Upcycled fashion maverick Maurizio Donadi’s latest vintage apparel project Transnomadica is continuing its expansion, and this time it set its sights on legendary retailer Fred Segal.
Transnomadica teamed with the retailer to launch The Blue Chapter, a curation of vintage Japanese jeans, in a popup installation that will run through the month of April at Fred Segal’s Los Angeles store on Sunset Boulevard. The collection satiates every denim head’s fantasy with high-quality, naturally aged selvedge denim that’s been reconditioned for a second life.
Donadi has said before that these kinds of styles from small Japanese brands produced in limited quantities will be the future of vintage.
The popup lands during a time when Fred Segal’s role in denim is back in the spotlight. The retailer’s namesake died last month at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy of connecting A-list celebrities with premium denim. The store’s origins are deeply rooted in indigo, having initially launched with an inventory that was 85 percent denim. Years later in 1960, he opened the world’s first “Jeans Bar,” offering men’s and women’s denim for upwards of $20 when jeans were typically only $3.
At the Transnomadica popup, one-of-a-kind vintage denim will range from $80-$500 and celebrate the craftsmanship of authentic denim.
Transnomadica began in 2020 as an online marketplace for vintage, used and archival pieces spanning denim, military, workwear and alternative fashion. Though Donadi’s other vintage apparel project Atelier & Repairs centers on transforming leftover stock into new styles, the goal of Transnomadica is to preserve and celebrate the traditional elements of vintage denim.
With such an expansive collection of vintage gems, Donadi is now focused on sharing his finds with the world. In February, Transnomadica teamed with Dockers to release a collection of khakis designed before the year 2000, marking the reboot of khakis as well as Dockers’ second collaboration with Donadi. The first was an Atelier & Repairs collaboration that reimagined Dockers’ signature khaki style with upcycled and utilitarian elements to promote sustainability. The collection was accompanied by original blog content and photos by Transnomadica that tracked the history of khakis and celebrated their range and diversity.