Message from J. Brand: it’s got a lot more going on than just your favourite jeans.

The brand best known for its skinny jeans held its first ready-to-wear presentation in New York on Tuesday evening, marking a step up from the denim floor and into full-spectrum fashion credibility.

‘It was a matter of the ready-to-wear maturing,’ CEO Jeff Rudes said. ‘The response from the first three seasons has been beyond our expectations, so for the fourth season, we thought, “let’s do it.”

‘It’s a big move for us.’

As bloggers and editors circulated, models stood, installation-style, on plinths arranged throughout the cavernous gallery space.

Trousers were still the stars - particularly the leather skinny jeans, leather tracksuit bottoms and super-wide-legged ‘volume pants’. But those had plenty of competition from ultra-chunky knit jumpers, ivory boiled-wool blazers, shearling biker jackets and layered silk separates.

With a luxe androgyny underlined by Karl Templer’s styling, the RTW offering felt far removed from Kate Middleton’s favourite red jeans. But it all comes from the same place, Rudes promises.

‘It’s easy, it’s effortless, you can wear it without having to try too hard,’ Rudes said. ‘Just like our jeans.’