How Pepe Jeans Mixed Business, Art and Stylish Apparel to Become a Global Fashion Label
Like many successful businesses, Pepe Jeans came to be thanks to a few people wanting to make something better and in this case it was denim. Way back in 1973 entrepreneurial brothers Nitin, Arun and Milan Shah decided to set up a British denim brand that would rival the big fashion players across the globe. This massive goal may have put some people off but the Shahs had a dream and from the humble beginnings of renting a market stall in the Portobello Road, Pepe Jeans steadily grew and in just a few years the brothers were so successful that they moved into a 25,000 square metre warehouse to handle the massive orders they were getting. Throughout the 1970s Pepe Jeans began to carve out a name for itself as a quality manufacturer of stylish jeans and the brand opened stores across London including one in the prestigious shopping street Kings Road.
Pepe Jeans’ masterstroke was their marketing campaigns which saw the brand grow and grow during the 1980s to become one of the leading fashion brands in the world, rivalling many American companies in terms of market share. Pepe Jeans knew that to become synonymous with youth culture they had to advertise directly to the fashion conscious youth and they did this with panache with iconic photo campaigns featuring the stars of the day. The photos were shot by Bruce Weber and featured future supermodel Bridget Hall and the ladies’ favourite 90210 star Jason Priestly as well as a host of other edgy celebrities. This association with youth culture and fashion, film and sports icons has continued and stars such as Sienna Miller, Kate Moss and Cristiano Ronaldo have all modelled for the brand. During the 1980s Pepe Jeans used cinema and TV adverts to connect with their target audiences and the adverts featured music legends such as The Smiths and T-Pau on the sound track.
Pepe Jeans wouldn’t have got where they are today if their clothing range was not as high quality and stylish as it is. It’s the denim, t-shirts, hoodies and accessories which have made Pepe Jeans into the global fashion brand it is today. Clever collaborations with models, musicians and film stars have helped to promote the jeans but working with iconic artists such as Andy Warhol (his images for Pepe Jeans are licensed by the Andy Warhol Foundation) have helped make Pepe Jeans’ clothing collections so sought after. Andy Warhol’s famous Pop Art images of Marilyn Monroe, Campbell’s soup tin, Jackie Onassis, the Banana (as seen on the Velvet Underground and Nico album cover) and many more all feature on their unique ranges of clothing. As well as the Warhol prints, Pepe Jeans also create subtle shirts and knitwear which are expertly designed and guaranteed to last.
Although Pepe Jeans are famed for their denim jeans, the brand also produces superb hoodies, shirts, sweaters, t-shirts and accessories. Reem Clothing stock a great range of Pepe Jeans clothing online so choose your iconic denims and unique garments today.