Inside-out denim

Montreal’s Atelier Détails has mastered raw denim

Books at the Sundown X Atelier Détails event held Dec. 21. Photo Loudwing

Atelier Détails isn’t just selling jeans; it’s mastering raw denim by flipping it inside out. 

When founder “Books,” who prefers his pseudonym, first encountered denim work in 2018 at Cégep Marie-Victorin fashion school, he had a clear goal in mind. 

Sitting at his desk in his Mile End studio, idly twiddling with scraps of denim cut out from the textiles hanging behind him, he recounted on his competitive mindset that drove his work ethic. 

“I wanted to be better than everybody,” Books said.

Inspired by his mother’s love of denim, Books’s first denim design—a simple jacket with a New York Yankees logo—drew great applause at his school presentation. For Books, this was the moment he decided to master the material. Impatient to get ahead on his personal projects, he dropped out in 2021, six months before graduation. He worked two service jobs and took an internship to save enough money to found Atelier Détails. During these initial stages of the brand, he established his social media presence by sharing his creations with friends, who began posting them, eventually expanding to collaborations with influencers.

“After these six months, I was at a place where people—my friends that just graduated—wished they were,” Books said. 

Initially, Books was marketed through influencers, and his success was thought to hinge on a single viral post from a fashion influencer. However, despite this approach, not a single pair of $250 jeans sold for six months because he had not yet reached a clientele willing to invest in long-lasting denim.

Today, Books’s jeans sell for $475, and last year, his revenue reached $75,000, mainly from US and European clients. His latest drop of 50 pairs sold out in two weeks, reaching a clientele willing to invest in high-quality denim. This success followed months of dedication to honing his product on social media, connecting with influencers, and posting daily across platforms about the garment and his creative process.

Yodit Tewoderos wearing the Short Sleeve Jacket inside-out, reversible Double Pocket Jeans inside-out and Double Pocket Jorts backwards. Courtesy Atelier Détails

In 2022, while British singer Jorja Smith was performing on stage and Books was in the pit. He filmed himself reaching to the stage to hand her an item from his collection, customized with her name, sparking another momentous post. Last March, at his sold-out Montreal show, Nigerian singer Burna Boy donned a complete all-denim Atelier Détails outfit, composed of the brand's short sleeve jacket and reversible double-pocket jeans.  

“Seeing him in my outfit,” Books said, “I knew I’d gained respect locally.”

Locals were proud to see international figures wear their city’s brands with its signature dark and heavy denim.

“Just seeing it on everyone, especially the locals, it makes you feel like once you buy a piece, you're part of the family,” content creator Tracy Valentine Mulumba said.

Mulumba is a content creator, model, and PR professional deeply immersed in the fashion industry. She first encountered Atelier Détails through social media and friends’ recommendations. 

“I think what makes his pairs of jeans unique is the details that he's used,” she said, standing in front of a mirror. Books measured the excess length on her recently purchased raw denim jeans as he was preparing to hem them.  

Though this was her first purchase from the brand, she had previously rented a pair of the brand’s signature jorts to style for New York Fashion Week. According to Mulumba, the versatility and timelessness of the pieces convinced her to invest in her own pair of jeans.

For Books, these details often lie where others overlook them. Inside the right leg, he printed “La Haine” in capital letters in Formula Condensed Black Font, inspired by Mathieu Kassovitz’s 1995 film of the same name. 

“As soon as I watched this, I knew it would change my life,” Books said.

Books’s first denim design, a simple jacket with a New York Yankees logo. Courtesy Atelier Détails

The film inspired his artistic philosophy with its stark black-and-white visuals and diverse, contrasting characters. With a deep admiration for the deliberate attention to detail in the movie, he carried that intent over to his craftsmanship. 

“There are hidden messages in the movie,” Books added, “and that’s the intention I bring to my work.”

The choice of "L’Amour" in the same font came to Books almost naturally, providing an obvious opposite to create balance in the garment. For him, the two words are almost interchangeable.

“Two different words that we often can use to describe the same person,” Books said. 

On the left leg, “L’Amour” is printed—a subtle nod to his philosophy of dichotomy and balance. It’s a sneaky yet thoughtful way for him to express the dualities he lives by. Books also ensures to dedicate as much care to the inside of the garment as to the outside.

“It's just a form of respect to the garment,” Books said. “The inside of a product needs to be as clean and pretty as the outside.”

This unique feature has led some customers to wear his designs inside out.

“When you put the jeans on, the inside is just for you,” Books said. “It’s like wearing a secret.” 

Books dropped his first collection in April 2023. True to its name, Atelier Détails features details like a symbolic red thread honouring Books’s Peruvian heritage in each hand-crafted pair. With 14.5 to 15 oz denim, the article is made more durable than the typical 12 to 13 oz options on the market. 

Atelier Détails sources raw denim. This means it isn’t pre-washed, faded or treated, unlike jeans found in most stores.

"I love heavy materials,” Books said. “That’s something I pay attention to.”

The brand’s denim comes from a supplier in Los Angeles that makes their own denim and supplies internationally. For Books, this heavy, raw denim carries a considerable appeal.

“At the beginning, it’s like a leather jacket; it’s very stiff,” he said. “With time, the jeans are going to crease naturally. The colour is going to fade away naturally. So that’s what’s so special about the raw denim experience.”

Before founding Atelier Détails, Books interned with Prosper Rey, who founded Spare Jeans. Books credits Rey with introducing him to the intricacies of denim design and vintage machines.

“I paid Prosper to make five pairs of jeans based on my designs,” he said, recounting how their time together initiated him to denim and set the foundation of his brand.

Books relies on vintage machines to sew his jeans, following selvage sewing patterns and ornamenting them with details, like specific care instructions and handcrafted brand patches. Japanese selvage denim is named after the word “self-edge,” as the fabric is kept from unravelling by weaving the edge into itself on vintage shuttle looms. This stronger textile resulted from a specific and very tight weaving technique based on centuries-old Japanese traditions, resulting in quality and robust denim.

“The materials that he's used and the cut [are] very specific; I particularly haven't seen another brand do that,” Mulumba said. “He really immerses you into who he is as a brand, what Atelier Détails is.”

Short Sleeve Jacket and reversible Double Pocket Jeans showcased at Sundown X Atelier Détails. Photo Loudwing

Monthly sales exceed $20,000, yet Books’s profits go back into the brand to pay his assistant for the best denim and finest vintage sewing machines. He owns a well-researched collection of vintage sewing machines in his studio that he buys intentionally, seeking out specific models to meet his production needs. His oldest machine dates back to 1946.

“I track my followers closely. If growth slows, I make adjustments,” Books said.

Books spends up to 100 hours weekly managing clients, designing and updating social media. He has 15,000 followers on Instagram and 48,000 on TikTok. 

“It’s crazy. I mean, he sleeps in the studio. It’s inspirational,” Books’s intern Jesstina McIntyre said. “It's motivating to see somebody that is dedicated and makes you want to go harder.”

Books envisions a future for Atelier Détails with a combined store-studio where customers can experience the raw denim process and explore fabrics. While he aims for international expansion, he values the unique opportunity Montreal offers to establish his brand. 

“In New York, I’d have competition everywhere," Books said. "Here, I can make my mark."