by Heidi Grieser
Nappi is Salt Lake City’s most successful homegrown jeans designer and will now be able to move out of the design studio and into a retail location at the end of the month. One of few jean makers world-wide asked to show at the prestigious LA fashion week last year, Nappi owner Danni Nappi is not your typical fashion designer. Danni is straight, Mormon and conservative. He’s also single and “enjoys long walks on State Street.”
Danni began by altering his own clothes while getting a political science degree from the University of Utah. People began asking him to make them clothes, and his practical sewing and design skills from working at Love Sac as a product designer led him to turn his clothing ideas into products.
Nappi makes jeans from premium Italian and Japanese denim with straight leg styles that flatter the silhouette. They make all their jeans with a 36” inseam and custom hem so they ensure the best fit possible. Danni said, “the response I want from my clothing is what you get from a Ferrari as opposed to a VW Bug. A Bug is cute but a Ferrari is awesome, beautiful, and breathtaking.” He also admits Nappi clothes, “is not very girlie, but more about what a guy wants to see a girl wear. It’s a T-shirt and jeans kind of company for the person interested in fit and comfort.”
Nappi makes t-shirts, dresses and accessories in addition to their jeans, and will be outfitting their new retail location with an additional 50 clothing labels. The new store will be called Facade, located at 623 S. State St. and is opening mid-June.
