Yup — you read that right. Denim distressed by big cats is totally a thing now, and surprisingly, it’s not horribly unethical either. Normally when animals are exploited for the sake of fashion it’s not a pretty picture, but this? This is actually a pretty brilliant idea. Not only is it good for the cats (it helps clean their teeth), but it also helps bring in much-needed revenue for the zoo they reside in.
So how do you start making your own tiger-distressed denim? Easy. Just do what Japan’s Kamine Zoo did and follow these seven steps:
- Own one or more large predatory cats, or (preferably) an entire zoo.
- Purchase multiple sheets of raw, unwashed denim
- Sew said denim sheets onto giant cat toys (car tires, balls, etc)
- Allow cats to gnaw, slobber, and chew on denim toys for a few days
- Retrieve denim, sew into limited-edition jeans
- Auction jeans to the cat-loving masses on the Internet
- Profit.
The geniuses who hatched this idea at Kamine Zoo recently sold off the first pairs of these so-called “Zoo Jeans” at auction. The minimum bid? 500 bucks. All proceeds generated from the auction either went directly back to the zoo to help improve the animals’ living conditions, or to the WWF to help fund its preservation efforts.
Your move, G Star.
