The Founder Of Paige Denim On How To Buy The Right Jeans

Paige Adams-Geller.

How did you first get into the fashion industry?

I moved to New York when I was 16 to become a model. But I ended up leaving the industry as it wasn’t a healthy place for me to be at the time.

I went to university and studied Broadcast Journalism and Communications. I thought I’d be an Entertainment Tonight broadcaster (laughs). I soon realized it just wasn’t for me though. I had to go for treatment for an eating disorder too, and after I got through all that, I started working as a fit model – you have to be a really healthy, genuine size to do that and that’s where I found my passion.

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So you really persevered through adversity to get to where you are now?
I did, I did. It’s an interesting thing when you’re struggling with adversity and you don’t know why you’re going through what you’re going through – it helps to have a positive attitude, and to just keep asking yourself, 'where is this leading? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel here?' For me, it was a matter of trying out the things I loved doing and that’s how I found my passion.

Plus, it's fun to think about denim from a female fashion perspective. There were so many men in the industry when I was starting out - they called them the Denim Mafia!

What are the top denim trends of the season, and which one is your favourite?
Anything with double zip detail is my personal favourite! I love the black silk-coated Paige Edgemonts (worn by celebrities including Olivia Palermo). These come in white for the summer season and also a version that has a long zipper up the ankle.

Another one of my favourite trends is the subtle print, which is a theme in my Wild Hearts collection. It's all about taking a trip through the dark side of nature, and falling down into the rabbithole of insanity - and then coming back up and realising that you want to be centred and you want to be yourself.

I also love the leather in front and fabric at the back trend. This is what our Emily Pant is. And then we have another pair called the Needlepoint, which have a swirly black and white needlepoint print on the front and a simple black back.

So the overarching themes are zipper detail, coated denim and subtle prints.

You’ve got quite a celebrity following now - who have you been most excited to see wearing your designs?
My favourite has been Kate Moss - I get chills when I think of it! I literally flipped. I was in London at Matches, talking to a friend and my husband was trying to get my attention – he was like, “Paige, Paige! Look over there, it’s Kate Moss and she’s wearing your lace print jeans!” I don’t get speechless that often, but I was just amazed. I walked over to her and just said, “I’m Paige from Paige denim,” and she couldn’t have been sweeter. It was amazing.

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From a music standpoint, Gwen Stefani has always been an icon, and this year she’s just been on fire wearing Paige! I just want to go up to her and hug her and squeeze her for it. She’s exquisite and so sweet. She sends us tickets to her concerts with handwritten notes saying 'thank you, I love your stuff, I live in it'. It’s amazing to think she’s actually taken the time to do that.

Gwen Stefani wears the Paige Verdugo Printed Skinny Jeans. Photo: Getty Images.

Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel are also really sweet girls who love the brand too. And Katy Perry wore some of our jeans recently in her new video clip!

A lot of celebrities are wearing double denim at the moment – what’s your take on this trend?
Like double dipping? (laughs). I actually really like it, but I think you need to be careful with it. It’s fine if you’re not wearing the same wash from top to toe, it can look amazing. Having said that, if you do grey denim on top and bottom, it can almost look like a cute little romper. Those are really trending right now.

But it depends, I think if you wear a dorky denim jacket that’s in a medium blue shade with blue jeans, that’s not quite as chic as wearing a really great denim button down top with a pair of skinny jeans.

It's funny, I had a professor at USC who asked me to come back and speak to his class about fashion and marketing recently, and he literally told me two years ago, “Paige, I gotta tell you, denim on denim is going to make a comeback, like Johnny Depp in Blow,” and I was like, “no, don’t tell me that!”

What are the top three staple jeans every girl should have in her closet?
1. A dark skinny that goes with anything in your wardrobe.
2. A fresh pair of white jeans.
3. Something black and dressy – I’d recommend anything silk-coated or shimmer-coated.

What's the biggest mistake people can make when jeans shopping?
Not being adventurous enough when trying on jeans. You can get stuck if you think you only suit one style of jean; it will unnecessarily narrow your shopping experience. I always recommend bringing a full outfit into the dressing room and trying it on – don’t just put on jeans with bare feet and a tshirt, because once you put a whole outfit together, you can wear things that you never expected. Take a risk!

Finish these sentences...

The item of clothing I’m addicted to right now is... I have a Paige leather jacket that is navy blue with an irregular suede feel to it. I just love it! If I wasn’t wearing Paige though, it’d be my Haider Ackermann motorcycle blazer. It’s ridiculously beautiful!

The number 1 album on my playlist on the moment is... Kings of Leon! I love them.

If I could describe my style in one word, it would be... Effortless.

If I wasn’t a designer I would be... I’d run a cosmetic empire. Can you imagine? All those products!

My life motto is... To always be authentic to yourself.

Cara Delevingne wears the Paige Denim Hoxton Zip Ultra Skinny jeans. Photo: Getty Images.

Olivia Palermo wears the Paige Denim Edgemont Jeans. Photo: Getty Images.