Original subtitles

GIVE ME A DOUBLE X.

AND $450 IS THE BEST I CAN DO ON THOSE.

YOU HAVE SOME OF THIS, TOO?

YEAH, A FEW.

-$150. -THAT'S $250.

YEAH, THAT ONE'S CRAZY.

THIS ONE IS, LIKE, SIX.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT EXPENSIVE FOR A BIG E,

BUT CHARACTER AND SIZES, IT'S ALL PERFECT.

THAT ONE'S $550.

-IT'S A BIG E, RIGHT? -YEAH, A BIG E.

THIS IS THE STORY OF ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE

MAN-MADE TEXTURES ON THE PLANET,

CHANGING SHADES FROM LEG TO LEG

FROM LIFE TO LIFE.

COWBOYS, MINERS, DUST BOWL FARMERS,

MOVING LIKE GHOSTS IN THE WEAVE.

CLOTH MERGING WITH MEN,

FLOWING OUT OF POP CULTURE

AND INTO THE DREAMS AND HABITS OF THE NATION.

MORE THAN JUST APPAREL, JEANSWEAR LIKE A CONVICTION ABOUT THE WORLD,

UNIMPEACHABLE, INCORRUPTIBLE,

PRIMAL, A SECOND SKIN.

AND EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY, LEAVING BEHIND AN IMPRINT,

A ROUGH BLUE SEED FOR NEW CULTURES AND SUBCULTURES.

UNDIMINISHED IN THE NEW CENTURY,

CUT LOOSE FROM ITS MOORINGS IN AMERICANA,

WANDERING TO THE FAR CORNERS OF THE EARTH,

A UNIVERSAL STATEMENT.

NEVER QUITE EXHAUSTED, NEVER SACRED,

EVERY PAIR TELLS A STORY.

I SOLD LIFE INSURANCE FULL TIME.

SO I WORE A SUIT EVERY DAY, AND DROVE A MERCEDES.

MY DAD AND MY FATHER-IN-LAW BOTH KINDA THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY

TO LEAVE THE INSURANCE BUSINESS AND TO SELL USED CLOTHES.

FOR ME, IT WAS-- IT WAS A PASSION

AND IT WAS KIND OF IN MY BLOOD,

AND THE ONLY THING I CAN REALLY COMPARE IT TO

IS KIND OF LIKE A GOLD MINER.

IT GETS IN YOUR BLOOD AND YOU JUST WANT TO WORK HARD

AND PAN FOR GOLD AND LOOK FOR THOSE BIG NUGGETS.

REALLY, THE MAJORITY OF ALL THE VINTAGE DENIM THAT PEOPLE FIND ANYMORE

IS IN UTAH, NEVADA, OREGON, WYOMING, AND IDAHO.

THAT'S WHERE IT WAS USED.

THE GOLD MINERS AND THE PEOPLE THAT WENT TO CALIFORNIA

WHERE IT ALL STARTED,

THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THAT CAME FROM.

BUT THE WORKING MAN, THE GUY THAT STILL GOES OUT AND WORKS EVERY DAY

IS FOUND IN THE MID-WESTERN STATES,

AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE LOCATED,

AND THAT'S WHERE WE FIND THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLOTHES.

TRAVEL THE BACK ROADS OF THE AMERICAN WEST

AND TRACES OF A LOST WORLD BEGIN TO EMERGE,

AND BLUE JEANS START TO LOOK LIKE

THE LAST LIVING SURVIVOR OF THE AMERICAN FRONTIER.

SO WE LOOK FOR OLD CLOTHES IN OLD OUTHOUSES

AND FARMS JUST LIKE THE OLD MAN'S WEARING.

JUST EXACTLY THAT KIND OF THING. YUP.

REALLY ANY CLOTHING THAT'S LIKE 1980S AND OLDER

IS STUFF THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

DO YOU WANT TO GO OUT IN THE BARN? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE--

YEAH, YOU SAID YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME OLD TRUNKS

-OF CLOTHES IN THE BARN? -I DON'T KNOW.

THERE USED TO BE SOME OLD TRUNKS UPSTAIRS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S UP THERE. I COULDN'T TELL YOU.

YOU HAVE TO COME UP AND TAKE A LOOK.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.

LOOK AT THE TRUNKS HE TALKED ABOUT.

OH, THERE'S YOUR OLD TRUNKS.

LOOK AT THIS. THERE'S SOME OLD DEAD ANIMAL IN HERE.

IT'S A CAT.

THIS IS ABOUT A 1930S DENIM APRON.

CONSOLIDATED AIRCRAFT COMPANY.

"FOR VICTORY," THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DURING WORLD WAR II,

THAT DENIM APRON.

WELL, WE DID FIND SOMETHING AWFULLY INTERESTING.

THIS OLD DENIM WORK APRON

AND THIS KIDS' FLANNEL SHIRTS LOOK 1950S,

AND KINDA LIKE A LITTLE SLEEPWEAR TOP

THAT'S FELT THAT'S REALLY PRETTY.

WE USE THIS KINDA FELT STUFF TO MAKE OTHER PATCHES FOR PIECES,

BUT JUST FOR THAT KIND OF JUNK RIGHT THERE,

I CAN GIVE YOU 50 BUCKS IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.

I IMAGINE THAT BELONGS TO MY SISTER-IN-LAW.

-TO YOUR SISTER-IN-LAW? -UH-HUH.

WELL, IF YOU FIND-- IF YOU CAN GET WITH HER

-AND LET HER KNOW WE-- -WELL, SHE'S DEAD,

BUT I'LL TALK TO HER-- MY BROTHER AND SEE IF HE--

-WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT IT. -OKAY.

THIS WAS A HEADQUARTERS FOR AN OLD SHEEP RANCH.

LIKE ALL GOOD FARMERS, WE JUST TRY TO SURVIVE NOW.

ALL PANTS.

THERE'S SOME GOOD ONES, IT LOOKS LIKE.

THESE ARE LIKE NAVY DUNGAREES.

I JUST NEED A LITTLE MORE WARNING.

THESE ARE PRETTY COOL BECAUSE THEY WERE MADE IN HONOLULU.

YEAH, WE WAS IN AND OUT OF BARBER POINT, HONOLULU,

IN '51 AND '52 AND LATE '53, I THINK.

TIMES DO CHANGE, DON'T THEY?

THAT THEY DO.

THIS IS THE ONE WITH A BUNCH

-OF YOUR NAVY STUFF. -YOU OPEN THAT, DADDY.

WELL, I THINK THESE ARE INTERESTING.

THE PANTS ARE INCREDIBLE.

WE'LL SEE IF WE CAN'T GET HIM TO SELL THEM.

UM, REALLY, THIS IS THE MOST VALUABLE.

THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF-- THE WOOL STUFF,

WE USE THE BUTTONS AND PARTS OF--

TO MAKE OTHER PIECES.

THE BAG I LIKE AS WELL, WITH THE STENCILS,

BUT, REALLY I CAN DO 100 BUCKS FOR THIS STUFF HERE,

AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GET RID OF THAT APRON OR NOT

FOR ANOTHER 50, BUT--

IF I DECIDE WE WANT IT, I'LL HAVE ELLEN--

-GIVE HER A CARD OR SOMETHING. -OKAY, WE CAN DO THAT.

THAT WAS A PLEASURE.

-BYE. -THANK YOU, BOB.

- YOU BET. - I APPRECIATE IT.

A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE,

OLDER PEOPLE THAT WENT THROUGH TIMES

WHERE THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH,

THEY STORE IT ALL AND KEEP IT ALL

IN THOSE TRUNKS AND KEEP IT UP IN THEIR ATTIC OR WHATEVER.

AND WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS IS THEY JUST DUMP IT

AND SEND IT TO A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

WHERE IT GOES INTO THE RAG MILL

AND THEN WE GET IT FOR $3 A POUND,

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND I CAN SAY I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER GONE THROUGH A TRUNK

WHERE THERE WERE DEAD ANIMALS IN THE TRUNK BEFORE.

THAT WAS PRETTY WILD.

IF YOU WANNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF HOW ONE PIECE OF CLOTHING

CAME TO MATTER SO MUCH, THE TRAIL BEGINS OUT HERE

IN THE VAST TERRAIN OF THE AMERICAN WEST.

IT'S NOT JUST A JEAN,

IT WAS BORN OUT OF THE SPIRIT OF THE WEST.

IT STANDS FOR FAMILY, COMMUNITY,

TRUSTWORTHINESS, HONESTY,

IT'S ALL THE COWBOY ETHICS.

CLEARLY, JEANS GET STARTED AS A SYMBOL OF AMERICA.

SOMEHOW THEY PRETTY QUICKLY, LIKE MARLBORO,

GOT ASSOCIATED WITH COWBOYS.

AND COWBOYS, GOING BACK TO THE EARLY PART OF THE 20TH CENTURY,

WERE THESE MYTHIC FIGURES OF AMERICAN INDIVIDUALISM.

AND WHEN HOLLYWOOD BEGAN TO REIMAGINE

THE STORIES OF THE OPEN RANGE, AN AMERICAN MYTH WAS BORN.

AND SO WHAT AMERICA REPRESENTED GLOBALLY

AND WHAT JEANS SORT OF WERE A PROXY FOR

WAS THIS NOTION OF AMERICAN INDIVIDUALISM,

OF TOUGH KIND OF MASCULINITY IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD.

AND THAT QUICKLY BECAME WHAT WAS MARKETED AS WELL.

I MEAN, IT IN PART WAS A FUNCTION OF HOW AMERICA WORKED,

BUT ALSO BECAME A COMMODITY ITSELF.

WRANGLER IS RODEO, AND RODEO IS WRANGLER.

IF YOU SEE A RODEO SOMEWHERE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE WRANGLER THERE.

IT'S THE AUTHENTIC BRAND OF THE WESTERN LIFESTYLE.

AND THE FIRST WRANGLER JEAN WAS DEVELOPED IN 1947.

1947, ABOUT 50 YEARS

AFTER THE LAST ORIGINAL COWBOYS

ROAMED THE WILD WEST,

AND THE REAL COWBOYS DIDN'T WEAR THOSE ROUGH BLUE PANTS.

SO WHERE DO THESE ICONIC BLUE JEANS COME FROM?

THE ACTUAL STORY IS RIGHT THERE IN EVERY DETAIL OF THE PANTS.

DETAILS THAT FOR NO PRACTICAL REASON

ARE STILL THERE IN YOUR SKINNY $300 FASHION JEANS.

AMERICA SYMBOLIZED A KIND OF INFORMALITY,

A WORLD IN WHICH BIRTH--

I MEAN, NOT THAT IT'S NECESSARILY TRUE,

BUT IN WHICH BIRTH DIDN'T DETERMINE EVERYTHING,

IN WHICH CLASS STANDING DIDN'T DETERMINE EVERYTHING.

AND KIND OF THAT LINE FROM F. SCOTT FITZGERALD,

YOU KNOW, AMERICA WAS THE LAND OF THE GREAT SECOND CHANCE.

LURED BY THE GOLD RUSH IN 1849

AND THE PROMISE OF INSTANT RICHES,

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PIONEERS

MADE THEIR WAY TO CALIFORNIA.

THERE WAS A HUGE BUSINESS IN WORK PANTS.

I THINK HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PAIRS A YEAR

WERE GOING OUT TO THE MINES.

SIMPLE PANTS, WORK PANTS MADE IN NEW YORK,

THEY REALLY HAD NO STRENGTHENING DEVICES.

THEY PROBABLY WORE OUT VERY QUICKLY, MAYBE IN A WEEK OR TWO.

BUT THEN CAME THE EVOLUTIONARY LEAP,

A DETAIL THAT WOULD MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

WELL, IT SEEMS TO HAVE ALL STARTED IN RENO, NEVADA,

WHEN JACOB DAVIS, A TAILOR, HAD A NEIGHBOR ASK HIM

TO MAKE A PAIR OF PANTS THAT WOULDN'T FALL APART.

AND THEY LOOKED OVER ON THE TABLE AND SAW THESE RIVETS.

HE SAYS, "OH, HECK, I'LL ADD A RIVET TO IT."

HE PUT LITTLE METAL RIVETS AT THE POINTS OF STRAIN

ON THE POCKETS AND VARIOUS OTHER PLACES ON THE PANTS.

AND HIS CUSTOMERS LOVED THEM SO MUCH,

HE KNEW HE HAD A MONEY-MAKING IDEA.

HIS NAME GOT AROUND, I GUESS,

AND HE DECIDED HE PROBABLY SHOULD PATENT THAT.

BUT DAVIS COULDN'T AFFORD

THE $60 TO PATENT HIS INVENTION,

SO HE SENT TWO SAMPLES TO HIS FABRIC SUPPLIER IN SAN FRANCISCO

AND PARTNERED UP WITH ITS OWNER,

A BAVARIAN BORN DRY GOODS MERCHANT, LEVI STRAUSS.

THERE REALLY WAS A LEVI STRAUSS.

HE MADE HIS WAY FROM HIS NATIVE LAND

TO NEW YORK IN THE LATE 1840S

TO WORK IN THE WHOLESALE DRY GOODS BUSINESS WITH HIS BROTHERS.

AND HE WAS SENT TO SAN FRANCISCO TO OPEN UP

THE WEST COAST BRANCH OF THE FAMILY BUSINESS,

WHICH WAS J. STRAUSS BROTHER & CO.

BUT HE NAMED IT AFTER HIMSELF, LEVI STRAUSS.

AND LEVI STRAUSS ASKED JACOB DAVIS TO COME TO SAN FRANCISCO

AND BE IN CHARGE OF MAKING THE PANTS.

WE ADVERTISE THE PRODUCT VERY HEAVILY

AS THIS IS THE ORIGINAL RIVETED CLOTHING.

ORIGINAL RIVETED CLOTHING COMES FROM LEVI STRAUSS & CO.

WHEN THEY STARTED MAKING AND SELLING THESE PATENTED PANTS,

THE REST OF THE WHOLESALE CLOTHING MAKERS IN SAN FRANCISCO

STARTED LOSING THEIR BUSINESS.

SO IN THE INTERVENING 17 YEARS, IF YOU WANTED TO SELL A PAIR

OF GOOD HEAVY STURDY WORK PANTS

IN COMPETITION WITH LEVI STRAUSS,

YOU HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT NOTHING COULD COMPETE WITH THE RIVET,

AND THE MODERN HISTORY OF AMERICAN WORKWEAR BEGINS

ON MAY 20, 1873,

WHEN JACOB DAVIS AND LEVI STRAUSS

WERE GRANTED THE PATENT FOR RIVETED BLUE DENIM PANTS.

