Read Kasil's Podcast Interview | All Podcast interviews are copyrighted and property of CoutureCandy.com 2007

CoutureCast: Hello, welcome to the Couture Podcasting, couturecandy.com, we're very excited today to introduce to you guys David Lim who is the head designer of Kasil Jeans, I'm Mary Louise again.

CoutureCast2: And I'm Vanessa, David Lim is quoted as saying jeans are like his canvas and today we're going to pick his brain about his outlook, his denim fits and the future of fashion.

CC: So we'd like to welcome David to the show. How are you doing?

David Lim: I'm doing great.

CC: Good, good to have you here.

CC2: So now to start with the question.

DL: OK.

CC2: We've heard that you worked as a muralist traveling round the US before starting your business. Did this artistic experience help structure your creative development at Kasil?

DL: Yeah, actually, I actually was a muralist. I was the one who did all the work myself. I hired a bunch of my friends too, who kind of helped me out during that time so I just went to restaurants, proposed my mural for their wall and I just kind of went from there. It developed my artisticy I would say but you know it was just good experience basically.

CC: Awesome.

DL: Being outside and just checking out the environment and stuff...

CC: Right.

DL: ... weird environments.

CC2: So you come from a different background than a lot of other jean companies.

DL: Yeah, I would say, I have a lot of painting background. That's where I really come from.

CC: So what made you decide to do a denim line?

DL: Well, the, it goes like this, my, first of all my family business, they actually own a custom tailoring business...

CC: Right.

DL: So my father's been in the business for over thirty years and he's made suits from Ocean's Eleven all the way to Mississippi Burning.

CC: Aah, wow!

DL: He's done a lot of celebrities, a lot of movies, so he's got that under his belt. One day I went to his store and I saw some denim laying on his table so I just picked up the denim. First of all, what I had in mind was using it as a canvas, so I took that and kind of did some of my art work on it, just kind of messed around with it 'cause the texture of the denim is very comparable to canvas.

CC: Yeah.

DL: And also blue is my favorite color so I just liked working with it. And then I started looking into how jeans are done and how they kind of did the abrasion, the grinding and just the little different treatments that you can actually incorporate into painting. So I started just mixed media as if kind of working with the fabric and the way how they treat jeans into my painting.

CC: That's interesting, so one day you're finally like "well why don't I do a denim line?"

DL: No it doesn't go there,... then I went to get some more denim from my dad, and some of his clients you know they're a little bit younger so they wanted something a little different so just to start it out I just wanted to make a pants for myself. After many different trial and error I got a pants, a denim pants for myself and I liked it, so then I started to dabble more into it, and then my parents actually they want to try out, to bring some of this to our clients.

CC: Yeah.

DL: So from there I started to design some different things for them. You know certain clients like Anthony Robbins is one of our clients, Coby Bryant, just most, more like sports celebrities who I started out with and they really liked it and it just kept on getting bigger, the orders kept on getting greater, and then I just thought well you know might as well try and see if I can start a line. So you know, doing a little bit of market research and kind of going into what was out there, I knew that the woman's market for denim was much bigger than the men's. So I started out with Kasil Woman and just that's what happened three years ago.

CC: Great and how's your men's line doing?

DL: Men's is great. We have... it's a small collection. We have about twelve pieces in the men's collection. We're actually extending it to corduroy this coming fall and T shirts as well, so we're expanding it from what we have currently.

CC: That's interesting, it seems like a much more organic process again.

DL: Yeah.

CC2: That's cool, where do you get your denim materials from? And is it important to you that your denim is made in the US? I heard that, I think you get it from Japan.

DL: Yeah, well, first of all the best denim comes from Japan and Italy. Even though other markets try to compare to their denim, I don't know what it is, what, why they have the best denim, but it's just we get the best denim from Italy. A lot of it is from Italy, a lot of it is from Japan. We use about maybe 10% from the US which is like code mill. But overall the best one is from Italy and Japan. You can't compare. That's what creates the wash, that's what creates the fit. You start of from the actual denim and you get the best wash, you get the best fit. If you use cheap fabric, then you know the fit falls apart, the wash looks cheap.

CC: Right.

