Eleventh Commandment Sneak Peek

  Jeans are a staple garment in everyone’s closet.

They come in various shapes, cuts and sizes; so designing a first-rate pair really is an art.

Suffice to say, I was blessed by the fashion Gods of the world this week when I received an exclusive sneak peek inside Eleventh Commandment’s Made in Space Spring/Summer 2010 collection with co-founder/designer himself, Henry Holland.

Five months and 120 pieces later, the pioneering Sydney denim and apparel line features jeans, chinos, tees, shorts, dresses, bodysuits, singlets and boardies for men and women. The assortment of fabrics, patterns and illustrations utilized by designers Henry Holland and Joshua Oldfield really are quite remarkable. But what really sets these tasteful, grungy pieces apart from their Australian counterparts are the creative duo’s small points of innovative differences and meticulous detailing which reside below the surface. Something their customers really appreciate.

“In our men’s jeans, we employ a very subtle reinforcement in the crutch, which means the jeans will never tear through the crutch,” reveals Holland.

“A lot of jean aficionados will know what it’s like to break in a pair of jeans which fit perfect and fade the right way; then they tear through the crutch. It’s just shattering. Eleventh Commandment jeans will never do that.”

Sitting down on his couch, Holland explains how he and business partner Oldfield were denim lovers way before they started the label. He’s passionate about the textile and it’s clear by now he’s not some fashion wannabe and knows what he’s talking about. If he were, he wouldn’t have ingeniously co-developed a method to combat shirts from stretching; which is essentially a fashionista’s greatest vexation.

“We came up with a customisable stitch for all of our guy tees and singlets. It means no matter how long you’ve got your tee for, it will never lose its shape,” he says.

“We use to buy tees and they would fit perfectly. Then after washing and wearing them a few times they would stretch out and we just hated that.”

This got me curious. So I get up to check out the tee rack which abounds with clever and charismatic printed illustrations drawn by Oldfield. Holland points out two key pieces: a sketch of Megan Fox and a tee adorned by our favourite dork Steve Urkel. There’s also a homeless man grasping a witty sign which references a kidnapped family and needing money to learn karate. Go figure.

By this point I’ve received an enlightened perspective of the range and am inquisitive about Holland’s interests and influences which would have shaped his designs. There are turntables sitting on a bench, so I know he DJ’s. A Michael Jackson picture hangs on the wall. So accordingly I resort to the bookshelf and find out he’s an avid reader. He’s also into street art and flicked me through Banksy’s Wall and Piece 

The biggest surprise however is Holland’s respect for musician/artist Brandon Boyd. I am completely flabbergasted to have met somebody else in this country who not only shares the same role model, but also owns a physical copy of White Fluffy Clouds and From The Murks of the Sultry Abyss.

A person whom not only possesses Boyd’s awe-inspiring books and much sought after artworks but can additionally quote any Incubus lyric is a kindred spirit right there, earning the ultimate jackpot of brownie cool points from me. Let’s get back on track to fashion though.

I feel simultaneously happy and inspired when intelligent, cultured people in my city opt to change the world; whether it be underground bands doing their thing on the indie scene or in this case, creative minds pushing the envelope in the fashion world. Eleventh Commandment have started something special and it wouldn’t amaze me if one day these guys became to Australia what Dr. Denim is to Scandinavia and the rest of the globe. Dreaming is free and you have to dream big in order to get anywhere in life.

Catch the Made in Space collection in respectable boutiques around the nation from this September onwards.