Denim Diva

Gone are the days when divas wore gut-wrenching corsets and ballskirts as huge as the opera house. Today, as divas have come to mean pop female superstars, the diva has a wardrobe adapted to a more pop sensibility. And how more pop can you go than with the denim? But not just any other pair of jeans. It has to be low-rise, with a slim silhouette and unparalleled attention to detail. It has to be, at least for a diva such as Sheryl Crow, or in this case, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Earl Jeans.

The brainchild of former television and film stylist Suzanne Costas Freiwald, Earl Jeans was created in 1996 out of pure necessity. The Los Angeles-based Costas, who for years had been tailoring her own vintage denim, found herself in a bind when her favorite jeans were stolen from the local laundromat. It was then that her boyfriend and now husband encouraged her to design the low slung, slim-fitting jeans she had always loved. The result: Ear Jeans style #55, which created an immediate sensation among her friends. The buzz soon began to leak among people in the fashion industry.

Now women – fashionable women – special-order them by the dozen. Singer Sheryl Crow wrote a long thank-you letter as soon as they hit the shelves. And Earl fans now include such big names, from Michelle Pfeiffer and Liv Tyler to Courtney Cox and Kate Moss. Instead of wearing their old denims, they’re now wearing #55 from Earl Jeans.

This particular style, low-rise and slim-fitting, remains Earl’s most popular hit. The line now includes about 12 different styles, plus jean jackets and t-shirts for women. Some of the hottest trend-setting stores in the US, including Fred Segal, Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, sell Earl Jeans to an ever-growing global fan club. It’s not difficult to see the reason for the success. The women who own a pair of Earls are quite vocal about their feelings for the jeans.

"They’re the kind of jeans that look amazing on," says one fan. "They have such a nice fit and are really comfortable. They pay attention to a woman’s body, and that’s rare among jeans brands," says another. Local diva Zsa Zsa Padilla has also fallen in love with Earl. "I especially love the fit. It is very comfortable and there are many designs, cuts and shades to choose from. Most importantly, the look is flattering," she says of her hip-hugging blues.

Or perhaps because it’s comfortable and funky at the same time. You can dress it up with a couture top or dress it down with a tattered shirt, or match the diva’s lifestyle of living in the luminous spotlight. That is why it came as no surprise that Zsa Zsa places her Earl Jeans on her "Performance Outfits" category in her closet. "The look of Earl Jeans is hip, young, sexy and acceptable anywhere, paired with the right top. I used to not use jeans when I perform, but Earl just changed all that!" Diva or not, the jeans make your entire look oh-so-experience and fashionable.

In Manila, the Earl Jeans collection is now available at the lifestyle store Wish, located at the Ground Floor of the Shangri-la Makati Shopping Arcade, Ayala Avenue, Makati.

Photos by JUN DE LEON