DL: So it really just starts from your base, your foundation which is the fabric.

CC: Well, good to know, especially, sounds like you're the expert on fabric.

CC2: In Life and Style, you're quoted, or Kasil is quoted, that they're comfortable yet tailored fit.

DL: Yeah, I use that tailored fit because of my father's background and my background. I grew up around just the way how he does custom made suits for his customers, and I just kind of observe the way how he actually goes about trying to get the best fit for each customer. When I do that I look at different body types for girls, I look at different body types for guys. And just try to get that overall fit that would fit everybody.

CC: Right.

DL: And that's where I come up with the tailored fit because I think it's really important just to see, just going down to the littlest detail, and just a little curve here, a little inch off there, a little whatever it is that you do to the pants affects everything.

CC: Yeah, It sounds like tailoring is in your blood, you can't help it.

DL: Yeah, I know that's how it's the way of it.

CC2: Well, especially and we'll talk about this in a little bit, but such a high pressured you know jean industry and those details do make everything because women are you know completely like OCD about how everything fits.

DL: Yeah, I know true, they're like denim addicts.

CC: Yeah exactly... thoroughly.[laugh]

DL: But it's a good thing for us, or is it better.

CC: So Lindsay Lohan warrior jeans for her new movie Just my Luck.

DL: Yes.

CC: Yeah.

DL: And the other celebrities that we do have is Angelina Jolie. We also have Lucy Liu who orders stuff, Jodie Foster, Michelle Rodriguez. I don't know the complete list but Grace our PR girl and also our PR industry girls, they know more about who's wearing it, who's wearing what.

CC: Well, it sounds like you have some good people.

DL: Yeah.

CC2: And varying body types we like our listeners to know.

DL: Yeah definitely,

CC: Yeah.

DL: Definitely, from small to big.

CC: Cool. So now we're talking about fit. I read a Cleo magazine interview to you, and or rather Cleo magazine deemed that you're an incredible a new fitting illusion in your back pocket and this is even about lifting and kind of.

CC: making the perfect butt.

DL: Right.

CC: which is another important factor.

DL: The quest for the perfect rear end look, right?

CC: Right.

DL: OK.

CC: So tell us about how you do that, or maybe a secret but.

DL: Well, I mean, it's what I said it definitely goes to the fabric again. If you choose a really great fabric, what we generally like to choose is something with low lycra meaning that there is a little bit of give but not too much. And if you have it in the right way, then it's going to give in the right spot, but lift in the right spot as well. And it kind of molds your body to what we want it to look like. And the lifting is, what's also important is pocket size and pocket placing. You don't what something that's too oversized and too low because that really draws your eyes down, and it kind of makes it look like you have a droopy butt or even an oversized butt. And you don't want to have pockets too small because it makes your size look kind of wide too. Either if you go too big it makes your butt look too big, or if you go too small, it makes it look too big. So you have to have a right proportion and the right placement just to get a perfect look. And that's what takes a lot of time just looking at the jeans, putting it on different people, and just kind of adjusting you know the size a little bit, adjusting the length a little bit, the height. Whatever it is that takes lot of adjustment for each pair.

CC: Also I think you know just having an idea, being a stylist, I can tell that the design you use on the back pocket is fitting with this as well. So I think that's important to point out the kind of ups and down, then trying to wash it.

DL: Right. Exactly.

CC: So, tell us a little about your petite line, because you are one the few designers that actually has one.

DL: What was that again?

CC: The petite line.

DL: OK. Well, we definitely cater to the Japanese client and Japanese people are tiny [laughter]. They generally go from size 23 to 25, that's pretty much their size and in the US that's petite. So we also make them pretty long. Surprisingly we.

Thought that Japanese clients would like to have them at a 31 inch inseam but to our surprise they want it long. So we actually have a size 23 with a 35 inch inseam. That's a really skinny, tall girl.

CC: That's special tailoring right there.

DL: You can always cut down but you can't make them longer. Girls are doing that anyway, they're cutting their jeans no matter what.

CC: And the look is to wear them with really high heels.

DL: Exactly. It makes you look long and lean.

CC: So tell us generally about your current jean collection. Is it called cloud nine? Is that the most current one you have?

