Jeans Reign Supreme at Upcoming Nashville Denim Days Festival

Music City Mayor David Briley will officially sanction November 10 and 11 as Nashville Denim Days.

Jeans Reign Supreme at Upcoming Nashville Denim Days Festival
Nashville Denim Days will run November 10 and 11. (Courtesy photo)

On Saturday, November 10 and Sunday, November 11 Music City will host the first-ever Nashville Denim Days Festival. Notable designers, brands and artisans will be on-hand to help attendees learn about the industry via hands-on workshops and demonstrations, indigo art installations, pop-up shops and more. Heralded musician Nikki Lane, a fashionista and denim devotee, will headline the performance stage. She’ll also be selling vintage wares from her beloved store High Class Hillbilly. Cult-followed brand imogene + willie will be in attendance and host a party to commemorate the event. TENCEL ™ branded fibers by Lenzing is the title sponsor of the festival.

“We participated in Denim Days in New York, and I’ve attended Denim Days in Amsterdam before,” says Tricia Carey, TENCEL’s Director of Global Business Development. “We wanted to take on a bigger role in the Denim Days Festival because we wanted to have a stronger connection to the consumer.”

Tricia Carey, TENCEL’s Director of Global Business Development. (Courtesy photo)

Visitors can expect a visual experience showing how TENCEL™ goes from trees to denim. The goal is to help the consumer understand what the product is and the value behind buying products that incorporate the fibers. For the event, TENCEL™ is creating a festival shop stocked with garments using its fiber. Featured brands include 3X1, Mavi, Reformation, Godfather of Denim and more.

TENCEL™ fibers are produced from sustainably sourced raw wood. The fibers are manufactured using an environmentally responsible production process. Composed of natural material, TENCEL™ fibers are biodegradable and compostable and can fully revert back to nature. The fibers enhance the aesthetics and functionality of fabrics and can be combined with a wide range of other textile fibers. “You can make a really soft, sustainable, strong fabric from trees, and you can have it in a variety of different looks,” Carey says. “We really want to show the whole lifestyle behind what TENCEL™ denim represents.”

The Denim Talks Speaker Series will feature Q&As, panels, and lectures geared towards jean aficionados. The schedule includes topics like pursuing a fashion career in Nashville and strategies from social influencers. Noted author and philanthropist Buddy Teaster will give a lecture on the intersection of social enterprise, poverty, and the fashion industry. Panelist Sarah Bellos of Stony Creek Colors, makers of bio-based dyes, will be indigo-dying bandanas for festival-goers.

Embroiderer Matt Davidson of Ranger Stitch will be onsite to custom embroider denim for attendees. Atelier & Repairs, a brand built around the idea of transforming the forgotten, is partnering with Belmont University on a T-shirt challenge, asking students to transform $5 t-shirts into garments of their own design. The winner will receive a mentorship with Atelier & Repairs creator Maurizio Donadi. Effortlessly cool fashion brand Madewell will be on hand to present its “Blue Jeans Go Green” initiative, which allows guests to recycle their old jeans in exchange for $20 towards a new pair of Madewell dungarees.

Nashville Denim Days is a festival for die-hard denim fans, fashionistas, music lovers, and foodies alike. The action-packed, two-day schedule includes an outdoor denim bazaar, pop-up shops, food trucks, festival games, musical entertainment and more. “It’s a nice atmosphere to talk about how the product is made and the art and craft behind denim,” Carey says. Mayor Briley will officially sanction November 10 and 11 as Nashville Denim Days. To commemorate the event, the city will paint the town blue by lighting up the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Nashville Denim Days is an all-ages event. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Students are admitted for $5, and kids under 12 attend for free. The event will be held at Marathon Music Works located at 1402 Clinton Street. Opening hours are between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. CST.