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Next Event: September 24 - 25, 2022 10am-5pm both daysRandolph Street Market 1341 W Randolph St, Chicago
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Next Event: September 24 - 25, 2022 10am-5pm both daysRandolph Street Market 1341 W Randolph St, Chicago

Denim: Always Classic-Ever New

Fashion Trend Impressions from Nena Ivon

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A quote from DENIM: Fashion’s Frontier, the cover is seen in the photo above.

“Denim is one of the world’s favorite fabrics, and today it accounts for the largest segment of the clothing industry. The market for jeans alone is worth over 55 billion dollars. Accompanying a recent exhibition at the Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, this handsome book explores the history of denim and examines the continually evolving relationship between it and high fashion.

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Prized for its durability and strength, denim began as an ideal fabric for workwear, most famously in the clothing produced by Levi Strauss & Co. for fortune hunters during the 19th-century California gold rush. Over the past 160 years, however, film, television, and advertising have helped transform denim into a  symbol of youth, rebellion and sex. The fashion industry has also played a large role in the expansion of denim into casual and couture clothing.”

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Quite a transition from it’s lowly beginnings as overalls worn by the men and woman seeking their fortunes in the Gold Rush of the latter part of the 19th Century. Levi Strauss saw the need for a sturdy fabric…denim…and sturdy closers to hold the fabric in place…thus “jeans” were born, first in the form of overalls.

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Seeking their fortunes….then…

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And now….
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In my youth, denim was only worn to garden, maybe go grocery shopping but never seen as a fashion item until the “Hippie Movement” of the 1960’s. Everyone, at the time, thought that it was the beginning of everyone wearing “uniforms” that uniform being traditional jeans.

Randolph Street Market

Randolph Street Market
Similar looks to be found at the monthly Randolph Street Market.

This was not the case, think embellishments, think the “flower child” and individuality came to the forefront and quite frankly has never looked back. It might be “uniform” but only the fabric, not the fashion. People want acceptance but with their own twist. For years I would think….denim is dead now I say…long live denim!

Obviously the latter is the case and it just gets stronger and more trend worthy. Take for example the entire denim collection Karl Lagerfeld did for Chanel in 1996.

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Randolph Street Market
He is quoted as saying Mlle Chanel thought mini skirts were dreadful as was denim….there you have it…the rest as they say is fashion history (or fashion myth!)

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When I worked with Victoria Beckman, in 2008, she was only doing sunglasses and we introduced her jeans which became status symbols so much so that I “paid” our models in the jeans they wore for the personal appearance, I must admit a rather clever marketing ploy on my part…gorgeous young models wearing the product out and about didn’t hurt sales!!!! The jeans all had embroidered stars on the back hip pocket….the item of the season. Her talent has blossomed and I might add, she was a dream to work with, loved her.

Celebrities have always wore denim….

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Then….Marilyn Monroe in the film The Misfits

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Randolph Street Market
Now…Rihanna out and about.

The 2018 Collections have featured denim in its many guises…..

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Or perhaps a patchwork quilt…..the possibilities of working with “blue jeans” is obviously endless…I can hardly wait to see what our designing geniuses will create in future collections with what was considered “workman’s” cloth…..stay tuned!

—–
by Nena Ivon
www.nenasnotes.com

All photos from Pinterest photo credits unknown.

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blue jeans Denim fashion Levi Strauss & Co. nena ivon randolph street market Rihanna Victoria Beckman vintage

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TOMORROW, August 10th at 4:30PM, join us for 🌊 Lakehouse Vintage Market at @fairmontchicago !

There will be more than 20 local vendors focused on vintage home goods, jewelry, paintings and more goods to browse after work. Admission is FREE! 🛍🎉 See you there! 

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Here’s everything @xtinavision found at Randolph Street Market in July! 🤩🛍 Which piece is your fave?! ⬇️

We’ll be BACK in the bustlin’ West Loop ⭐️ Sept 24+25 ⭐️ randolphstreetmarket.com 🔗 Join us!!!

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Aug 5

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Hi all, this is Sally, the person who sends you the emails and you see at the front gate, I am the creator, owner and recipient of all bills addressed to the Randolph Street Market. I see it's customary that business owners share their stories and so I shall now. For adults only, I'll see you crossing the street by the way so stop now if you're a prude!!!

Bottom line, I need to have fun - A LOT OF FUN - and any career path I took was going to be in the general direction of downtown FUN CITY!! I think the Randolph Street Market is about the best fun I could ever imagine. It combines the things that are the most fun for me: learning about history, art and fashion; shopping; and socializing with my favorite, most interesting people. What it doesn't do is bore me -- I CANNOT handle boring people or boring places; I am always so happy being home so when I go somewhere it better knock my pantaloons off.

While I now produce this almost 20 yr-old antique market, my professional event career started at age 25 when I opened my own party planning company called Paint Me A Party, renamed in 2000 Image Pilots Global Event Navigators, producers of the "World-Famous Randolph Street Market"! 

But let's go back to a time before big time careers and motherhood, to my childhood as indentured servant growing up in Chicago's northern suburbs. That's where I got my start in the hospitality business as my mother would take me from my comfortable spot in front of the TV and drop me off at her friends' homes, where I was to be "of service" at their dinner parties. I was not asked if I wanted to leave the TV set and spend my Friday and Saturday nights hanging up coats, keeping water glasses full and washing dishes for maybe $5 dollars. 

I'm pretty sure I never actually used soap, just hot water, and once to show the client how much good sanitation meant to me, I went full Christo and wrapped their entire kitchen in Saran wrap including their stovetop, sink and cabinets... they did not value my art installation titled "Meticulous Cleanliness" -- so I was DONE with them!! (read comments for more..!) ⬇️
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