During the 80s, the idea of ‘vintage’ being associated with denim was not a concept.
With the invention of the projectile loom in 1983, lauded at the time as revolutionary in production speed with its capacity for making wider widths of fabric, selvedge would disappear from denim.
While Europe experimented with avant-garde and free-spirited ideas with its jeans at the time, Japan was staging its own revolution, reevaluating the essence of authentic American jeans and what made them special.
Within that revolution was the birth of DENIME, and with it, the revival of selvedge denim; all within a five year span of it almost disappearing completely.
In the same way that cotton needs rich soil to grow, Japan had the right environment to ‘grow’ selvedge denim. DENIME’s founder and author of ‘Jeans of Japan’, Mr. Yoshiyuki Hayashi spoke of his denim as such:
“We spun our yarn at Kurabo mills, which was then sent to Hiroshima and Fukuyama, home of indigo dying, and had our yarn dyed at Sakamoto denim to the perfect shade of indigo. DENIME hardened the yarn as well, starching it before weaving them together.”
With this DENIME fabricated their first denim, densely packed, hefty, and with a rough hand.
It was unmistakably difficult at the time, with many trials and errors along the way along with doubt about moving in the opposite direction of the denim industry at large.
According to Warehouse, DENIME was not trying to make one-to-one reproductions of ‘vintage’ denim.
They were aiming for a classic look, with the denim’s character revealing itself the more it was worn.
Denime Products
Denime Lot. 221 BIG E 1960’S Model Tapered (Non-Washed)
Denime Lot. 265 / Football Tee (Asst. Colours)
