To celebrate 50 years of Jeanswest denim, Chloe Maxwell returns to her original role that catapulted her career; as the Jeanswest Girl. Debuting in the 90's on TV screens around Australia in our iconic commercials, Chloe Maxwell became the familiar face that delivered the widely known and loved tagline, “Jeanswest Fits Best”. To celebrate our milestone of 50 years in denim, we invited Chloe back to reminisce on her experience with Jeanswest and chat all things denim.
What do you remember about your first campaign shoot for Jeanswest?
"I was 21 when I became the Jeanswest girl! I remember I had my sister in the car with me when I went to the audition. I had just come back from modelling and living in New York. It was an amazing time to be in the fashion industry. I had walked runways with some of the most iconic models of the 90's. People like Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Helena Christenson and Milla Jovovich. I was listening to a lot of punk music over there, so I had a rebellious edge, I guess. I went into the audition and acted like a little punk and really thought I didn’t get the job! I even told my sister I bombed; I was so surprised when I got it! My first shoot was so much fun and the beginning of my love of all things Jeanswest."
What was one of the best memories from that time that you had with Jeanswest?
"One of the best memories I had was when the ad first came out. The response was over the top! I had people stopping me on the street asking for autographs. There were posters of me from the floor to the ceiling in the stores. Jeanswest flew me to a bunch of store openings in different parts of Australia and people were lined up down the street to meet me. I just could never have fathomed all this fanfare from me being an idiot on an ad on TV!"
Do people still recognise you from the Jeanswest Fits Best Campaign? What do they say to you?
"Absolutely! I cannot get over how many people still remember those campaigns! People connected with the brand through this little punk of a girl and two decades later still have fond memories. They say I remind them of their childhood, or of their first pair of jeans, of a time when there was no social media and only a few channels on TV. I am so grateful to be a part of such an iconic time in fashion and to be still connected to a brand that I love so much! Oh, and I also get asked to play the wobble board and to please say the tag line - Jeanswest Fits Best!"
SHOP CHLOE'S LOOK
When shopping for new jeans, what are the main things you look for?
"I definitely go for fit first and then quality. You cannot put a price on well-fitting quality jeans, that’s for sure!"
What is your favourite thing about Jeanswest jeans?
"I love that Jeanswest jeans cater to everyone and that they are always good quality without a ridiculous price tag."
What is your favourite style of jeans to wear today and how has that changed over the years?
"My favourite style is the skinny leg jeans, but I also love the boyfriend style when I want to be comfortable. You can take the girl out of punk, but you can’t take punk out of the girl! Bootleg was probably my go to back then and low waisted with heaps of belts. I was partial to a flared Jean too for a while. I went through a real baggy hip hop phase. To be honest the music I listened to at the time influenced my Jean journey so much."
Where has being the 'Jeanswest girl' taken you?
"Being the Jeanswest girl catapulted me into TV. I hosted a bunch of different television shows on Fox 8 then landed a gig on Channel V as a music presenter. I co-hosted the X Factor with Daniel MacPherson and went on to be an entertainment reporter for the Matty John’s show. I have since become a published Author with my book ‘Living with Max’ - a book about our family’s journey with Autism. I cofounded a charity called 4asdkids to help kids on the spectrum. I have also enjoyed a career in radio also. I pretty much owe my media career to Jeanswest as that was the start of it all. I’m so grateful."