Material That Stretches The Imagination
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday July 22, 1992
AH, DENIM. If it were suddenly to disappear, half the world would be naked and hordes of us would be forced to deliberate over the daily wardrobe selection. Denim is unlikely to vanish, but many within the fashion and textile industries are surprised at the fabric's longevity and seemingly endless stream of permutations.
Nicholas Huxley, a teacher for 13 years at East Sydney Technical College's Fashion Design Studio, admits to regular questioning of denim's lasting power as a fashion staple.
For the past six years he has supervised students competing for an award designed to promote the twilled and tough cotton fabric.
Bradmill Textiles conceived the idea for the Down Under Denim Fashion Award in 1986. With the lure of cash prizes, annually they invite final year fashion students at the tech to choose from the company's black, navy and chambray denims, give them a theme and let them loose to create a related garment.
In acknowledgement of the Barcelona Olympics, this year's theme was A Salute to Spain.
At Tuesday night's awards presentation, Clinton Cordiero of Guilford and Geoffrey Parker of Paddington tied in first place with their respective women's outfits and will split the $2,000 prize. Ms Pier Kaal, also of Paddington, collected the $250 second prize from a field of 36 entrants.
Denim originated last century in Nimes, France - hence its name, serge de Nimes.
Originally worn by seafarers who prized its tough, salt-resisting qualities, later it turned up, stitched and riveted, in the American wild west.
By the early '40s, when war isolated the US from European inspiration and supplies, denim was used for the first time in women's wear as part of a revival of early settlers' clothes.
Shortly afterwards men adopted the practical uniform of jeans, cotton T-shirt and tough leather boots. Celluloid heroes James Dean, Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley, elevated denim from workwear to cult status.
Today toddlers and grandmas wear it, people cover sofas with it, a Canadian company makes quilted sleeping bags out of it and inner-city students transform it into chic cocktail wear.
According to Nicholas Huxley it is a controllable, heavy and strong fabric which the students attack with special needles, dyes, bleach and vision.
"It takes quite a bit of work to create the fresh, versatile and innovative looks they achieve," he said.
"What's great about these awards is they give the public an idea of what else can be done with denim apart from jeans and jackets."
© 1992 Sydney Morning Herald