Ali Fatourechi knows what women want… Well, at least when it comes to denim.
His styles are worn by the likes of such A-listers as Anne Hathaway, Shakira and Halle Berry and are now making their way (with a wider release starting this month) to Canada.
He is the founder of Genetic Denim, a brand he spent years developing, including a one-year stint of market research.
In 2006, the American-based designer embarked on what he calls a denim tour across the United States to ask mostly women and some men what they wanted in a pair of jeans.
Traveling in a U-Haul across 42 cities for a year might not seem like the most glamorous of ventures, but when you see the end result of Fatourechi’s market research it all makes sense.
After interacting with 20,000 consumers, he designed a collection that utilizes top-quality fabrics with washes and cuts from around the world. The brand is designed to actuate each individual’s assets while maintaining the ultimate in comfort.
When asked the secret to the jeans’ softness, Fatourechi remains covert: “I travelled the four corners of the earth looking to develop the softest fabrics. It’s the yarn I use and the mills I work with… that’s all I can say.”
During a recent visit to Toronto, he also shared some of the key lessons he learned from his travels. “You’re only as good as your first five inches below the waistband. If the jeans don’t fit within the first five inches below the waistband as a denim brand you’re dead in the water.
“All women care about how their hips, crotch and backside look in a pair of jeans,” explains Fatourechi. To address these concerns, his spring/summer 2010 line includes styles like The Shane, a cigarette cut, The Riley, a classic boot-cut, The James, a cigarette cut with zippers, and The Davis, a slouchy cigarette style that is a sexy update of the classic boyfriend silhouette.
The line also includes a variety of jackets, vests, shorts, skirts and even a jogging pant, ranging from $225 to $275.
Once he addressed the major structural aspects of his denim brand, Fatourechi decided to incorporate some unique touches into his pieces. The first begins with the brand’s name, which is a reference to human DNA, “The only thing that makes you unique in this world.” That message is also embedded in the actual clothing with DNA helix and “XX” or “XY” embroidery on each item.
Sequined patches under distressed jeans as well as studding, lacing and zippered details are also subtleties that give the brand a “twist,” says Fatourechi.
In term of the patches and zippers, he explains, “Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands inspired that look for me… It’s for the fashion-forward leader that walks with a swagger and ‘owns’ what she wears and who she is.”