DL: I'm sorry is it called what?

CC: Cloud nine.

DL: Well, no. Cloud nine is a special collection. Cloud nine is just where we bring out nine colors per season and the nine colors are just what we're trying to push for that season. We don't generally go into production with all nine colors, we pick out the best four or five. For presentation purposes and the way the warehouse looks nine colors across the board looks great.

CC: And this is also under limited availability, right?

DL: Yes. We don't produce much because denim has a longer life than twills and colors. Colors are into three or four months at the most, where as denim has a long life, you can wear it year round. You can wear them winter, summer, spring, whenever.

CC: So if you could pick one of your denim styles in your current collection, which is the best competitor with other popular denim lines?

DL: Well, there's a lot of great denim lines out there. I look at certain ones that I see as being pretty innovative and pretty forward. I like Josh, he's sophisticated and he has sophisticated designs. He's not trying to go crazy with embellishment like everybody else is doing. He's keeping true to what he's about, which I admire. I like people who have a vision and really stick with it.

The other brands, it's so hard to say, there's so many out there. Habitual is doing something pretty cool too. They have some pretty cool styles.

CC: They have a pretty tailored fit, I think.

DL: Yeah. Notify too. Notify is another brand that uses great fabric and has a nice wash. Paper denim in the beginning, I thought Scott Morrison was a good designer.

CC: They kind of paved the way for Japanese fabric.

DL: Right. Exactly. Scott Morrison is a great designer, he's got great concepts and also he's more about clean lines and basic shapes and basic wash. Nothing too crazy. If anything, I like to keep it simple too. Not going too far out of the norm. I mean you have to have a piece or two to sparkle the line up but basically our basics are what we like to go with.

CC: It's definitely more lasting.

DL: We have basics too, but with our season's pieces a little detail added gives the basic a little something.

CC: Speaking of detailing, I know you've spoken of having certain fabrics, particularly in the butt you need to have lycra. Can you tell us of the specific detailing you use in your denim to make it more slimming or flattering? Can you tell us how you do that?

DL: You want me to describe what makes it more slimming?

CC: Right. Referring to a product description I read online about your jeans, one of them was talking about how you have fading lines and certain places were slimming to the body.

DL: Just to give you an idea. We have the yoke in the back that has a side detail. I don't know if you've seen it but our newest style is called the Eleanor. It has a side detail that goes two or three inches off from the yoke and we put some hardware, a rivet into the side. That creates a line that gives it a slimmer waistline. It's really hard to explain how it does that but it's like your eye just sees the way curves happen or lines happening, it just makes it seem that way. It's all about illusions and where you put the lines.

For the back pocketing if you make it just the right perfect size, instead of making it too big or too small, that also makes it so your rear is proportioned to your body.

The wash is also another way of giving your eye the illusion of a slimmer look. You keep it dark and where you do most of the hand strumming in the front where you see most of the white coming out, you don't want to spread it out too far because then it makes your thighs look wide. You want to make a slimming line that goes off from the side seam toward the center, keeping the inner thigh a little bit darker giving it more of a longer lean look. It's the same thing when you do paintings and you use dark and you use light. The dark will definitely disappear and the light pops up.

CC: You can hear when you're talking about it that it's a fine arts background, understanding the composition of the painting and how to balance it out.

DL: When you do work with light and shadow, that's what we're doing when we brighten up the jeans you make it pop up in certain areas and you make it go back in certain areas.

CC: Like art.

DL: Like art. Painting with denim.

CC: That's what you do.

DL: Yep. It's fun.

CC: So, we were wondering what styles you would recommend for the different body types? All people generally have different body types; the straight body, the hourglass shape, and the pear shape.

DL: Well, we have the devoted body which is your basic boot. Every girl likes to have a boot cut in their collection. This is a great body type because it fits on the side, it fits on the hip, it fits everywhere great. And it's not too big of a boot opening so it looks like it's a flare.

CC: Which type is this? What's it called?

DL: Devoted. And devious is good for the girls who like to look long and lean and if they have a skinny build. Devious is a slim fit where it's a little tighter around the sides, tighter around the knees and it opens up to a smaller opening; an 18 inch or 19 inch opening. So girls who don't have much on their thighs or rear that's probably the best one, it's called Devious.

