ITV Denim conquers the throne of the Netherlands

You might well call it a once in a lifetime event: the special presentation of the “Global Denim Awards Italian/Dutch Edition”, where ITV Denim featured prominently. The Italian premium denim mill has been selected to display three innovative and highly successful collaborations with some of the most outstanding Dutch designers today, on the occasion of a special showcase, with the Global Denim Awards moving for one week (17-23 June, 2017) to the premises of the Triennale exhibition in Milan. The event truly ended in style on the 23rd of June when the five selected collections were showcased in the presence of the Dutch RoyalCouple,His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima, who showed great enthusiasm and interest in this special exhibition which gave them an opportunity to admire the best examples of Italian-Dutch partnership in the denim industry. The exhibition was also part of the Camera Nazionale della Moda italiana [Italian National Chamber for Fashion] scheduled events; its visitors included participants in the Dutch trade mission to Italy, an integral part of their route, and coordinated by Lilianne Ploumen, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Cooperation Development.

This extraordinary project has involved many players: Denim Mills, HTNK, House of Denim, the Dutch Government and the Triennale in Milan which provided the exhibition venue.

The event focuses on highlighting the most virtuous co-creations by these two countries, underscoring the exceptional value of cross-contamination between two countries where denim is a lifestyle and point of reference for a large number of players and many consumers.

ITV Denim has been selected to present three of the five collections which have been on display all week long at the Triennale in Milan, two of which won the prestigious Global Denim Awards in 2014 and 2016. These successes bear witness to the unique expertise acquired by ITV, consisting of great technical capabilities, 100% Made in Italy production and ongoing search into new possibilities and territories. All these elements are brought together by Paolo Gnutti, R&D Head of the Italian mill, who has always been keen on unconventional research paths and contamination processes with other sectors, driven by great curiosity plus the ability to anticipate market trends, without ever forgetting the Italian style at the heart of ITV’s business.

These unique collaborations are under the sign of the great passion for denim, creativity and innovation which ITV has shared with three designers as forward looking as the historic Italian denim mill. The value of these collection consists in their being produced using innovative and sustainable technologies, thus tracing a truly collaborative route geared towards the future of the industry, starting from garment planning and design.

ITV Denim + Jonathan Christopher = NOMADUM

1. The first partnership in terms of time, among those showcased during the event, was the one with Jonathan Christopher, the young designer currently creative manager at Blue Concept. This collection is called Nomadum and was awarded first prize at the Global Denim Awards 2014. The work together is based on two key concepts: innovation and sustainability. “We immediately got on well with Jonathan; this mutual feeling has increased over the years and still continues today – says Paolo Gnutti, Co-owner/R&D Head ITV at Denim – To develop the underlying concept for Nomadum we have been focusing in particular on recycling and reusing production waste, from dyeing to fake selvedge discarded by looms; all of this is reprocessed, reassembled and given a new lease of life”. This has resulted in a unique collection in its kind, something cool and offering a totally new outlook on the product. These garments cannot be defined by a specific status quo, because they are inspired by nomadism and travelling lifestyle, dark and well-defined colours which reveal romantic veins, with a focus on ethics and on achieving true sustainability.

ITV Denim + Alexandra Frida = LENKA

2. The second selected project was the one completed with Alexandra Frida in 2015. Lenka is the name of the collection resulting from the fruitful partnership between ITV Denim and the young designer from Amsterdam, which was presented at the Global Denim Awards 2015. It all started with a forward-looking idea of the designer: “I want to give women wings”. As a matter of fact this collection involved devising and fine-tuning a set of very specific finishing processes, from printing to laser treatments also including applications which could create new visions and possibilities suited for the denim industry. The result is an extremely colourful, lively and youthful line which reproduces a very special print, derived from a microscope view of a moth wings, the guiding thread from which the original idea has developed.

ITV Denim + Anbasja Blanken = GLOW IN THE DARK

3. The third co-creation project was developed with Anbasja Blanken and is called Glow in the dark. It is literally a “glowing” collection, which was awarded first prize at the Global Denim Awards 2016. Viewing denim from a semi-couture perspective, the garments speak directly to women, communicating strength, elegance and beauty. The creative concept is based on innovative experimentation with the yarn, to achieve a real “glow in the dark” effect. This idea results from the designer’s intention to reproduce oceanic depths, where the absence of light is actually an encouragement for transformation, reminding us of the phosphorescence and luminosity typical of many marine species. Explosions of coral, pearls, floral embroideries and luminescent fabric intertwining: all of this for a collection highlighting the great artisan skills of ITV, also using laser cutting and recycled fabrics.

“The true added value of Made in Italy are relationships” – says Barbara Gnutti, Co-owner/Export Manager at ITV Denim – The unique relationship which we manage to establish with designers and clients is the real strength that allows us to make a difference compared to international productions. Moreover, Italy and The Netherlands share a widespread culture of denim and an approach which is always creative and innovative. Working with these three fantastic designers therefore came naturally to us and has been very stimulating. Our effort has been compensated by the great honour of showing the result of this all-European partnership to the Royal Couple of the Netherlands”.