Many mills get others to work like me after I decline their amazing opportunity to show at a trade fair

For well over a decade many in denim have tried to work with me, name ten denim brands and probably be able to say nine have asked me to work with them. It sounds nice but it got quite stressful. I’m an artist and it would have to feel authentic, have a story. It was when the mills got involved it got pretty weird. I have to admit the latter more so has tainted the material I chose to make a career out of. 

Many mills get others to work like me after I decline their amazing opportunity to show at a trade fair, half way near the back, near the toilet, so the violation can sometimes put me off the material. But in truth it pushed me to continue to be better. I use this example not to complain, it’s to be expected of a certain level of mind, but it’s representative of a big part of the industry and something many complain of. So it did help me realise who were the good and the bad, and I’ve met many amazing people in denim, and as each year goes on, I know more about the denim history and story. But like many things, the duality just polarises.