This special denim-themed issue of the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ celebrates the present and the future of denim and the blue jean. An examination of the current denim market, trends and a look towards the future is easier than trying to pinpoint the historical origins of what could be called the world’s most popular fabric.

The actual origins of denim are difficult to trace. Most authorities suggest that denim fabric has its roots in the utilitarian “serge de Nimes” from France; others say the true genesis is with the sturdy twill worn by Genoese (Portugal) sailors. Regardless of its geographical origins, most fashion historians agree that denim was in widespread use in Europe as early as the 16th Century. Few could argue, however, that the introduction of the modern blue jean—and modern denim category—is due to Levi Strauss some 160 years ago.

The story is well-known and better told through the wealth of well-researched books on the subject. The key point is that the original Levi Strauss blue jean was introduced as practical gear for some very independent, entrepreneurial-minded individuals— gold miners in the American West. These fortune hunters needed clothing that was comfortable and durable. Cotton provided the comfort and Strauss’s signature metal rivets enhanced the durability of the weave. The ubiquity of metal rivets on jeans is a touchstone to the garment’s history and a symbol of the blue jean’s continued longevity.

The historical association of blue jeans with independent thinking and creativity endure today and continue to drive the market. Generation after generation of denim devotées simply cannot get enough of the blue jean—the global anti-uniform and nonconformist fashion statement. Over the decades, designers have evolved denim and its place in our wardrobes. From Hollywood bad boys like James Dean and Marlon Brando to Ralph Lauren’s clever marketing of jeans as the new “Old West,” to the premium denim of more recent seasons; innovation has elevated global denim ownership to an all-time high.

Where will the “next big thing” in denim come from? As Coco Chanel once observed, trends start in the street. Therefore, to present a snapshot of how different parts of the world are evolving the jean, this issue provides an eight-city overview of the current street trends, followed by profiles of eight designers taking their local denim flavor global. Much is owed to these innovators and others yet to be celebrated, as well as to manufacturers. Many are expanding the borders of denim beyond finishes and fabrications to break new ground in unexpected cross-over designs. Two stellar examples of the latter are the innovative denim tuxedo by Plan B and the white denim resort dress by Zac Posen.

Although denim may not have originated in the United States, its current global popularity was certainly perpetuated by American history, cinema and even presidents. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, was the first such leader to be photographed wearing blue jeans. However, the country’s first president bears the distinction of being the first American leader to express his approval of denim. In 1789, Washington toured one of the first cotton mills in the United States, which was then manufacturing machine-woven denim. In his journal he wrote, “In short, the whole seemed perfect, and the cotton stuffs which they turn out, excellent for their kind.”

From denim’s origins in Europe to the invention of the five-pocket blue jean in the United States, denim continues to evolve as a fabric of the people and for the people. Where and when the next big evolution in denim will occur is anyone’s guess. As you are reading this, some designer or manufacturer, somewhere on the globe, has just thought of a new innovation to propel denim’s popularity to greater heights.