Denim as a Canvas
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The blond, Venetian-born painter Maria Asaro lives with her Italian husband, an ex-diplomat, in a Greenwich Village loft filled with antiquities dating back to the 12th century. A tiny, stylish woman, she’s someone who seems to have it all. So it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that her new line of denim, Aerea, is just a pet project. But it also wouldn’t be true.
Ms. Asaro founded Aerea with the hopes of introducing an aesthetic concept – wearable art – into the seemingly saturated denim market. The logo, which is stitched onto the back pocket of most of the designs, is adapted from her large-scale paint-on-metal work, titled “Soul Geometry.”
“I believe in the symbol of the logo,” she said. “Geometry is perfection. It’s about symmetry, a feeling of perfection and harmony.”
The idea to create a line of denim came about as an accident. Her husband, Gaspare, was speaking to a friend in fashion marketing who said he was having trouble finding anything new. “So I did some sketches,” she said. “This is completely new for me.”
Ms. Asaro has shown her paintings in New York, Venice, Paris, and Washington, D.C. She originally worked on canvas, but in the last few years has moved into painting on cut-metal shapes and other materials.
Now she’s moving from art to art-and-commerce. The transition has been more fun than trouble. Ms. Asaro presented the Aerea line to buyers over the summer and is now selling at eight doors, including Opium in Los Angeles and Platform 626 in San Francisco. “The response has been global,” she said.
Manufactured in Japan, Aerea includes six designs, each of which comes in different washes. “Terra” is a classic, conservative style. “Fresco” offers a distressed look. “Aqua” features handcrafted rivets that echo Ms. Asaro’s artwork. The “Cielo” style has a woven and painted pocket design. “Aier” has painted waves around the waist, and “Sphere” features the line’s logo in Swarovski crystals. The prices range from $150 for most models to $350 for the crystal-studded jeans.
Though the decoration on the jeans is what sets them apart, the fit is just as important. At the Aerea Web site (www.aereadenim.com), the cuts of both the men’s and women’s jeans are clearly illustrated with line drawings that connect the product back to the concept of geometry.
Ms. Asaro’s plans for the brand include an expansion into tops and accessories next season, as well as a retail shop in the meatpacking district. Her intention is to present Aerea in a setting with art and design – an idea central to the brand, but difficult to pair with retailers who can take time with consumers and explain the higher price points.
“The art-related concept should be very strong. It’s not just a pair of jeans,” Ms. Asaro said. “When you wear Aerea, you’re wearing a feeling.”
Aerea is currently available in New York by appointment only. For more information call 212-387-9070 or visit aereadenim.com.