A Few Highlights Of 2022
We’re almost closing the year 2022. Time to look back with a short recap. It was a year where it was luckily allowed to meet people again at events and trade shows instead of only having online meetings. A year to catch up with old denim friends, and making new ones. Pleased to work again for the best denim brands, events, mills and retailers. Another year to share denim innovations, new collections, inspiring people, outstanding denim initiatives, exciting events, must have books and magazines and many more denim related via this online denim magazine.
So, let’s highlight my denim recap of this year. There’re too many to cover in a short recap from 2022, but here are some vibrating highlights to close the year, and to welcome 2023 with good denim vibes only!
Freelance (Denim) Projects
Next to running this online Long John denim magazine, I’m also working as a freelance denim specialist for brands, retail, mills, and events. I worked this year on many projects, mostly focussed on creating unique content (offline and online), branding projects, developing, connecting, and overall marketing support.
Lee 101
This year I was asked to be the head face of the new Lee 101 by Lee collection shoot for this Fall Winter ’22. As Lee is one of my favorite top denim brands I didn’t have to think twice. With this special premium collection, Lee is making each season collections that are inspired by their archive pieces. And since I’m collecting these vintage styles for many years too it was the perfect occasion to collaborate. Read more about this collaboration here.
Butts and Shoulders
With the Butts and Shoulders brand, we made some new developments, and we launched a new Chelsea boot style. A classic footwear style, but this time made with natural vegetable-tanned leather. Next to that, I worked on a special wear contest with the brand called: ‘The Magnificent 5’. With this contest, 5 participants were wearing for 5 months the new Chelsea boots to see which will turn out the most beautiful over time.
Soorty
Together with Pakistani denim mill Soorty, I worked on a special seeding product to send out to their partners. The idea was to highlight them one of the latest denim fabric developments in a playful and creative way. The outcome is an authentic Soorty x Long John collaboration checkers game, but this time in denim. It’s made as a limited-edition and it has been flying out all over the world. More about it here.
Denim Days
This year we organized two editions of the Denim Days – The Market Edition. With these events we focussed on the popular market section of the Denim Days. A two-day event that was held in Amsterdam at the De Hallen. People from all over the world came to join the event to celebrate the magic of denim. In 2023, there are coming new editions, so stay tuned!
Watch the recap video of the last Denim Days – The Market Edition.
Calik Denim
I created many inspirational articles for the Turkish denim mill Calik Denim. These inspirational articles are published on their website to inspire their fanbase and clients. All the articles are made with a denim link, always to share the good denim initiatives, history and stories. You can read these articles on Calik Denim’s site here.
Denim Retail Tours
For a few years, I organize special retail inspiration (denim) tours to highlight the latest concepts as it comes to (denim) stores. During these tours, innovative, inspiring, and outstanding stores are visited. Part of these tours are meet and greets with the store owners to hear their inspiring stories and experiences. This year I was fortunate to set-up a few of these tours again.
Nearly 70K Followers On Instagram
Another milestone this year is that I reached almost 70K followers on Instagram. Instagram is still the strongest social channel today to inspire, connect, and share content. Most of the content is about denim, but also related content that shows the denim lifestyle in general. If you don’t follow me on Instagram yet, check it out here.
New Vintage Treasures
As a denim collector, I’m always on the hunt to expand my private collection. I use these items to create unique content for this online magazine, but I use them also in my denim workshops to inspire staff of retail, brands, and mills. These items are sharing the history of denim, details that can be used as inspiration for new collections, or angles to use for store staff as it’s more important than ever that you know what you’re selling, so you need the (history) story, and sometimes also references and background stories design-wise. Here are just a few examples.
Created Around 300 Articles On Long John
With daily updates, I share the latest news about denim and high-quality made products on my online denim magazine Long John. You can explore the latest (denim) trends, meet (denim) people, find the most outstanding pieces and stores, and see what’s happening in the industry in general.
This year I created around 300 articles on Long John to highlight the coolest brands, retailers, mills, events, and (denim) people.
Joined Several Webinars And Workshops
This year I gave again a lot of workshops and seminars (on- and offline), to educate and inspire people more about denim. Sometimes these workshops highlight the history of denim, while others are focussed on innovations and technologies within the denim industry. I always feel fortunate to share my denim passion with like-minded people all over the world to give them new insights and to boost their denim engine.
Many Interview Publications
I was pleased to be interviewed by so many magazines this year that highlighted my work with my online denim magazine Long John, and my freelance denim projects. There’re too many to point out, but some of them are The Spin Off, J’N’C Magazine, FashionUnited, Inside Denim, Avant Magazine, and The Heritage Post.
What’s Next In 2023?
A fresh year with a lot of new challenges ahead! In the new year, I’m looking forward to keeping ongoing creating unique content for Long John to spread the latest updates within the denim industry.
Next to that, I can’t wait to show you the new projects that I’m working on right now as a freelance denim specialist.
Thanks for all your support in 2022, and I’m really looking forward to 2023!!
If you or your company need an extra (denim) boost or freelance support to achieve your new goals, just let me know: wouter@long-john.nl
All the best for everyone in 2023. Stay blue, stay denim & stay safe.
Cheers,
Wouter Munnichs
Long John
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