It’s rare to find someone who can fully understand and communicate your creative language with you. By God’s grace I have had this person in my life for 10+ years, but only recently employed the full power of our alliance. When Rahmar aka DJ HOOD BUNNNY requested upcycled magic from 2 pairs of pants that held strong sentimental value, I had to show up and show out for my friend.

He was a fan of the lace-up jeans I’ve made in the past, and knowing him well, I wanted to create more dramatic versions. The first pair have lived in my brain for awhile so this was the perfect opportunity to bring them to the physical realm. Let me introduce you to the Chain Link Lace-Up Jean:

Featuring elastic cording for an adjustable fit, paired with curb chains and bike chains - these upcycled jeans completely fulfill my artsy-emo-kid dreams. I show a bit of my process here.

The DJ HOOD BUNNNY brand is very colorful in nature thus I envisioned a second pair that were more whimsical and in direct contrast with the Chain Link Jean. For these I wanted to use colored grommets and play with the placement of the lace-up feature. The grommets were arranged in a more freeform, organic manner to thread the cotton rope haphazardly through the holes. And since nothing is wasted in the atelier, the back pockets were machine-embroidered with elements from his logo to become custom side pockets.

With that, the Chaotic Criss Cross Jean was born. View more studio shots with DJ HOOD BUNNNY below and check out the process here.

Studio photos courtesy of our good friend Jessica J. Page. Special shoutout to her. This young woman’s eye is so focused and refined. I’m honored to have her lens on my creations; she’s a genius and legend in the making.