We've always said that DENHAM is a storytelling brand
At Armitage we love the Denham brand, their story and what they represent. Each month we will bring you chapters of their story. We hope you enjoy this journey with us.
CHAPTER 1
WE'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT DENHAM IS A STORYTELLING BRAND.
This is our story.
Jason Denham – Blue blood in my veins
I founded DENHAM the Jeanmaker on January 14, 2008. But the story of the DENHAM brand began long before that …
After graduating from university in Manchester, England, I started to build my career as a denim designer. I first worked with Joe Casely-Hayford, who at the time was making jeans for the rock band U2 to wear for their Zooropa world tour in the 1993. Then I was hired by Pepe Jeans in London, and was later relocated to Amsterdam. I never planned to stay long-term, but I fell in love with the city and its denim obsession. Eventually I co-founded a brand called Blue Blood, which was an instant success. I learned a lot at that time, but after six years, I started to realise that my adventure with Blue Blood was coming to an end. On December 20, 2007, I left the company.
It was time for something new. And maybe it was subconscious, but I always had a dream to create my own signature brand using my family name, DENHAM. It’s pronounced the same way as “denim,” so I guess you could call it destiny.
It was meant to be …
With a giant leap of faith, DENHAM the Jeanmaker was born on January 14, 2008. My wife, Debbie, and I began by looking for an office; we biked around Amsterdam trying to find a space, and stumbled upon an amazing art gallery at Prinsengracht 495, which was available to rent. We moved in — just us, two dogs, a laptop and a flip chart. It was exciting to start a new adventure.
After my Blue Blood experience, I had learned that the difference between a goal and a dream is having a strong plan. I’ve always believed in surrounding myself with people who have the best skills in their field, so to brainstorm a creative strategy we pulled in some of the best inspirational minds in the business including Nigel Barnes and Craig Fielding (Pirate Creative Agency), and Neil Stevens (Converse).
We saw an opportunity to bring something fresh, new and exciting to the market. The DENHAM brand would tap into the heritage trend, with amazing fabrics and authentic models. (I have always loved fabrics, combined with an original point of view.) My vision was to create beautiful, desirable products that are “mouth watering.”
I didn’t want to build a hobby project — I wanted something serious. I wanted to pick up where I left off with Blue Blood. I wanted to go all the way.
