Denim spring summer 2015

Things are a bit different in 2015. The anonymity of the five-pocket jean – something that no doubt appealed to Warhol, a man obsessed with the tastes of the multitude – is no longer the thing. Now, it’s about making something that is hugely familiar into something new. Denim dresses, coats, culottes and boots all featured heavily in the spring collections. Commercially, this is the key mix to make people stump up for denim with four-figure price tags. Net-a-porter have also collaborated with Levi’s for the first time, to create three pairs of exclusive customised 501s, and matchesfashion.com has relaunched its Denim Studio to focus on designer brands. Damien Paul, head of menswear at the site, thinks it’s all about a change of context – taking denim away from the classic jeans. “What’s so interesting this season is that designers are thinking about denim more broadly, and using it in different ways,” he says. “I loved the roomy, gently oversized shapes at Yohji Yamamoto, Craig Green and Christophe Lemaire, who all showed head-to-toe denim looks.”

Marques Almeida could win the prize for modern denim innovation. It is not an exaggeration to say that this tiny London label, founded by Portuguese couple Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida in 2011, changed denim’s place in fashion. Their graduate collection was almost entirely made from the fabric. It came as baggy dresses, crop tops, shift dresses and even legwarmers. The shredded edges and boxy shapes felt new, but the real game changer? Not a pair of jeans in sight.