IT WAS A crisp morning in Hong Kong and I was ready to hit the shops. My mission: to find a pair of jeans that made my butt look like J.Lo's - with a little-known brand that no one had heard of and at an affordable price tag. My first port of call was Lane Crawford, home to Hong Kong's socialites and fashionistas. Once I hit the denim corner I was overwhelmed by what seemed like thousands of pairs in every colour, type, shape, length and style you could imagine.
Jeans of today have come a long way from their material's humble origins in Genoa, Italy. What once served as work gear for American miners is now a status symbol among the rich and famous. Jeans have evolved from a casual wardrobe staple to a highly coveted (and glamorous) piece of couture that can easily cost more than $1,000 a pop. At the highest end, a line called APO recently set a new record with jeans retailing for up to $30,000, thanks to the gold, silver and platinum buttons, rivets, and diamond detailing.
The origins of denim couture can be traced back about two years, when a niche brand known as Seven jeans revolutionised the market with their form-fitting styles and unusual washes. This was the beginning of a denim revolution that would have women giving up their GAP pairs for much trendier, more expensive counterparts that weren't Gucci and Prada, but could surpass them in price and quality.
'The trend towards more casual clothing coupled with the success of designer jeans [from brands such as Chanel and D&G] has meant that people no longer view denim as a causal wear, but as an important fashion element,' says Helen Chan, a buyer at Hong Kong Seibu.
New York-born Eizelle Taino, the founder and owner of Indigo, Hong Kong's first and only denim bar, is one of the many people cashing in on denim's new-found status. 'People's mentality of what jeans are has changed,' she says. 'When you asked women what they looked for in jeans 10 years ago, it was practicality or comfort. Now, when I ask people what they want, they want [a pair] to make them look good. If the jeans are comfortable too, then it's all the better.'
Of course, such ludicrously priced jeans have to have some merit to them. Along with better fits, styles and clever marketing (Gwyneth Paltrow practically made Blue Cult the 'it' jean after she wore a pair to a film premiere), comes particular attention to quality and detail.
'Quality and fit is the big difference,' says Taino. 'Every line is different, but what one or all of them will boast is time in production. It's also about where they source their denim; Japanese and Italian denim are more of a premium.'