DenimBlog Exclusive: Interview With Raleigh For SS14

We recently shared with you a post on Raleigh, introducing you to the brand and also doing a small interview with them to find out what the company is about. We caught up with Raleigh again to find out what’s new for their Spring/Summer 2014 collection and also how they feel after becoming members of the CFDA! You can read the interview below and see a sneak preview of some of the brand new styles for men and women. I’m loving those boyfriend moto jeans above!

DB: We last spoke to you in May, congratulations on being accepted into CFDA! How does it feel?

Raleigh: It feels amazing! We are thrilled about becoming members of the CFDA. The CFDA’s mission is more important than ever, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be more involved in the community it supports.

DB: So, what is your SS14 collection about?

Raleigh: It’s about ease and transition. This season we thought a lot about what’s essential, but not basic. What’s the jean we want to put on in the morning to carry us through everything the day has in store, but isn’t necessarily the dark core jean we’ve been breaking for the past season. It’s bold, but nonchalant, and a little relaxed.

DB: What inspired you when designing it?

Raleigh: We tend to design from two perspectives. 1) What do we see + experience daily. ex: Multi-tasking! Airports in the morning, meetings in the afternoon, drinks at night, and tons in between. And 2) What are we longing for. ex: Simplicity! Peanut-butter sandwiches at the beach, a stroll down the boardwalk, sunny days and motorcycle rides, espresso at an outdoor cafe. Spring ’14 was about answering those questions.

DB: Do you have a favourite jean from the collection?

Raleigh: I think it’s a tie between the Stokes (high-rise, wide leg) and the Chatham (boy-cut). I can’t wait to wear them! We made the stokes in a full recovery super-stretch, so it maintains its shape and doesn’t bag out after you’ve worn them for a while. It’s super-flattering and really easy to wear. The Chatham is our Boy Cut jean – in a 100% cotton, washed down so it’s beat up and soft.

DB: Is there anything else you would like to share about Raleigh with the lovely DenimBlog readers?

Raleigh: Our favourite jeans for Fall are the Surry Mid-Rise Skinny for women and the Jones Original Thin Fit for men. We started designing and making denim as a personal project, in our apartment in 2007. We quickly became enthralled with the fit, stitching, history, + details, and turned that into our business in 2009. We built our own workshop in downtown Raleigh NC where we continue to design and make most of our jeans.

Written by Lorna Burford