Hudson Jeans Introduces More Expensive Denim

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L.A.-based Hudson Jeans has decided that the recession is the very best time to start a higher-priced denim collection, and the results of that thought will be up for sale this spring if anyone wants it. The core Hudson line will continue to ship normally, while the fancy line will ship twice a year. The higher prices reflect the new line's status as the "full expression of head designer Ben Taverniti" who joined the company three years ago.

The more expensive jeans will be grouped in four concepts: minimalist, resurrection, subversion, and D.I.Y. We're wondering about the logic of naming a retail fashion line "D.I.Y." If we ever decide to start a fashion line, please remind us not to call it "you could make this yourself."

The D.I.Y. line, of which the right photo above is part, has hand-crafted accents like exposed zipper flies, cut-off waistbands and unfinished hems. The "minimalist" jeans are constructed with what Taverniti calls the fabric’s “purest state," with little effects like a quilted leg or darting. The "subversion" line is military inspired, with cargo pocket jeans in green and black denim.

The "Resurrection" jeans, one of which is pictured above on the left, are all one-of-a-kind, because they're made from torn-up scraps of jeans from Hudson's archives, and the positioning and placement of pieces is random. We can only assume the next collection will include a skirt made out of ties.

The new line definitely won't be cheap. It's wholesaling for $100 to $450 for jeans and $65 to $85 for tops, and it's already been picked up by Barneys and Jeffrey New York.
· Hudson Jeans Launching Higher-End Collection [WWD, subscription required]