FYI:Color me denim
Paint it out: Bench endorsers came together for a DIY painting workshop with Soleil Ignacio.
MANILA, Philippines - If there’s one staple in everyone’s closet, it would definitely be denim. Jeans, jackets, shorts, tops — you name it, there’s probably a denim version of it, which is to say that we’ve all got a bunch of old denim lying around. But before you even think about throwing it all out to make space for new clothes, why not rework it and spruce it up? There are a couple of ways to breathe new life into your jeans and jackets, but painting them is an easy and instant way to transform them.
Last June 17, Bench put together #PaintYourDenim, the first of a series of weekend hangouts with the brand’s endorsers. The first installment was a hands-on DIY painting workshop using Bench denim with Leila Alcasid, Claudia Barretto, Juliana Gomez, Derrick Monasterio, Diego Loyzaga and Grae Fernandez. Artist Soleil Ignacio, who served as the afternoon’s mentor, shared tips and tricks to create that perfect customized denim. Here are a few simple steps that we learned:
Back it up: Juliana Gomez, Leila Alcasid, and Claudia Barretto wear their customized denim jackets from Bench.
1. Look for inspiration.
The first step is deciding what you want to paint on your denim. It can be something simple like a pattern or text, or something more complicated if you’ve got a lot of time on your hands.
2. Gather your tools.
Getting good tools is half the battle. Good quality brushes with both broad and small tips will help you when you’re filling in big patches and when you’re getting into the finer details. Fabric paint is ideal, but acrylic paint will also get the job done, and you can mix colors, too. Masking tape will also help when you want to get your outlines straight and keep colors from overlapping.
3. Paint and have fun!
Don’t worry about making your customized denim too clean. Your denim will have more personality if you have fun with it, and the DIY charm makes it a lot more vibrant.
