Designer Jean Interviews

Ben Taverniti, the head designer of Hudson Jeans, was kind enough to offer DenimBlog an interview about his jeans, new styles, inspiration and more. Continue reading for this fantastic interview. The gallery also contains new Hudson jeans. A huge thank you to Ben for this!

DB: What inspires you the most when designing Hudson Jeans?
Hudson is not just a denim brand; it’s a ’way of life’. I find inspiration for the collections in every day moments and I use them to shape my vision and design of the line.

DB: What has been your favorite memory/experience since Hudson was founded?
RIGHT NOW! We’re at a very exciting time in the life of the brand. We’ve just signed Georgia May Jagger as the ‘face’ of Hudson and we’re just beginning to launch our new Fall 2009 campaign. The ad campaign was shot by Mario Sorrenti, styled by Camilla Nickerson, and created by David Lipman of the LIPMAN agency in New York.
It was very exciting to be able to work alongside such amazing talent and now I’m looking forward to the launching this new chapter.

DB: Do you have a favorite cut you have designed?
I love all of them. They’re like your children, you know? You love them all for their own uniqueness. There are always the occasional hellish moments that it took to get them to the beautiful state they are in now, but that makes me appreciate the design that much more.

DB: What are the hottest denim trends for Fall?
Flare. Distressed. Babyboot (a mix of straight leg and boot cut that hits just right at the ankle), baggy skinny, high-waist skinny, vintage distressed patchwork… That’s all I can share at the moment, or else I’ll be giving away all of the tricks up my sleeve.

DB: What is your inspiration when creating each jean?
I’m influenced by my surroundings and life experiences. It’s usually a mix of where I’m traveling, books and magazines I come across, and my interactions with interesting people. If you are sensitive enough to your surroundings, you pick up on the details and they become a part of who you are.

DB: How many pairs of jeans do you own?
I have so many I have lost count! I have some in Paris and some here (in LA) and a lot in storage. But I have my favorites … the flavor of the month is black distressed 12” leg opening super skinny … repaired and patchwork … undoubtedly Hudson.

DB: What Hudson cut has been the most popular overall?
We offer a wide variety of fits and styles, so it is hard to lock in on just one. If I had to pick, I’d say the boot cut and skinny have always been popular styles for us and consistently continue to perform well.

DB: We all love denim, but what is it that makes denim so important to you?
I am a blue blood for sure. It’s part of my DNA and makes me who I am. I am and always will be eternally in love with denim.

DB: Can you tell us a bit more about your brand?
Hudson Jeans was born in California, but rooted in London. The brand is the perfect combination of British cool and California freedom. The HUDSON girl/guy is effortlessly stylish, takes chances, irreverent, and creates their own destiny, always. Style is woven in.

DB: What makes your brand so different from the others out there?
We are very confident in who we are and we stay true to the brand ALWAYS. We will never ride a trend for trend’s sake.

DB: Lastly, is there anything else you would like to add that we haven’t asked you?
I love fast cars and tattoos…Thank you very much for the interview. Back to work!