MR BLUE JEANS  “MADE IN ITALY”

COSIMO ROMANO

Well before Halston gave us denim stretch, Brook Shields donned her CK’s and David Dundas sang about putting his “Jeans On”.. Cosimo Romano was giving denim that “Made in Italy” touch of a difference..

Cosimo Damiano Romano was born to two modest parents in Matino, in the Puglia region of Italy. There is nothing this man does not know or has not experienced first hand in the production of a pair of blue jeans be it skin fit or bell bottomed, straight or low rise.. with over  30 years of experience under his belt loop.

The 3rd of  ten children, Cosimo at the tender age of 8 has to come to terms with the loss of his mother and his adolescence is divided between working in the fields and school. At an early age he abandons his studies to assist his father. Whilst immigration seems to be the only solution for many, the young and eager Cosimo uses his stubbornness to discover alternative routes to abandoning his family, home and region of southern Italy. His first move is a job as a driver for local typographers but his desire to create and build his own enterprise continues to rein strong.

His first flirt with the world of clothing industry commences alongside his wife, Antoinetta (a tailor) producing children’s clothing for a small store but 1967 is the year in which the generous and jovial Cosimo is to meet a jeans wholesale and that meeting would change his life. The idea to create a clothing production company with his family united is born and in 1979 Romano Confezioni was created amidst the peak era of the “denim jeans boom”, providing his ever growing clientele with a full cycle production service. During the growth of the company Cosimo is awarded by the Republic many prestigious industry and commerce awards for excellence.

In 1988, Cosimo gives life to a new society named;  “Confezioni C.Romano & C. S.r.l.” a new factory site is created and built which is later increased in 1992 to span some 30.000 Mq.  In 1994 following years of investment in new production techniques and the factory, Romano takes the initiative to invest in the promotion, marketing and production of a brand new concept. That concept is the birth of it’s own Brand Meltin’Pot, into which Romano pours its years of know-how and expertise which in a short period of time becomes a strong brand player within the European denimwear market.

Meltin’Pot has gone from strength to strength as a brand and next month will add another retail element to its successful recipe with the launch of a dedicated E commerce site, making the brand accessible 24 hours a day and initially Europe wide followed by a US extension.

Romano Spa continues to produce jeans and denimwear for brands such as Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, Notify  to name but a few and the companies gross annual turnover this year looks set to hit the 60 million of Euro’s mark.

Augusto Romano, Cosimo’s son is the Managing Director of the company whilst Romano remains President of the Romano Spa and continues to challenge the production industry with initiative techniques as he did over 30 years ago.

TODAY IS ROCK & REPUBLIC DAY @ THEDENIMGUY.COM so todays Designer Profile is about CEO/CREATIVE DIRECTOR MICHAL BALL FROM ROCK & REPUBLIC

Rebellious. Rambunctious. Rocker. Rider. Michael Ball is anything but your average CEO. Rock & Republic began with a single, now legendary pair of jeans, and in just five short years Ball has transformed Rock & Republic into the most successful luxury denim brand in the world and a dominant player in the premium luxe lifestyle market.

After designing a killer pair of jeans for his girlfriend, Ball launched Rock & Republic in 2002. The first collection combined edgy, rebellious style with sophisticated femininity. Today, the Rock & Republic brand is still synonymous with the rock and roll lifestyle and a quality previously absent from the market.

With Ball at the helm, Rock & Republic is now a global fashion powerhouse with multiple collections sold in eighty six countries.

Ball returned to his lifelong passion for cycling in 2007 with the formation of Rock Racing, a professional team of champion racers who put the “edge” back in cycling. Ever the pioneer, Ball formed a groundbreaking charitable division called Rock the Cure in the same year. Dedicated to making a significant difference in the fight against life-threatening diseases, Rock the Cure uniquely dedicates an incredible 100% of its profits to its beneficiaries.

Ball received several honors in 2007 including induction into the CFDA, the Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope, and the Hollywood Style Award for Fashion Visionary.

Ali Fatourechi, Creative Director for Genetic Denim, grew up amidst many cultural influences, he was raised and educated between Asia, the Middle East and Europe before settling in the United States.

Ali has a distinct vision of style, his love of colors, fabrics and accessories are a clear reflection of the many regions he has lived. He has always been a creative and instinctive entrepreneur. But the savvy businessman’s eye for aesthetics, detail and design fully burgeoned upon entering the denim business. Upon graduation from USC in Los Angeles, California, Ali headed to Paris and London spending time collecting fabrics, samples and studying the marketplace before he ultimately ended up in New York. Ali wanted to approach the market in a unique way before launching his brand. In an oversaturated industry Ali wanted to speak directly to consumers and adapt his creative instincts to accommodate the premium denim market and ensure that his vision coincided with the audience he would one day sell to young and fashionable tastemakers. Ali created Universal Denim, a premium denim mobile retail business visiting college campuses across America, his brand started with grassroots, he was giving birth to a trend.

Ali launched Genetic Denim. With nostalgia for the bohemian yet basic denim styles from the 1970′s, he has created a line with life and timeless appeal. Genetic Denim pays homage to the centuries past while remaining modern with their edgy yet sophisticated and confident yet carefree silhouettes.

Fatourechi is the muse of the brand, he is Genetic Denim.