Dr. Denim Jeans really began in 1986 when Graah brothers Johannes and Alexander made their first visit to a jeans factory - not knowing that this visit would soon change their lives forever. Fast forward 18 years or so, the duo witnessed the first-ever exhibit of Dr. Denim jeans at a trade show fair - Goldfinger in Copenhagen. Soon after, orders from various high class customers came rolling, with Champagne and Apartment from Sweden amongst the first. Since then on, the brand has only grown stronger and stronger, day by day.
Check out an interview we held with Dr. Denim's own Alexander Graah after the jump.
I am a 30-year-old denim addict. I grew up in a family with strong ties to the fashion industry, and ran around looms and sewing machines as a kid. Got my first stone washed jeans at the age of three, and now I'm running Dr Denim Jeansmakers together with my brother and our dad since five years.
What inspired you to create a line of denim?
It seemed like a good idea to design a line based on personal taste and to create something a little different to what was available at the time. When we started out, most brands focused on ever higher prices and lots of bling. We felt there was a need for something more credible, more personal, humorous and affordable. The combination of design and building a business from scratch appealed to us strongly. We started out quite humbly, with a 9sqm booth at the Copenhagen fashion fair, our first 90sqm warehouse in an old abandoned bunker, and took it from there. We have some clients who have been with us since the start and we've become good friends at the same time as we've grown together.
Where did you all come up with the name of the brand?
We did a bit of brain storming and came up with quite a few ideas. Dr Denim had a suitably dry, humorous, nerdy angle. As simple as that.
UNAGI were the first Dr.Denim Jean style explain the concept behind the jeans?
We set out to create a tribute to the good old gold-digger jeans of the early 20th century, using the heaviest selvage fabric we could find, creating jeans that could tell the story of their owner after many years of use. I grabbed one of the first pairs to come off the production line and wore them more or less every day for the first two years of running Dr. Denim. We did a lot of work in the warehouse at the time, packing everything ourselves, and those jeans are the ones featured in our Dr. Denim book. They tell our story the way we intended.
The production phase for Dr.Denim jeans is very impressive can you explain to our readers the quality you put into every pair of jeans that hit the shelves?
There are many aspects. Quality is not simply a measure of durability. Of course it's part of it but there's generally no linear relationship between price and durability on a pair of jeans. It all starts with a rather drawn out process of designing the styles. We start by forming ideas of what we want to do. The next step is to work with the fabric mill to develop the fabric we need, and likely some surface treatments to get it right. We mix cotton from many parts of the world, but we often use long-fibre cotton from the US and Zimbabwe. At the same time we develop prototypes of new fits, and make many adjustments before the collection is ready. While the salesmen/women are on the road, we continue the fine tuning before production starts, involving adjustments to the fit as well as little details of the wash treatment to get it exactly the way we want it. Cutting and sewing is no rocket science - it's more about the fabric, fit and wash treatment.
What's the most difficult aspect of managing a clothing line?
The work involves a huge range of challenges and there's always some form of emergency management going on. We're involved in everything from design to buying to logistics, marketing and contact with clients. Things go wrong and we have to work them out. Around 5-10% of our time goes into design. The rest goes towards making the whole thing work, which is more than a full time job. There's no such thing as a long holiday, and stress levels are high. But it's good fun at the end of the day.
What differentiates your brand from others?
The combination of quirky Swedish design, a brand concept combining denim addiction with humour and an accessible price point.
Anything to lookout for in the near future?
We are making our first deliveries to the US this year, which is really exciting. We're starting out very softly with a few selected retailers but it still means introducing our jeans to the country were it all started.
Any last words for aspiring designers wanting to start a brand?
There are a few key things to keep in mind. If you're into design but don't care much for entrepreneurship, then hook up with someone who does and someone you can trust. Design is important but there are a million other things involved as well, and you need to enjoy those bits as well. It's also essential to know how the industry works, so getting some experience from working for an established brand is a very good idea. Be prepared for a lot of late nights!
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