With the streetwear industry worth approximately $200 billion according to a joint study by Hypebeast and PWC, and given the multi-faceted nature of denim, it's no wonder that during the last decade we've seen a significant rise in the role that denim plays on the street. We're going to take a look at just how these two worlds collide and the surprising similarities that both denim and streetwear offer. From art shows to sneakers, denim and streetwear are inseparable in 2020. Virgil Abloh - Founder and CEO of Off-White and Artistic Director of Menswear at Louis Vuitton- famously said “I would definitely say it’s gonna die”, when asked about the future of streetwear in the 2020s. Further elaborating with the rhetoric “how many more t-shirts can we own, how many more hoodies, how many sneakers?” showed the designer’s naivety and later caused him to back track on his initial claim. As someone who has built his reputation on what we know as streetwear and played a principle role in the marriage of the luxury and streetwear markets during the last decade, he knows the field better than most. But the issue with Abloh’s statement is that it is too simplistic. Too basic. To pigeonhole streetwear into hoodies, sneakers and t-shirts overlooks the importance of creative freedom, human connection and the role of sub-culture. Design- wise, maybe Abloh is right - these garments are intrinsic to the genre. But, streetwear is so much more than the product we desire in the latest ‘drop’. In the words of Jeff Staple; “I like to call it independently created stuff…people hustling, doing their own thing without any business or financial gain. Just expression”. Similarly, Bobby Hundreds remarked that “streetwear is about culture. It's not about clothing”. When analysing the current strain of streetwear in 2018 and its future direction, Angela Velasquez of Sourcing Journal acknowledged that “what makes this strain of streetwear different from previous iterations—it’s democratic” and when it comes to denim, anything goes. Velasquez is referring to the diversity of streetwear and the acceptance, expression and freedom it offers both the creator and the consumer. Highsnobiety’s Daniel So also applies similar metrics to denim; “That’s what makes denim exciting: it’s never dull, it’s open to interpretation, and it's pretty democratic”. Given these parallels, it stands to reason that denim and streetwear go hand in hand. So much so that at PROJECT show in Las Vegas this year, the organizers put together a whole host of sessions around our favourite fabric. As a comprehensive and leading trade show for the menswear market, PROJECT introduced a ‘Denim Room’; a space which brought together experts and ambassadors within the blue world to encourage dialogue on current issues. Headed by Maurizio Donadi of Atelier & Repairs, the Denim Room is a fixture which reflects that denim is here to stay and it’s not just a passing trend. Donadi’s Atelier & Repairs speaks to both denimheads and streetwear fans alike; a brand which is leading the sector in a revival of vintage denim as a streetwear essential. As Donadi remarks “vintage [clothing] is an incredible engine for future creativity and innovation”, and given the reputation of denim as a wardrobe staple and a symbol of American cool, it stands to reason that it is a worthy frontrunner as one of streetwear’s most revered ingredients. Velasquez agrees with this and notes that “jeans are a likely pairing for streetwear’s core items: graphic logo tees and sneakers”. Another shared characteristic between denim and streetwear is that they are both inherently individualistic. While denim jeans may be the most commonly worn garment in the western world, we all wear our jeans in different ways. Much like streetwear, how we wear our jeans speaks of our personality, outlook and style cues. And the good news is, no matter what your denim style, streetwear welcomes it with open arms. The democracy of streetwear has created a new marketplace by which the heritage, luxury and sportswear arenas all share an equal part of the equation, resulting in a variety of shapes and silhouettes flourishing and being ‘on trend’ at any one time. But, it’s undeniable that the resurgence of 90’s fashions continues to impact the worlds of denim and streetwear more than any other. Cultural commentator Samutaro remarks that “to say the 90s are back would be a lie, as they never really left. During this definitive era, hip-hop, skate and rave subcultures embraced new silhouettes, including baggy pants and oversized fits” which ultimately shaped the future direction of streetwear for the subsequent 20 years. The popularity of the ‘anti-fit’ within contemporary streetwear also lends itself to the rise of genderless fashions and unisex dressing, with oversized fits working just as well for women as they do for men. As part of the Levi’s Second Hand project, the brand has even amassed a selection of vintage Silver Tab jeans - a 90’s streetwear staple - in response to this trend. Of course, Levi’s have alway had their indigo fingers on the pule of streetwear - in 2020 alone, the brand has collaborated with New Balance to release a denim-clad 327 sneaker, worked with Futura on a graphic inspired apparel collection, and built a Haus of Strauss installation for Art Basel in Miami. We’ve also seen a number of other notable releases from other brands, including the Denham x Nike Air Max capsule, a Louis Vuitton 408 sneaker in monogrammed denim, the BAPE ‘Gold Rush’ collection, a collaboration between streetwear leaders PALACE and Japanese denim masters Evisu, as well as the VIRGIL x Nigo LV² collection. In EDITED’s Denim Report, Kayla Marci offers a suggestion as to why denim has seen so much spotlight in streetwear this year; “fashion’s continued obsession with nostalgia combined with streetwear’s ability to incorporate both athleisure and denim helped reinvigorate consumer interest in the material”. Celebrity endorsements don’t hurt either, with stars like ASAP Rocky, Offset, John Mayer and Travis Scott regularly sporting brands like Kapital or Visvim. Oh, and we all know ‘Ye likes a Carhartt jacket or Levi’s Type III. In retrospect, denim has always been on the street. It’s always been a fabric of the people. It’s an American icon, it’s democratic, and it’s liberating. From Civil Rights leaders wearing denim dungarees to Hip Hop MCs sporting baggy double denim, denim has always been the fabric of street culture. There’s been a whole host of milestones over the years which are too plentiful to mention in just one article, but due to the merging of markets, the influence of celebrity culture and the shared DNA between denim and streetwear, the last five years has seen denim become so integral to the streetwear landscape that it’s unmissable. It’s our predication that streetwear’s love affair with denim will continue to run deep in the coming years, with an increased focus on the influence of art, innovation in technologies and the eco-principles of upcycling leading the charge.