DENIM REPORT
Creative Agency for Brands Launches Its Own Line: Frame Denim
When Jens Grede and Erik Torstensson of the London-based fashion marketing firm The Saturday Group met Josh LeVine, the former West Coast director of creative services at Lucky Brand Jeans, a business relationship was instantly born, giving life to Frame Denim.
The Saturday Group, which is an umbrella company known for leading international fashion campaigns, conceived Net-a-Porter’s menswear company, Mr. Porter; worked with Natalie Portman for Miss Dior; and created digital placements for Balenciaga and Tory Burch as well as countless other campaigns.
Founders Grede and Torstensson established The Saturday Group in 2003, serving as the creative agency for media and luxury clients, housing 12 private businesses in London, Paris, Milan, New York and Los Angeles. With roughly 200 employees and 140 clients—including H&M, Calvin Klein, Moncler and Kurt Geiger—The Saturday Group offers digital, licensing and marketing strategies, as well as an advertising and branding perspective through its divisions Wednesday, RMO Comms, Tomorrow, Hall London, IBE 360 and Industrie.
Grede and Torstensson were originally connected with LeVine through a mutual friend. Only after a few months of conversation in late 2011, they decided they should partner up, start a denim line and manufacture it in Los Angeles.
“From day one, we thought it was extremely important to be a ‘Made in LA’ product,” LeVine said. All of the production, manufacturing, wash, logistics and shipping is now done in Los Angeles.
“The inspiration was to create the perfect-fitting jean in amazing fabrics with beautiful washes. At the time we initially created Frame, everyone was doing print and novelty, so we purposely avoided it. We really wanted to focus on a return to blue and core colors like navy, black, white and gray,” LeVine said.
In Fall 2012, Frame Denim launched at Ron Herman LA, Barneys New York and Net-a- Porter, as well as Ikram in Chicago, The Grocery Store in San Francisco, and internationally at Liberty and Matches in London and Isetan in Tokyo.
They debuted with just one style: the skinny-fit “Le Skinny de Jeanne,” partly because the partners wanted to launch with an edited and polished style, LeVine said. “Although we did this [jean] in a few different fabrics, we felt that it was really important to establish one perfect fit so the customer going forward would know [our product] would be impeccable,” LeVine said.
For Spring, the company introduced a new fit, “Le Garçon,” which is a “boy” fit, as well as a cut-off and high-waisted shorts version. The core jean, “Le Skinny de Jeanne,” wholesales for $82, and “Le Garçon” wholesales for $86.50. The new “Luxe Noir Le Skinny” comes in ultra-luxe sateen and wholesales for $90.50.
LeVine said the company plans to expand—but at its own pace. “The plan from inception was to ultimately become a lifestyle brand,” LeVine said. When the time is right, I’m sure we will expand into other categories.”
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