger has given Los Angeles Fashion Week an important anchor,” said Gen Art founder Ian Gerard. “It’s been flailing in the wind in terms of being a cohesive week, and everyone’s looking to someone to organize it. Creating multiple days in a well-regarded location is the first step to getting other groups to rally around the same time frame.” 

The IMG-produced Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City was criticized for subpar designers, lack of press, D-list celebrities and out-of-the-way location. 

“That was a tough draw because it is an industrial area,” said Mikey Koffman, who is producing a new event this season, L.A. Fashion Weekend, at Sunset Gower Studios. “Not a lot of celebrities and buyers want to go [there] because it is off the beaten path, and it doesn’t really have anything to do with fashion. By making the move to Hollywood, we are trying to give fashion week a Hollywood image.” 

Koffman acknowledged the past few seasons without Smashbox Studios co-owners Dean and Davis Factor have been “a little frustrating.” Davis Factor has said he will return to fashion week when the economic climate improves, adding, “I want to wait until I can do it right.”

Click here to read the full article

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by VALERIE SECKLER

From WWD ISSUE 10/07/2009

Don’t knock the rock.

Rock ’n’ roll merchandise ranging from graphic T-shirts — the hottest sellers at live shows — to hoodies, tote bags, bracelets, key chains and more, are showing staying power at concerts and gaining traction at major stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and J.C. Penney, said executives of Bravado, Live Nation Merchandise and The Thread Shop, key marketers of the artists and their products.

These purchases, with teens said to be the best customers, are translating into a business estimated at $2 billion to $3 billion worldwide annually at concert venues and in stores — half of it in the U.S. 

The allure of rock, pop and hip-hop musicians, including the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Metallica, AC/DC, Kiss, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney, is sparking concertgoers to spend an average of $10 to $15 per head to mark their experience at a show staged by the hottest acts, whose products command the highest sales. Besides the cachet of the stars themselves, demand is stoked by a desire to show the world that an act has played one’s town and the concertgoer was there by wearing a T-shirt bearing markers of the occasion: the tour’s name, date and location.

“Bands can do hundreds of thousands of dollars a night, depending on how big they are,” Michael Krassner, executive vice president of retail and licensing at Live Nation Merchandise, said of audience demand. “The issue is: Are the tickets being sold, rather than are the merch numbers the same?” 

While many of these souvenirs are priced within a predictable range, say, T-shirts at $15 to $40, big draws can pull considerably more for an item: an AC/DC leather jacket for $250 and hockey jersey for $150, or a Paul McCartney hoodie embellished with peace fingers and “’09” on the breast for $70 and an oversize program on heavy stock for his Summer Live ’09 tour for $30.

“Apparel is the biggest driver in this business,” said Mathew Vlasic, vice president of merchandising at The Thread Shop, a Sony Music venture Vlasic started about two years ago, which he said has grown into a “multimillion-dollar business” through its wholesale unit and online boutique. In the U.S., T-shirts typically generate 80 to 85 percent of concert sales, versus 70 percent in the U.K. and 40 percent in Japan, said Dell Furano, chief executive officer of Live Nation Merchandise.

“The Brits and the Japanese love their programs and books,” Furano added of the two nationalities that spend 30 percent and 60 percent, respectively, of their outlays during live music events on such items.

At performances of artists considered a notch below megastars in their power to build audiences and sell product, like Lady Gaga, concertgoers are spending $5 to $10 per head, said Tom Bennett, chief executive officer at Bravado, a unit of Universal Music, whose sales of rock merchandise account for one-third of the sector’s business.

Among the artists whose live shows are resulting in top-performing merchandise sales this year, entertainment executives said, are Coldplay, Pink, Kings of Leon, Madonna and Iron Maiden. Big numbers are anticipated for U2, now on a tour that kicked off Sept. 12 in Chicago; Kiss, which hit the road Sept. 25 in Detroit, and Depeche Mode, which resumed concerts Oct. 1 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Beyond the sheer popularity of bands, cravings for collectibles — and simply to have something tangible in hand — during a time of music and movie downloads is keeping demand for rock memorabilia growing at a low-single-digit rate. 

“There’s a need or a want for stuff,” said Tom Cording, vice president of media relations at Sony Music-Legacy Recordings. “Even though we download music to our iPods and our cell phones, there’s nothing that’s going to replace buying a T-shirt at a concert. Everybody’s very merchandised. There’s everything but floor wax, at this point.”

Click here to read the full article

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Memo Pad: More Changes at Condé Nast…

by WWD Staff

From WWD ISSUE 10/07/2009

WAIT, THERE’S MORE: Changes at Condé Nast continued Tuesday morning: Steven Deluca, publisher of Details since April 2008, was pushed out as the men’s title was moved under the purview of senior vice president and publishing director Bill Wackermann. Lucy Kriz will remain as Details’ associate publisher and will report to Wackermann. Deluca was notified late Monday afternoon he was being let go.

The move should put to rest rumors that Details would be closed after Condé Nast folded four unprofitable magazines Monday: Gourmet, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride and Cookie. Speculation over Details’ future, as well as that of other Condé Nast titles, flourished as McKinsey & Co. was hired to advise on how to prune the firm’s unprofitable magazines and position it for growth. Details has seen its fashion and luxury advertising base decline during the crippling ad recession. Through October, ad pages fell 34 percent, to 627, while its larger sibling, GQ, saw a 32 percent drop in ad pages to 886. Details’ circulation has remained flat over several years at about 425,000, or about half that of GQ’s. Details now publishes 10 times annually after the magazine stopped producing an additional holiday issue last year.

