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 confinement.
Michel presents our two new products with a vintage spirit:
- Our bleach jeans, with a unique straight cut
- Our navy sweatshirt, whose texture you will love
All of this, confined to his home without having the clothes. With, as his only weapons, a series of photos and endless notes from his video calls with our product team.
And that’s the job!
Benedict
Our redesigned bleach jeans, 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, letting these words escape:
“These jeans are deadly!” - Julien
Usually, however, our head of collection speaks calmly and measuredly.
So where did this exclamation of pride come from?
1 - Denim with grain
Originally, this canvas had nothing of bleach.
It all started two years ago.
Benoît and the product team are sketching out an ambitious project: a birthday 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 in comparison.
The prototype responds well to these specifications: an indigo canvas
It is the result of our first collaboration with the Japanese weaver Nihon Menpu. A big name that we have wanted to work with for some time.
He is one of the few weavers remaining in Okayama, the El Dorado of Japanese denim, who does not resort to mass production.
Result: canvases with particularly authentic grain and perfectly imperfect relief, obtained by the rigor and patience involved in the use of selvedge weaving machines.
The only thing is: the vagaries of the design prevent us from bringing together enough products for a birthday 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 out, clearer and more nostalgic for its ancestors who shone so much in the 80s.
In short, vintage jeans before being vintage which would satisfy our temptation to obtain in a snap of the fingers the result of years of machine washing.
Faithful to our requirements, they especially did not want to fall into the obvious of a soft and flat canvas, without hold or texture.
Gold :
- At this level of wash, most denim doesn't have much 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 to us by admitting defeat.
So here we are at a standstill, without 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 to believe in it.
They therefore asked our usual Portuguese workshop, which was then skeptical, 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 washing: the fabric is drum washed for 15 minutes at 45 degrees with pumice stones.
- Manual sanding: with another pumice stone, we accentuate if, we standardize there. In short, we improve.
- Bleach wash: a final lightening bath of 15 minutes at 45 degrees, with a limited dose of chlorine.
At our manufacturer, this method remains as respectful of humans and the environment as possible:
- No sanding
- 40% of water is reused
Benoit's word
Okay, I'll keep it simple: this denim fabric 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 denim with a lot of grain, "old style", without ever really giving in to the "mass market" by softening 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's THE detail that I adore, 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 obtained on very old looms, where the vibrations and tension of the canvas give this unique grain.
The difficulty, for suppliers like Nihon Mempu, is to:
- keep a stock of spare parts, which have not been manufactured for a long time, and pray to need them as little as possible
- recruit highly specialized workers in this type of machine, who have extensive experience, and who master all the settings specific to these looms
You will therefore have on your legs a canvas with a beautiful story, where the passion of some enlightened Japanese pushed them to create a most “authentic” canvas.
In short, it is a great pride to offer these jeans with this faded canvas, because those who are most knowledgeable know: finding faded jeans in a very high-end Japanese fabric, either it costs €250 minimum, or it is impossible to find.
Here is the result :
- From a distance, the color appears solid.
- When you get closer, you'll be amazed.
The product team's expectations have been met.
The canvas, thick and heavy, does not allow itself to be softened by the intensity of the wash and thus finds the balance between hold and flexibility.
Note from Benoit: the famous horizontal streaks, very light, that I spoke about are visible on the tibia here.
The grain, particularly rich in relief, shows through perfectly at the exit.
It is a success. At the workshop, our partners are amazed.
Our new bleach denim is found.
3 - A straight cut, assumed relaxation
Give a vintage aesthetic to jeans, without giving them a cut worthy of the name? Impossible. One does not go without the other.
The cut is the element that gives its aura to the iconic jeans that have spanned 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" filmed in 1953. (Credit: Alain Benainous/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images).
Dear readers, I have the honor to present to you the first straight cut jeans in the history of BonneGueule.
When I told you that we were in the unprecedented.
In our offices and among you, this cut is eagerly awaited.
We no longer count the messages asking us for it, nor the number of times we have challenged the product team to see it born one day.
And this enthusiasm can only be understood:
- Its 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 room, our prayers have been answered.
A word about the cut:
If this is the first time you take this route, as always, we will accompany you step by step.
No need to worry: 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 will not work.
- When you make it shorten
, be aware that the bottom will be slightly wider after retouching.
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 bleach jeans with a white t-shirt.
Between icons of the men's wardrobe, these two pieces will be understandable.
Being both clear and luminous, their association is all the more harmonious.
On your feet, a pair of white canvas sneakers would be too expected. Instead, surprise with a pair of elegant and versatile brogues.
And since this ensemble has sublimated a few stars 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 rough, wrap yourself in a pop of spring color.
A well-textured overshirt will do the job perfectly.
Like 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.
Strengthen everything with a play of indigo textures. A raw denim jacket, for example.
Finally, add a final dose of cool, with a cap that will add color.
If you are not captain of a football team at Harvard, this outfit is still relevant for a video aperitif.
Like a Sunday
For a day of rest at home, keep it simple: sky blue jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt will always work.
Our redesigned sweatshirt, retro style
The navy sweatshirt is a wardrobe classic.
A simple, multitasking garment for mid-season cools, comfort needs, or the simple desire to add some cool to your outfit.
Simple does not mean ordinary, we wanted it to face difference while retaining 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,
Benedict
