With the late ’90s and early ’00s throwbacks continuing to dominate the fashion conversation, it’s hard to avoid the topic of designer denim. Remember when every pair had a flashy (often bedazzled) back-pocket logo and legging-like stretch? Denim brands operate differently from “ready-to-wear” ones, but the companies that have stayed relevant are paying attention to fashion’s shifting tides. AG was the first to introduce cropped flares (as part of an Alexa Chung collaboration), and they were quick to get on board with rigid, straight-leg jeans in response to our undying fixation on vintage Levi’s.
For Spring ’18, AG’s Los Angeles team introduced the Rhett, which took inspiration directly from an archival pair of Levi’s 517s. It comes in a rigid denim that has been washed so many times, it has a velvety, anti-rigid feel. Joan Didion was their muse for both her personal style—simple, yet elegant—and her willingness to be both fearless and vulnerable in her work. That translated loosely to a mix of “masculine” and “feminine” contrasts: shredded patchwork jeans with ribbon-trim T-shirts, holey sweaters with sexy high-rise flares. AG also introduced its most intricate, hand-worked piece yet: a chambray shirt with paint splatters that were embroidered over for a 3-D effect.