However, Wackermann was positive about Details’ future, saying the title has a place at the company given its younger audience and edgier editorial voice. He also said editor in chief Dan Peres was the right man to steer the magazine into 2010. “I am honored to be involved with Details again, and the opportunity to work with Dan Peres. The market needs Details’ edgy and smart edit. There is nothing else like it,” said Wackermann.

And more changes at Condé Nast lie ahead. While 180 employees are exiting the building this week after the closures Monday, more are expected to follow suit as the remaining magazines finalize their 2010 budgets. Editors and publishers are charged with cutting their spending by as much as 25 percent by whatever means they choose — including job cuts, some of which could happen as soon as this week. — Stephanie D. Smith

Click here to read the full article

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Brit Fest

by WWD Staff

From WWD ISSUE 10/07/2009

Jonathan Saunders, Henry Holland and Gareth Pugh (Photo By: Delphine Achard)

BRIT FEST: Joan Burstein, founder of London’s Browns boutique, feted British designers in Paris on Monday night, inviting Gareth Pugh, Henry Holland, Jonathan Saunders and Charlotte Dellal to a sumptuous apartment with a view of the Tuileries. Dellal graciously twirled on demand, purring, “It’s my mother’s vintage Lacroix.” Meanwhile, Alexandra Lanvin (wife of Hubert Lanvin, a direct descendent of Jeanne Lanvin), said she had just tapped Turkish-born, Berlin-based designer Burak Uyan to launch a new shoe line called Aperlaï, which is being unveiled in Paris this week.

–Nikki Cho Russo

FORM & FAUNA Denim Penny Wedge.

As today, April 22, 2009, is Earth Day, so many companies are taking advantage of the spirit of this occasion.  To some, Earth Day means a new commitment to being a “greener” consumer.  Here is a roundup of some eco-friendly, sustainable and green deals related and complementary to the world of denim:

Gilt Groupe EDUN Men’s Jeans Sale - $58-68. (Ends 4/24 Midnight EDT)

EDUN’s Online Store Sale - Women’s jeans slashed down to $85 and up; Men’s Jeans $90 and up.

EDUN Earth Day special edition “Bee Tees” to raise awareness of the plight of the honeybees, available at Anthropologie, $58. (SOURCE)

DEL FORTE DENIM Sabine jean.

Love your well-loved jeans?  Can’t bare to throw them out?  Let Denim Therapy resurrect those ripped, holey, thrashed denim.  It’s the sustainable thing to do.  At $7/per inch, it’s a bargain to repair your favorite pair of jeans.  International shipping available.

DEL FORTE DENIM Organic Cotton Sabine jean, $115, available at Green Loop.

LOOMSTATE for Target collection with clothing made from 100% organic cotton, available now through May 16 for Women’s Collection ($26.99-$39.99) and June 20 for Men’s Collection ($27.99). (SOURCE)

GOOD SOCIETY Jeans, available at REVOLVE CLOTHING.

GOOD SOCIETY fair trade Bootcut in Evanston jeans, $53 at Revolve Clothing.
GOOD SOCIETY jeans, many available at Tobi from $65 and up.

LEVI’S Eco Collection. Cheap, stylish and a classic brand. Save additional 40% off on the Low Skinny 531™ Jeans in Luella (white), $59.50 ($35.70 after discount).

ELEMENT men’s Green Jean, $80, available at SWELL.

FAIR INDIGO Fair Trade jeans, on sale for $39.50, available at Fair Indigo.

FORM & FAUNA shoes, made from sustainable and renewable material. The Yellow Peacock shoe, $191, available at Embodies. The denim Penny Wedge, $82.50 (size 9.5 only), available at Kaight Shop.

CERTIFIED Jeans, made in the USA of 100% organic cotton, $68-$88.

LEVI'S Eco Low Skinny 531 in Luella.

Was there a deal missing from this Earth Day list you’d like to add?  Add your Earth Day Deal to our comments box.  Earth Day celebrations and shopping events are all week long!

– Kathy Ng Hassan

I didn’t see this coming.  Did the Skinny Bitch have a Spat?  Was that Lindsay Lohan’s Spat?  No, not a tiff.  Not a fight.  It’s the Spat: the invisible middle-child spawn of the military-inspired trends.  It’s an accessory worn over shoes and covers open areas, particularly around the ankles.  Traditionally, soldiers wore them.  Marching bands wear them today.  Modern civilians such as Swedish rock band The Hives have been known to wear them.  And now, denim lovers wear ‘em — if you dare!

Spat “leg gloves.”  Available online at Shop Intuition.

If you’re lucky enough to find a decent pair of Spats worn over (or under) the right pair of jeans — like a pair of skinnys or pencil legs — you might just avoid looking too Flashdance.  From the looks of New York Fashion Week, there will be plenty of hot new jeans to mix it up with, come spring.  I can totally see trend setters like Mary Kate Olsen giving the Spats a try.  Are you brave enough to rock the look?

– Kathy Ng Hassan