Denim Dudes presented key trends at the Kingpins NY Fair held in Pier 36 Manhattan. The fair was a great source of inspiration for denim trends and the Spring/Summer season 2024. The themes have a retro vibe and are broken down into four stories, each with different moods, fabric suggestions, colour palettes, and details.
The first, ‘XS’, focuses on bold and edgy self-expression using acid-bright colours and the greencast dyeing process. The second theme, ‘Burned Out’, takes a darker turn with a protective, layered style in shades of black, grey and blue, featuring mineral washes and upcycling, whilst ‘The Last Tourist’ showcases denim adorned with souvenir patches, Indian block printing, expressive laundering, hole punching and hand adornments.
The fourth theme, ‘Ethos’, is the more commercially viable theme amongst all four themes of the season and explores practical and relaxed workwear with themes of durability, peasant styling and humble Americana, including lightweight raw denim in sun-faded hues, sand and stone-inspired washes and natural overdyes.
The trends for the upcoming season will include bright colours, greencasting dyes, denim embellishments, washes inspired by stones, and natural-overdyed hues.
Discover each topic in depth by reading on.
The XS
The XS theme is a youthful and unconventional interpretation of the Noughties trend that places focus on provocative and extravagant self-expression, using vibrant colours and a green-tinted dyeing process called ‘greencast’. This process dyes the fabric with green sulfur, then adds indigo to give it a blueish-green color.
The rise of social media and individualism has led to a group of style-savvy individuals, known as ‘bedroom makers’ who use simple materials to create impactful looks at home, bypassing traditional fashion gatekeepers.
Trends like this are a reflection of early 2000s club culture, when starlets would stumble out of Hollywood nightclubs or London taxis. Thought We Friends and Space Paradiso are two influential advocates for this look. They use intense denim treatments and create airbrushing and spraying effects.
The trend urges one to revisit their closet to unearth pieces from brands such as True Religion, Guess, D & G and Von Dutch.
Burnt Out
Despite the turmoil in the world, many people still indulge in materialism, such as buying jeans or shoes. While the XS narrative celebrates Nero, who plays the fiddle as Rome burns in the XS story, Burned Out takes a less humorous and more serious tone.
The song is in response to the dark times that the world currently experiences, and reflects the increasing dissatisfaction of capitalist values, the glorifying productivity, and hustle culture. Studies show a decrease in happiness both in the US and UK.
Burned Out’s vibe is dark, with casual layers in limited colours of greys and blues. Upcycling and mineral washes create the dirty look, with mineral wash being a popular choice. Delicate, high-end denim pieces from Paradoxe Paris are contrasted with muted comfort items from brands like Fear of God, reminiscent of the ’90s Helmut Lang’s tonal and columnar layering.
The Last Tourist
Prepare yourself for an explosion of culture in fashion, showcasing the rich heritages from around the world.
After the Covid scandal, there has been a renewed interest in traveling. The result is more culturally sensitive storytelling. In this space, brands such as Kardo from New Delhi, Bode from NYC, England’s SS Daly and Indian-Canadian Norblack Norwhite have all made a mark. Additionally, a Parisian collective has taken over the once-defunct West African airline, Air Afrique, committed to reintroducing the world to the airline’s pan-African philosophy that also touched fashion, art and film.
To challenge the status-quo, this new look goes beyond European golf and redefines elite European pursuits. Popular trends in denim include souvenir patches, Indian block printing and hole-punched jeans, as well as expressive laundersing and hand embellishments.
Ethos
Ethos emerges as the most commercially-oriented story of the four themes and highlights the resurgence of authentic and holistic garment production that aligns with spirituality and nature, which early capitalism and the industrial age had turned us against.
Patagonia Founder, Yvon Chouinard’s decision to donate his company to combat climate change is a significant change to capitalism, and the effects of this decision are yet to be fully realised. Workwear that is relaxed, practical and reflects the quest for balance. It has themes like durability, simple styling and Americana.
Lightweight raw denim is featured in sun-faded colors, sand-and-stone-inspired washes, and natural overdyes. Denims are paired up with jacquards crumpled, rustic sheers worn-in, dobbies lived in, hemps, and linen blends to create a casual yet fashionable look.