Alice Tonello

Ian Berry in the Rivet 50

Ian Berry joins Hailey Bieber and Bella & Gigi Hadid being named as a Top 50 influential figures in denim for 2019. 

The Rivet 50 was announced by a leading denim industry magazine, Rivet, and named the London based British artist on its list alongside fellow Brits of the calibre of Stella McCartney representing the movers and shakers of the denim industry. 

Tivet 50 Ian Berry denim

RIVET 50 serves as an index of the most creative and forward-thinking leaders driving change in the global denim marketplace. And this year, those individuals were nominated and chosen by the denim industry. Thousands of online votes determined who made the list. From mill to runway, designers to celebrities and of course, the artist that made his name using denim, Ian Berry.

Of course it is not the first accolade for Ian Berry, in 2013 he was named in the Top 30 Artist under 30 in the World by art Business Magazine and his success just grows. This summer he had another sell out show in London and has shown all across the USA, Brazil, as well as many European galleries. 2020 will see the start of a museum tour across Europe.  

Ian said ‘It was a total surprise to be nominated to start with as I don’t see myself ‘in’ denim and really I keep a distance from the industry. Denim, It’s just my medium. It was great thought getting many messages from people in the denim industry offering their support and saying they are voting for me - reminding me of how many amazing people I have met over the years I have been working with jeans.’

 

Extract of the Rivet 50 article.

Extract of the Rivet 50 article.

The shortlist of 100 was announced earlier in the year and split into sections. Executives, with the winners including Levi’s CEO and President Chip Bergh, Designerslike Brit Martine Rose and Mary Pierson of Madewell, Retailerswhich included iconic London store Son of a Stag owner Rudy Budhdeo and Rivet and Hide’s Danny Hodgson (6 of the 50 were British) Supply Chainwhere Alice Tonello of Tonello which is at the forefront of pushing sustainability in the industry and has worked with Ian to help make some of his famous installations, notably the Secret Garden. Ian’s group was the influencersection that included Justin Bieber’s new wife Hailey who is the face of the Levi 501 and the supermodels the Hadid sisters.

 

‘The flip side of knowing many in the industry meant I was up against many of my friends. All who merited their place on the list. More so than me. Some got in, some didn’t. But I’m happy to see my friend Mohsin Sajid on the list as he puts so much effort in to educating the next generation and his knowledge in denim is amazing.’

Ian has done projects with schools and many schools and colleges do projects on him around the world and believes in giving back and education. In December the former Greenhead College student with return to the college and give the awards and the annual awards evening at the Johns Smiths Stadium. 

Ian concluded.

 

‘I’m happy to be alongside many on the list who I consider friends in addition to those mentioned like Tricia Carey, Alberto Candiani, Fox and Jeff Garza of Foxhole, Maurizio Donali, Panos Sofianos, Henry Wong and Andrea Venier amongst others.’

 

Rivet 50 denim Ian Berry jeans

 What is Rivet 50?

Rivet’s Influential 50 is an index of the most creative and forward-thinking leaders driving the global Jeanswear industry. The Influential 50 represent the upward direction the denim community strives for with each new collection, innovation and technology.

Ian Berry X Tonello 2018

2018 has been a busy year for Ian Berry and Tonello. And by working together it has shown that Tonello is a lot more than ‘just making machines’.

Always focusing on the customers needs, both post and after sales with ideas and practical solutions, Ian has been impressed with the what he has seen at Tonello each time he has been there with clients from around the world flying in to see what they can learn. Tonello has the ‘Creative Area’ where they can really demonstate what their machines can do, and for Ian it is much more than the Laser Blade as its that combined with the washing that has really brought his work to life.

Working closely with Alice Tonello and her skilled staff, from the R&D and marketing teams Ian has forged a strong bond with this family run Italian company and has enjoyed several trips to the northern Italian HQ this past couple of years. It has been great for him to use the tools that the industry are now using and with the company that has sustainability at its forefront.

‘Without Tonello, a lot of the installations this year would never have been able to be realised’ Ian Berry

‘Without Tonello, a lot of the installations this year would never have been able to be realised’ Ian Berry

Ian is often spoken of a sustainable, upcycling and eco artist and Tonello has technologies that respect the environment, that consume less energy, few additives, and indeed little of everything. Everything they do has the environment in mind. And its not only the environment outside, but that of the workers using the machines and also the end user, the people buying a pair of jeans.

Today, putting on a pair of jeans treated using Tonello technology means respecting oneself and one’s own health.

Ian Berry at Tonello

Ian Berry at Tonello


And it is thanks to their peoples commitment that they are known around the world as the top partner of great fashion brands, as the link between designers and companies involved in washing, dyeing and garment finishing and that has been seen on many of the trips to Italy Ian has been on where he has met many of the big names in denim, under the Tonello roof in Sarcedo, in the Province of Vicenza.

The word ‘sustainability’ for us is an ethical imperative that allows for no compromise. If it did not, we would just be machine manufacturers.

Ian Berry’s Installation in Kentucky that was made with some use of the Tonello Lazer Blade and Creative Room in Italy

Ian Berry’s Installation in Kentucky that was made with some use of the Tonello Lazer Blade and Creative Room in Italy

Tonello has evolved over the years since 1981 having sold 7000 machines, becoming a modern, technologically advanced company that has offered the market reliable, truly ground-breaking products in garment finishing machines are known over the world for the quality of their all-Italian manufacture and top-level performance.

All this knowledge and expertise they were able to share with Ian but also to challenge the staff and their machines to push boundaries to make not garments, and not just art, but large installations. Already their collaborative efforts have been shown in New York, the South of France, Kentucky, Miami and now in London at the Soho Records installation and soon to see in San Fran, the largest install yet that will combine the flowers and this historic denim city in a public piece of art in a soon to be revealed central San Francisco location.

From lasered plants and vines, both cut and ‘etched’ to bricks and tees, to signs and washed textures, and this is only the beginning.

While most of the albums were totally hand made, some of the ones for the background were lasered in Italy with Tonello using the Laser Blade then using special washing techniques.

While most of the albums were totally hand made, some of the ones for the background were lasered in Italy with Tonello using the Laser Blade then using special washing techniques.

In Tarn, in the South of France - An installation breaks through an old factory like nature reclaiming the space.

In Tarn, in the South of France - An installation breaks through an old factory like nature reclaiming the space.

It’s a year since the installation ‘Secret Garden’ went up in New York at the Children’s Museum of New York, which was the first time Ian Berry and Tonello had worked together on an installation - what a year it has been since.

Today Tonello is the international benchmark for the garment-processing industry and by working with an artist that shows around the world in galleries, museums, and art fairs together they are creating something really special. Ian looks forward to see tonello carry on progressing on making sustainable ways for the denim and garment industry and to further combine to make groundbreaking art installations that can inspire many people around the world.