Nick Williams, at far right, gives talk at Atelier & Repairs
Denim Branded Goes To Atelier & Repairs
Nick Williams owns 4th Avenue Graphics, a graphics producer for the fashion biz. Recently, Williams added the job of author to his resume when he and co-writer Jenny Corpuz published Denim Branded. The 272-page book catalogs the long history of denim branding. The book details in photos and text how logos, fabrics and rivets were mixed together to make some of the most popular garments of the past 150 years.
On Jan. 18, Williams gave a talk on denim history at the Atelier & Repairs boutique just off of Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. The talk delved into some of the more obscure details on denim. During a question-and-answer session, he gave an explainer on those mysterious, tiny pockets on the front of all five pocket jeans.
They have been called the coin pocket and the watch pocket. But the pockets probably never held watches or coins. They probably held matches, Williams said. Miners were the first group to wear jeans en masse and they weren't bringing expensive watches underground. They probably needed matches for a little light in those dark tunnels, Williams said.
