DIY: Proenza Schouler x J Brand Graffiti Jeans

Ever since I first saw these Proenza Schouler x J Brand collaboration jeans make their way down the runway as part of the Fall 2010 runway show, I’ve been contemplating ways to make these jeans find their way into my closet. The jeans are Japanese stretch denim that have been graphically printed and then hand painted to accentuate texture making each pair uniquely fabulous.

Unfortunately this level of fabulous does not come cheap and at $550 a pair they are out of my Fall budget. Fortunately with a little bit of time to spare and a lovely pair of black jeans already in my closet, I was ready to take a stab and create my own take on these jeans. I sort of combined 2 of the combos together using both white and blue to create a slightly different finish. I started off with a trusty pair of black skinny jeans (I used Rich & Skinny but you can use just about any pair).

I had picked up some bottles of both white and primary blue fabric paint at the art supply store. They cost me about $1.50 a bottle. I used a styrofoam plate for carefree mixing and easy brush access and a nylon bristle brush. I also had an old plastic container available with clean water and a scrap piece of paper to cover my work area.

Then I started with the white paint making scribbly loose circular patterns across the front of the jeans while occasionally dipping the paint brush in water to help create more fluid lines and varying opacities.

Continue creating scribbles/circles until you have completely covered the front of the jeans. I was impatient and was curious as to how it would look so I actually did one leg at a time. The great thing about this project is that there is a lot of room for your own interpretation and you don’t have to be too careful about the order in which you do things, I actually went back several times later on to create more scribbles in certain colors on areas that appeared to need more attention.

I started to add in blue and other colors in the same family. I actually decided to use some acrylic paint I had at home for additional color variation. I’m not sure how it will hold up in the wash but seeing as it’s plastic when it dries, I’m hoping it will be all good.

When the front is dry the back is ready to work on. Make sure that you cover all areas, including waistband and around the pockets if possible. When the back is complete, allow to dry before working on the sides. You can flatten the legs out sideways and fill in any gaps that you have missed for a more continuous effect.

Voila! And there you have it! Although it’s a slightly different finish, I think it get’s the overall statement across. I’m pretty happy with the results! What do you think?