How did jeans become popular?

Audio 48:30

Eric Maggiori, one of the few French jeans collectors, some of whom are over 100 years old.

© RFI / Charlie Dupiot

By: Charlie Dupiot Follow |

Emmanuelle Bastide

58 mins

"I have only one regret, that of not having invented jeans", confided Yves-Saint Laurent in 1983. The French designer was however a century behind.

Publicity

First workwear and then leisurewear, popularized by rock stars and Hollywood celebrities, jeans have gradually gained all the wardrobes until reaching the Council of Ministers.

Worn in all countries of the world, jeans have become the symbol of globalized fashion, with industrial processes toxic to textile workers and the environment ... A look back at the great history of this iconic and unique garment.

With:

Sophie Lemahieu

, fashion historian and teacher of history of fashion in 

the

Ec

ole Louvre

, and co-author of

History of fashion and apparel, led by Denis Bruna and Chloe Demey

(Textual, 2018)

Nayla Ajaltouni

, coordinator of the

Ethical Collective on Etiquette,

which fights for better working conditions for textile workers around the world.

And a report by

Charlie Dupiot

who met a jeans collector.

Eric Maggiori, 35, is a sports journalist.

As a teenager, he collected soccer jerseys.

Today and for 10 years, he has been a collector of jeans!

Pants, jackets, overalls, hats ... from dark blue to light blue through faded green ... everything is in jeans!

Charlie Dupiot met him at his home in the Paris suburbs, in his favorite room in the house.

--- BoB Jeans collector (Cut-5'29)

The “Jean de la Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie in Paris” exhibition

, in which our guests participated, is open until January 22, 2022. As the museums are currently closed, guided virtual tours are organized. 

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