| A Shot of Pure Agave
Although Jeff Shafer made his mark in
progressive menswear as the founder and CEO of BC
Ethic, he was ready to make his career go in a more upscale
direction. Though he is still focused on giving men a hip, urban
edge, he launched AGAVE in 2002, creating
a designer jean that believes in the concept of aging gracefully
and living a life free of distress. More specifically, the AGAVE
design mission is to preserve and enhance the character of the denim
instead of destroying its original beauty by deliberately grinding,
ripping or burning holes in the product.
This is a concept men from all walks (fits are medium rise and
built for average American men) of life can relate to, especially
as jeans become more acceptable in work settings and on the red
carpet. Current celebrity fans include John
Corbett, Peter Gallagher (“The
O.C.”), Ray Liotta, Josh
Lucas and Mark McGrath.
The canvas Shafer and his team work with is high-quality Japanese
denim by Caitac (which has local L.A. offices) that is hand-finished
locally.
“There are lots of fabulous things about being a jean designer
in L.A.,” states Shafer. “We now have access to great
raw materials we can turn into a designer product, as well as the
ability to have physical and creative control over production (as
opposed to having jeans manufactured abroad). Additionally, we also
have access to the best laundries in L.A., which makes for our beautiful
trademark handmade finish. One of the coolest things about the Agave
brand, above all, is that we are a jean company especially for guys.
While women have many options, and some
of these companies do make a few styles for men, Agave is focused
on creating jeans for men who embrace fashion and grooming, and
want their jeans to have a sophisticated edge. When women
find out we don’t make jeans for them, it even adds a bit
to the mystique.”
The fresh crop of Agave for the coming spring includes pants made
from a new Japanese fiber called “Bulcotti,”
a poly-cotton denim made from “hollow core” yarn with
a lightweight feel, wicking, mechanical stretch, feather touch and
outstanding color and character, an innovative Japanese 4oz featherweight
cord and 6oz linen/cotton denim. Additionally, Shafer tops his unique
bottoms with AgaveLux knits shirts and sweaters fabricated in 100%
SuPima cotton that feature “Agave
Gold” colored flat lock stitching and “denim-esque”
finishes. The jeans that are the foundation of Shafer’s vision
are also still available in a variety of loose weaves, broken twills,
left hand twills and stretch utilizing both Lycra Spandex and PolyUrethane
blends. Spring ‘05 shades include a steel gray and blue steel
in addition to classic indigo variants.
The AGAVE collection is available at
Nordstroms nationwide, Black
+ Blue in Santa Monica, Malibu
LIfestyles in Malibu, Fred Segal
in Santa Monica, Scott & Co,
Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood, Indigo
(formerly known as Dungerees) in Brentwood. See more online
at www.agavejean.com
This week, 10 lucky Book L.A. readers
will not only get a chance to taste AGAVE style, but enjoy these
instant classics for years to come.
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