THE REST OF THE HISTORY IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO RECONSTRUCT,

BECAUSE IN 1906, THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE

DESTROYED ALL RECORDS OF PRODUCTION,

MAKING THE EARLIEST VERSIONS OF LEVI'S JEANS

A KIND OF LOST TREASURE MAP OF THE PAST.

JUST IF SOMEBODY IS SAFETYING ME ON A ROPE--

I MEAN, THERE'S THE TOP RIGHT THERE.

IT'S CLOSER FROM THE TOP DOWN TO THERE

THEN IT IS FROM HERE UP.

SO WHEN YOU FIND THE TOP,

JUST A ROPE AND ME

CLIMBING DOWN THAT WOODEN STRUCTURE

WILL GET IT IN MINUTES.

-WE DON'T HAVE A CATCHY NAME FOR US. -THE JEAN, NO.

WE'RE JEAN-- WE'RE JEAN HUNTERS.

WE'RE JEAN HUNTERS. WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT PICKERS.

WE DON'T RELY ON MEETING PEOPLE AND GETTING LEADS.

IT'S FUNNER GOING OUT AND ACTUALLY FINDING THE STUFF YOURSELF.

-IT'S FOR SURE DENIM-- -OH, ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH, IT'S A BIG CHUNK. IT'S FOLDED. IT'S FOLDED.

THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING MAJOR.

IT'S NOW JUST A LITTLE FOLDED, A PIECE OF WOOD.

-YEAH, IT'S NOT A RIPPED UP PIECE OF LEG. -IT COULD BE A WHOLE PIECE.

YOU HAVE TO SHINE A LIGHT. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THAT UP THERE.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE VERY FIRST PAIR OF BLUE JEANS,

RECONSTRUCTING THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN WORKWEAR

FRAGMENT BY FRAGMENT.

I THINK IT'S NOT AS OLD AS WE THOUGHT.

OF COURSE, IT'S PATENT RIVETED.

IT'S KIND OF DANGEROUS.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING,

YOU CAN KILL YOURSELF PRETTY EASY.

-WELL, I SEE DIMPLES IN THE RIVETS. -OKAY.

HOLY SHIT. OKAY, HERE.

WE STARED FINDING LEVI PIECES

THAT AT THE TIME JUST DIDN'T QUITE JIVE

WITH THE HISTORY OF THE TIME ON LEVI.

BECAUSE WE LOST EVERYTHING IN 1906,

WE HAD NO RECORDS TO TELL US WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTS WE WERE MAKING,

WHEN WE INTRODUCED THEM, OR ANYTHING.

THIS IS THE DOUBLE X.

THIS IS THE OLDEST PAIR OF 501 JEANS IN THE WORLD.

THEY DATE TO ABOUT 1879.

I'VE GOT WHAT WE THINK

IS A PAIR OF LEVI'S FROM 1873,

PROBABLY THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF PRODUCTION.

IT'S BEEN APPRAISED AT OVER $125,000.

IT WOULD BE HARD TO PUT A PRICE ON IT.

$100,000, MAYBE MORE.

IT STILL HAS OUR ARCUATE STITCHING,

WHICH HAS BEEN ON THE JEANS SINCE THE BEGINNING,

YOU CAN BARELY SEE IT.

BACK POCKET, UNDECORATED. NO ARCUATE STITCH.

THE RIVETS, OF COURSE, ARE BRANDED,

AND THEY HAVE THE PATENT DATE ON THEM, MAY 1873.

THESE RIVETS, THEY DON'T HAVE A STAMP.

THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS THAT I GET PIECES FOR THE COLLECTION.

EBAY HAS TAKEN OVER QUITE A BIT OF THE VINTAGE CLOTHING MARKET.

WHEN YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY OUT THERE GETTING THE STUFF

WHERE WE KNOW THE DATE RANGE

AND IF YOU'RE JUST BUYING THESE FROM PEOPLE,

THERE'S REALLY NO WAY TO GET A GOOD HANDLE

ON THE AGE OF THIS STUFF.

I'VE TALKED TO LYNN A FEW TIMES.

I SHOWED IT TO HER WHEN I FIRST FOUND IT

AND THEY PROBABLY HADN'T SEEN ANYTHING THIS OLD.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLETELY OBSESSED

WITH THE WAY THE JEANS HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED,

AND SOMETIMES SOME OF THESE OBSESSED FANS

KNOW MORE THAN I DO ABOUT HOW THESE JEANS WERE CONSTRUCTED.

SHE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

THERE'S ENORMOUS VALUE IN ALL THESE DETAILS,

AND OVER TIME, DESIGN AND BRANDING FEATURES

WOULD BE ADDED, TWEAKED, AND IMITATED.

AS THE FRONTIER DISAPPEARED,

THE MINING PANTS BECAME GENERAL WORKWEAR.

WHEN WORKERS LEFT THE FARM FOR THE FACTORY,

THE JEANS FOLLOWED TO THE CITY.

AND FINALLY, TO MATCH THE MYTH,

THE JEANS WERE REDESIGNED SO YOU COULD ACTUALLY RIDE IN THEM.

THE WAIST OVERALL HAD EVOLVED

INTO THE FIVE POCKET BLUE JEANS WE ALL KNOW TODAY,

AND THE BIG THREE WOULD DEFINE THE INDUSTRY FOR DECADES.

WHILE GROWING UP, I JUST WORE 501S

AND WHATEVER TEE SHIRT WAS THE CLEANEST.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT'S STILL THE SAME WAY.

I REALLY DON'T EVER DRESS TO IMPRESS

OR, YOU KNOW, I JUST TELL PEOPLE, MAN,

I'M JOE BLOW FROM IDAHO,

'CAUSE I'M LIKE THIS OLD CONSERVATIVE FAT REPUBLICAN.

IT'S REALLY THAT SIMPLE.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN THE BUSINESS,

EVERY DAY I WOULD GO TO SALVATION ARMY,

I'D GO TO ST. VINCENT'S, I'D GO TO SAVERS.

I'D HIT ALL THE FLEA MARKETS AND THRIFT STORES

AND TRY TO GO TO GARAGE SALES,

AND I COULD PICK A LOT OF THINGS THAT WAY.

RIGHT NOW MY BEST PICKERS, THE PEOPLE THAT SEND ME THE VERY BEST ITEMS,

ARE GUYS THAT ARE JUST DOING THAT,

THAT ARE GOING THROUGH COUNTRYSIDE COMMUNITIES.

THEY'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE, GOING DOOR TO DOOR,

AND FINDING WHERE THE CLOTHES ARE.

FOR ADRIENNE? HOW ARE WE SHIPPING THIS?

THREE-DAY, OKAY. THANKS SO MUCH.

YOU, TOO.

-HI, GAY. -HI, ERIC.

-HOW ARE YOU? -WANT TO BUY SOME JEANS?

ALWAYS, ALWAYS. ESPECIALLY YOURS.

I GOT SOME RED LINES IN SOME BIG E'S.

-OH, WOW. -YEAH.

-THOSE ARE BIG E'S. -YEAH, THAT ONE'S BEAUTIFUL.

501/501.

NOT A BAD SIZE.

32-33.

THESE I CAN DO, LIKE, 400 BUCKS.

I WAS WANTING TO GET $450 OUT OF YOU.

AT LEAST $425, ERIC.

THANK YOU.

HARD TO ARGUE, BECAUSE THEY'RE SO PERFECT.

YEAH. $425.

-$425. -OKAY.

CASH, NO CHECKS.

-AS ALWAYS, RIGHT? -OH, YEAH.

-THANK YOU SO MUCH. -I'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

-SEE YOU AGAIN SOON. -OKAY, BYE.

OKAY, THANK YOU. BYE-BYE.

BYE, HOLLY.

THESE ARE JUST ALL 501/ DETAIL 501S.

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS RIGHT HERE IN BOISE

THAT ARE LOOKING FOR 501S,

AND YOU REALLY CAN'T FIND U.S.A. MADE 501S.

SO IF SOMEONE BRINGS IN VINTAGE JEANS,

WE SHOW THEM WHY THEY'RE VINTAGE

AND WE PAY THEM EXTRA MONEY FOR THE JEANS,

AND IF YOU EDUCATE THEM AS TO WHAT RED LINES ARE

AND WHAT INDIGO DENIM IS, THEN THEY GET EXCITED ABOUT IT,

AND THEY GO HOME AND THEY GO THROUGH THEIR ATTICS,

THEY TELL THEIR NEIGHBORS ABOUT IT,

AND THEN WE GET MORE AND MORE VINTAGE JEANS THAT WAY.

THE CLOTHES FROM THE '20S, THE '30S,

THE 40'S AND THE '50S ARE REALLY STRONG CLOTHES,

BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.

I GUESS IF I HAD AN AGENDA OR SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN

MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, THAT WOULD BE BRINGING

MANUFACTURING BACK TO THE U.S.

YOU DON'T SEE A GUY ON A MOTORCYCLE

OR A HOT ROD WITHOUT WEARING DENIM.

YOU MUST HAVE DENIM.

BLUE JEANS HAD LEFT AMERICA

FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING WORLD WAR II,

WHEN GI'S WORE THE PANTS OVERSEAS,

MAKING THEM A SIGNATURE PIECE OF AMERICAN COOL.

BUT WHEN THE SOLDIERS RETURNED HOME AFTER THE WAR,

THE COUNTRY WAS CHANGING.

AND WHILE MOST PEOPLE EMBRACED SUBURBAN LIFE,

GROUPS OF DISENFRANCHISED AMERICANS WENT SEARCHING

FOR A MORE AUTHENTIC WAY OF LIVING.

WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THEY FOUND ON THE ROAD.

THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE AMERICA

THAT WAS NOT IN THE NEWSPAPER, THAT WAS NOT IN HOLLYWOOD,

THAT WAS ACTUALLY, WHAT I THINK WE MIGHT SAY,

WAS A MORE AUTHENTIC PICTURE OF WHO WE WERE.

WHEN I SAW "THE WILD ONE,"

I CALLED TWO OF MY BOYS. "MAN, WE GOTTA START A GANG.

I JUST SAW THE COOLEST MOVIE--

'THE WILD ONE,' MARLON BRANDO."

WE GOT OUR PATCHES AND WE WERE RIDING.

I THINK ONCE THAT SORT OF HOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY DEVELOPED

AROUND THESE KIND OF REBELS OR RULE BREAKERS,

YOU HAVE THIS PARALLEL BETWEEN THE BEATS OF THE 50S

LOOKING BACK AT THE 19TH CENTURY FRONTIERSMAN.

AND WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THAT THE PEOPLE

THAT SEEMED TO BE THE MOST AUTHENTIC PEOPLE WERE WEARING JEANS.

IF YOU GO ANYWHERE IN EAST L.A.,

YOU SEE ALL THESE KIDS WALKING AROUND

LOOKING LIKE FUCKING ELVIS.

THERE'S A LOT OF ROCKABILLY KIDS,

A LOT OF HOT RODDERS, BIKER GUYS.

YOU SEE EVERYBODY IN JEANS.

EITHER LEE, LEVI'S, WRANGLERS-- THAT'S IT.

IT'S JUST IN OUR BLOOD.

I HAVE THESE JEANS, LIKE, 18 YEARS.

THIS IS MY LIFESTYLE, MAN.

SOON ENOUGH THE BAD BOY IMAGE WENT MAINSTREAM

AND JEANS COMPANIES DID THEIR BEST

TO CONVINCE PARENTS THAT IT WASN'T THE DENIM

THAT WAS CORRUPTING THEIR TEENAGERS.

BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE IDEA STUCK.

AS THE '50S GAVE WAY TO THE '60S,

THE PANTS BECAME THE KEY FASHION STATEMENT

OF A FULL ON CULTURAL MUTINY.

YOU TAKE SOMEONE LIKE BOB DYLAN.

AND IT WAS DYLAN'S PUTTING ON JEANS

WAS IN A SENSE REJECTION OF HIS MIDDLE CLASS BACKGROUND.

IT WAS SAYING THAT THE WORKING CLASS,

THE PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE,

ARE CLOSER TO A KIND OF REALNESS,

TO A KIND OF CORE THAT HAS BEEN LOST IN AMERICA--

A MORE HONEST LABOR, A MORE HONEST WAY OF LIVING,

THAN THE KIND OF SUBURBAN PLASTIC WORLD

THAT HAD BEEN CREATED IN THE POST-WAR PERIOD.

THE HIPPIES ALL OF A SUDDEN EMBRACED THEM

AND MADE THEM VERY HIP.

THEY WASHED THEM, THEY BEAT THEM,

THEY EMBROIDERED THEM, THEY PATCHED THEM,

THEY STUDDED THEM TO MAKE THEM VERY RELEVANT.

IT'S THE INDIVIDUAL'S WAY OF SAYING,

"THIS IS MY JEAN. THIS DOESN'T BELONG TO LEVI'S ANYMORE.

THIS IS MY OWN JEAN, AND I'M GONNA DO WITH IT WHATEVER I WANT.

AND I'M GONNA PRESENT SOCIAL IDEAS,

AND I'M GONNA LOOK SEXY, I'M GONNA LOOK COOL."

THIS IS ACTUALLY, BASICALLY, IT'S A ME JACKET.

IT'S BEEN CUSTOMIZED BY SERENDIPITY.

THIS IS MORE TYPICAL, I WOULD SAY,

OF WHAT WE IMAGINE THE 1960S AND '70S WOULD BE LIKE

IN TERMS OF HIPPIES IN WOODSTOCK WEARING THESE

SORT OF VERY HIPPIE-ESQUE SORT OF FASHIONS.

AT OUR FOLK MUSIC CIRCLES, EVERYBODY WAS WEARING LEVI'S.

THEY WERE ALL SINGING VERSIONS OF "THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND"

AND "JOHN RILEY," AND THEY WERE WEARING LEVI'S.

IT WAS A FASHION STATEMENT IN THE '60S,

AS WELL AS A POLITICAL STATEMENT,

AS WELL AS A NECESSITY,

BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.

A LOT OF US DIDN'T.

ANYTHING WENT IN SAN FRANCISCO AT THE TIME.

YOU KNOW, RIGHT ACROSS THE BAY HERE

IS THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY,

AND THAT WAS SORT OF A CENTER FOR THE FREE SPEECH MOVEMENT.

