Jason Denham’s off-track denim clothing designs showcased at the Games

Fashion designer and Manchester Met alumnus Jason Denham has designed clothing for the Dutch Olympic and Paralympic teams competing at the Games in Paris this summer.

Denham graduated from Fashion Design and Technology in 1994 and has since risen to prominence in the fashion industry as the founder of Denham, an Amsterdam based premium denim brand established in 2008 which is sold in more than 20 countries around the world.  

Denham, who has been living in the Netherlands since 1996, was selected by the Dutch Olympic Committee to design the off-track uniforms for around 500 Olympians and more than 250 Paralympians for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Speaking about being selected to dress the athletes, Denham said: “It’s great to be a part of that whole thing and it has really become a thing, especially with France and Paris being a fashion capital. It’s going to be the biggest sport fashion catwalk in history.

“My number one goal is that we must make the athletes feel amazing as it’s not about the Denham brand. It’s all about the athletes who have trained for four years for this event. It’s our job to make them feel epic.”

When creating the designs, which celebrate each athlete’s journey to the world’s biggest sporting arena, Denham went back to his Manchester roots. He added: “Maybe this is a Manchester learning, but when I design, I love to design the whole package and everything that goes with it with the team.

“So, the first thing I said to the Dutch Olympic Committee was: ‘look, we’re a jeans brand and I really want denim to be a part of this’. And they said: ‘Yes please, we love that!’”

Born in Gateshead, Denham admits to always having a creative and entrepreneurial spirit which led him to studying at Manchester Met to learn his trade.

He said: “I loved the split personality of the course because I loved the creativity of Cavendish. I’m very hands on. I love to draw and design and make stuff. We were next to the art courses and you soaked all of that up, which was amazing.”

Denham’s first major job after graduating was working for Pepe Jeans where he gained experience of being sent on international assignments. This was followed by a move to Amsterdam in 1996 where he ran several businesses, including a design agency and a jeans company, before deciding to strike out of his own.

The Denham brand has since gone on to achieve global success, with a strong presence in the Netherlands, Japan and China.

Thirty years since graduating, Denham still enjoys getting behind a sewing machine and teaching new designers what he learned on his course. Offering his advice for students who are considering starting their own brands, he said: “When you step into the fashion industry, you have to know what you’re going into.

“I guess it’s like anything in the world, if you don’t absolutely love it, and if you don’t put your heart and soul and everything into it, it’s not going to work.

“One of the things I would also try and encourage with fresh graduates is a little bit of patience. I graduated when I was 23 years old, and I started my first brand when I was 32. I think they should really have a good perspective on mapping out their career, be energetic, be ambitious, go for it, but also be a little bit patient as well.”