Apart from Arènes de Nîmes which is one of the most well-preserved Roman monuments in the world, I really liked Maison Carrée, another spotlight of the city. This Roman temple was built in the first century AD to celebrate the adopted grandchildren of the Emperor Augustus. The rectangular Maison Carrée has been stuck with the same name, meaning “Square house” since 16th century, as previously any rectangle with 4 right-angles was called “carré”, or “square”.
I learned about the very interesting history of denim at Musée du Vieux Nîmes, where I found an exhibition dedicated to the history of denim. The term “denim” comes from the French phrase, “serge de Nimes”, meaning a resistant and practical fabric called serge from Nimes, worn by many Nîmoises from the past.
A merchant, Levi Strauss, was looking to use cheap, hard-wearing brown canvas to develop clothes for miners, gold diggers, and railroad workers. When by chance, and possibly due to his usual textile being out of stock, he chose to restock in denim. The rest as they say is history.
I learned about the very interesting history of denim at Musée du Vieux Nîmes, where I found an exhibition dedicated to the history of denim. The term “denim” comes from the French phrase, “serge de Nimes”, meaning a resistant and practical fabric called serge from Nimes, worn by many Nîmoises from the past.
A merchant, Levi Strauss, was looking to use cheap, hard-wearing brown canvas to develop clothes for miners, gold diggers, and railroad workers. When by chance, and possibly due to his usual textile being out of stock, he chose to restock in denim. The rest as they say is history.
In Nîmes, I also found some independent boutiques making their own denim, such as Ateliers de Nîmes. Inspired by the city’s heritage in denim, Ateliers de Nimes handcrafts high-end artisanal jeans that preserves the tradition while giving them a modern touch. The fabric designs and cuts are carried out in Nîmes. The textile is bought in Italy and the production of the jeans is carried out in Paris or Marseille. I found out from the founder, Guillame Sagot that there is an ongoing crowdfunding project to raise money to allow Ateliers de Nîmes to acquire a mechanical loom in Nîmes. The jeans now come in two styles for men, and one for women.
Alixe is a lifestyle and travel photographer based in London. When traveling, she likes to wander around the streets and capture beautiful moments of where and how the locals live. Always on the look out for pretty facades, characterful shops and restaurants, Alixe’s take on architecture is dark, moody and atmospheric, capitalising on soft light and shadow play.