THERE WERE SIT-INS,

MAN LANDED ON THE MOON IN 1969.

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE YEAR.

MY FATHER BOUGHT TWO PAIR OF LEVI'S,

AND HE GOT THEM HOME AND TRIED THEM ON

AND IT WAS A SIZE THAT DIDN'T FIT.

AND AT THE TIME THERE WAS REALLY NO STORE DEVOTED TO LEVI.

SO HE SORT OF SAW THAT THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY.

MAYBE LEVI'S WEREN'T SO READILY AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE,

AND SO THE IDEA FOR "THE GAP" WAS BORN.

-* THERE'S A STORE -TELL ME MORE!

* THERE'S A STORE FULL OF LEVI'S *

* IN JUST YOUR SIZE AT THE GAP *

* AT THE GAP

THE FIRST STORE OPENED WITH RECORDS AND JEANS.

IT WAS A BIG SUCCESS RIGHT FROM THE START.

PEOPLE WOULD COME IN FOR THE RECORDS,

BECAUSE IT WAS A HUGE MUSIC TIME, 1969,

AND THEY'D BUY THE JEANS.

IT TURNED OUT, PEOPLE STOLE THE RECORDS AND BOUGHT THE JEANS.

* DO IT AT THE GAP

* GET THAT DO IT UP FEELING, DO IT UP *

FISHER WASN'T ALONE.

AS THE 1970S BEGAN,

BABY BOOMERS EVERYWHERE WERE STARTING TO THINK

IN MORE SOPHISTICATED WAYS ABOUT THEIR JEANS.

I GREW MY HAIR LONG.

I STARTED WEARING BELL BOTTOMS AND COOL CLOTHES.

AND ALL MY FRIENDS IN SCHOOL WANTED TO LOOK LIKE ME

AND WANTED TO WEAR THE CLOTHES I WAS WEARING.

SO I DECIDED TO TAKE A ROAD TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY

AND BUY JEANS OFF THE STREETS

AND BRING THEM BACK AND SELL THEM TO MY FRIENDS.

AND I OPENED A HEADSHOP BOUTIQUE CALLED PEOPLE'S PLACE.

WE ORIGINALLY STARTED WITH LANDLUBBER JEANS,

AND LANDLUBBERS, IN THE LATE '60S, '70S,

WERE THE HIP JEAN TO WEAR.

AND IT WAS MY IDEA TO BRING

ALL THESE JEANS UNDER ONE ROOF.

EVENTUALLY THE IDEALS OF THE '60S

WOULD FADE INTO THE MAINSTREAM.

REBELLION WENT RETAIL,

AND JEANS WOULD BECOME MORE AVAILABLE THAN EVER BEFORE.

WHAT PROPELLED THE GROWTH OF THIS COMPANY

WAS THE SUBURBANIZATION OF AMERICA.

WITH EVERY NEW SUBURB, THERE WAS A NEW SHOPPING CENTER.

AND WITH EVERY SHOPPING CENTER, THERE WAS A NEW GAP STORE.

* FALL INTO THE GAP

I GUESS THAT'S A LOT OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT,

THE ENTREPRENEURIALISM OF AMERICA,

THE ABILITY TO CHANGE WHEN NEEDED.

I GUESS, JEANS REALLY DO SORT OF EMBODY THAT.

YOU EVER WONDER WHAT THIS POCKET'S FOR?

I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED THAT.

WELL, NOW WE KNOW,

BECAUSE THIS IS THE NEW IPOD NANO.

THIS IS A PAIR OF LEVI 501 BIG E'S,

BUT THEY'RE CALLED 501/501.

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN SEE IN DARK IN THE CAR,

BUT OVER THE STAMPED 501

IS ANOTHER LITTLE TEENY TINY STAMP THAT SAYS 501.

IT'S JUST IN THE TRANSITION FROM 501XX TO BIG E,

AND THESE ONES ARE EXTRA SPECIAL BECAUSE

THEY HAVE SINGLE STITCH IN THE WAISTBAND.

AND THEN ON THE BACKS OF THE BUTTONS

ARE THE HIDDEN RIVETS THAT ARE USUALLY IN THE BACK OF THE POCKETS.

SOMEBODY RAN OUT OF RIVETS FOR THE BACK OF THE BUTTONS OR SOMETHING,

SO THEY USED WHAT RIVET USUALLY GOES HERE

FOR THE BACKS OF THE BUTTONS.

SO IT'S A REALLY, REALLY UNIQUE PIECE.

HEY, MELISSA. I'M ERIC.

-NICE TO MEET YOU. -NICE TO MEET YOU, TOO.

I BROUGHT A FEW GOODIES FOR YOU TO SEE.

A 501/501, BUT WHEN IT WAS CONSTRUCTED

THEY PUT HIDDEN RIVETS--

INSTEAD OF IN THE BACK OF THE POCKETS,

THEY USED RIVETS FOR THE BACKS OF THE BUTTONS.

THESE THREE PIECES, WHAT WOULD YOUR BEST PRICE ON THESE BE?

THAT ONE, THE ONE WITH THE SPECIAL RIVETS, I'D LIKE TO GET $1,200 FOR.

AND THOSE I'D LIKE TO GET ABOUT $1,000 FOR.

-SIX. -YOU KNOW, I JUST HAD A KID.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING CHARGING ME $600

FOR THESE FUCKING THINGS?

YEAH, I HAVE-- I HAVE A COUPLE PAIR

THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THESE.

I REALLY DON'T NEED ANYMORE.

IT'D BE BETTER TO MAKE YOU A PACKAGE OFFER FOR EVERYTHING.

WELL, I'LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE BACKINGS TO THE BUTTONS,

SO IF YOU LOOK ON THE BACK OF THE BUTTONS,

THEY'RE ALL HIDDEN RIVETS.

-OH, MY GOD. -UNHEARD OF.

-ARE YOU KIDDING ME? -UNHEARD OF.

ARE YOU STILL FINDING THIS STUFF?

-OH, YEAH. -YOU ARE?

YEAH.

I'D WANT TO FOLLOW YOU AROUND FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

WELL, I LOVE THEM ALL, I MEAN, I WOULD--

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ALL OF THEM IN MY STORE.

THEY'RE GREAT JEANS.

EACH AND EVERY PAIR IS AMAZING.

THAT GUY ERIC KNOWS HOW TO CHARGE YOU.

NO. I THINK I TRY TO BE PRETTY FAIR ON A LOT OF THINGS.

THERE'S SOME PIECES I'M IN LOVE WITH.

I'M THINKING $1,500

JUST 'CAUSE OF THE RARITY OF IT.

I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A $2,000 JEAN, BUT--

WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO.

IF WE'RE GOING TO SELL IT,

IT'D BETTER BE MORE THAN THAT.

I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S REALLY WHERE I'D LIKE TO BE.

I THINK IT'S FAIR.

I THINK WE CAN TURN THAT OVER AND--

AND IF YOU NEED TO BEAT ME UP ON THE CONCERT TEES

TO GET TO $1,500--

WE'LL GIVE YOU 5 BUCKS APIECE FOR THE CONCERT TEES.

ALL RIGHT, MAN, THANK YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WONDERFUL TRIP. WONDERFUL TRIP.

IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO COME TO THE CITY.

YEAH, LEAVING NEW YORK, GET HOME,

JUST GET BACK TO THE GRIND AT HOME.

BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, JUST BE WITH MY KIDS AND BE HOME.

UM, MY NEXT TRAVEL-- IN TWO MORE WEEKS,

I GO UP TO THE ROSE BOWL IN L.A.

BY THE 1970S,

JEANS WERE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER.

BUT MAN OR A WOMAN,

EVERYONE WORE THE SAME BASIC PAIR.

BUT ONE STORE WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING.

AND WHILE IT WAS LOCATED IN NEW YORK CITY,

THE SENSIBILITY IT WOULD UNLEASH

CAME STRAIGHT OUT OF EUROPE.

I WANTED TO MAKE THE WOMAN AS "SEXIEST" AS I CAN.

MAC KEEN WAS CREATED AUGUST 20, 1970.

DURING THE SUMMER IN ST. TROPEZ,

I WAS LOOKING FOR THE REAL DENIM,

BECAUSE AT THIS TIME,

THE REAL DENIM DIDN'T EXIST IN EUROPE.

I CALLED ONE OF MY FRIENDS IN NEW YORK,

AND A COUPLE HOURS AFTER, HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID,

"LISTEN, I FOUND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR...

THE BLUE GOLD."

WE SOLD, LIKE, A COUPLE 1,000 PAIR

IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

TWO AMERICAN GUYS WERE THERE--

JERRY HART AND JERRY BRANDT,

AND THOSE GUYS WERE VERY HIP IN NEW YORK CITY.

THEY BOUGHT EVERY SINGLE PAIR,

BROUGHT THEM BACK TO NEW YORK CITY,

AND OPENED THE FRENCH JEAN STORE.

THE SUCCESS WAS IMMEDIATE

AND VERY, VERY, VERY STRONG.

I REMEMBER

THE FRENCH JEAN STORE ON EAST 60TH STREET

HAD A COUCH WHERE GIRLS

WOULD HAVE TO LIE ON THEIR BACKS

TO ZIP UP THE ZIPPERS BECAUSE THEY WERE SO TIGHT.

YOU KNOW THE STORY.

TO FIT INTO THE JEAN, THEY HAD TO LIE DOWN.

YOU KNOW THE STORY.

THOSE JEANS WOULD BE UN-SELLABLE TODAY,

THEY WERE SO UNCONTROLLABLE.

BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.

THEY WANTED TO LOOK SEXY AND MORE SEXY.

THEY NEVER MADE REAL JEANS

FOR A WOMAN UNTIL THE MID TO LATE '70S.

THEY ONLY CREATED MEN'S JEANS WOMEN WORE,

AND WOMEN WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST

AND DO ALL SORTS OF TREATMENTS TO THEM TO MAKE THEM FIT.

THESE JEANS WERE WORN BY MARILYN MONROE IN ONE OF HER MOVIES.

AS YOU CAN SEE, MARILYN'S HIPS WERE A LITTLE BIT WIDER.

HER WAIST WAS A LITTLE BIT THINNER.

BUT THESE JEANS WERE REALLY RECUT

FROM A PAIR OF MEN'S WORK JEANS.

ACTUALLY, I BOUGHT THREE PAIRS.

I GAVE BEYONCÉ ONE PAIR,

I GAVE BRITNEY SPEARS ONE PAIR,

AND I KEPT ONE PAIR.

AND WHY DID YOU BUY THEM?

THESE ARE COLLECTOR'S ITEMS.

IN THE 1950S, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A BOOK CALLED

"WIFE DRESSING" BY ANNE FOGARTY,

AND SHE DOES THIS WHOLE THING WHERE SHE SAYS

ONCE WOMEN GET MARRIED,

THEIR CLOTHES SHOULD EXPRESS THEIR HUSBAND'S POSITION,

AND THEY SHOULD ALWAYS WEAR A GIRDLE,

AND THEY SHOULD NOT WEAR BLUE JEANS,

EVEN AROUND THE HOUSE,

BECAUSE IT'S SEEN AS BEING TOO CASUAL,

TOO MUCH OF A TEENAGE YOUTH STYLE.

BUT THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION

OPENED UP A WHOLE NEW HORIZON OF FASHION POSSIBILITIES.

IN AMERICA, WE IDENTIFY JEANS

AS SOMETHING WE WEAR TO WASH THE CAR.

AND THE EUROPEANS, FROM THE FIRST MOMENT

THEY STARTED MANUFACTURING JEANS,

THEY SAWS IT AS SOMETHING FASHIONABLE,

AND THEY ALWAYS HAD A HUGE RELATIONSHIP BACK TO AMERICANA.

SO, I THINK WE IN EUROPE,

BECAUSE WE LOVED THE AMERICAN CULTURE SO MUCH,

SAW WHAT IT WAS, TOOK ITS SPIRIT,

AND THEN IT WAS RECREATED BACK.

AND WHEN FIORUCCI OPENED IN MANHATTAN,

IT IMMEDIATELY BECAME A HOT SPOT

ON THE NEW YORK FASHION SCENE.

DESIGNER JEANS, AS THEY CAME TO BE KNOWN,

HIT THE MAINSTREAM IN A FLOOD TIDE.

I WANT THE IMPORTED KIND OF JEANS.

-JEANS? -YES.

-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? -FRENCH JEANS.

I'M NOT GETTING YOU ANY JEANS.

YOU KNOW HOW MANY POOLS I GOTTA CLEAN

TO GET YOU A PAIR OF IMPORTED JEANS?

-WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH AMERICAN JEANS? -I DON'T LIKE THEM.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? A CATFISH HUNTER?

THE U.S. GARMENT INDUSTRY QUICKLY RESPONDED

TO THE EUROPEAN INVASION, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME,

THE BIG THREE TOOK A BACKSEAT TO SEX CRAZED,

EURO-STYLED, AMERICAN DENIM UPSTARTS.

WOMAN] N'EST-CE PAS,

THE FRENCH-CUT JEANS THAT HUG THE STUDENT BODY,

WITH ENOUGH POCKET STYLES

TO KEEP YOU IN STITCHES FOR WEEKS.

N'EST-CE PAS DESIGNER JEANS AND BELTS...

LES JEANS MAGNIFIQUE.

I BEG YOUR CHARDON.

* UH-OH, SERGIO

* SERGIO VALENTE, SERGIO VALENTE *

* UH-OH, SERGIO

* OOH, LA, LA, N'EST-CE PAS *

* OOH, LA, LA, N'EST-CE PAS *

GLORIA VANDERBILT DENIMS BY MURJANI,

FOR THE HUG WITHOUT THE SQUEEZE.

* YOU'VE GOT THE LOOK

* I WANT TO KNOW BETTER

THE FIRST COMMERCIAL WAS--

THEY'RE SHOOTING IN A BAR.

THE COMMERCIAL COST ME AT THE TIME,

I WOULD SAY NO MORE THAN $8,000.

AND THEY ACTUALLY TOOK OFF WITH THE NEW DESIGN.

TOOK OFF!

* JORDACHE HAS THE FIT THAT'S RIGHT *

* YOU'VE GOT THE LOOK I WANT TO KNOW BETTER *

* YOU'VE GOT THE LOOK

DEPARTMENT STORES LIKE MACY'S

AND SAKS AND BLOOMINGDALES WHO TOLD ME,

"WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER JEANS COMPANY,"

CALLED US AND SAID,

"HOW FAST CAN YOU SHIP US THE GOODS?"

