Simon Miller Jeans: Progressive Classic
Simon Miller had dozens of premiumdenim brands at his fingertips but found none that fit just right. As the owner of Fabric, a high-end specialty store in his native New Zealand, Miller traveled the world buying denim for his store and still came up empty-handed for himself. “The denim coming out of America was very conservative. You had either standard boot cuts or terrible, wide relaxed-fit jeans,” he said, adding that jeans from Japan had crazy fits and European denim always seemed to be black and skinny. None of it was to Miller’s own taste, so he moved to Los Angeles in 2006 to launch Simon Miller Jeans, a men’s premiumdenim line that debuted for Fall 2007 with one silhouette and a handful of washes.
“If you’re going to launch a serious denim line, you’ve got three options: Italy, Japan or Los Angeles. I think it is too late to learn Japanese,” Miller laughed. “Los Angeles is a no-brainer.”
Once here, Miller focused on creating a minimalist take on the classic fivepocket jean. “The main goal is to create a quality product with integrity. Something I have no issues standing behind,” Miller said. To that end, he sources premium denim and selvage denim from Japan and a boutique denim mill in North Carolina. Production and washing for the line are done in Los Angeles. “Aside from the Japanese denim, everything, from the rivets to the labeling, is made in America,” he said.
Fit is a constant fixation for Miller. For his label’s first pair, Miller created a slim, straight-leg style that is a balance between Japan and Europe’s moreforward denim and classic American blue jeans. Washes for the denim range from a washed-down vintage look to crisp raw selvage and saturated resin washes. For Fall 2008, Simon Miller Jeans will grow its offerings to include a total of four silhouettes, including Miller’s own take on boot fit and a variation of his straight-leg fit. The four silhouettes will be available in 20 finishes. Retail price points for the line range from $189 to $355, but Miller is shooting for most retail prices to land below $245.
With its super-clean styling and range of finishes, Miller thinks his denim has a wide appeal. “The fits are very straightforward, not super directional,” he said. “Basically, any guy with two legs and at least $189 can wear them!” Simon Miller Denim retails in Southern California at Ron Herman and Fred Segal, nationally at Bloomingdale’s, at Santa Barbara, Calif., boutique Blue Bee and Chicago boutique chain Active Endeavors. For more information, call the Steven Alan Showroom at (213) 629-6990. —Erin Barajas
