At Titanic Denim, we love all things denim and all things Belfast. Titanic Denim incorporates the rich historic and cultural aspects of the city into its design, as well as using vintage, reclaimed denim materials from an array of brands and designers. However, one denim production company remains close to the heart of Titanic Denim, Lee Jeans, which had a factory right here in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland was once a hub for textile manufacturing and production, locality was celebrated and there was pride in the knowledge of where your clothes were made. However, in the late 90s and early 2000s global expansion and production considerably changed the textile industry, where profit and efficiency became the no.1 goal. In the early 2000s, hundreds of jobs were lost in Northern Ireland and the Republic from the clothing firm Hawkesbay, with blame placed on the lack of demand from their top buyer VF Corporation who manufactured Lee and Wrangler jeans.
Titanic Denim loves receiving emails and information regarding denim materials that can be used in the making of our products. Recently, we received a very interesting email from a lady whose partner was a sales representative, working for Lee Jeans in Northern Ireland in the 80s and 90s. Whilst cleaning out their house before doing renovations, she came across a box of historic and vintage Lee samples, materials and magazines! As we were having a look through the materials, we reminisced about the value of knowing where your jeans were made and the story behind their production. We value locality and appreciate the necessity to acknowledge our heritage. All our products and materials are sustainably sourced and created right here in Northern Ireland. Have a look at some of the amazing vintage pieces and materials we received.
