Friday, October 7, 2011

Blue in Green - 5th Anniversary Model N-02

Earlier this year we celebrated our 5th Anniversary, officially in April when we opened the store back in 2006 and unofficially on January 1st when we established the store. At that time there were no other stores in North America or Europe with a lineup of imported Japanese selvage denim brands and we took on the challenge of being the first to do so. We started with just a very small inventory from a handful of brands, a street address, and a telephone - no advertising, no website, no online store - and within these 5 1/2 years we've grown to become known worldwide as a premier resource for Japanese selvage denim jeans with a customer base spanning the globe, and for this we give thanks. To everyone who's supported us throughout the years, we'd like to further extend our thanks and gratitude, and hope that we can continue to provide our services and resources for your continued support in the years to come.

For the occasion, we've produced a 5th Anniversary Limited Edition jean using our store original N-01 slim fit silhouette and a newly developed denim from one of our earliest denim suppliers, and offering them at a very special price. This new denim was 10 years in the making and combines everything learned in his 40+ years in the denim industry in Japan and abroad, and one that he's most proud of.
It's a 15oz Right Hand Twill unsanforized selvage denim that weighs in at 16oz after washing. The cotton used is a blend of extra long fiber Zimbabwe cotton and extra short fiber USA cotton giving the texture a look of nep fabric with loads of White cotton and Indigo tufts poking through the face and backside of the denim (for those familiar with the earliest Samurai Texas Cotton denim or the Left Field Tweed denim, it has a similar look to those).
Typically the warp and weft yarns are spun in the right hand direction prior to weaving but for this denim the warp and weft yarns were spun in reverse creating a tighter weave and giving the denim a stiff and crunchy texture. This also results in the warp yarns being more pronounced, similar to how a Left Hand Twill denim looks but done in a Right Hand Twill weave, and also intensifies the vertical color fading results.
In addition, the warp yarns are deep Indigo dyed with a Green Sulphur topping and interwoven with Beige dyed weft yarns for an overall muted and subtle green cast. The backside of the denim has a plush and soft hand due in large part to the extra long fiber Zimbabwe cotton and will continue to soften and smooth over time, eventually creating a smooth and refined texture on the face as well. For more details and info about our 5th Anniversary Model please visit us in the store or online here