We have another body it's called the Maggie. It's more for the tomboy, the girls who just like to wear their boyfriend's jeans. A little bit baggier but fitted around the waist and the rear and the hips, it loosens in the back of the thigh and it's just more of your casual, relaxed, you wear it with your flip flops, wear it to the market, whatever you want to do, it's just your casual jean. It's a little bit lower on the cut so you're supposed to just let it hang.

What else do we have? Trousers. In New York they love trousers and we have that in our collection too and that's more of a classic fit. A little bit higher on the rise, so you can wear it to work and it's versatile. And the wash is a dark wash, almost like a rinse wash keeping true to the actual color of the jean. And it just has a more sophisticated look.

And what else? For the curvy girls, Devoted is a great cut too, Devoted... pretty much anything that we have using the Lycra that we have will really fit every girl.

CC: Yeah, I have to admit that I bought a pair of your jeans, the cute little cut off, cropped ones...

DL: Yeah. How much... the shorts?

CC: They're knee length, they come...

DL: Yeah, yeah, yeah, uhuh...

CC: The classic five pocket, I bought them a couple of weeks ago and I had to make an outfit with them for like a week straight [laughs]. I was like: "Now, I have to wear them like so!" The fit is great, they're really tight but they still don't give you the unsightly muffin top that all girls hate.

DL: Right, muffin top, that's...

CC: That's the big deal too, I think, that just coming out a little bit on the hips is a huge... you know, that's a sale right there. If you have that, then you're sold on it.

DL: Yeah. Well, for the girls who definitely like that nice hit on the back, Devoted is... you can't go wrong. The newest ones that are coming out, I don't know if Blue Bee has them or not, but I described to you guys, is the Eleonor, I don't know if I can send you guys a JPEG of that but you should take a look at it.

CC: Yeah, we'll have a companion with the podcast of you here and we're going to check out what you're talking about.

DL: OK good.

CC: OK cool. So on to our next part, we're going to talk about the future and where you see the denim line going. In the past you have said that... we've talked about denim as a painting, how it develops over time, but the thing is, what direction do you think that denim is going in, and other designer... it's a constantly changing environment, especially with denim, and how do you plan on aligning your new collection with this shift?

DL: Well, I see denim definitely just going... right now, what's in is the embellishment, like the embroideries, the crystals...

CC: True Religion, things like that.

DL: Yeah. It seems like it comes and it goes, and we're in it right now. What you see going is maybe going into a little bit more cleaner washes, not looking so crazy on the wash.

CC: Yeah, I totally agree.

DL. Just a little bit more sophisticated. People are going to get tired of all that. They are going to want to see something a little bit more straight leg as well. Boot cuts, nice, everybody is going to have boot cuts, but what I see happening is definitely straight leg. Slimming legs, that make the girls look long and tall, excellent that. People always say: I want high rise, I want high rise no. People still want to have the mid rise.

CC: Very true. I think that's L.A., really; New Yorkers...

DL: Yeah, I hear that all the time. It's like, no, nobody wants to have a nine inch rise jeans, all but for the moms, but veering more towards the girls who wear the jeans every day who like to go out and go clubbing, or whatever, just hanging out at the beach.

CC: Well, the lower rise is flattering for the stomach AND the butt; and the higher rise isn't very flattering for either [laughs].

DL: No. It just kind of goes up too high. And it'll make you look like you have a long... what do you call it? Like a long gut.

CC: Uh huh [laughs]. So do you have any basic fit secrets for our listeners that are looking for the perfect denim in general?

DL: Looking for the perfect denim in general... well, that's a hard one, because, definitely, you've got to try everything out. If you like the wash, that's basically what you have got to go for first. Girls are always attracted by the wash at first, then they pick it up, then they look at it, and then they try it on. If it fits good... I know the first thing a girl does is check out their rear in the mirror, right?

CC: Yep, you got it!

DL: And if that's what sells it... and you know, you've got to try on like maybe 20 different companies, but just try on ours first! You might not have to go through all 19 or whatever it is that is out there.

