Who doesn’t love a comfy pair of trendy jeans? Perhaps the most iconic piece of clothing ever created, Jeans are widely believed to be an American invention. Wrong. Jeans in their original form were actually made in Europe! Interestingly, denim, the twill fabric used to fashion jeans, was actually named after the town of Nimes in France – originally called “de Nimes”, meaning “from Nimes”. The word “jeans” traces its origins to “Genes”, the French word for the Italian town of Genoa, which during the Renaissance produced the original version of what we call denim.

Centuries later, the ‘city of jeans’ is ready for the mother of all homecomings and Genoa is gearing up to host the international jeans community at “GenovaJeans” between October 5–8, a game-changing event that will shine a light on the future of this revolutionary garment. Having played a key role in the invention of jeans, Italy has since transformed them from durable workwear into head-turning fashion wear. Now, the city where it all began has a new message – one that emphasizes a culture of responsibility in creating things of beauty.

“I think there is no one in the world who doesn’t know what jeans are – a fabric born in our city,” said Marco Bucci, the mayor of Genoa. “We need to ensure that the combination of Genoa and jeans becomes ever more widely known worldwide. That is our goal.”

Jeans aren’t just a simple piece of clothing. A true icon, they have reserved a spot in every wardrobe, suit every lifestyle, and are a part of our collective imagination. Genoa, imbued with its heritage, is on a journey to foster new ideas and create new opportunities to help build the jeans culture of the future!  

Dr. Alessandro Liberatori, the Italian Trade Commissioner to India | Director of the Trade Promotion Office of the Italian Embassy in New Delhi and Coordinator for India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, said India imported denim worth over €10 million from the world last year, 34.64% more than in 2021. Indian imports from Italy accounted for 12.9%, totaling €1.32 million – a whopping 121.34% more than in the previous year! Italy became the 4th largest supplier of denim to India after China, Bangladesh, and Turkey. “Observing the data for the past years, I believe denims from Italy are being appreciated by the Indian industry as well as consumers, presenting a promising future for Italian fashion brands as a whole,” said Dr. Liberatori.

The next edition of GenovaJeans, held over four days, will involve 40 locations with 120 events, including workshops, special openings of cultural sites, exhibitions, installations, and artistic performances. Each of these will represent one of GenovaJeans’ five founding pillars – community, creativity, responsibility, culture, and innovation. 

Community

From creators to producers and consumers, GenovaJeans will showcase the entire jeans community, adopting an inclusive approach that focuses on creating synergies by sharing values and knowledge. Brace yourself for an extensive collection of public events, a major edutainment project, and entertainment that will immerse attendees in the authentic jeans lifestyle. 

Creativity

This one-of-a-kind event will spotlight companies and brands that represent production and stylistic excellence. An exhibition showcasing its heritage as works of art will tell the story of GenovaJeans through heritage brands, new creatives, and the ‘Made in Italy’ supply chain.

Responsibility

To demonstrate GenovaJeans’ commitment to responsible manufacturing, a special QR code powered by CLASS (Creativity, Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy) will tell the journey of each garment, from composition to production, revealing the company’s choices towards ethics, transparency, and traceability. 

Culture

GenovaJeans will strengthen its promise to promote the cultural, artistic, and educational aspects of new-generation jeans with exclusive exhibitions showcasing the best of Italian denim. Curated by Ursula Casamonti and Francesca Boschieri, ArteJeans 2023 will present about 50 works, some previously unseen, made of Candiani denim and donated to the city between 2020 and 2023 by contemporary Italian and foreign artists, at the Metelino Building until November 5. 

Innovation

Given innovation is the driving force and a key source of inspiration for GenovaJeans, the University Library will host several engaging talks and workshops with notable national and international dignitaries sharing their valuable insights.  

For the full list of events, visit the official website of GenovaJeans.