Paige at Selfridges

Admittedly, when I first heard about the LA-born denim brand Paige, I felt underwhelmed; yet another denim line brought over from the States? With a market so saturated with cool casuals, what could Paige possibly offer that I hadn’t seen and worn already? I went along to Selfridges last Saturday to find out. 

Fortunately, the brand’s glamorous Creative Director, Paige Adams-Geller, was on hand to answer my questions.  Paige assured me that there was still some room for “fashionable, exciting denim”. I looked around at all of the different styles, from jodhpur-style khaki cut-offs to slim-fitting jeans printed with a paisley so flatteringly faint, you wouldn’t notice it unless your nose was inches away. I could see what she meant. Paige used to work as a fit model, which must surely have had a positive effect (you need a good cut) but what really makes Paige’s styles stand out from the rest? “Paige has an essence which is strong, passionate and sexy,” says Paige.

The designer describes the printed white jeans from her new collection as being a “labour of love”. These jeans have been everywhere in the press. Exclusive to Selfridges as part of their ‘Destination Denim’ collaboration, they are a great way new to wear pattern. The fact that the print is contained in neat, leg flattering shapes makes things easier for those amongst us who don’t boast legs that reach their armpits and are slimmer than Gisele’s (no bitterness here, honest). Paige says the print was inspired by “Mixing trends, framed scarves, tuxedos and pyjamas. The indigo and black base colours feel like Versailles. Like a luxurious baroque world.”

Already feeling more buoyant about Paige, I decided to speak to Sarah Harris, Vogue’s Fashion Features Editor, and see what she thought. She told me about how when she first met Paige, she was wearing a pair of her black jeans, which she had previously decided to customise by slashing them across the fronts. Highly embarrassed at the realisation, Sarah was relieved when Paige complimented her on her bold styling.  Sarah now wears Paige designs “90% of the time”, and describes the brand as being “the go-to name in denim”. This is high praise indeed from someone who, in her line of work, has probably seen more denim than Wham in the eighties.  It immediately feels wrong to speak of Sarah and eighties dodginess in the same sentence – this polished fashion pro clearly knows far better than to do stonewashed double denim, even ironically. Instead, she suggests pairing Paige’s jeans with “a classic cashmere jumper with a tailored jacket by Stella McCartney for work”. I have been looking for the perfect V-neck navy cashmere jumper for a long time now and Sarah’s words have intensified my search.

For spring, we can expect (in Paige’s words) “A resurgence of classic indigo with black chambray shirts and an expansion into tops and dresses”. Eased out of my jean fatigue, I’m excited about denim once again, just in time for a wardrobe update. Excellent.

Paige is interviewed about her designs

L-R Sarah Harris from Vogue, me (the only one in crummy non-Paige jeans) and Paige Adams-Geller 

Destination Denim

I didn't eat these yummy-looking cupcakes...

or drink this tasty Coke...

...because I want to wear these with a little cashmere jumper. You can buy them here.