This launch will be a milestone in the history of BonneGueule, because we had to carry out the shooting and manage the production in full lockdown.
Michel presents our two new vintage-style products:
- Our bleach jeans, with a unique straight cut
- Our navy sweatshirt, whose texture you will love
All this, confined at home without any clothes. With, as his only weapons, a series of photos and endless notes from his video calls with our product team.
And here is the work!
Benoit
Our bleach jeans redesigned, vintage style
In our adventure, these jeans are a first.
Its denim is one, its cut is one, and its story is just as unique.
I understood it when I saw Julien, through the pixels of my screen, let these words escape:
"These jeans are awesome!" - Julien
Normally, our collection manager has a calm and measured approach.
So where did this exclamation of pride come from?
1 - A denim with grain
Originally, this canvas had nothing to do with bleach.
It all started two years ago.
Benoît and the product team outline an ambitious project: an anniversary capsule collection.
To mark the 5th anniversary of the BonneGueule brand, they are thinking big. With, among other things, the desire to create raw jeans whose denim would be so attractive that it would even make our essential Kurabo pale.
The prototype meets these specifications well: an indigo canvas with an even deeper grain, thick and heavy 14 oz.
This is the result of our first collaboration with the Japanese weaver Nihon Menpu. A big name with whom we have wanted to work for some time.
He is one of the few remaining weavers in Okayama, the El Dorado of Japanese denim, who do not resort to mass production.
Result: canvases with a particularly authentic grain and a perfectly imperfect relief, obtained by the rigor and patience involved in using selvedge weaving machines.
However, the vagaries of design prevent us from gathering enough products for an anniversary capsule.
Our rare nugget does not find a place in our other launches, and becomes a joker that Julien will keep up his sleeve.
One day he will do something with it. He is sure of it.
2 - A turnkey wash
To honor the retro aesthetic of this collection, Benoît and the product team imagined a second bleach jean for our offer. More washed, lighter and more nostalgic of its ancestors who shone so much in the 80s.
In short, a pair of vintage jeans before they are vintage, which would satisfy our temptation to obtain in the blink of an eye the result of years of machine washing.
True to our requirements, they especially did not want to fall into the obviousness of a soft and flat canvas, without hold or texture.
Gold :
- At this level of wash, most denim has nothing better to offer.
- The ozone method, which we usually prefer for its low water consumption, finds its limit here.
"When you start with raw denim, in a dark indigo, the ozone wash is not powerful enough to get such a light canvas." - Julien
Candiani, one of our Italian suppliers, confirmed the rule by admitting defeat.
So here we are at a standstill, without any material that meets our aspirations.
Julien then thinks of his joker.
“What if we washed our Nihon Menpu denim?” - Julien
The idea is experimental. He and Benoît are the only ones who believe in it.
So they asked our usual, then skeptical, Portuguese workshop to try a classic wash.
Necessary to obtain such a light shade, we carried out a classic wash.
And because we're not hiding anything from you, here's how a classic wash works:
- Stonewash: the fabric is washed in a drum for 15 minutes at 45 degrees with pumice stones.
- Hand sanding: with another pumice stone, we accentuate by if, we even out by there. In short, we perfect.
- Bleach wash: a final 15-minute lightening bath at 45 degrees, with a limited dose of chlorine.
At our manufacturer, this method remains the most respectful of humans and the environment possible:
- No sandblasting
- 40% of water is reused
Benoit's word
Okay, I'll keep it simple: this denim is simply magnificent.
I wasn't the most excited about the idea of "washing" such a pretty canvas, but it only made it more beautiful.
What I like about Nihon Menpu is that they have remained very fetishistic about denims with lots of grains, "old-fashioned", without ever really giving in to the "mass market" by toning down their fabrics.
If you look closely at the close-up photos of the canvas, you will see that there are very slight horizontal streaks , despite the fading.
For me, it is THE detail that I love, and which fully expresses all the "aromas" of this painting.
The way the indigo has faded between the streaks, the new hand of this fabric, the incredible variety of these shades of indigo, etc., it's just splendid!
This effect can only be achieved on very old looms, where the vibrations and tension of the fabric give this unique grain.
