Home (all) Welcome to DENHAM the Jeanmaker´s website. Each card reveals a story which represents one facet of Denham´s vision. Categorised by the collection, garment library, studio & stores, to press reports & the birth of the Cutter´s Council. Designed in time with no beginning nor end, through resourceful innovation and fearless experimentation. It´s a decorated blog. A tailor-made homepage. We hope to fascinate but are equally prepared to frustrate.
THE WOMEN'S FATALE TRENCH COAT
Arguably there's no spring outerwear style more iconic for women than the classic trench. The profoundly unglamorous history of the trenches of the Great War produced a few concepts that have been fully integrated into modern fashion utility. Along with the wristwatch, the trench coat is one of those things.
FILM FATALE Its representation in cinema over the years has helped deepen its mythology and establish it as an icon. From Heburn (Audry and Katharine) to Dietricht to Day to Turner to Reed to Bardot to Taylor....- the list goes on.
The ubiquitous khaki-ness of the style made it an obvious choice for re-invention as a flagship in the SS10 women's FOREIGN OFFICE collection. The lady-spy/femme fatale nuance fit our inspiration perfectly.Starting with a water-repellent semiglide fabric of smooth and comfortable cotton/nylon blend with a softly peached surface we examined each line and reworked each detail associated with the classic like the rifle rain-flap, full backyoke, belted waist and belted cuffs...
WORSHIP TRADITION Paying spiritual homage to originals like those in our Denham Garment Library, our version pushes accepted conventions with curved wrist and lower hem lines, box-pleats, boxed button holes, cable-connection closures, ring-and-eye-buttons, "keeping tab" secured kick-pleat and integrated spare-button pouches.
CABLE CONNECTION An entirely new system was created to replace standard sliced-and-reparied button-holes. In this case we created a clean finish edge with angular notches and ran a coninous dynamic cord through the entire placket. The cord crosses the notches to create the cleanest button holes we've ever seen and they're real likely to stay that way. If you've never seen a construction quite like this, well niether had we until we prototyped it here.
RING & EYE BUTTONS Button attachements were upgraded enhancing historic military split-ring or cotter-pin "stitchless" button systems by casting solid ring-back buttons and securing them between double sided stainless grommets reinforced with fullgrain leather saddles like we use on our jeans' rivets. You see the photos, now close your eyes and imagine one falling off. Ever.
KEEPING TABS That's how we describe this bias taped feature constructed in self-fabric that serves a bunch of thankless little functions on each garment. On the FATALE they're used to secure the cuff-belts which, in the case of our design, have no cumbersome buckles. They're also used to open and close the kick pleat and hold the waist belt in place.
FUNCTION FOREVER FLIRTING WITH FASHION We recognize that the impulse to fuse real-life practicality and distinct modern style is a proud tradition in women's utility design dating back to the dawn of the automotive era. Each generation of style has spawned its own twist from carriagewear of the 20's to the synthetic chic of the 70's and all the iterations between.
We've got many favorites from each of those eras and their common characteristic is that precious balance of function and form. The same balance we're striving to achieve with the Fatale this Spring.
Bonnie & Clyde
by Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot
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