“BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD” MAHATMA GANDHI
This is the quote that is the inspiration for Simon King founder and designer of London Denim, who has been making streetwear for over 16 years. Clothes first became Fashion for King back in the early 80’s when he started his comprehensive education. He would hear a host of lads whose hair was neatly styled, trousers were sharp and who talked of Farah, Tacchini, LaCoste in voices of desire and bandied around an even more obscure concept to him. His first pair of jeans were baggy Easy Jeans which he tucked into his boots, these were followed by Maro’o’Polo white and baggy jeans teamed with Champion sweatshirt and grey hush puppies. He’s come along a great deal since these days and sustainability and ethical consumerism are Key to King’s approach to Fashion and style nowadays.
They are, what they call themselves, a slow fashion brand and 80% of their product is made to order in our studio from organic, ethically produced materials. But by 2018 they aim for all product sold in the European Market will be manufactured in UK. The brand debuted at London Fashion Week in 2001 and has shown in Paris, Milan, New York and recently at the London Fashion Week:Men exhibitions.
All of their non-denim garments are made in the UK either in our workshop in Kent or our studio in London. We do not make or hold stock of the majority of our products preferring to make to order. This means we don’t manufacture unwanted product or have a distressed product of any nature.
They’re following Ghandi’s advice with the Eden T, which represents the change they want to instil in the world. They’re hoping we ‘get it’ and spread the word to tell people there is an, organic, made local, ethical, ergonomic, sustainable T out there at a High Street Price. They want to see slow, ethical fashion as a normal on the high-street. The Eden T is how we’re showing everyone this is possible.
As King puts it himself, “The products I design and produce for London Denim are overdeveloped and thought through again and again. I’m obsessive about difference in design, shape, fit and quality and giving London Denim product a unique perspective. Like the denim brands of old I strive towards the goal of engendering trust in my product.”
When they transfer the production to the UK in 2018 they will only use Italian denim made with Turkish cotton or recycled denim. At this point, all of their denim will also contain a recycled or organic element to it. All of their other garments are made from GOTs certified organic cotton from Turkey. This is important to them as organic cotton limits the harm their cotton does to the environment and road shipping from Turkey limits the CO2 created in shipping our raw materials to their factories.
All of London Denim’s non-denim garments are made in the UK either in their factory in Leicester, the workshop in Kent or their studio in London. The majority of the brand’s products are made to order. This means they don’t manufacture unwanted product.
