Denim Tears introduces its new collection, The Scorpion & The Frog, which will launch globally on Friday, January 31. As a prelude to the official release, the collection will be showcased during a preview pop-up this weekend, January 25–26, at Dover Street Market Paris to coincide with Men’s Fashion Week. Additional pop-ups will follow in Tokyo from February 1–2 and Seoul from February 8–9, offering a closer look at this thought-provoking release.
This collection delves into social resistance by drawing comparisons between the African American Civil Rights movement in the United States and the struggles during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Through its designs, The Scorpion & The Frog examines shared narratives of activism, highlighting the perseverance and solidarity present in both historical movements.
Tremaine Emory, founder of Denim Tears, took inspiration from The Black and the Green, a 1983 documentary by St. Clair Bourne. The film, which was featured at MoMA in December 2023, explores the ideological and strategic links between the Civil Rights Movement and Northern Ireland’s quest for independence between the late 1960s and 1998. Emory translates this cinematic exploration into a collection that fuses fashion with historical dialogue, presenting a platform for reflection and conversation.
The title, The Scorpion & The Frog, stems from the fable of the same name, which speaks to the inevitability of self-destructive actions. This narrative also appears in the film The Crying Game, where it serves as a symbolic backdrop for themes of trust and human nature. Emory integrates this allegory into the collection, using it as a foundation to examine societal complexities and the challenges of fostering unity.
A standout piece from the collection is the Delicate Unit Bomber Jacket, a collaborative effort with Japanese design studio DELICATE UNIT. Vintage MA-1 bomber jackets, sourced from the late 1980s and 1990s, are repurposed using Guinness towels and embroidery inspired by Nigeria, a nod to the history of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. Each jacket undergoes a process of deconstruction and reconstruction, creating a design that speaks to the interplay between historical references and modern techniques.
The Scorpion & The Frog will be available starting January 31 at 11 AM EST on the Denim Tears website and at the Africa Diaspora Goods store. Through this collection, Denim Tears offers a poignant reflection on interconnected struggles, inviting its audience to engage with history and activism in a creative and impactful way.