CC: Yeah, funnily whenever I've tried your jeans on, it's... I really have to tell our listeners, it IS that slight Lycra on the back, that just gives it that perfect pull, because you don't want a second skin, and you know, I don't really have a rear end, so for me it gives me an illusion of something.

DL: Well, that's good, we want to do that for everybody. And if you go out there and you keep looking at the price range too, I know how denim is getting higher and higher, that's just because the wash that goes into it is definitely more intricate, we put a lot of detail into the wash, so I know people are freaking out because they have got to pay $300 for a pair of jeans, but if you guys sat and tell what kind of work goes into it, you can see why.

CC: Well, I think most people realize that that is money well spent.

DL: Yeah. You want to definitely look into the fabric. If the fabric looks cheap, then, and the price is not what it seems to be is correct, then I wouldn't buy it. Just go for what you know.

CC: What up and coming creative ventures does Kasil have in store for the costumers?

DL: Well let's see, we were working on t shirts, develop some t shirts for different body types, like we're doing some adults. A little bit more accessories and just kind of giving the whole look, a little more dress the girl from top to bottom, and that just means we're working with pima cotton, really soft stuff and we want the girls to feel comfortable in them.

CC: Where is that fabric coming from? Do you know yet?

DL: That is all coming from Italy. And even the hardware the buttons and the rivets that all comes from Italy too, and that is why it costs so much [laughs].

CC: Yeah! [laughs]

DL: For creative ventures, we're just looking into expanding the line, making it a little bit more interesting, and offering different body types, different washes. It's pretty much what we've been doing, but maybe adding more color, more... just having fun with the design.

CC: Sounds cool! I look forward to that. So what do you think sets Kasil apart from the other denim companies? You've kind of already gone over that, but just a...

DL: Well, far as I see, I compare my stuff to everybody out there, we have our basics and we have a little detail to the basics.

For the detail part, if you look at the jean, there's a lot of things you can find in a pair of jeans; and it's the inside, the way how we construct it. The construction is really important, it's quality construction. We make sure that the thread is the best; that the fabric is the best, we make sure that everything on there is perfect. We don't ship it out unless it's perfect.

So that's definitely... I'm sure every premium line is trying to do the same thing, but because we're hands on here in L.A., we can see how everything comes out. I don't know where everybody else makes their stuff, but we know the companies that do make them here in L.A. have more control over their product than someone who is making it in China or Hong Kong.

CC: And you guys are right at the hot seat of what's changing.

DL: Yeah, definitely.

CC: First of all, I would just like to say that and let all our listeners know that the reason that we did pick to interview you is because you have such, again, an organic and artistic story and background to your jeans.

DL: Great!

CC: So that... and I think the interview really shows how you take care in these artistic details. And we both studied Art in college...

DL: Oh, great! Hello art people...

CC: ...we're very into fashion and art itself, so...

DL: Did you guys often do paintings too?

CC: I did. I was a Studio major, and kind of branched off from painting and all that to fashion.

DL: There you go. It's a natural occurrence.

CC: Yeah, a natural progression.

CC2: And I think that a lot of times it's... I also studied Art History, and so I do most my creative stuff in styling and editorials, but I think that your line especially shows that there is a huge connection between art and fashion; and a lot of people would ask me, "How is Art History connected to fashion?" But that's what it's all about.

DL: Yeah, it's definitely connected. It's definitely high fashion art. You have to take a lot of time into what you create and if you have a love for it, if you have that passion for it, it shows out in whatever you do. So there's the painting or piece of jean or whatever it is, I think it shows.

CC: And you've become successful at it! [laughs]

DL: Thanks! Thanks a lot guys.

CC: Thank you so much!

DL: I appreciate it.

CC2: OK, again, thanks to David Lim for coming on our show today.

CC: Once again, this is Mary Louise and Vanessa from CoutureCandy.com, your complete fashion source, where you can buy what the celebrities are wearing, read about all your favorite designers, chat with fellow fashionistas and have your very own personal styler.

Remember we are here for you, so email us! And, for the hottest fashion forward info and interviews, listen up for our bi monthly podcasts. Remember: Couture is just a click away on CoutureCandy.com!