THEN I KNEW THAT WE ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL,

AND THE GOODS WERE RUNNING OUT OF THE STORES.

THEY WERE SELLING.

I USED TO GO TO STUDIO 54 AND SEE THE JEANS.

I WAS SO PROUD THAT I SAID,

"IS THIS JORDACHE? JORDACHE WAS A HIT."

THE REAL STUDIO BECAME AN INCREDIBLE PROMOTIONAL VEHICLE.

STEVIE RUBELL WOULD HAVE HIS INNER PRAETORIAN GUARD

WITH, OF COURSE, ANDY AND LIZA MINNELLI

AND BIANCA AND SO FORTH,

AND OF COURSE, HALSTON.

NOW EVERYBODY CAN GET INTO STUDIO 54 JEANS.

AND, YOU KNOW, CALVIN, WATCHING FROM AFAR--

SAW, HELL, HE WANTED SOME OF THAT.

SO IT WAS KIND OF A JEANS KIND OF MOMENT.

YOU BEGAN THE WHOLE DESIGNER JEAN CRAZE.

THAT STARTED ONE NIGHT-- I HAVE TO TELL YOU,

BECAUSE IT'S VERY FUNNY.

IT STARTED ONE NIGHT AT STUDIO 54

AT ABOUT 4:00 IN THE MORNING.

AND--

SOMEONE JUST CAME UP AND ASKED ME

IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PUTTING MY NAME ON JEANS.

THIS IS CALVIN'S SIGNATURE THAT WE STILL USE TODAY.

IT'S OUR OMEGA, IT'S OUR-- IT'S OUR STITCH.

EVERY OTHER JEANS BRAND HAS THEIR CERTAIN SIGNATURE,

BUT CALVIN STARTED A SIGNATURE RIGHT FROM DAY ONE

OF HIS OMEGA STITCH AND THE CALVIN KLEIN BRANDING

ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE JEAN.

THEY COPY US,

AND CALVIN KLEIN COPIED LE BILLET IN FRENCH.

HOW DO YOU SAY THAT IN ENGLISH?

THE BEAST. THE ANIMAL.

THE LAMB, MAYBE. THE LAMB, THE GOAT.

BUT REGARDLESS OF WHERE IMITATION ENDS

AND FLATTERY BEGINS,

IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT CALVIN KLEIN,

WITH HIS SUPERSTAR DESIGNER STATUS,

TURNED DESIGNER JEANS INTO MASS MARKET REALITY.

THE CALVIN KLEIN BLUE JEANS THAT WERE WORN BY BROOKE SHIELDS

WERE AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN THE EVOLUTION OF JEANS.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT COMES BETWEEN ME AND MY CALVINS?

NOTHING.

CALVIN KLEIN JEANS.

THEY WERE ALSO AN IMPORTANT MOMENT

IN TERMS OF THE EVOLUTION OF AN IDEAL OF BEAUTY.

HERE YOU HAD A 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL

DISPLAYING A PIECE OF CLOTHING

IN A VERY PROVOCATIVE, SEXUALIZED WAY.

HE WAS SPEAKING TO THOUSANDS OF WOMEN

WHO WANTED TO BE LIKE THAT.

IN THE LAST 30 YEARS,

ONE SEES THIS SORT OF MORPHING

FROM WHAT AT THE TIME SEEMED LIKE A SEXY ITEM

INTO AN EVEN MORE SEXUALIZED PIECE OF CLOTHING.

NORMALLY A JEAN V COMES DOWN,

SO THE V ACTUALLY COMES HIGH DOWN

TO A FRONT POINT AT THE BACK.

WHAT WE DID, WE INVERSED IT AND CURVED IT AROUND

TO REALLY FLATTER A WOMAN'S CURVES.

THE '70S WAS THE GREAT ERA OF GAY LIBERATION,

AND YOU HAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VERY KIND OF MACHO LOOK.

FROM BEING PREVIOUSLY SEEN AS SOMEWHAT EFFEMINATE,

NOW THEY WERE HYPER MASCULINE,

AND THAT WHOLE LOOK OF BLUE JEANS AND BODY BUILDING,

YOU KNOW, SO YOU FILLED OUT YOUR T-SHIRT WITH MUSCLES,

AND YOUR JEANS WERE REALLY TIGHT OVER YOUR BUTT

AND THEN THEY WERE TIGHT IN FRONT,

THAT WAS A BIG PART OF GAY STYLE.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, GRADUALLY IT SPREAD

TO STRAIGHT MEN'S FASHION AS WELL.

WHILE THE FEMALE BODY JEAN ENHANCES HER BACK,

THE MALE BODY JEAN ENHANCES HIS PROFILE FROM THE FRONT,

SO BASICALLY IF YOU LOOK FROM THE SIDE PROFILE,

WE LITERALLY, ON THE MEN'S JEAN,

LEAD INTO THE FLY EXTRA DENIM LAYERS OF FLY

AND WE STITCHED THE JEAN FLY ON TOP,

AND TOP-STITCHED IT TO CREATE MORE FABRIC

AND MORE SHAPE IN THE FRONT.

JEANS ARE VERY SEXY ON PEOPLE.

THEY SHOW OFF THE PACKAGE, THE BASKET,

THE TACO PIZZA,

THE WOMEN'S NAUGHTY BITS, THE MEN'S NAUGHTY BITS.

AND WHAT ELSE IS A FRAME

AROUND THE DERRIERE THAN JEANS?

THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN A JEAN.

IT'S LIKE THE FIRST QUESTION WOMEN ASK

WHEN THEY COME OUT OF THE DRESSING ROOM IS,

"DO THESE JEANS MAKE ME LOOK FAT?"

AND "HOW DOES MY BUTT LOOK?"

I THINK THAT IN A WAY JEANS REPRESENT SEXINESS.

AND ON THE RIGHT ASSES THEY LOOK VERY SEXY,

SO THAT ON THE WRONG ASSESS, THEY IMPLY SEXY.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WHEN YOU WEAR THEM,

EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD ASS,

YOU'RE KIND OF PUTTING YOUR ASS INTO AIR QUOTES.

LIKE, "OH, ASS." YOU KNOW? SERIOUSLY.

WHEREAS SOME PEOPLE WHO WEAR THEM HAVE GREAT ASSES

AND THEY LOOK INCREDIBLY SEXY, BUT IN MY CASE,

I KIND OF GO LIKE, "OH, YEAH, I'M WEARING JEANS. I HAVE AN ASS.

YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN NECESSARILY A GOOD ONE,

BUT JUST HAVE A LOOK AT IT." YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

YEAH.

WE WERE THE BOMB. WE WERE IT.

BRANDO AND JAMES DEAN WERE THE COOLEST,

RAMONES WERE THE COOLEST.

WHEN THE BEATLES STARTED OUT

BEFORE BRIAN EPSTEIN GOT TO THEM,

THEY WORE JEANS, AND THEY WERE THE COOLEST.

UPTOWN, FASHION JEANS WERE EXPENSIVE AND SLEEK.

BUT BELOW 14TH STREET, THEY RETAINED THEIR REBELLIOUS SPIRIT AS PUNK MUSIC

TURNED THEM INTO RIPPED BADGES FOR THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT.

TRASH AND VAUDEVILLE IS THE PLACE.

THIS IS A NEW YORK INSTITUTION,

YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH CBGB'S,

MAX'S KANSAS CITY.

TRASH AND VAUDEVILLE.

ME AND JOEY ALWAYS USED TO COME HERE.

WE STARTED A LOOK.

WE HAD THE JEANS, SNEAKERS, AND THE LEATHER JACKET,

BUT THE JEANS WE WOULD WEAR SO MUCH

THAT HOLES WOULD START FORMING AROUND OUR KNEES

BECAUSE OF THE STRESS FACTOR ON THE FABRIC.

SO, EVENTUALLY, WE JUST KEPT WEARING THEM

AND THEN EVERYONE CAUGHT ON

AND STARTED WEARING JEANS WITH HOLES IN THEM.

PEOPLE WERE PICKING UP,

I GUESS YOU COULD CALL IT FASHION.

TO US, IT WASN'T FASHION. IT WAS JUST WHAT WE WORE.

WANNA SEE IGGY POP WEARING THESE JEANS?

I GOT A PICTURE OF IGGY IN THESE JEANS.

-CAN I CURSE? -YOU CAN TOTALLY CURSE.

OUR BALLS HAVE BEEN IN THE SAME PLACE.

MY BALLS HAVE GONE WHERE IGGY'S BALLS HAVE,

ONLY MY BALLS WENT FIRST. YEAH!

MY PANTS ON IGGY. RIGHT THERE.

THESE ARE SOME KICK-ASS JEANS. CUSTOM MADE FOR ME.

IF YOU'RE GONNA LEND YOUR PANTS TO ANYBODY,

LEND THEM TO IGGY POP. HE TOOK ME TO GERMANY AFTER

JUST FOR LENDING HIM MY PANTS. AWESOME.

IGGY POP HAD A GREAT JEANS-RELATED STORY

THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET. HE SAID THAT THE BEST THING ABOUT SUMMER,

SOMETHING THAT HE ALWAYS DOES,

IS HE BUYS A PAIR OF LEVI'S JEANS

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER

AND WEARS THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY

UNTIL THE END OF THE SUMMER AND NEVER WASHES THEM.

AND SOMETIME ABOUT JULY, HE SAID THEY START TO STINK A LITTLE BIT,

BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THEY START GETTING GOOD,

AND THAT'S WHEN THEY START FITTING.

AND HE SAID BY AUGUST THEY'RE STICKING TO YOUR ASS

SO PERFECTLY THAT HE DOESN'T CARE.

LIKE IF NO ONE'S GONNA COME NEAR HIM, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

HE FINALLY HAS THE PERFECT PAIR OF JEANS.

OF COURSE, FOR ME, AND THE THING IS NOW...

THAT THING LOW AND TIGHT.

IF IT DOESN'T HURT, IT'S NOT ROCK AND ROLL.

LIKE, THIS ONE'S A KILLER.

IT'S SO LOW AND IT'S SO TIGHT AND IT'S SO TAPERED.

AND THEN YOU JUST THROW ON A PAIR OF CHUCKS

OR DIRTY BOOTS AND YOU CAN KICK SOME ASS.

AND YOU CAN CLIMB A FENCE IN THESE.

IF YOU'RE REAL ROCK AND ROLL, YOUR PANTS CAN BE REAL TIGHT,

REAL LOW, AND YOU CAN STILL CLIMB A FENCE.

DENIM IS INTEGRITY.

IT'S BLUE COLLAR, IT'S WORKING MAN.

THAT'S WHAT ROCK AND ROLL ALWAYS IS.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS SPRINGSTEEN.

ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC SHOTS, I THINK, IN ROCK AND ROLL

IS HIS ASS...

IN A PAIR OF JEANS, RIGHT?

TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD ON THE ROAD,

YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF WARDROBE CHANGES IN YOUR SUITCASE,

SO YOU GOT A FEW PAIR OF JEANS AND A GOOD LEATHER JACKET,

AND A COUPLE PAIR OF BOOTS, AND YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH READY TO GO.

FOR A MUSICIAN TOURING THE COUNTRY,

YOU CAN WEAR THE SAME PAIR OF JEANS FOR TWO MONTHS

AND THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO START LOOKING BETTER.

I'LL WALK INTO THE SHOW WITH CERTAIN CLOTHES ON,

CHANGE INTO THE EXACT SAME CLOTHES,

TAKE THEM OFF BECAUSE I SWEATED THROUGH THEM,

AND PUT ON THE EXACT SAME CLOTHES AGAIN AND WALK OUT.

SO LIFE AND PERFORMANCE IS THE SAME THING NOW.

YOU PUT ON A GREAT PAIR OF GREAT LOOKING DENIM JEANS,

AND SUDDENLY YOU'RE THE ROCK STAR,

YOU'RE THE MOVIE STAR.

AND SEEING THE RAMONES IN THESE SKINNY BLUE JEANS

WITH HOLES RIPPED IN THE KNEES, THAT WAS AN EPIPHANY FOR ME.

IT WAS LIKE, "WOW, DENIM IS GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN.

IT'S THE REBEL. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT."

AND THE RAMONES, OBVIOUSLY, INFLUENCED SID VICIOUS.

HE WORE HIS JEANS IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.

AND THAT DEFINED THAT REBEL LOOK,

WHICH THEN WENT THROUGH INTO THE '80S.

YOU GET MADONNA WEARING RIPPED UP DENIM IN THE '80S.

THROUGH TO THE '90S, THROUGH TO THE PRESENT DAY,

IT RETAINS ITS REBEL SPIRIT.

* AND ONCE AGAIN, MY FRIEND... *

A HUNDRED BLOCKS NORTH, THE BRONX WAS BURNING,

AND ANOTHER REVOLUTION WAS IN THE AIR.

BUT HERE THE JEANS WEREN'T RIPPED OR LOW RENT.

IT WAS ALL ABOUT CLASS AND STYLE

AND ON THEIR OWN TERMS.

* B-BOYS MAKE SOME NOISE

* LET'S TAG IT UP

* DJ'S GET BUSY ON THE ONES AND TWOS *

* AND MC'S JUST DO YOUR STUFF *

* I WAS A B-BOY FIEND

HIP-HOP STARTED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BRONX, 1973.

* CASANOVA BROWN, CASANOVA FLY *

* EVERYBODY IN THE CREW WAS A CASANOVA GUY *

WE LIVED RIGHT UP THE BLOCK FROM KOOL HERC,

SO THAT FIRST PARTY, AUGUST 11, 1973,

I MEAN, THAT WAS IT.

AFTER THAT I BECAME CASANOVA FLY

AFTER I JOINED A GROUP OF B-BOYS.

* AND CAZ IS GONNA

THE C-A-S AND THE O-V-A, AND THE REST IS F-L-Y,

BUT WE WON'T GET INTO ALL THAT.

I MEAN, THE JEAN THING FOR US STARTED WITH LEES.

YOU KNOW, JUST LEE JEANS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

'CAUSE WHEN YOU FIRST GET A PAIR OF LEES, THEY HARD.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE WASHED DENIM AND PRE-WASHED,

AND YOU KNOW HOW THEY SOAK THEM, AND THEY BLEACHED THEM.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE NONE OF THAT.

