Mark your calendars Voyeurs, there’s a brand new denim lifestyle brand arriving at selected John Lewis stores this week.  AND/OR is the retail giant’s first in-house denim brand for the modern woman, with a choice of core fits that are designed, cut, washed, sewn and finished in L.A. they’re aiming to bring upscale, high-end denim production to the British high street.

With true denim credentials, AND/OR has been created in collaboration with West Coast based denim experts Calvin Rucker.  With decades of denim experience, Calvin Rucker duo Joie Rucker (founder of contemporary brand Joie) and Caroline Calvin (previously Senior Vice President of Levi’s) – have brought a fresh mix and an L.A. vibe to the collection, elevating the quality and adding their own fashion focused edge.

“The idea for the brand came from our love of denim, it’s the foundation of all our wardrobes. I especially love how every woman adds their own individual stamp to their look through how they style their jeans.  Having built a portfolio of powerhouse own-brand labels with Iain [Ewing, Head of Design] for the past few years, we wanted to create an authentic denim range in L.A. that combined the high- end fit and finish at an accessible price point. That you could then style in your own individual way with a perfect collection of wardrobe pieces across RTW and accessories.”  Jo Bennett, Head of Womenswear Buying, John Lewis

The 90 piece collection will launch on March 22nd in 15 John Lewis stores throughout the UK (yes, Newcastle is one of them), authentic L.A. crafted denim sits at the heart of the brand and is complimented by a range of versatile womenswear, shoes, accessories and lingerie.  Designed with no particular age range in mind, AND/OR aims to provide something for everyone, with classic denim shapes and simple shirts, through to trend led cuts and festival inspired pieces.  The label channels ease and effortlessness throughout, comprising pieces that seamlessly slot into any wardrobe.

Everything across the range is accessibly priced, if Levi’s is your ball park you’ll find that AND/OR are competitively priced and matched in quality.  Denim styles are named after the places in L.A. that inspired the collection and they retail at £85 – £120 catering for sizes 26 – 34.  Subsidiary pieces compliment the denim range and reflect the relaxed L.A. style, cotton tees start at £22 and the most expensive piece in the collection is a buttery soft leather jacket priced at £250.  Sizes for these additional pieces range from 8 – 16 meaning theres still room for improvement in the sizing of AND/OR.

“With denim at the heart of AND/OR, it seemed natural to turn to the birthplace of denim on the West Coast of America. Our friends Calvin Rucker bring their L.A. expertise, craftsmanship and authenticity to the denim.  This is the first time we have launched a brand across ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes and lingerie. Although the brand starts with denim, you can then add to this to create a fully versatile collection which serves a modern wardrobe. It’s the ease of throwing on a pair of jeans, picking up the kids from the school gate, then going to lunch with a friend or bar in the evening. Those jeans will still work for you—it’s just what you choose to wear with them.”  Iain Ewing, Head of Design Womenswear and Accessories, John Lewis

Each season, AND/OR will offer four core mid-rise fits, updated in new washes and finishes.  Three additional limited edition seasonal styles will be refreshed throughout the year to cater for micro trend lovers.