The challenge for suppliers like Nihon Mempu is:
- keep a stock of spare parts, which have long since been discontinued, and pray that you need them as little as possible
- recruit workers who are highly specialized in this type of machine, who have extensive experience and who master all the settings specific to these looms
So you will have on your feet a canvas with a beautiful story, where the passion of some Japanese enlightened people pushed them to create a most "authentic" canvas. possible, even though it is necessary to have significant maintenance for these precious looms from another age.
In short, it is a great pride to offer these jeans with this washed fabric, because the most knowledgeable know: finding washed jeans in a very high-end Japanese fabric either costs at least €250, or it is impossible to find.
Here is the result:
- From a distance, the color appears uniform.
- When you get close to it, it's a feast for the eyes.
The product team's expectations are met.
The thick, heavy canvas does not soften due to the intensity of the wash and thus finds the balance between hold and flexibility.
Note from Benoit: the famous horizontal striations, very light, that I was talking about are visible on the tibia here.
The grain, particularly rich in relief, is perfectly transparent when it comes out.
It’s a success. At the workshop, our partners are amazed.
Our new bleach denim is found.
3 - A straight cut, assumed relaxation
Giving a pair of jeans a vintage aesthetic without giving them a proper cut? Impossible. One doesn't go without the other.
The cut is the element that gives all its aura to the iconic jeans that have crossed the decades, from the street to the cinema.
And if you're wondering: Yes, I'm talking about the authentic Levi's 501.
Marlon Brando in the film "The Wild One" shot in 1953. (Credit: Alain Benainous/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images).
Dear readers, I have the honor of presenting to you the first straight-cut jeans in the history of BonneGueule.
When I told you that we were in the new.
In our offices as among you, this cup is highly anticipated.
We have lost count of the number of messages asking for it, nor the number of times we have grilled the product team to see it come to life one day.
And this craze can only be understood:
- Her more assertive style leads to more advanced outfits.
- Its natural fall and relaxed gives a rather appreciated nonchalance.
- It leaves space and comfort for your thighs and calves.
For the greater good of this piece, our prayers have been answered.
A word about the cut:
If this is your first time taking this path, as always, we will guide you step by step.
No need to whip a canvas: take your usual size and enjoy its comfort.
As a bonus, two tips will make your life easier:
- Don't downsize your jeans in the hopes of making them slim. This black magic won't work.
- When you make it shorter , please note that the bottom will be slightly wider after the retouch.
For a size 31, the bottom is 19.7 cm.
4 - Our inspirations for wearing it well
Like an actor
BonneGueule brogues , Salt Optics glasses, Velva Sheen t-shirt.
After James Dean and Marlon Brando, it's your turn to wear your bleached jeans with a white t-shirt.
Between icons of the male wardrobe, these two pieces will understand each other.
Being both clear and bright, their association is all the more harmonious.
On your feet, a pair of white canvas sneakers would be too expected. So surprise them instead with a pair of brogues, elegant and versatile.
And since this set has made a few stars look great before you, play the game to the end with a pair of glasses and a bit of composure.
Like a chilly actor
If the breeze gets harsh, wrap yourself in a splash of spring color.
A nicely textured overshirt will do the trick.
As an American student
BonneGueule hoodie and jacket, Vans sneakers, Norse Projects cap.
Complement the ease of your jeans with the soft comfort of a hoodie.
Muscle it all up with a play on indigo textures. A raw denim jacket, for example.
Finally, add a final dose of cool, with a cap that will add some color.
If you're not the captain of a Harvard football team, this outfit is still relevant for a video chat aperitif.
Like a Sunday
For a day of home-based relaxation, keep it simple: sky blue jeans and a navy sweatshirt will always work.
Our sweatshirt redesigned, retro style
The navy sweatshirt is a wardrobe classic.
A simple, multi-tasking garment for mid-season freshness, comfort needs, or the simple desire to add some cool to your outfit.
Simple does not mean ordinary, we wanted it to be different while keeping its essence.
An easy piece, to put on without thinking, embodying the vintage soul of our capsule.
How do you get these new parts?
Find our new products on our e-shop .
See you soon,
Benoit