IT WAS JUST THAT HARD BLUE DENIM.

YOU HAVE DIE-HARD GUYS WHO STILL WEAR LEES.

LIKE ME, I NEVER STOPPED.

AND THEN YOU HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE LIKE,

"WELL, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE WITH THE TIMES,"

AND, YOU KNOW, THE SONGS,

THERE'S A SONG BY TEARS FOR FEARS,

"SHOUT, SHOUT, LET IT ALL OUT,"

YOU KNOW, ET CETERA.

THERE WERE MC'S,

EVEN A SONG CAME OUT WHERE RAPPERS WERE GOING,

"SHOUT, SHOUT, LEES ARE PLAYED OUT,"

AND THEY WOULD MOCK PEOPLE

WHO WERE STILL WEARING OLD SCHOOL STYLE.

WHEN THE DESIGNER JEAN CAME INTO PLAY, THE JORDACHE,

YOU KNOW, THE SASSONS, AND STUFF LIKE THAT,

IT WAS LIKE A STEP UP.

PART OF THE INFLUENCE CAME

FROM WANTING TO LOOK GOOD FOR THE WOMEN.

AND TRYING TO LOOK A LITTLE MORE PRESENTABLE

TO SEE IF MAYBE YOU CAN GET IN A CLUB.

YOU WOULD TAKE YOUR LEE RIDERS AND--

AND THIS WAS SOME REAL B-BOY SHIT.

IF YOU KNEW SOMEONE, TYPICALLY, LIKE,

YOUR GRANDMOTHER OR YOUR AUNT OR SOMEONE WHO COULD SEW,

UH, YOU WOULD MAKE A PINTUCK.

AND YOU WOULD TAKE THIS PINTUCK FLAT CREASE.

YOU'D SEW ALL THE WAY DOWN

FROM ABOUT SIX INCHES FROM THE TOP OF YOUR RISE,

ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CUFF.

AND IT WAS THIS EXTRA NEW LOOK.

IT WAS A GUARANTEED TO BE, LIKE, SUPER STAY FRESH

'CAUSE YOU WERE ALWAYS CREASED.

THEN WE'LL TAKE STARCH AND SPRAY THE--

FLOOD IT WITH STARCH ON AN IRONING BOARD

AND IRON THEM TO DEATH.

THEY COULD LITERALLY STAND ON THEIR OWN.

CRISP AND CREASED DESIGNER JEANS

MAY HAVE BEEN A STEP UP FROM THE PAST,

BUT THE NEXT GENERATION OF HIP-HOP ARTISTS

WOULD TAKE REBELLION TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL.

THE REBEL NATURE OF MY TIME,

"WE'RE GONNA PISS OFF EVERY PARENT

AND SHOW EVERYBODY THE CRACKS OF OUR ASSES WHEN WE'RE IN OUR JEANS

'CAUSE THEY WERE DOWN TO OUR ANKLES.

THE BAGGY JEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF THEORIES

ABOUT WHERE THE BAGGY JEAN COMES FROM.

IN THE GHETTOS AND IN THE HOOD,

THE JEANS ARE CUT LARGER BECAUSE THE KIDS

WOULD NORMALLY HAVE THE HAND-ME-DOWNS

OF THEIR OLDER SIBLINGS.

SO THAT LOOK WAS ALWAYS REALLY

A REFERENCE TO JAIL CULTURE.

YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR BELTS IN JAIL.

IT WAS KIND OF A BADGE OF HONOR, IF YOU WILL.

FOR A WHOLE GENERATION, THAT BAGGY FIT

WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE ABOUT ATTITUDE,

MORE ABOUT JUST BEING REBELLIOUS.

WHEN IT CAME TO HIP-HOP AND THIS TYPE OF MUSIC,

THAT WAS OUR WAY OF REBELLING WITHIN THE SYSTEM.

WELL, ALL THIS SHOWING OF UNDERWEAR,

IT'S SORT OF KIND OF "FUCK YOU" FASHION.

THE INFLUENCE OF PUNK AND HIP-HOP REBELLION

WOULD INSPIRE FASHION DESIGNERS ALL OVER THE WORLD

FOR DECADES TO COME.

FROM THE '80S ONWARDS, MOST HIGH FASHION LABELS

LIKE DOLCE AND GABBANA, JEAN-PAUL GUALTIER,

WERE CREATING JEANS LINES.

COMMERCIALLY THEY'RE-- THEY'RE A GOOD INVESTMENT.

THERE ARE TWO BIG REVOLUTION IN THE DENIM.

THEY ARE, ONE, THE FACT THAT WE WASH THE GARMENT,

AND SECOND IS A STRETCH.

THEY WERE KIND OF DARK BLUE PLYWOOD

FASHIONED INTO PANTS.

THEY PRACTICALLY STOOD UP BY THEMSELVES.

SO THE CHALLENGE WAS TO BREAK THESE THINGS IN

WITHOUT HAVING TO SUFFER

THROUGH WEARING THEM FOR WEEKS.

THE WHOLE THING STARTED WITH THE IDEA

OF MAKING THE FABRIC MORE COMFORTABLE.

I REMEMBER I WAS LAYING ON THE BEACH

AND, UH, I SAW A KIND OF WHITE

KIND OF THINGS ON TOP OF THE WATER,

AND THEY WERE STONES.

SO THIS WOULD MEAN SO THAT THEY ARE VERY LIGHT

AND THEY COULD CREATE AN ABRASION.

I WENT TO MY LAUNDRY AND SAID, "WHY DON'T WE TRY THIS?"

HONESTLY, I WAS INSPIRED BY ACCIDENT IN SOME WAY.

OF COURSE, IN ADDITION TO THE FACT

THAT THE FABRIC WAS SOFT,

THE STRETCH,

IT WAS LIKE THE ATOMIC BOMB FOR THE JEAN BUSINESS.

I'M PLEASED THAT I WAS THE FIRST GUY TO CREATE--

I WON'T SAY INVENT-- CREATE THE STRETCH JEANS.

I WENT TO HONG KONG, AND BY TOTAL CHANCE

I FOUND AN AMAZING FACTORY.

THEY SAID, "RONNIE LAU'S JUST BEEN IN THE SHOP

AND HE'S LEFT YOU THIS. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?"

AND IT WAS STRETCH DENIM.

ANYWAY, I WAS QUITE A TECHNICIAN.

I KNEW ABOUT FIT.

I KNEW ABOUT WOMEN THAT LIKED FIT,

AND SUDDENLY A STAR WAS BORN.

I CAME INTO THIS BUSINESS BY ACCIDENT

BECAUSE I WAS A PROFESSIONAL SKIER AT THAT TIME.

I DIDN'T HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR CLOTHING.

FOR ME, CLOTHING WAS JUST A KIND OF FUNCTIONAL THING.

BUT DESPITE HIS EARLY RESERVATIONS,

ADRIANO WOULD START MAKING JEANS IN ITALY IN THE LATE 1960S

AND WOULD GO ON TO START DIESEL, REPLAY,

AND SEVERAL OTHER BRANDS.

THE JEAN WAS BASICALLY THE SAME FOR YEARS

AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.

I INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT THAT THE JEAN WAS THE SAME,

MAXIMUM, FOR A MONTH.

AFTER THAT, WAS SOMETHING ELSE.

A BRAND LIKE DIESEL ACTUALLY TOOK THE EVOLUTION

AND RAN WITH IT, AND CREATED MANY DIFFERENT LOOKS,

FINISHES, WASHES,

AND REINVENTED THE IDEA OF A JEAN

THAT COULD BE $95, $120, $200.

30 YEARS OF MOLDING AMERICAN WORK PANTS

INTO A FASHION ITEM HAD PAID OFF,

AND BY THE EARLY 2000S,

BRANDS LIKE 7 FOR ALL MANKIND AND TRUE RELIGION

WOULD CHARGE $300 OR MORE FOR A PAIR OF BLUE JEANS.

MOVIE STARS MODELED THE MERCHANDISE

AND L.A. BECAME THE CAPITAL OF PREMIUM DENIM BRANDS.

BUT MOVIE STARS AND OTHER MARVELS OF SELF INVENTION,

SLIPPING ON A PAIR OF $1,000 JEANS

DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE HEADY RISE IN THE FORTUNES OF DENIM.

FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, THE ESSENCE OF BLUE JEANS HAD TO BE REDISCOVERED.

THIS VAN GOES TO L.A. ALMOST EVERY MONTH.

IT'S THE THIRD ONE I'VE HAD,

AND NOW IT HAS 221,000 MILES ON IT.

GO DOWN AROUND THROUGH UTAH AND NEVADA,

ARIZONA, INTO CALIFORNIA.

THE BEST FLEA MARKET FOR VINTAGE ANYTHING IS THE ROSE BOWL.

AND I'VE BEEN COMING TO THE ROSE BOWL

FOR JUST OVER TEN YEARS.

EVERYTHING FROM AMERICAN COLLECTORS

TO DESIGNERS, EVEN TO RETAIL.

WE HAVE FLEA MARKETS HERE IN NEW YORK,

BUT NOT AT THAT KIND OF LEVEL.

I'VE DONE ABOUT $5,000 IN SALES TODAY.

HOPEFULLY, IN A ROSE BOWL WEEKEND

YOU CAN DO BETWEEN TEN AND $25,000 IN SALES.

IT REALLY IS KIND OF THIS DESIGNER'S DREAM.

IT'S, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS BIG ARCHIVE.

IF ANYBODY WANTS TO GET INTO THE BUSINESS,

THAT'S KIND OF THE CORE PLACE.

MY FAVORITE JEANS ARE USED LEVI'S, MAINLY 501S.

THE TIME PERIOD THAT I'M MOST INTO, I LOVE 1950S.

-'68 TO '78. -I NEED STAINS.

I NEED THESE JEANS TO LOOK LIKE THEY'VE BEEN

ON THE BACK OF A HARLEY FOR TWO YEARS STRAIGHT.

THERE'S THIS GREAT LONGING FOR AUTHENTICITY,

AND VINTAGE JEANS, OF COURSE, ARE REALLY AUTHENTIC.

I MEAN, SOME ACTUAL WORKING PERSON SWEATED IN THEM.

SO OF COURSE YOU WANT THOSE.

TO MOST AMERICANS,

OIL-SOAKED DENIM'S NOT THAT APPEALING,

BUT PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND VINTAGE DENIM,

THIS IS A REAL VALUABLE PIECE,

BECAUSE SOMEBODY WORE IT AND WORKED IN IT.

AND THAT'S WHAT VINTAGE DENIM'S ALL ABOUT,

IS THE WORK PART OF IT.

PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND AUTHENTIC.

AUTHENTIC COMES FROM A PLACE OF NATURAL WEAR.

IT'S VERY SIMPLE.

PEOPLE NOW WHEN THEY RECREATE THIS,

IT'S LIKE THEY PUT CAT SCRATCHES

AND THEY PUT A HOLE HERE BECAUSE THEY JUST THINK

MAYBE A HOLE CREATED THERE.

THERE'S A RHYME AND A REASON FOR NATURAL WEAR.

IF THEY ALWAYS CARRIED A KNIFE IN THE POCKET,

YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE KNIFE WORE.

WHETHER THEY HAD A BIG WALLET OR NO WALLET,

OR HAD A CAN OF CHEW IN THEIR BACK POCKET.

IF A GUY SMOKED, THEY ALWAYS STRIKE THEIR MATCHES ON THEIR JEANS,

SO YOU CAN SEE STRIKE MARKS ON THE SIDES OF THE LEGS,

SO YOU KNOW THE GUY WAS A SMOKER.

YOU CAN TELL SO MUCH ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL BY HIS JEANS.

THIS IS PROBABLY ALL ABOUT

WHAT DESIGN IS ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT ANYBODY'S RACK FROM GAP TO ARMANI,

THEY'RE USING THESE EFFECTS,

THEY'RE USING THESE WASHES, THESE REPAIRS.

THIS IS SORT OF IT.

DESIGNERS ARE GONNA FIND THIS APPEALING.

THEY USE THEM FOR INSPIRATION.

THEY SAY, "WE WANT OUR PAIR OF JEANS TO LOOK JUST LIKE THIS."

IT'S AUTHENTIC. IT'S REAL.

BASICALLY, TAKING THESE STORIES,

BECAUSE THE STORIES ARE REFLECTED IN THE PANTS,

AND THEN PUTTING THAT BACK INTO THE JEANS.

THEY'RE FINDING THEIR INSPIRATION FROM THE PAST

AND TAKING IT AND PUTTING THEIR OWN TWIST ON IT.

BUT SOME ARE NOT EVEN PUTTING THEIR OWN TWIST ON IT.

SOME ARE JUST DIRECTLY KNOCKING THEM OFF.

DESIGNERS, PARTICULARLY DENIM DESIGNERS,

HAVE TO BE ALCHEMISTS.

THEY HAVE TO MAKE THE GOLD.

I MEAN, TO CONSTANTLY REINVENT ONE FABRIC

IS A HUGE CHALLENGE.

RALPH LAUREN, ABERCROMBIE FITCH,

J. CREW, YOU KNOW, BIG DESIGN COMPANIES,

THEY'RE CONSTANTLY LINED UP

LIKE A BEEHIVE TO BUY THOSE GOODS.

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE'S FROM RALPH LAUREN,

YOU'RE GONNA CHARGE THEM TWO OR THREE TIMES

WHAT YOU WOULD CHARGE SOMEBODY ELSE.

- OH, COOL. - I LOVE ADRIANO.

ADRIANO'S AMAZING. DON'T YOU LOVE HIM?

THIS ONE IS ALSO BEAUTIFUL.

YOU HAVE TO GET READY FOR THE ROSE BOWL.

YOU TRY TO BE FOCUSED,

AND YOU GIVE A DIRECTION TO YOUR RESULTS.

WOW. THIS ONE IS A GREAT PIECE, HUH?

THANK YOU. IT'S LATE '30S, EARLY '40S.

-BEAUTIFUL. UNUSUAL, HUH? -VERY UNUSUAL.

ESPECIALLY THE TWO-TONE POCKETS.

YEAH.

GOOD INSPIRATION FOR US.

THIS ONE ALSO A GOOD ONE.

YEAH, THE OFF-BRANDS HAVE BEEN MY BEST SELLER

THE LAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.

YEAH?

STILL LEVI'S IS THE BEST MONEY,

BUT THE BEST SELLING IS OFF-BRAND DENIM.

