The Best Japanese Denim Labels Every Jeans Collector Needs to Know Inline
Photo: (From left) Courtesy of Blue in Green; Courtesy of kapital.ip1/14Kapital
Taking its name from the city of Kojima, the denim capital of Japan, Kapital specializes in jackets and jeans made from patchworked vintage materials. An emphasis on American workwear styles and old-school production means you’ll get the best of both worlds.
Kapital Boro 1st denim jacket, $1,682, blueingreensoho.com; Kapital denim trail pants, price upon request, kapital.jp
Photo: Courtesy of Blue in Green2/14Samurai
The mark of truly worn-in selvedge jeans is the high-contrast fading that occurs over time on the seams, knee creases, and back pockets. Samurai’s unsanforized (i.e., shrink-to-fit) denim has a rough texture that fades quickly, so this crisp indigo jacket would look completely different after just a few months of wearing it.
Samurai jean jacket with flannel check liner, $465, blueingreensoho.com
Photo: All courtesy of Unionmade3/14Needles
As the in-house denim label of Nepenthes, the legendary brand founded by Keizo Shimizu in 1988, Needles often incorporates quirky details, like a back pocket restitched onto the front of a jacket.
Needles Dimension jeans in indigo, $311, unionmadegoods.com; Needles jean-pant chore coat in indigo, $676, unonmadegoods.com
Photo: Courtesy of dartisan-onlineshop.com4/14Studio D’Artisan
When “new” denim fabrics replaced selvedge during Japan’s economic boom in the ’70s, Studio D’Artisan went against the grain by prioritizing the heritage of American jeans. Its denim has an extra-tight weave with a trademark slubby texture and lots of fading potential.
Studio D’Artisan premium remade jeans, price upon request
Photo: All courtesy of selfedge.com5/14The Flat Head
Arguably one of Japan’s most innovative denim labels, The Flat Head offers a range of fits to suit customers in Japan, the U.S., and anywhere in between. Innovative hardware techniques, like iron buttons or copper rivets, makes its jeans particularly durable.
The Flat Head unsanforized jeans, $230, selfedge.com; The Flat Head denim work shirt, $295, selfedge.com; The Flat Head jacquard woven-border T-shirt, $165, selfedge.com
