You recently saw Maxime Cossoguy’s Fall 2011 line here on the site, and now here’s your chance to meet the designer!
1. How did you first fall in love with denim?
Well, I was always in love with denim to a certain degree, but I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be designing it. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology for designing, and there I was always one of those students known for couture. So while in school I learned everything and tried to master all. I learned all the couture sewing techniques, all tailoring techniques, pattern making you name I learned it. I was also inspired by huge couture houses at that time jeans were not so big and was not such a huge part of people’s life.
About seven years ago while head designing for a huge denim house on a trip to London, it happened. I was in Soho on Carnaby street in London hanging out Looking at the people and the styles and it hit me that I should start designing my own unique’s special denim line. At that exact moment I started designing it in my head. By the time I got back to New York I had a whole Maxime Cossoguy (Drowning in My Sleep) collection ready. The line was just for musicians, actors/ artists. The majority of the line and jeans were made and sewn by me at home including coming up with all of the washes. The level of intricacy was high. The line made lots of waves with some cats in the music biz and arts. I’ve never looked back since.
2. Tell us a little bit about how your brand came into existence.
My line started truly since I was at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The line at that time was just supposed to have been Couture very expensive dresses, high end expensive tailored suits and pants, really a complete collection, but nothing to do with denim. but the hype created by my couture one of kind special denim line. everyone was asking me how could they own a pair of Maxime Cossoguy jeans. At the height of the denim craze I decided to start a ready to wear Line of denim called Maxime Cossoguy (Drowning in My Sleep).
The name came about just because I cannot sleep at all at night. I only need 2 or 3 hours of sleep a day. I am always thinking and designing. If not designing playing my piano. Maxime Cossoguy (Drowning in My Sleep) came in to being merely by popular demand which was very tough for me to admit and make this business decision simply because I have only pictured myself designing jeans that can only be made by my own hands and be only one of a kind.
The ready to wear denim line holds no punches when it comes to the details and workmanship. It has all the couture and tailoring respect that my one of a kind denim has. I look and design every single piece in the line. I travel the world working in denim in countries such as. Italy, France, Spain, The Netherlands, UK, Germany, Cyprus, China, Japan and Israel to stay current and relevant. I stay over seas in the factories working with all the washes, choosing and research all the fabrics and coming up with every fits.
3. Why should denim lovers choose Maxime Cossoguy over other brands out there in the market?
Maxime Cossoguy (Drowning in My Sleep) offers a complete love and respect for the art of fashion that most brands ignore nowadays. It is not about the number of pieces that we produce or the amount of money that we make every season or every year. It is a way of life for me and my customers who really understand and respect great details, great fits and craftsmanship. Yes we have the great fits and coolest and latest trends but it just more than that. We offer a mixture of Love and rock and roll with a twist of old time craftsmanship in a tall glass of tailoring techniques. Drink it up fast before it’s gone.
4. What’s your favorite pair in the line?
It is always hard for any artist to choose his favorite work because they were all created with the same love and hard work. But if I had to choose:
Men’s Line: I think the drop-crotch is getting lot of attention from the buyers and from all my previous customers just because of what it offers. it is offers confortability while being sexy and not too over the top. It fits loose on top with a longer zipper while following the skinny jeans trends at the bottom. it makes men feel relax and still be trendy with drawing too much attention on one self.
Women’s Line: My Red mid-high waisted jeans is very very sexy. It is extremely flattering to a woman’s body while expressing sexuality with such taste and grace. it is skinny at the bottom elongating a woman’s legs until the next century.
5. What kinds of men and women do you see wearing Maxime Cossoguy (Drowning in My Sleep)?
The line was originally created for a very specific group of customers but has since expended to new frontiers. The people who are wearing the line and the people I envisioned wearing the line luckily are the same. I have a great following of musicians, painters, illustrators, actors, in general people who really set trends as appose to following them. People who admire great understated work from someone who is just doing it out love and respect for the craft.
6. A big part of the denim-buying decision for most women is the back pocket. How did you decide on the placement and design?
In all my years of being in the denim business; I have learned that the back pocket is the one of the most important parts of the jeans. not only because of branding but also how the customers feel about the brand. The Maxime Cossoguy (Drowning in My Sleep) back pocket is very understated and classy, with a tiny trade mark music embroidery logo at the right corner. It is really catchy and significant to the brand.
My ladies back pocket is placed at the right location to give a lift to a woman’s butt. It makes it look very sexy, It is the perfect size. My Men’s back pocket is powerful and a medium size. It is placed not so far up. because men while wanting to be sexy they prefer to express it in a much quiter way. It is a perfect pocket for men.
7. Anything in particular you want to share with DenimDebutante.com readers? Let us know!
Maxime Cossoguy (Drowning in My Sleep) is a clothing line created and fully own by a mad fashion scientist. Where the horizon blurs between music and art. where it is never safe to follow but welcome all to lead in this orchestra of needles, threads and fabrics stitch together to form a unique quilt of unusual beauty.
Thanks so much for the interview, Maxime! To see more from the line, head to MaximeCossoguy.com!
No.607 in a limited series – James, an ordinary guy. Or let’s say, an ordinary guy with a new wardrobe, and a bag full of surprises.
James doesn’t like to do what is obvious, he does things at his own pace and in his own way. He doesn’t like Swarovski chandeliers or expensive fish restaurants (though he does enjoy fishing every now and then) nor the idea of getting on his knees to ask that question. He made a different plan, quite cliché yet much more romantic…
The jacket’s where he spent most of his ‘wardrobe budget’ on… It cost him 795 Euro. Yet the high quality cotton, the slim cut and the color would make a good impression on his girlfriend for sure. He got it from Dolce&Gabbana where he saw the poplin shirt that his girlfriend had bought for him on his birthday. He wanted to buy it in another color yet he decided to depends that 245 Euro on something else. In his left pocket, he tucked in that small love letter… It was a ‘vintage’ love letter, the one he had written for her almost five years ago yet he had never sent it. Now it was time. 
He wore his favorite pair of jeans. When his mother had found out that he had paid 282 Euro, she had asked the inevitable: ‘Was it already discounted because of all the holes and rips it has?’ He had quite a hard time explaining his mother the holes and ripped parts were the main reasons why they cost a bit more than usual.
All the new fit about Dolce&Gabbana trouser SS Collection.
Watch the video of the spring summer 2011 Dolce&Gabbana show 
