1538
The oldest and most important ancestors of jeans are the “Teli della Passione”. A unique series of 14 linen cloths dyed with indigo blue, depicting the Stories of the Passion of Christ, illuminated with white lead. The first cycle dated between 1538 – 1540, is the work of Teramo Piaggio.
1577
A Richmond merchant’s inventory lists “whitt jeanes” (archaism for white Jeans), to define a Genoese-made white fustian.
1700
Some late eighteenth-century nativity figurines, of excellent workmanship, preserved at the Luxoro Civic Museum, reconstruct characters of the people and document how jeans were commonly used in Genoa to make work and party clothes.
1826
Alessio Pittaluga, a draftsman active in the early nineteenth century, drew a cycle of watercolors dedicated to Ligurian folk costumes. With this collection he provided a precious testimony on the use of blue jeans in the tradition of popular clothing between the 18th and 19th centuries.
1860
The leader and patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi, in the night between 5th – 6th May 1860 left Genoa Quarto for Marsala at the head of the Expedition of the Thousand, and wore jeans made with blue fustian. The jeans worn by Garibaldi during the enterprise is said to be the oldest jeans in the world.
1873
The Blue-Jeans legend conventionally coincides with Patent No. 139,121 granted to Davis and Levi Strauss by the U.S. Government. It was the license for copper riveting, designed as a reinforcement to strengthen the pockets of the pants that Levi Strauss made from Jeans fabric for gold miners in California.
1929
The Great Depression of 1929 caused textile prices to rise which ignited the Blue Jeans, jeans associated with the exploits of cowboys in the rediscovery of the Wild West.
1935
For the first time, Levi’s advertised a pair of cowboy blue jeans with a woman’s cut in Vogue magazine.
1938
Luigi Candiani launched his namesake brand in Milan, which produced textiles and after the Second World War, becomes specialist in denim. Now in its fourth generation, Candiani produces high quality denim putting innovation and sustainability at the forefront.
1943
American illustrator Norman Rockell portrayed model Mary Doyle Keefe as Rosie the Riveter. She was the symbol of the woman working in the factory to replace the men who went to the Front in World War II.
1967
Elio Fiorucci, a young Italian fashion designer who arrived in London in 1965, opened his first store in Galleria Passerella, designed by Amalia Del Ponte in the same style as London’s “Carnaby Street”.
1971
The Rolling Stones record the album Sticky Fingers. The cover designed by Andy Wharol showcased the lacing of a pair of blue jeans with a real zipper, transforming the album into a work of art.
1978
Renzo Rosso and Adriano Goldschmied founded Diesel in Molvena, in the province of Vicenza. In 1991, the company launched its first communication campaign with the theme: For Successful Living. It marked the beginning of its international success.
1980
Fabrizio De Andrè, Genoese songwriter indissolubly connected to the city of the caruggi and to Via del Campo, recorded the 45 rpm “Una storia sbagliata” dedicated to the murder of Pier Paolo Pasolini. The cover of the disk was framed as a jacket in Blue-Jeans.
2021
From 2 to 6 September 2021 first edition of GenovaJeans, the great annual event with a rich calendar of exhibitions, museums, conferences, meetings, entertainment and shows.