Beginner's Guide to Denim Tears

Denim Tears is the brainchild of former industry consultant and multihyphenate creative Tremaine Emory. Founded in 2019, the clothing label and art platform explores the relationship between fashion and the African diaspora. It has garnered renown for its politically conscious storytelling that highlights the oppressed. 

Emory uses cotton, which denim is made from, as a principal material in his work, seeking to highlight the wider social context of the cotton industry and its historical associations with slavery. This design approach is perhaps best embodied by the Cotton Wreath motif, partially inspired by the work of artist Kara Walker, which has appeared in most of the brand’s releases.

Emory says the name Denim Tears refers to the experiences of his grandmother, who wore a denim apron when working, and the collective struggle of African Americans as a whole.

Evolution of Denim Tears

Before Denim Tears, Emory cut his fashion teeth with advisory stints at Marc Jacobs,  Stüssy, Off-White and Yeezy. He was also involved in projects with the likes of Tom Sachs and Frank Ocean. In 2015, Emory formed No Vacancy Inn with Ade “Acyde” Odunlami and Brock Korsan, a collective known for its parties and DJ sets, which later expanded into clothing.

While running Denim Tears, Emory was appointed creative director of Supreme in 2022. He vacated the position in 2023. 

Denim Tears Collaborations

Emory has said in interviews that he will only work with brands that he believes can support his activism. Below, a list of collaboration highlights.

Levi’s

The first season of Levi’s x Denim Tears featured the symbolic Cotton Wreath motif, trucker jackets and wide-brimmed plantation hats, the latter piece “replicated and recontextualized after those worn in the fields during the assiduous cotton-picking process,” according to the brand. This collection was followed by a Season 2, which highlighted the history of the Gullah Geechee people, who were forced to dye fabrics during their enslavement to meet the demand for indigo workwear. Season 3 looked to Black biker culture and Martin Dixon’s 2000 book Brooklyn Kings: New York City's Black Bikers.

Converse

Emory chose the Chuck 70 Hi and Low as the canvases for his Converse project, which showcased a powerful print influenced by Jamaican political activist and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey’s pan-African flag, and by artist David Hammons’ 1990 work African-American Flag. Because of the release’s timing and demands Emory made from Converse, the collaboration ended up becoming associated with the protests for racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.

Dior

In late 2022, Dior Homme designer Kim Jones invited Emory to guest-design a capsule collection, titled Dior Tears. Presented at Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum, the tie-up looked to Black Ivy League students of the 1950s and ’60s as an aesthetic reference point, and also paid tribute to Black visionaries such as writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin and jazz icon Miles Davis. Key items included remixes of the Saddle Bag, the Dior Lingot and B33 sneakers.

ASICS

Denim Tears’ first collaboration with ASICS came about through an introduction from Emory’s mentor and Awake NY founder Angelo Baque. Reworking two iterations of the ASICS Gel MC Plus in ‘Georgia Red Clay’ and ‘Cream,’ the shoes are burnished with “dirty” markings in a nod to the unpaved, red clay roads Emory used to play on during his childhood in Harlem, Georgia.

Dr. Martens

For his 2023 collaboration with British footwear stalwart Dr. Martens, Emory took on the eight-eye 1460 boot and Penton loafer shoe, emblazoning both silhouettes with a subversive Union Jack in the colors of the Jamaican flag by artist Chris Ofili. This project was a nod to the Windrush generation, who emigrated from the Caribbean to postwar Britain to help rebuild the country between 1948 and 1973, only to face discrimination and prejudice on arrival—and in some cases, even wrongful deportation decades later.

Denim Tears Recent Projects

Denim Tears has expanded its operation in recent years, adding new collaborations and opening its first brick-and-mortar location in New York City in 2023. The label continues to look toward the Black American experience for inspiration. 

In late 2023, Emory teamed up with Migos rapper Offset for Offset Tears, which put a fiery spin on the brand’s signature Cotton Wreath motif. This project was followed by the Winter Recess collection, inspired by a pair of vintage Tom Ford Gucci jeans from the ’90s. Additional highlights include the brand’s Tyson Beckford and Union Black lines.

How to Style Denim Tears 

Denim Tears encompasses a number of styles that have become synonymous with streetwear aesthetics while retaining an elevated feel. Luxury denimwear is at the heart of the label and can be worn in a myriad of ways, while loungewear items are suitable for all seasons.

Brands Similar to Denim Tears

Denim Tears’ graphic-laden pieces are similar to Supreme’s, while its distressed elements can be compared to those of brands like Ksubi.

Denim Tears FAQ