PRETTY UNIQUE TO FIND A ROEBUCKS WITH DOUBLE--

YEAH, YEAH.

HOW MUCH?

I TOLD YOU 150 AND 250, IS THAT RIGHT?

- YEAH. - THAT'S A 400, RIGHT?

THREE'S FINE.

- THREE'S FINE? - YEAH.

- WOW, OKAY. - HUH, OKAY?

I'M A PRETTY TOUGH NEGOTIATOR.

THERE WAS A WAY OF MAKING THINGS

IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE '30S

AND '40S AND '50S.

IT WASN'T ONLY VERY SPECIAL,

IT WAS ALSO VERY UNIQUE TO THE UNITED STATES.

IT WAS VERY ROBUST.

IT WAS VERY STURDY, IT WAS VERY MASCULINE.

ONE STITCH IN PARTICULAR SIGNALS THE PAST.

THE OLD NARROW SHUTTLE LOOMS CREATED A CONTINUOUS EDGE

CALLED THE SELF EDGE.

THE COLOR-CODED LINE ON THE SELF EDGE

INDICATED THE DENIM BRAND AND TYPE.

BUT THE WIDER AND MUCH MORE EFFICIENT MODERN LOOMS

FIT SEVERAL PAIRS OF JEANS ACROSS

AND NO LONGER CREATED A SELF EDGE.

THE LOSS RESONATED WITH ONE COUNTRY IN PARTICULAR,

AND ANOTHER LEAP IN THE EVOLUTION OF JEANS WOULD SOON TAKE PLACE.

BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE INNOVATION WOULD COME FROM ABROAD.

YOU KNOW, A BIG PORTION OF THE VINTAGE BUSINESS

IS SUPPORTED BY THE JAPANESE.

OH, YEAH, A LOT OF JAPANESE FRIENDS HERE TODAY.

THEY JUST BUY AND BUY AND CONSUME EVERYTHING THEY CAN.

I'VE HAD THREE DIFFERENT JAPANESE APPOINTMENTS TODAY.

THEY ARE MORE PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR AMERICANA

AND OUR CULTURE THAN WE ARE OF OUR OWN CULTURE.

MY ONLY EXPERIENCE WITH JAPANESE

WAS WHAT I LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT WORLD WAR II.

SO I WOULDN'T EVEN THINK THAT JAPAN LIKED AMERICA,

OR AMERICANS, FOR THAT MATTER.

JAPANESE BUSINESS IS REALLY DONE ON RELATIONSHIPS,

AND THE PEOPLE THAT YOU WORK WITH ARE YOUR FRIENDS.

AND THERE'S PEOPLE THAT I WENT TO THEIR STORES

EVERY THREE MONTHS FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS

AND STILL NEVER DID BUSINESS.

BUT AFTER A COUPLE YEARS

OF ALWAYS VISITING WHENEVER I WENT TO JAPAN,

WE STARTED DOING BUSINESS TOGETHER.

AND TODAY I PROBABLY HAVE A DOZEN CUSTOMERS

I DON'T GO A WEEK WITHOUT TALKING TO

WITH EMAIL OR ON THE PHONE.

MOSHI MOSHI.

THIS IS ERIC SCHRADER, JUNKYARD JEANS.

IT'S JEANS, ONE POCKET, DUCK CLOTH, BUCKLE BACK.

AND MOST OF THE REST IS JUST REGULAR DENIM,

BUT I'VE GOT ONE SPECIAL PIECE.

JUST HAVE A NICE DOUBLE X WITH HIDDEN RIVETS.

THESE SHOULD FETCH MORE THAN $5,000

TOMORROW IN THE AUCTION.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

I THINK SOME GOOD CHOW, AND I'LL BE READY TO SNOOZE.

15 YEARS AGO, ERIC STARTED

THE BLACKSHIP VINTAGE CLOTHING AUCTION IN JAPAN,

CATCHING ONTO THE JAPANESE FASCINATION WITH AMERICANA,

AND PARTICULARLY VINTAGE JEANS.

AS AMERICANS GET MORE AND MORE EDUCATED

ABOUT VINTAGE CLOTHING,

IT'S GONNA DRIVE THE PRICE UP,

SO WE'RE GONNA BE OVER HERE

BUYING ALL THIS STUFF BACK UP SOONER OR LATER.

I SEE IT, LIKE, THREE OR FOUR YEARS FROM NOW,

WE'RE GONNA BE OVER HERE BUYING EVERYTHING,

JUST LIKE JAPAN DID TO US 10 YEARS AGO.

SEE UP FRONT, THOSE PIECES?

THERE'S A BUNCH MORE BESIDES,

BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT I BROUGHT.

THEY WANT THE HISTORY AND THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR THAT PIECE

THAT HAS THE RIGHT CHARACTER,

THAT HAS THE RIGHT LOOK,

AND IT'S FROM THAT ERA.

BIG JOHN!

A LOT OF THESE COMPANIES WERE FOUNDED UPON

THE PRINCIPLES OF VINTAGE PIECES THAT THEY FOUND,

THAT THEY WENT AND THEY HUNTED FOR

AND THAT THEY BOUGHT.

AND THEY STARTED OUT MAKING JEANS THAT WERE AN HOMAGE

TO THE VINTAGE PAIRS THAT THEY BOUGHT.

THE JAPANESE, THEY GET ANTHROPOLOGICAL WITH THAT SHIT.

THEY'RE FINDING THE LOOMS FROM KENTUCKY

WHERE THIS SHIT WAS WOVEN,

AND THEY'RE TRYING TO REPRODUCE THE EXACT YARN.

AND THEY'LL FIND DEAD STOCK, AND THEY'LL GO SALVAGE,

AND RECAST THE RIVET IN A CERTAIN WAY.

THEY JUST, YOU KNOW--

BUT IT WAS MORE THAN SIMPLE LIMITATION,

BENEATH THE IMMEDIATE ALLURE OF AMERICAN COOL,

THERE WAS ANOTHER LESS OBVIOUS ROUTE

TO THE JAPANESE FASCINATION WITH JEANS.

THEY'RE MAKING JEANS THAT FADE MORE BRILLIANTLY.

THEY'RE MAKING JEANS THAT ARE FAR HEAVIER WEIGHT

THAN ANYTHING YOU'D FIND.

THEY'RE INNOVATING WHILE PRESERVING THE PAST.

THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD AND THEY'RE TRYING NEW THINGS.

WE'D HEAR JAPANESE DENIM, AND IT WAS LIKE

LOOKING AT CAVIAR OR PLATINUM.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF RESERVED FOR THE GLASS CASE.

LOCATED IN THE AREA AROUND OKAYAMA AND HIROSHIMA.

CENTURY OLD COMPANIES LIKE KAIHARA, KURABO,

AND SAKAMOTO DENIM MILLS

HAVE BEEN PERFECTING THE ART OF MAKING DENIM

SINCE THE 1970S.

AND ONE ASPECT OF THE PROCESS HOLDS THE ANSWER

TO THE SEEMINGLY MAGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE PANTS.

SPUN FROM COTTON, THERE IS THE WARP,

THE YARN THAT IS STRETCHED TAUT BY THE LOOM.

AND THERE IS THE WEFT,

THE THREAD THAT WEAVES BACK AND FORTH.

DENIM IS A TWILL.

IT HAS AN OFFSET

THAT CREATES THE FAMILIAR DIAGONAL PATTERN,

MAKING IT BOTH STRONG AND FLEXIBLE.

BUT UNIQUE TO DENIM,

THE WARP IS BLUE AND THE WEFT IS WHITE,

AND AS JEANS ARE WORN OR RIPPED,

THE WHITE COTTON UNDERNEATH SHOWS THROUGH.

WHAT MAKES JEANS BLUE IS THE INDIGO.

I'VE GOT A STORY FOR YOU

THAT GOES EVERYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD.

WELL, IT'S THE STORY OF INDIGO.

AN ANCIENT DYE ONCE MADE

FROM A RARE PLANT AND EXPENSIVE--

NOW SYNTHESIZED AND VERY, VERY CHEAP.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY NEEDED LOTS OF

FOR UNIFORMS, FOR ARMIES, FOR EVERYTHING.

SO THE BLUE GOLD FOR THE JEANS

WAS BLUE GOLD EVEN BEFORE JEANS.

THERE'S ALSO THE ALLURE OF THE THING ITSELF.

IT'S NOT BLUE.

IT STARTS OUT A DIFFERENT COLOR.

AS SOON AS THE OXYGEN HITS IT, IT STARTS TO TURN BLUE.

SO THERE'S A MAGICAL TRANSFORMATION,

WHICH ONE WOULD THINK

IN ANCIENT TIMES IS REALLY MAGICAL.

"AIZOME" IS A JAPANESE WORD FOR INDIGO,

A DYE THAT WAS KNOWN FOR CENTURIES AS BLUE GOLD.

JAPAN'S GOT AN INCREDIBLE INDIGO HERITAGE.

BEFORE THEY EVER PRODUCED DENIM,

THEY WERE PRODUCING INDIGO TEXTILES

FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS--

KIMONO FABRICS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

IT'S JUST THE HERITAGE OF JAPAN

COMBINED WITH ATTENTION TO DETAIL

AND THE APPRECIATION OF IMPERFECTION,

WHICH IS WHAT DENIM IS ALL ABOUT.

IT'S A DYE THAT ESSENTIALLY WON'T STAY ON.

THAT'S THE ONLY REASON JEANS LOOK THE WAY THEY ARE,

IS 'CAUSE THE INDIGO KEEPS RUBBING OFF.

IF YOU DON'T START WITH A BEAUTIFUL FABRIC,

YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT.

SINCE THE 1970S,

ALMOST ALL OF THE U.S. TEXTILE INDUSTRY MOVED ABROAD.

BUT LEARNING FROM THE JAPANESE,

THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF BRANDS MAKING THEIR JEANS IN THE U.S.,

SOME EVEN LURING JAPANESE CUSTOMERS

BACK TO BUY THE GOODS HERE.

OH, YEAH, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW

CUSTOMERS FROM JAPAN THAT COME IN.

WE EVEN HAVE SOME CUSTOMERS THAT DON'T SPEAK ANY ENGLISH

AND THEY'LL COME IN WITH A LITTLE CARD

THAT SAYS THE SIZE AND THE FIT THAT THEY WANT

AND JUST HAND IT TO US.

THE JAPANESE LOVE THE FACT

THAT IT'S A NEW YORK BASED BRAND,

AND THAT IT'S ACTUALLY MANUFACTURED

IN THE UNITED STATES.

CLOTHING USED TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO CREATE.

IT WAS AN ART FORM.

WHEN DENIM KIND OF MADE THE TRANSITION FROM WORKWEAR

TO BECOMING A FASHION PIECE,

A LOT OF THAT ARTISAN QUALITY GOT LEFT BEHIND

BECAUSE COMPANIES NEEDED TO STEP UP PRODUCTION.

AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A RETURN

TO THAT PAINSTAKING DETAIL

THAT USED TO GO INTO MAKING A GARMENT.

LEVI'S IS REMAKING THEIR ORIGINAL 501 XX

USING DENIM FROM THE CONE MILL IN NORTH CAROLINA,

THE SAME MILL THAT HAD MADE MOST OF THEIR DENIM UP UNTIL THE 1980S.

CONE MILL'S REALLY THE ONLY AMERICAN DENIM MILL RIGHT NOW.

THE FABRIC THEY MAKE IS BEAUTIFUL,

AND THEY'RE THE ONLY MILL IN THE WORLD

THAT STILL IS USING THE DRAPER LOOMS,

WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL TYPE OF SHUTTLE LOOM

THAT MADE ALL THE LEVI'S FABRIC.

BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT THE MOST AMERICAN

OF ALL FASHION ITEMS

IS NO LONGER REALLY MADE IN THE U.S.

WHY?

BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE PLACES

LIKE SUB SAHARA, KENYA, MADAGASCAR,

WHO ARE THE POOREST IN THE WORLD,

THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN PRODUCE IT IN THE UNITED STATES.

I USED TO GO TO EL PASO. I'D GO TO MISSISSIPPI,

ALABAMA, NORTH CAROLINA,

SOUTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA,

TO ALL THE JEANS FACTORIES,

AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

PEOPLE MAKING 100,000, 200,000 PAIRS A WEEK.

AND IT'S KIND OF SAD THAT ART IS DYING.

I HOPE THAT ONE DAY WE BRING IT BACK.

THE AMERICANS INVENTED THE JEAN.

THEY CREATED THE MYSTIQUE AROUND THE JEAN,

THEY MADE IT WHAT IT IS.

AND NOW, APART FROM IN L.A.,

THEY DON'T MAKE ANY OF IT HERE.

THIS COUNTRY HAS ONE OF THE BEST COTTON IN THE WORLD,

A LOT OF WORKERS,

WE HAVE THE BEST DENIM TRADITION.

IT SHOULD BE MADE HERE, PERIOD.

MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALLY GET THE FACT THAT WE WANT IT

THE WAY IT USED TO BE MADE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK WE JUST WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE

THE WAY IT USED TO BE MADE, BUT WE DON'T.

WE WANT IT TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME.

THE PRICE OF BUSINESS TO MAKE A JEAN,

WASH IT HERE, USE U.S. FABRICS,

LIKE YOU WOULD ALL WANT TO DO IS VERY EXPENSIVE.

THAT'S WHY THE PREMIUM MARKET IS ABLE TO DO IT.

MAYBE IT'S JUST THE REALITY OF MODERN ECONOMIC TIMES,

BUT I THINK IT'S A SHAME.

THE PREMIUM SEGMENT, AS YOU KNOW,

IS JUST A SLIVER OF THE OVERALL DENIM MARKET.

THE REALITY IS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE SPENDING

ABOUT $23-$24 ON THEIR JEANS.

IT'S VERY SIMPLE. IF YOU BUY A JEAN FOR $22,

EVERYBODY ALONG THE WAY DIDN'T GET PAID VERY MUCH.

YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A GENIUS FOR THAT,

BUT THE CONSUMER THINKS THAT'S A GREAT THING.

YOU'RE JUST KIND OF CHASING

THE LOWEST PRICE AROUND THE WORLD

OF WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR GOODS MADE.

40% OF ALL JEANS SOLD IN THE U.S. ARE MADE IN CHINA.

MOST OF THE DENIM IS SPUN, DYED, AND WOVEN THERE.

