How to Design an Aura

Selvedge denim is a remnant of an era of less-efficient manufacturing, a niche fabric in a sea of high-speed weaving. Fewer and fewer mills were interested in using the somewhat temperamental, slow-moving looms; alongside of that the skills to both operate and maintain those looms were (and still are) in decline. However, for those that deeply care about denim and authentic reproductions, there’s no other choice. The process is contained in the object, and signified by the use of that particular denim.

Until the early 2000’s, the signifier “selvedge denim” was still tightly bound to the entire object. It could be counted on to represent the overall quality and identity of the product. The choice of fabric implied that the romanticized manufacturing processes of the past were used: slower and more deliberate. Underlying that was the idea of the overall garment being more honest, justifying price through material and construction, rather than leaning on a designer name.