They are comfortable yet chic, look great on everyone, and are a timeless piece of fashion. This gift giving season, Peter Burke of Acne (whose new site just launched!) shares his love for his old blue jeans.

A wise friend once told me that a gift should be something that makes you think of the person who gave it to you and the time and thought they put into saying I love you.

The best gift I’ve ever received is a quilt my mom made for me. I don’t love it because the weight is perfect, nor because it's soft, nor because it looks good at the foot of my bed. (In fact, it doesn’t. And it desperately needs to be laundered.) The reason I love this quilt so much is because it took 18 years to create.

My mom may be a bit of a hoarder when it comes to the sentimental things and this quilt is the perfect example: she saved every pair of jeans I ever owned, ever, and had them made into this amazing quilt for the Christmas during my senior year of high school. Let it be known, I have, and always have had, a lot of jeans - what can I say, they’re a staple. The quilt is made up of at least one hundred pairs of my old jeans. This includes, but is not limited to, my very first pair of Osh Kosh Bigosh, my trendy Guess overalls from when I was 10 and living in Montana, my first pair of designer 7’s, the high school survival pair of ripped Abercrombie and Fitch's, countless Levi 501's and, of course, some Acne jeans as well. It is a compilation of button flys, change pockets, grass stains, buckles, zippers, memories and 18 years of thought, all stitched together to create the best gift I've ever received.

As the holidays near, I often think on this quilt to remind myself what gifting really means. Like that wise man said, give a gift that will make the receiver feel truly loved, truly cared for. Take the time to chose or create a gift that is personal - watching your friend or family member light up as they unwrap it will be a gift in itself.



FILED UNDER: acne , denim , holiday , acne studio , staff