The hunt for the right pair of jeans is no simple task, but your search just got easier. This summer, Selfridges, one of London‘s top fashion department stores, opened a new denim oasis billed as the largest denim department in the world. Needless to say, it’s quite the shopping experience.
Covering 26,000 square feet, the Denim Studio is home to a mind-boggling 11,000 pairs of jeans, plus denim-inspired contemporary womenswear. Also on the floor are concessions such as American Apparel and Sweaty Betty selling denim-friendly basics — so be prepared to put your credit card to good use.
Among the 60 brands on offer, from Rag & Bone to Goldsign, there are many that are new to Selfridges. Alongside Frame, a brand launched last year in Los Angeles by two London-based Swedes, you’ll also find New York label 3×1. Tired of being unable to find ready-made styles to fit her leggy frame, supermodel Karlie Kloss made headlines earlier this year when she collaborated with the innovative label to design a pair of jeans with a 40-inch leg. Long-pinned shoppers will be delighted to find Kloss’s creations for sale at the studio.
Swimming through the sea of denim in Selfridges’ new department, you can’t help but be struck by the inventiveness that has informed its creation. A unique “denim bar” allows you to flick through huge images and videos of the jeans on offer, helping you to narrow down your options before hitting the floor. Jeans are mainly presented by brand, but also by trend — the table currently offering extreme prints is a riot of color, stacked with pairs that only the most daring of fashionistas can pull off.
On another table, a patchwork of pockets is laid out — The Laundry Room, a California-based brand, lets you choose your denim and then add exciting touches to it; the in-house tailors will turn things around while you shop. Nearby, a thrift store-inspired “denim by the kilo” section features an enormous set of scales for weighing your vintage finds.
U.K. brand Primark, which offers the most inexpensive pair of jeans in the department, at £11 (just under $17), has a self-service checkout for those in a rush, while on the other side of the space stands a pair of jeans (in a protective glass case) that will set you back a mere £11,000 (around $16,800). Designed by Paige Denim, these jeans are made-to-order and include bespoke diamond additions by jewelery designer Susan Foster.
Visit the studio any weekend in July and August and the team from London sewing shop Sew Over It will customize your denim purchase with studding, badging, distressing and more.
Photos Courtesy of Selfridges
