NEW YORK — Graniteville, which made headlines last week with its proposed sale to Avondale, is also making design news with its first printed denim collection, by designer Malcolm Marshall.
The designer said the Malcolm Marshall Collection for Graniteville was inspired by the history of denim and uses motifs derived from memorabilia from the 18th and 19th century, such as antique maps, stamps and Victorian fabric prints.
While most people associate denim with a modern, casual lifestyle, Marshall pointed out that the fabric has been around for centuries.
“Denim originated in the 12th century in the city of Nimes, in Provence, France,” said Marshall. “It was known as ‘serge de Nimes,’ which is where the name denim came from.
“I chose 18th- and 19th-century Americana because that’s when denim and jeans first came to the surface in America,” said Marshall.
The collection has eight patterns, all of which are copyrighted in “every derivative form,” said Marshall, referring to the maps, stamps and other design inspiration he collected over a year of research. The patterns are done on dark and light denims in weights of up to 10 ounces.
Graniteville has been producing denim in the United States for 150 years. About 40 percent of the company’s fabric is denim.