BUT IT TAKES MORE COTTON THAN IS ACTUALLY GROWN IN CHINA,

SO ADDITIONAL COTTON IS SHIPPED

FROM THE UNITED STATES OR AFRICA.

THE ACTUAL DESIGN MIGHT BE DONE IN THE U.S.,

BUT THE PANTS ARE CUT AND SEWN IN THE PHILIPPIANS OR VIETNAM,

THE ZIPPERS, RIVETS, AND BUTTONS ADDED BACK IN CHINA.

THEN THEY ARE WASHED, BLEACHED, AND TREATED

BEFORE THEY ARE PACKAGED

AND PUT ON THE SHELVES BACK IN THE U.S.

NOW CHINA IS TRYING TO MOVE THEIR PEOPLE UP THE LADDER.

THEY WANNA BE PRODUCING ELECTRONICS AND CARS.

EVERYBODY WONDERS WHEN THE CHASE WILL STOP.

BECAUSE EVENTUALLY YOU'LL RUN OUT OF PLACES,

AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TO START PAYING A LITTLE MORE.

ONE OF THESE DAYS,

THERE MUST BE A CONSUMER MOVEMENT

WHERE THEY SAY THINGS LIKE,

"WELL, I'M NOT GONNA BUY THAT JEAN.

I DON'T CARE WHAT IS THE PRICE,

BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S MADE, REALLY."

WHO IS THAT FACTORY? WHAT IS THAT FACTORY'S STORY?

WHEN DID THAT FACTORY START? HOW MANY WORKERS DO THEY HAVE?

HOW DO THEY TREAT THEIR WORKERS?

THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK THE CONSUMER'S ENTITLED TO HAVE.

WHERE YOU MAKE IT, I THINK, IS IRRELEVANT

AS LONG AS YOU EXPLAIN WHO IT IS THAT MADE IT.

I MEAN, OKAY, YOU MAKE IT IN A FACTORY IN CHINA,

THAT'S A GREAT FACTORY, BUT WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

I WENT TO A LAUNDRY IN ITALY

AND ALL OF THE HAND SANDING

WAS DONE BY CHINESE THAT WERE ILLEGAL

IN A FACTORY OUTSIDE THE LAUNDRY.

I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT SOMEBODY WHO BUYS

AN EXPENSIVE PAIR OF ITALIAN JEANS

IN THE UNITED STATES WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT.

SO WHAT DOES THE CONSUMER REALLY WANT?

TO BE DECENT IN WHO THEY BUY FROM

OR JUST GET A CHEAP PRICE?

AND NO AMOUNT OF AMERICAN COOL OR FASHION GENIUS

CAN BAIL OUT THE BLUE JEAN IF THE CLOTH OF THE REBEL SPIRIT

TURNS OUT JUST LIKE COUNTLESS OTHER CONSUMER GOODS.

AS A DESIGNER, YOU DEFINITELY SEE

EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A JEAN

IS WASHED INDUSTRIALLY.

AND A LOT OF THE TIME, THERE'S AN ECOLOGICAL COST.

THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF WATER USED,

AND A HUGE ARRAY OF CHEMICALS--

BLEACHES, DYES, ENZYMES,

OVERDYES, SPRAYS, ALL KINDS OF STUFF.

IF THE LAUNDRIES ARE NOT USING THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY, THEN UNCLEAN WATER,

CONTAMINATED WATER, IS GOING BACK INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEM LIES,

AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM

THAT CHINA HAS CERTAINLY EXPERIENCED.

WHEN WE INVENT THIS TYPE OF WASH,

WE DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME

THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW WE DESTROY THE RIVER,

HOW WE DESTROY EVERYTHING.

I DON'T PRETEND TO BE ECOLOGICAL.

FRANCOIS GIRBAUD IS NOT AN ECOLOGICAL COMPANY.

BECAUSE WE INVENTED THE STONEWASH,

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE.

LEVI'S ACTUALLY GAVE ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES

OF HOW INTENSIVE THE PROCESS IS.

TO MAKE ONE PAIR OF JEANS GENERATES AS MUCH CO2

AS DRIVING YOUR CAR FOR 78 MILES,

USES AS MUCH WATER AS RUNNING A GARDEN HOSE FOR OVER 100 MINUTES,

AND TAKES THE SAME AMOUNT OF ENERGY AS WATCHING TV FOR OVER 300 HOURS.

IF I JUST FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY AS AN EXAMPLE,

WE'RE DOING SO MUCH NOW TO MAKE OUR MANUFACTURING SUSTAINABLE

USING SIGNIFICANTLY LESS WATER IN THE PROCESSING.

REMOVING THE WATER FROM THE STONEWASHING PROCESS

AND INSTEAD USING OZONE WASHING MACHINES TO CLEAN THE JEANS

AND LASERS TO BLEACH AND AGE THEM

CAN BRING WATER USE DOWN FROM ABOUT 42 LITERS

TO 1.5 LITERS PER JEAN.

IN COUNTRIES WHERE THEY'RE PRODUCING,

THEY'LL TAKE WATER FROM A LOCAL STREAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THEY'LL RETURN THE WATER IN BETTER CONDITION

THAN WHEN IT CAME INTO THE FACTORY.

YOU CAN WASH DOWN OR WEAR DOWN A JEAN BY YOURSELF.

YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY IT WASHED.

I THINK YOU ACTUALLY GET A MUCH MORE AUTHENTIC,

NATURAL LOOK.

JEANS ARE REALLY DURABLE.

WASH THEM LESS. LINE DRY THEM.

IF YOU'RE A DENIM HEAD, PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER.

DON'T WASH THEM, WEAR THEM FOR A YEAR.

JUST GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

AND WHEN THEY'RE DONE WITH THE PRODUCT,

DONATE IT TO A RECYCLING ORGANIZATION

WHO'S MAKING DENIM INSULATION OR GIVE IT TO GOODWILL.

BUT THESE STEPS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING,

AND FAR FROM EVERYONE HAS JOINED IN.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO TO A RESTAURANT

AND YOU KNOW THE FARM THAT YOUR BACON HAS COME FROM,

OR WHERE THE POTATOES HAVE GROWN, FOR EXAMPLE.

I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY,

IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY.

WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS A KIND OF GLOBAL AWARENESS

THAT WE'RE ALL CONNECTED

TO TRY AND CREATE HIGHER WAGES AROUND THE WORLD,

BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS.

THAT WOULD ALSO BOOST CONSUMPTION AROUND THE WORLD.

THINGS MIGHT BE MORE EXPENSIVE,

BUT IN THE END THAT WOULD BENEFIT EVERYBODY.

YEAH, I THINK THE AUCTION WAS GREAT TODAY.

I SOLD A LOT OF GOOD PIECES.

AND ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS, HITOSHI,

HE'S A BIG DENIM AND WORKWEAR DEALER HERE,

HE'S THE GUY THAT BOUGHT THE DOUBLE X'S

AND THE BROWN DUCK BUCKLE BACK PANTS.

I'VE BEEN DOING BUSINESS WITH HIM FOR A LOT OF YEARS NOW,

AND HE COMES TO THE ROSE BOWL ALMOST EVERY MONTH

AND HE DROPS A LOT OF COIN WITH ME.

EVERYTHING GET FUNNIER WHEN WE'RE TIRED.

-FOR 100 BUCKS? -YEAH.

SHIT.

GOOD MORNING.

YOU NEED TO HELP ME FIND SOME GEL.

I'M GONNA TAKE CARE OF IT THE IDAHO WAY.

THAT'LL FIX IT.

* I'M WIDE AWAKE AND IT'S A BRAND NEW DAY *

* GONNA MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN *

THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS AS WE GO AROUND TOKYO,

WE'RE GONNA BE STOPPING AT LOTS OF DIFFERENT STORES

AND THERE'LL BE LITTLE PIECES HERE AND THERE

THAT WE CAN BUY THAT ARE WORTH

A WHOLE LOT MORE IN THE STATES THAN OVER HERE.

SO, YEAH, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON AT ALL NOW TO DO THAT.

PERFECT.

-VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE. -OOH.

I WORK WITH A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT DESIGN COMPANIES,

AND THEY ALL HAVE TOLD ME THINGS THAT THEY NEED THIS SUMMER.

SO WHEN I'M HERE, I'M LOOKING FOR THOSE ITEMS.

IT WAS A TREASURE CHEST BEING HERE,

BECAUSE THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN BUYING THIS STUFF FOR 15 YEARS.

WOW.

I NEVER SEE A HOUSE MARK TAG IN THE MIDDLE.

I'VE SEEN THIS TAG ON THE OUTSIDE BEFORE,

BUT NOT IN THE MIDDLE.

THEY'RE ONLY $20,000?

-MM-HMM. -YEAH? THAT'S ALL?

THERE'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WAR JEAN WITH THE GREEN POCKET.

DURING WORLD WAR II, THEY HAD TO CONSERVE THREAD,

SO LEVI'S WANTED TO DO THEIR TRADEMARK,

BUT THEY HAD TO CONSERVE,

SO THEY PAINTED THE TRADEMARK INTO THEIR POCKET.

ALSO THERE WAS CONSERVATION OF METAL RIVETS,

SO USUALLY LEVI HAS METAL RIVETS IN THE COIN POCKET.

BUT SINCE THIS IS JUST FOR DECORATION,

NOT FOR THE QUALITY OR STRENGTH OF THEIR GARMENT,

THEY DIDN'T DO METAL RIVETS HERE.

ALSO DURING THAT TIME, FABRIC WAS REALLY HARD TO GET,

SO MOST OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT MADE TEXTILES,

ONLY MADE O.D. GREEN TEXTILES.

SO LEVI STRAUSS HAD TO PUT O.D. GREEN POCKETS

INSIDE THEIR JEANS.

SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE

O.D. POCKETS DURING WORLD WAR II.

ONE SIDE OF THE RED TAB, NOT ON BOTH SIDES.

REALLY EARLY LEVI ONLY HAD IT ON ONE SIDE.

THIS IS ABOUT AS BEAUTIFUL A JEAN AS YOU GET.

HOW MUCH IS THE PRICE?

-UH, SO, $25,000. -$25,000, YEAH.

I HAVE BOUGHT THESE FOR $10,000 BEFORE

AND SOLD THEM FOR MORE THAN I PAID.

-DOMO. THANK YOU. -THANK YOU.

I SOLD THEM TO HIM LAST MONTH FOR 14,000.

I CAN'T BELIEVE HE SHOWED ME

THAT HE SOLD IT TO HIM FOR 25.

I'M LIKE, WHY DID HITOSHI JUST DO THAT?

BUT REMEMBER I SAID, LIKE,

DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU HEAR

AND ONLY BELIEVE HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE.

MAYBE THAT'S THE HALF YOU DON'T BELIEVE BUT YOU SAW.

ALWAYS HARD TO TELL WHO'S THE MASTER

AND WHO'S THE STUDENT.

EVERYONE'S GETTING SCHOOLED ALL THE TIME,

SO IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING.

SO I TOLD YOU I WOULD SHOW YOU THE BIGGEST

DENIM FREAK IN JAPAN.

THE GUY HAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST COLLECTION

OF AMERICAN DENIM HERE IN TOKYO.

IT'S GOTTA BE WORTH A MILLION AND A HALF

TO TWO MILLION DOLLARS.

I'LL CHANGE OUT OF MY SHOES.

NO, NOT THAT ROOM..

WHO GONNA SLEEP IN THIS ROOM?

NOBODY.

I'VE SLEPT IN THIS ROOM BEFORE.

BEFORE? BEFORE EMPTY.

BEFORE RIGHT NOW.

DENIM FREAK.

HERE, ERIC.

I'M ALWAYS BUYING.

YEAH. I DON'T KNOW WHY.

BECAUSE I'M SICK.

CORRECT MEANING, YOU KNOW?

-YOU KNOW? -I KNOW YOU'RE SICK.

YOU HAVE SO MUCH COLLECTION,

YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT IS.

-YEAH. -YOU FORGET.

I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER

HOW MANY HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS.

SOMETIMES I BUY THEM AT THE FLEA MARKET

AND SOMETIMES I BUY THEM FROM MY FRIENDS.

SOMETIMES BUYING ON EBAY AT THE AUCTION.

REGULAR PEOPLE DON'T CARE.

A LITTLE BIT CRAZY, HUH?

THROW IN THE GARBAGE

OR DONATE IN THE THRIFT STORE.

THEY'RE PRICELESS.

I DON'T KNOW THIS BRAND.

I DON'T KNOW.

THIS ONE IS, UH,

LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST WORD IS "SIERRA."

YEAH, "SIERRA, NEVADA," I SEE.

-IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. -YUP. BUTTON BROKE.

THIS IS CONTINUOUS FLY. FRONT IS ONE PIECE.

J.C. PENNEY STARTED IN KEMMERER, WYOMING.

BY J.C. PENNEY.

AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY,

ALL THE JEANS WERE THE SAME, JUST LIKE LEVI.

EVERYONE WAS MAKING THE SAME JEANS.

YOU PULLING OUT THE VEST?

1880S. THIS IS A LEVI.

HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR THESE?

I DON'T REMEMBER.

I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH I PAY FOR.

-NO? -NO.

-IT'S NOT THAT HE DOESN'T REMEMBER. -YEAH.

IT'S THAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO REMEMBER HOW MUCH HE PAID.

-CRAZY MONEY. -IT'S A SICKNESS.

-I JUST GOT THIS ONE. -WOW.

I BOUGHT ONE OF THESE ONCE THAT WAS JUNK.

YOU FOUND THE TWO OF THEM?

YEAH, TWO OF THEM,

AND I SOLD ONE IN AUCTION FOR $7,000.

YUP, I REMEMBER.

BUT THAT ONE IS SUPER OLD.

THIS ONE'S 1920S.

-YEAH. -I HAVE TO STOP BUYING.

LOOK.

WHAT?

EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, MORE DENIM.

YEAH.

HOW MUCH THIS WHOLE PILE I CAN BUY?

-THIS ONE? -YEAH, HOW MUCH?

-THIS ROOM. -EVERYTHING?

YEAH.

-$600. -$600?

-MM-HMM. -REALLY? 600K, HUH?

-WOW. -NO?

-MAYBE, YES. -IT'S YOURS.

YOU BRING 600K, IT'S YOURS.

-I BRING 600K? -YEAH, IT'S YOURS.

-AT ONCE? -AT ONCE.

CASH?

I DON'T CARE IF IT'S CASH OR A TRANSFER.

