Denim, the MURMUR way
MURMUR creator Andreea Bădală about making denim part of the brand’s universe:
When I started MURMUR, I traced some clear creative boundaries, and I don’t think that denim fit between them, especially in the first collections. But in time, I realised that I need to add some counterpoints, to occasionally come up with something that forces those boundaries, otherwise things tend to become a bit too proper.
So I think that my work with denim started as a way of breaking the habit, and also as a challenge for me, the designer, to use denim in my own way.
What we do at MURMUR is original, bold and sensual, but these are niche products, and I wanted to work with something that is more common. I love to play with clichés, to show the MURMUR take on something otherwise ubiquitous.
Also, denim is all about wearability and comfort. I think that the freedom of movement has an impact on everything you do, it impacts your actions, your attitude. At MURMUR, we explore shapes that used to oppress the woman in any possible sense. Being inspired by things like corsets, our pieces are tight, they may not seem suitable for any occasion, they may seem difficult to mix and match. Denim is friendly, it brings this element of comfort, dynamism, it can show women that these intimidating pieces are actually easy to wear even during daytime, although they’re high-end.
We introduced denim in our Spring Summer 2018 collection as a new form of pret-à-porter. We chose denim that’s elastic and very soft to the touch. We pre-washed, brushed and acid washed it.
We asked ourselves: what would this piece look like in ideal light? What kind of lighting advantages the body? We imagined light that falls on the superior side of the bra cups, and light coming from both left and right, that emphasizes the waist, the hips and thighs. That effect is obtained through brushing.
Each piece is put on mannequins and is brushed individually by hand, according to our schemes. After brushing comes acid wash, a way to allude to this season’s prints that are like splashes of water colour, and a method that makes every piece look different from the others.
The production process was very interesting for us. It took us 6 or 7 months to obtain a soft version of our signature bra cup. The bra cups of the MURMUR sculpt bodysuit are done by hand, and they require an intricate construction, certain layerings that make them look and feel the way they do. With denim, we wanted milder looking bra cups and a product that is easier to wear and clean. Well, it took us months of testing to get a product that can be machine washed.
As soon as you change the fabric, the fabric leads you to obtaining new effects, and those effects can be amazing. I loved how denim changed our retro cup. The seams are buried in fabric this time – we use a very thick thread that’s suitable for denim and we sew through the thin padding. Once you bury the thread in the texture, every effect you add afterwards looks special.
What I also love about denim – and I can’t wait to see where this leads – it’s that the more you wash it, the more the effects become visibile. It’s something I also love about our corrosive pieces or other products that develop as you wear them.
Denim is strongly tied to the SS 2018 collection now, but our next move is to make it a part of the core brand. Maybe the blue denim is going to be nude next. We want to go to extremes with the question: what’s denim to MURMUR? This is only the beginning.
