Alumni

Fashion Design Grad's New Cold Weather Denim Label is Featured in Star Tribune

Born on the island of Kauai, Salvia Lani moved to San Francisco to study Fashion Design at FIDM at the age of 16. After graduation, a relationship brought her to Minnesota, where temperatures can fall below zero degrees. Salvia experienced three years of freezing winters in the “Bold North” before the Fashion Designer founded Arctic Denim, the waterproof, windproof, and breathable “ultimate cold weather pant” designed for fashion and warmth, recently featured in the Star Tribune. 

“I moved here for love, but I got tired of freezing my butt off,” Salvia told the Star Tribune. After experiencing a subzero cold spell last winter, she began the process of creating a cold-weather jean that would be warm even when the windchill makes it feel like 60 degrees below. The men’s and women’s jeans embrace the cold North with ice-blue colored thread (as opposed to traditional red) and snowflake icons. The back pocket tab says “Made in MN.”

Arctic Denim jeans feature a three-layer bonded material: denim, a breathable membrane layer in the middle, and a lining that wicks away moisture. The line offers three colors and boot cut and slim fit sizes that range from XS to 2X. She told the Star Tribune that these jeans are the first of their kind. “Typically, flannel jeans are more bulky,” she said. “These have a sleeker look. If you get flannel-lined jeans wet, you’re out of luck.” 

The Minnesota-based brand is also dedicated to ethical and sustainable manufacturing practices. All of Arctic Denim’s jeans are manufactured in the U.S. by sewers who are paid living wages and work in safe, clean, and bright working conditions. In addition, all of the company’s packaging, including hangtag strings, shipping labels, and packing tape, are 100 percent biodegradable and recyclable. 

Visit ArcticDenim.com or @arcticdenim.mn on Instagram to learn more.

Categories:  Fashion Design Alumni