Denim: For the Love of Fabric Lead Image
Denim: For the Love of Fabric
At this intimate salon gathering at Troutbeck, AVANT founder and heritage fashion authority Eric Maggiori invites us into a conversation with denim aficionado Spencer Barksdale about one of the most misunderstood fabrics in the history of clothing.
Denim has always been full of contrasts. Between the body and labor, between rebellion and belonging, between the hand that wore it and the land it was worn on. No other fabric has traveled so far, from the mines of California to the runways of Paris, and remained, somehow, itself.
To anchor the conversation, Eric will present ten remarkable pieces from his personal archive, spanning from the early 1900s to mid-century America: faded, mended, and alive with use. Each garment is a record of a body in motion. Together, they form a love letter to a fabric that has never stopped meaning something.
This is a salon in the oldest sense: a space for objects, ideas, and open questions. Come ready to look closely, and think deeply.
If you plan to come early for Sunday Brunch or linger afterwards for dinner, please make a dining reservation.
Founder & Creative Director, AVANT
Eric Maggiori is an author, journalist, and one of the foremost authorities on vintage and heritage fashion. With a profound passion for denim, Stifel fabric, and the stories behind timeless garments, he has dedicated his career to preserving and sharing the legacy of classic American dress, not as artifact, but as living culture.
As the founder and creative director of AVANT, Eric has built a platform that bridges history and modernity, inspiring a global audience of collectors, designers, and fashion enthusiasts who believe that what endures is worth understanding.
Beyond the page, Eric is a sought-after speaker at industry events and cultural gatherings, where he brings the same rigor and warmth to conversation that defines his writing, asking not just what things are, but what they mean, and why they matter.
His personal archive of workwear, spanning over a century of American labor dress, is both a research tool and a testament to his belief that the most important garments were never made to be looked at. They were made to be worn.
Spencer Barksdale has built a career out of his passion for denim. His focus has been its history and endurance as one of America’s most iconic fabrics; how it looks, feels, fades and evolves.
He spent over 15 years at Ralph Lauren, rising to Vice President of Denim Design for multiple divisions - men’s, women’s, and kids. Before that, he worked at Calvin Klein Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger and Levi’s. For all the brands, he created denim seasonal concepts, wash techniques, fabric development , and fit execution. He also created his own line, Hee Haw Melancholy, designing, producing, and selling T-shirts with a fashion twist to some of the most desirable stores in the US.
Now, his work moves between consulting, vintage sourcing, and costume design. Long before it was a trend, he was pushing upcycling, revival, and giving old pieces another life. He spends his time digging through thrift stores and warehouses, hunting for all sorts of clothing that inspire his interest.
Recent work includes HBO’s The Gilded Age, Season 3, and currently Season 4 as Assistant Costume Designer. He is responsible for searching fabrics that will assist and align with the Costume Designer’s vision in order to create beautiful clothes for many of the principal characters.
At the core, he’s drawn to what’s been worn, reworked, and reimagined.