Emily Current, Meritt Elliott tell ‘A Denim Story’
If you know what a boyfriend jean is, you have Emily Current and Meritt Elliott to thank for popularizing the relaxed style. The styling duo created the Current/Elliott denim label in 2007 and infused the line with a Dust Bowl era grit and classic tomboy spirit – think slouchy silhouettes and railroad stripes with vintage washes and a sense of whimsy that has become the foundation of their aesthetic as designers and brand collaborators.
After great success with Current/Elliott, the duo sold the company in late 2012 and have been working on product and design collaborations with brands such as Pottery Barn Teen and Kate Spade, for which they created a line called Westward in 2011. Their latest project is a coffee-table book published by Rizzoli and co-authored by L.A photographer Hilary Walsh that comes out on Tuesday.
Appropriately titled, “A Denim Story: Inspirations from Bellbottoms to Boyfriends,” the tome is an image-heavy tribute to denim using their favorite archival photos as well as original photography by Walsh.
Elliott and Current celebrated the book’s impending release with an intimate dinner party hosted by Anthropologie at the Hart and the Hunter inside the Pali Hotel this week. A few of their celebrity clients, including Jessica Alba and Mandy Moore, turned out to fete the authors.
Current and Elliott originally conceived the idea for “A Denim Story” in 2007 when they realized they had amassed hundreds of inspiration photos for their design and celebrity styling work.
They met Walsh the same year and the three bonded over their love of denim and the stories a favorite pair of jeans can tell.
“We met Hilary and realized that she had a lot of the same images saved that we had archived,” says Elliott. “We were like, ‘look at Robert Redford, look at James Dean!’”
“A Denim Story” contains images of celebrities and style icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Jane Birkin, Elvis and Drew Barrymore wearing denim. It’s also peppered with images styled by Current and Elliott that possess what they refer to as their “Americana Wonderland” aesthetic.
Most photos are accompanied by a caption explaining why the trio was inspired by it. A caption next to a photo of model Angela Lindvall lounging near a lake in vintage overalls without a shirt says, “We think denim alone can redefine what is traditionally considered feminine. We love how she straddles both tomboyishness and little girl playfulness and pensiveness.”
Chapters are named for the aspects of denim that speak to them, such as “Girls,” “On the Porch” and “Circus.” The Americana Wonderland look permeates every chapter, with Current and Elliott incorporating animal masks, circus props and some one-of-a-kind vintage denim items into the shoots.
“Denim tells a story, where it’s been, where it’s gone and where it’s going,” says Current. “Whether they’re your Dad’s old jeans or your boyfriend’s, jeans are the one part of someone’s wardrobe that the more they’re worn, the more character they have. You can’t say that about too many other items.”
ALSO:
Pyrrha, HBO to launch ‘Game of Thrones’ jewelry
Dior Makeup about to get a lot cooler with new creative director
Brazil meets Malibu in Alessandra Ambrosio’s boho-inspired collection
