Raleigh Denim at the Curatory: Shopping and Sewing Downtown
If you share an appreciation for the production process of selvage denim as well as the pattern making and hand-sewing of it into a final product, resulting in a jean that when worn over time morphs into something truly personal and one-of-a-kind, then familiarize yourself with Raleigh Denim and visit its retail shop, the Curatory.
Raleigh Denim is a premium denim brand that blossomed out of curiosity mixed with necessity, blended with artistry, and topped off with enormous authenticity.
Raleigh Denim is firmly planted in a spacious, 6,000-square-foot workshop and attached to its newest extension – a 500-square-foot retail arm, the Curatory – embedded in downtown's Warehouse District.
Since Victor and Sarah Lytvinenko began their denim endeavor sparked by Victor’s need for a pair of jeans, they’ve seen their selvage denim designs go from friends wearing them around town to well-known indie rock stars wearing them around the world.
Staying true to North Carolina’s textile roots, Raleigh Denim sources their selvage from Cone Mills Corporation’s White Oak plant that has been producing the coveted denim since the early 1900s on American built old-style shuttle looms. The Lytvinenkos have a real passion for the tremendous detailing of the fabric weaving, dying and stitching process from start to finish and have incorporated the Old World skill involved in the production and merged it with their own interpretation of modern design attitudes.
In just several dizzying, work-fueled years, the husband and wife dynamos have turned their first major order of 114 pairs of small-batch denim jeans with lauded high-end retailer Barneys into 1,500 pairs a season for Barneys and Barneys COOP stores coast to coast. Additionally, Raleigh Denim is now found in selective, independent boutiques throughout the country and internationally. In North Carolina, a total of three retailers carry the label in Charlotte, Durham and Raleigh.
As for Raleigh, the sole location to purchase your own piece of Raleigh Denim style is at its home, the Curatory. Victor and Sarah Lytvinenko invested their artistic souls into the upfit and décor of the light-filled, industrial space. With the retail shop linked to the workshop, it’s where they spend the majority of their time, so the touches inside are personal. Identical to their strict attention to detail with the construction of their jeans, the neatly designed showroom is meticulously appointed with a thoughtful mix of old, vintage, handcrafted and found objects all gaining new purpose and use for display.
The shop’s product mix is equally particular. The Curatory showcases men’s and women’s lines that are interesting complements to the Raleigh Denim style and philosophy. Designers like Hollander and Lexer and Apolis Activism for men’s shirts, vests and totes can be found loaded with design conscious details, while women’s lines like Lanston for sumptuous knits, Sakuhachi for delicate bohemian tops and dresses, and soon to arrive Pip-Squeak Chapeau for linen, silk and cotton pieces offer timeless diversity and easy style.
When asked what sets their jeans apart, Sarah Lytvinenko noted it’s the combination of the materials, the process and the fit. Denim enthusiasts seem to be in agreement with the fit and feel of Raleigh Denim. Be your own judge -- drop by the Curatory, and just maybe you’ll find your ideal pair.
Posted on Apr 5, 2011 by Angela Risko
