Equal parts Rock & Roll and West Coast, the story of Joe’s Jeans is one of dedication fused with a sophisticated design process. It’s been 16 years since Joe Dahan launched the brand in Los Angeles – and the founding strengths are still the core of the house’s philosophy today. Inherently Californian, incessantly ergonomic, Joe’s Jeans prides itself in providing fits for all, with unbeatable excellence in the denim realm.
Speaking to Schön!, Joe Dahan is quick to define the importance of the individual in the equation of success upon which Joe’s Jeans was built. Designing for a woman who is “confident, natural and effortlessly chic,” the team prides itself on denim expertise – dressing a woman who embodies the identity of California: “She embraces her femininity while also paying homage to her edgy and rebellious side,” Dahan tells us. Music, as well as the West Coast lifestyle, is instrumental in Dahan’s design process. “Rock & Roll specifically and the lifestyle associated with it have always been and will continue to be a great source of inspiration and the basis of who we are as a brand,” he elucidates. “Designing a product that resonates with contemporary generations is always top of mind for us. It allows for more out-of-the box thinking, which is always fun, as it leads to more daring fashion choices.”
Joe Dahan
When he founded the brand in 2001, in the aftermath of the success of the line of T-Shirts he designed for Barney’s, fit, wearability and comfort were top priorities for Joe Dahan: “I gave all my friends jeans, and quickly found that one fit didn’t work for everyone,” he recalls. “It immediately pushed us to create different overall fits for denim, not just at the leg opening, we were the first in the market to identify that need. We take the fit process very seriously, and make sure that every season we have the variety of fits we are known for, while at the same time introducing new fits that are trend-relevant.”
Dahan calls it his proudest achievement: that of ensuring that every body-type finds a perfect fit within the Joe’s Jeans range. It’s no mean feat, considering well-fitting jeans are notoriously difficult to find. It was a game-changer at the time – a step ahead of the wave of denim houses that were emerging in the early Noughties: “Over the years I’ve seen many other brands shift the way we did: they’re designing their lines to adapt more to the needs and body types of all women.”
Taylor Hill x Joe’s Jeans Collection
Part of the defining quality of Joe’s Jeans is a desire to be more and more innovative, one season after the other: “The denim space continues to be at the forefront of innovation in fashion,” Dahan explains. “It’s important for us to be part of those trends – the customer is looking for it. Our Men’s Kinetic denim is an example of an innovation that delivered a performance fabric while maintaining the authentic look and feel of denim.” In the vast range of washes that Joe’s Jeans has on offer, the indigos are the bread and butter of the brand, he tells us: “No matter how much we evolve in our design process, that’ll always be at the core of our brand.”
Taylor Hill x Joe’s Jeans Collection
This spring saw Joe’s Jeans team up with top model Taylor Hill, in keeping with the brand’s forward-thinking energy, further expanding into a digital generation. It’s something that has exploded since the inception of Joe’s Jeans, becoming one of the main shifts in the industry since the beginnings of the brand: “Social Media has given us, and all brands, the chance to tell a visual story about who we are and where we’re going,” Dahan tells us. “Aside from the upcoming Taylor Hill and Julian Edelman collaborations, we’re always looking for partnerships that make sense. It’s become an important part of the social media blend between digital and fashion.” In that sense, working with Taylor Hill was a no-brainer: “As soon as we saw Taylor we knew she embodied the ultimate Joe’s girl – confident, feminine and strong with a bit of rebellion.”
For autumn/winter, she’s joined by sports icon Julian Edelman, a native Californian and NFL champion. Edelman, Dahan tells us, “doesn’t shy away from edginess — a slimmer denim, a leather jacket. Our aesthetic aligns well with working with an athlete, especially one of Julian’s caliber. Above all, he’s flying the flag for the more active range of the brand’s denims: “The relationship gives us a platform to show the full range of our Kinetic collection as well as debut our new athletic fit – the Folsom.” Working closely with the design team, Edelman crafted a capsule collection that was a reflection of his personal style.
The Classics Joe’s Jeans
Other than this collaboration, Joe’s Jeans is also launching The Classics collection, which pays tribute to the very beginnings of the brand. A distinctive vintage feel – inspired by the timelessness of LA living – runs throughout the collection: “ When I started Joe’s in the early 2000’s, my goal was to create pieces that were timeless and could live in your closet forever. We’re giving our first customers a bit of nostalgia while sharing a big part of our original story with a new generation of Joe’s fans,” he relates. With The Classics collection, he wants to “pay tribute to the first pair of Joe’s Jeans marked by the signature JD logo.” A sure sign that Joe’s Jeans has grown and evolved alongside its fanbase, the collection is a sort of homage to the roots of the brand that continue to define the aesthetic and Joe’s Jeans lifestyle.
It’s certainly not all that fans of the brand can expect. With more projects in the pipeline, Joe Dahan is keen to prove Joe’s Jeans is a constantly growing world of denim and Californian sun: “All I will say is expect collaborations and pieces that will get everyone talking. For the rest, you will just have to wait and see!”
Discover Joe’s Jeans The Classics collection here.
