Denim is a hard-working, hard-wearing textile: everyone knows that. This was the very reason it was created in the first place – in Nîmes or de Nîmes, hence the name – and beloved by those who laboured outside in the elements.
Its thick twill weave, or serge, has characteristic diagonal ribs that facilitate its toughness. In 1853, an imported, indigo-dyed cotton version caught the eye of Levi Strauss, a young German immigrant who had travelled west to California following the gold rush. According to legend, although he’d bought the tough fabric to sell for tents and wagon covers, what prospectors really wanted were trousers that didn’t fall apart after only a few days. Strauss soon began using serge de Nîmes and the rest, as they say, is history.
The best part of two centuries later, and denim is still hard at it. According to one estimate, the average woman, whoever she is, owns seven pairs of jeans. They are an everyday style staple, dressed up or down, and as quotidian as a cup of tea. This is why it’s surprising that, until recently, denim hasn’t made that much headway in our homes.
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Perhaps that’s not entirely fair; denim as a colour is certainly popular. Deep indigo blues are perennial and easy to live with, chic and unassuming. ‘Serge’, an archive colour from Farrow & Ball, was created with the material in mind. For something a little softer and lived-in with a vintage feel, try Mylands’ ‘Stockholm’, from the recently released ‘Dependables’ collection with Beata Heuman, or ‘Denim Drift’ from Dulux.
Mixed deep blues are a staple colourway for Liberty London and so are a recurring motif in the new ‘House of Liberty’ interior collection that celebrates the design house’s 150th anniversary – ‘Regency Hera’ in ‘Scarab’, ‘Palm Parade’ linen in ‘Ink’ and ‘Clover Club’ velvet in ‘Flax Flower’ all lean heavily on denim hues.
The fabric itself is making stealthier interior inroads. In 2023, multidisciplinary artist Harry Nuriev (founder of Crosby Studios) created an entire exhibition around it for the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Paris, complete with a huge sectional sofa, cushions and even a denim-upholstered DJ booth.
More recently, designer Daniel Östman partnered with the sustainable Scandinavian label Jeanerica on a limited-edition collection of stools, while Alexa Chung expressed her intention to create a new line of homewares including denim tablecloths. Even the iconic ‘Barcelona’ chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has been spotted in a tailored denim suit (a Canadian tuxedo, if you will) as part of a reimagining by Supreme, named the ‘Jarcelona’.
The possibility of reusing denim is also intriguing. An awful lot currently goes to waste and, as sustainability and renewal increasingly play on consumers’ minds, designers have been coming up with innovative solutions. Sophie Rowley made a splash several years ago by creating Bahia Denim, a material that looks like marble, from discarded offcuts. Ligne Roset’s ‘Re-denim’ rug, Revival Rug’s washable ‘Denim’ collection, artist Ian Berry’s installations and Planq’s ‘Unusual’ chair are all variations on the same theme.
Denim’s work, it seems, is never done.
