Years ago, when we first met designer Aurélie Bidermann, she was wearing the coolest pair of khakis. We were having coffee and chatting about her beautiful, whimsical jewelry collection. But we couldn’t get over her trousers. It was right around the time when Nicolas Ghesquière’s fall 2007 Balenciaga collection was in the air. Remember those jodhpur-ish pants worn with gold-buttoned blazers and scarves? Aurélie’s were a more laid-back, but just as chic, version of that. And she got them at Gap!
What does his have to do with denim or jeans? Nothing, but it’s just an example of how Aurélie takes pared-down pieces, adds her gold necklaces, bracelets and voila – sorry, couldn’t resist; she’s French – she looks perfect. Take, for example, the jeans she wore for this shoot in her Upper East Side apartment (she also lives in Paris): an eight-year-old pair of Acne Studios’ Hex Pure style. “The fit is really amazing, just enough of a high-rise,” Aurélie says. “The legs are straight but a bit slouchy on the hips. They highlight a woman’s shape with a boyish touch.” Here, she’s wearing them with a J. Crew shirt and St. Laurent boots. Such a bummer the Acnes have been discontinued…but luckily Aurélie has four pairs. We get jealous when we see denim like this – worn into the perfect shade of blue, fitting like they were tailored to their wearer. These are they kind you can wear everywhere.
It’s safe to say that you will spot Aurélie wearing them in…her new store! The Aurélie Bidermann New York flagship opens tomorrow in Soho. Go there, buy some jewelry to go with your jeans, and say hi. Congrats, Aurélie!
Describe your Acnes in one word.
Sexy
What do you need your jeans to be, always?
To be the perfect fit.
If your Acne Studios could talk, what would they say about you?
They wouldn’t. They hold a lot of my secrets…
What do you love most about the them?
I love the color and the natural wear of them. I always feel sexy when I wear them.
What’s the most memorable place your jeans have been?
At the concert for Led Zeppelin’s return to the stage. It was their reunion concert and was a tribute for Ahmet Ertegun that took place at the O2 Arena in London on December 10th, 2007.
What’s the weirdest place?
In the Mediterranean Sea after an amazing party!
Was there ever a pair that got away?
Never! I keep them close to me!
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Was there a jean you should have broken up with sooner?
When I was a teenager, I went with one of my American friends to the Western House, an American store in Paris. I bought a pair of jeans in a very baggy fit and when I went back home, I decided to try to shrink them in hot water! It didn’t work but I tried to hold on to them anyway.
Do you own a pair that only you could love?
These worn in Acnes.
We love them, too! What are your top three jeans of all time? When did you get them and what you do you love most about each?
1. These, because the cut is perfect and I just love them! 2. Levi’s 501s – I wore them all throughout my teenage years. 3. J Brand skinnies, because their style is timeless.
Who besides you has worn your Acnes?
My friend Laure [Heriard Debreuil, owner of The Webster in Miami] has the same pair! She recommended that I try these, and she was right!
What do they reveal about the way that you live on a daily basis?
Several of my jeans are quite worn in with some natural wear and tear, which I think shows I’m very involved with my work.
Is there something you do only in your jeans?
I live in my jeans; at home and in my studio.
On what occasion(s) will only a pair of jeans do?
I like to dress my jeans up for any occasion!
Where do you shop for jeans?
Acne Studios for my Acne jeans. I also shop at Colette and The Webster – they have a great collection of jeans!
If you had to replace all of your jeans with something else – what would it be?
Impossible!
Fill in the blank: Without my jeans, I am _______.
Lost.
Fill in the blank: In my jeans, I am ________.
Myself!
