Just as Italy is known for suits, Los Angeles is known for jeans. That’s why Frame founders Jens Grede and Erik Torstensson set up shop in LA when they founded their denim brand in 2012, despite their Swedish roots. Though they stepped onto the scene as primarily a purveyor of jeans, they have quickly become one of the world’s most coveted fashion houses.
Inspired by the French approach to styling, Frame embodies the idea of “dressed up casual.” Classic pieces that are expertly crafted for a fit and style that fashion mavens and celebrities across the globe have latched onto. What made them such a coveted brand? Read on to find out.
The Dream Team
Grede and Torstensson have deep roots in fashion as well as incredibly impressive resumes. Though they are the same age (42) and grew up only a couple hours apart in Sweden, they didn’t meet until 2000 when they were both hired at a London creative agency, Wink. They started as rivals--both eager to be on top--but within three weeks the duo was living as roommates and working in tandem on major branding projects, like Swiss Air and Stella McCartney.
They set off on their own just a few years later and have been working together ever since. They have influenced some of the biggest fashion brands in the world, from establishing Mr. Porter to consulting for Vogue, Gucci, and GQ. They also founded Industrie and Man About Town, two incredibly successful independent style magazines.
Both men are married to style moguls, too. Grede is married to Emma Grede, co-founder of Good American with Khloé Kardashian. Torstensson is married to Dame Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-A-Porter and co-chair of FarFetch.
After years of brand-building for other fashion behemoths, the pair decided to launch Frame, almost as a challenge to themselves (and maybe even against their better judgment). The market was saturated with denim brands and even their friends cautioned against it. But they had a goal, they persisted, and they succeeded.
Perfecting the Product and the Process
Rather than launching a brand with a huge product selection, Torstensson and Grede set out to perfect a single product-- blue skinny jeans--which were rapidly adopted by fashion trendsetters like Kanye West and Gigi Hadid. Product by perfect product, they built the brand to be the multi-million dollar, cult-status business it is today.
Although they now produce four complete seasonal collections of men’s and women’s clothing each year, denim is always at their core. The construction is impeccable, the fit is always on point, and sustainability is at the centre of every decision they make.
Frame is committed to upholding an ethical supply chain and they maintain an ongoing commitment to ensuring that each step of production protects the rights of their workers and their suppliers’ workers.
They hit the mark on every level, and they continue to produce some of the best fitting jeans around.