-THAT'S A GOOD DEAL, HUH? -I THINK SO.

YEAH, AND I CAN QUIT IN BUSINESS.

THEN YOU CAN STOP, FINISH BUSINESS?

YEAH, YEAH.

HMM, THAT GETS ME THINKING.

I'M WONDERING WHO'S GOT ANOTHER HALF A MILLION

I CAN BORROW TO BUY THIS.

OH! THIS IS THE ONE YOU COULDN'T FIND.

YEAH, I FOUND IT.

TWO-PIECE DENIM, RIGHT?

OH, YEAH, YEAH. JUST BUY.

-I WANT TO. -JUST TAKE IT, THE PANTS.

-OKAY, FLIP. -NO!

-OKAY. -30.

-HUH? -30.

-THAT'S IT? -YEAH.

-THAT'S IT? -THAT'S IT.

-I SOLD 50. -NO, YOU DIDN'T.

THANK YOU.

I'M STILL THINKING.

600K? WOW.

FOR A DESIGN COMPANY, THAT'D BE CHEAP.

-YEAH. -YEAH?

ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT BEING HERE,

IT REALLY MAKES ME REALIZE

I GOTTA GET HERE MORE OFTEN.

I KNOW I TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME,

BUT I GOTTA GET HERE AND BUY THIS STUFF

AND BRING IT BACK TO THE U.S.,

'CAUSE ALL THE BEST STUFF IS HERE IN JAPAN.

* I PUT A SPELL ON YOU

* 'CAUSE YOUR MINE

IN THE LEAST EXPECTED QUARTERS,

THERE THEY ARE, AMERICAN MINING PANTS--

MAYBE BECAUSE IN SO MANY WAYS,

JEANS HAVE TRANSCENDED THEIR NATIONAL ORIGIN.

ONE DOES HEAR OBJECTION TO JEANS IN CERTAIN QUARTERS,

AND THEY ARE LARGELY FROM RELIGIOUS FIGURES.

IN THE CASE OF WOMEN, THEY'RE OBJECTING TO THE FACT

THAT THE JEANS ARE DRAWING PEOPLE'S ATTENTION

TO THE FEMALE BODY.

IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THERE ARE TWO PIECES OF CLOTHING

THAT REALLY CARRY REAL SOCIAL MEANING.

ONE IS A HIJAB, THE WOMEN'S HEAD SCARF,

AND THE OTHER IS JEANS.

IF YOU DO THEM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME,

YOU'RE REALLY CONFUSING PEOPLE,

YOU'RE REALLY SHAKING THINGS UP,

BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHICH SYMBOL ARE YOU ADOPTING?

ARE YOU GOING WITH THE TRADITIONAL, THROWBACK,

"I RESPECT MY ELDERS.

I RESPECT THE RELIGIOUS TRADITION"?

THAT'S WHAT THE HIJAB USUALLY MEANS.

OR ARE YOU GOING WITH THE JEANS?

WHICH MEANS "I'M DOING IT MY OWN WAY.

I'M OUT OF THE BOX.

I'M YOUNG. I'M INTERNATIONAL."

THE THING ABOUT THE WAY WOMEN IN PARTICULAR

DRESS IN THE ARAB REGION, IS THAT IT'S REALLY DIVERSE.

IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU ARE.

WE'RE TALKING 350 MILLION PEOPLE

SPREAD ACROSS 22 COUNTRIES.

PEOPLE ARE TRYING OUT FOR THEMSELVES

THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.

AND THEY DON'T THINK THEY HAVE TO ONLY DO

ONE THING OR THE OTHER THING.

THEY THINK THEY CAN BE BOTH TRADITIONAL AND MODERN.

THEY CAN PICK AND THEY CAN CHOOSE.

IT'S NOT EXACTLY A CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS,

MORE OF A MESH.

BUT THE TENSION IN THE WEAVE IS UNMISTAKABLE.

THE SYMBOLS OF YOUTH, OF INDEPENDENCE,

OF INDIVIDUAL CHOICE STILL HAVE BITE.

THEY STILL EXCITE PEOPLE.

THEY HAVEN'T IN SOME WAY BEEN SUBSUMED

INTO THE PURE CONSUMERIST PICTURE

OF SELL MORE JEANS, MAKE MORE MONEY.

THEY ACTUALLY STILL MEAN SOMETHING.

THE POWER OF JEANS TO OUTRAGE

AND SIGNAL CULTURAL CHANGE IS NOTHING NEW.

BEFORE THE BERLIN WALL CAME DOWN,

EAST GERMANS WEARING BLUE JEANS WERE TARGETED BY THE SECRET POLICE,

SEEN AS ENEMIES OF THE STATE WANTING TO CONNECT

WITH THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE IRON CURTAIN.

AS CHILDREN, WE KNEW ANYBODY WHO COULD WEAR JEANS

HAD SOME KIND OF CONNECTION TO THE FREE WORLD.

WELL, THE BLUE JEANS,

THEY BECAME THIS SYMBOL OF THE WEST.

MORE IMPORTANTLY,

SYMBOLS LIKE THAT BROUGHT COMMUNISM DOWN.

I LOOK FOR BLUE JEANS.

DESIGNER JEANS?

UM, UH, JORDACHE, CALVIN KLEIN.

CALVIN KLEIN.

KHRUSHCHEV AND THE COMMUNISTS,

THEY DID NOT ALLOW THE BLUE JEANS.

MY GOD, WHAT DECADENCE.

THEY KNEW THAT WESTERN CLOTHES, WESTERN CIGARETTE,

THAT WAS BAD FOR THE PEOPLE.

LET'S SAY THAT IF IN THE '70S

A FOREIGNER SMUGGLED IN,

LET'S SAY, TWO PAIRS OF BLUE JEANS, RIGHT?

I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE COVERED

15 REALLY EXPENSIVE DINNERS

WITH RUSSIAN CHAMPAGNE AND RUSSIAN CAVIAR.

SO THE BLUE JEANS KIND OF SNEAKED INTO THE SOVIET UNION,

AND IT STAYED.

AND AS ALWAYS,

THE JEANS WERE A SIGN OF THE TIMES.

AND AN INCREASINGLY OPEN AND CONNECTED WORLD

NEEDED A NEW KIND OF HERO.

MY DAD WOULD WORK OUT IN JEANS.

IT WAS REALLY HIS MANTRA,

WAS TO FIGURE OUT AND KNOW HIMSELF

AND THEN EXPRESS WHO THAT WAS,

AND PART OF THAT WAS THROUGH THE CLOTHING THAT HE WOULD WEAR.

BORN IN SAN FRANCISCO, RAISED IN HONG KONG,

BRUCE LEE ACHIEVED INTERNATIONAL FAME

BY KEEPING IT REAL,

STAYING TRUE TO HIMSELF, HIS HERITAGE,

AND BECOMING A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD.

HIS WHOLE SYSTEM OF MARTIAL ART

WAS BASED AROUND THAT IT WAS REAL.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT,

HE WOULD OFTENTIMES PRACTICE IN EVERYDAY JEANS,

BECAUSE HIS FEELING WAS IF YOU COULDN'T DEFEND YOURSELF

IN THE CLOTHES THAT YOU HAD ON,

THEN YOU COULDN'T DEFEND YOURSELF.

BUT NOT IN AN AGGRESSIVE WAY,

IN JUST AN ABSOLUTELY

I KNOW WHO I AM SORT OF WAY.

HE'S THIS QUINTESSENTIAL HERO

AND THE SELF-MADE MAN,

A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY LOOKED AT HIM

AS AN INSPIRATION.

THE WORLD HE EMBODIED IS BECOMING CLOSER TO REALITY,

WITH OVER 250 MILLION PEOPLE

MOVING AROUND THE PLANET EACH YEAR FOR WORK,

FOR SAFETY, FOR NEW POSSIBILITIES,

AND ONE GARMENT FITS ALL OF IT PERFECTLY.

HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT THE WORLD

WITHOUT LOSING MY INDIVIDUALITY IN THE WORLD?

PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO SPEND THEIR TIME

SIGNIFYING THEY CAME FROM ANYWHERE IN PARTICULAR,

BUT EQUALLY, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BETRAY THOSE ROOTS.

BLUE JEANS WORK.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE.

ARE YOU REPRESENTATIVE OF WHERE YOU'RE FROM

OR WHERE YOU'VE COME TO?

THEY'VE BECOME AN INCREDIBLY NEUTRAL GARMENT.

THE PREDOMINANT DESIRE

THAT SO MANY OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE

WAS THEY WANTED TO BE ORDINARY,

AND IT WAS-- JEANS WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT MEDIUM

FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.

EVEN IF WE SAID TO PEOPLE, "IS THERE ANY OCCASION

WHERE YOU THINK YOU SHOULD WEAR A PAIR OF JEANS?"

NOBODY REALLY HAD ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT.

AND IF WE SAID, "IS THERE ANY OCCASION WHERE YOU SHOULDN'T WEAR JEANS?"

OFTEN THEY WOULD SAY, "I WOULD NEVER WEAR JEANS

IF THE OCCASION IS SEEN AS A SPECIAL OCCASION.

SO BY DEFINITION, JEANS ARE SEEN AS NOT SPECIAL.

AND WHEN WE ASK PEOPLE,

"WHERE DO YOU ASSOCIATE JEANS WITH?"

AND THEY SAY, "WELL, NOWHERE. THEY'RE JUST JEANS."

SO THE IDEAL GARMENT

IS ONE THAT ON THE ONE HAND

RELATES YOU TO THE WIDE GLOBAL WORLD,

BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY RELATES

TO THIS VERY PERSONABLE, INDIVIDUALIZED ASPECT.

THE ATTRACTION OF BLUE JEANS

IS THAT IT MANAGES TO RESOLVE THAT BASIC CONTRADICTION.

BY WEARING BLUE JEANS, YOU COULD BECOME ALMOST

A KIND OF CITIZEN OF THE WORLD.

DO YOU STILL THINK OF YOURSELF AS CHINESE

OR DO YOU EVER THINK OF YOURSELF AS NORTH AMERICAN?

YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THINK OF MYSELF

AS A HUMAN BEING.

BECAUSE UNDER THE SKY,

UNDER HEAVEN, MAN, THERE IS BUT ONE FAMILY.

IT JUST SO HAPPENS, MAN, THAT PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT.

I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT CAN HAPPEN

IS PEOPLE WILL FEEL MORE CONNECTED

TO EACH OTHER AT THIS MOMENT,

AS WELL AS TO ONE ANOTHER IN THE PAST

IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT ANYTHING, YOU LOOK AT ANY OBJECT,

YOU LOOK AT ANYTHING DEEPLY ENOUGH,

YOU ACTUALLY FIND THE WORLD.

MAYBE THE FACT THAT JEANS ARE ALL OVER THE WORLD

IS A GOOD SIGN.

BECAUSE MAYBE IT MEANS

THAT THE THINGS THAT ARE AMERICANA,

LIKE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH

AND FREEDOM TO CREATE YOUR OWN ARTISTIC VIEW OF THE WORLD

CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE.

YES, A PAIR OF JEANS

CAN ACTUALLY CONNECT YOU TO THE WORLD.

IT INITIALLY MATTERED

THAT LEVI'S WERE MADE IN THE U.S.

THAT INITIAL ASSOCIATION, I THINK, MATTERED,

BUT THE ICONOGRAPHY,

THE MYTHOLOGY STILL TRUMPS ALL OF THAT STUFF.

OKAY. YEAH.

AND AT WHAT PRICE POINT? OKAY.

I KNOW JOHNNY BUYS A LOT OF THEM OUT HERE

FOR 12 TO 14, SO,

I KNOW THAT'S WHO I GOTTA COMPETE WITH.

YOU CAN'T GIVE UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BEING HERE

BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN STORE FOR YOU.

IF YOU'RE NOT HERE, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET THE DEAL THAT YOU NEED TO GET.

JUST SHOWING UP, YOU KNOW, IS 90% OF IT,

AND THAT'S REALLY IT.

IF YOU GO AND GO AND GO AND YOU BE THERE,

THEN YOU ALWAYS HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

I'VE TRAVELED ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

I'VE ATE $700 PIECES OF SUSHI IN TOKYO BEFORE--

JUST STUFF THAT YOU'D NEVER THINK

IN A MILLION YEARS THAT YOU'D DO

IF YOU GREW UP IN JEROME, IDAHO.

THAT'S THE THING THAT MAKES IT THE ADVENTURE.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU GET ON THE ROAD WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

THEY SEEM TO BE OUTSIDE OF FASHION,

TO BE REAL CLOTHES.

JEANS ARE FUNCTION THAT TURNED INTO AN ART FORM.

PEOPLE WEAR JEANS BECAUSE JEANS ARE FUCKING COOL.

IT'S SO COOL BECAUSE IT'S CHANGING ALL THE TIME.

IT'S CONSERVATIVE, SO IT DOESN'T--

IT DOESN'T STEP OUT TOO MUCH.

IT'S REALLY ANTI-FASHION, REALLY ANTI-STYLE.

IT'S GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN. IT'S THE REBEL.

FIRST AND FOREMOST IS HOW WELL IT FITS

ON THE TUSH, THE BEHIND.

MY SISTER GOT THE BUTT IN THE FAMILY,

SO ANYTHING THAT HELPS,

WHERE I CAN JUST, LIKE, THROW ON, IS AMAZING.

I CAN CHANGE MYSELF BY WEARING THIS JEAN.

IT'S A QUICK FIX FOR A WEEKEND.

I NEED A NEW JEAN. THERE IT IS.

IT'S LIVING WITH YOU, IT'S CHANGING THE COLOR,

IT'S TAKING THE SHAPE OF YOUR BODY.

IT'S LIVING WITH YOU.

TECHNOLOGY, THAT'S WHERE IT'S GONNA GO.

MORE TIGHT FABRIC, MORE LIGHTWEIGHT,

MORE STRETCH, MORE THIS-- IT'S JUST GONNA KEEP GROWING.

THIS IS THE EVOLUTION,

BUT YOU'VE GOT THE SPIRIT OF JEANSWEAR THAT'S STRONGER,

AND THE SPIRIT WILL REMAIN.

IT'S LIKE MICHAEL MYERS IN THE "HALLOWEEN" MOVIES.

EVERY TIME YOU SAY IT'S DEAD, IT'S BACK.

I'll DIE A POOR JEANS MAKER OR A RICH JEANS MAKER,

BUT I'll MAKE JEANS.