STUDIO D´ARTISAN Studio D’Artisan D1820 “Hinode” 15oz Relaxed Tapered Jeans

This new Studio D’Artisan limited edition jeans are made in the new Relaxed Tapered fit a and features a beautiful “Futaai” (二藍) translated as “Dual colour”.

Going back about 160 years to the end of the Edo era, in the great transition at the opening of the country, the uniform “flag” for Japanese ships was born. The flag is called “Hinomaru (rising-sun)” dyed up in red on the white background. “Hinomaru” was officially recognized as a national flag by the new government in the Meiji era and became a symbol of Japan.

The red colour of the flag was dyed with a plant dye “Akane (madder)” at that time. Akane is said to have been used around the world since ancient times along with indigo. Akane dyeing in Japan has a long history as seen in the description that Himiko of Yamatai-koku presented Akane-dyed fabric as a gift, and in the days of Prince Shotoku, the colour was permitted only for noble people to wear.

Studio D’Artisan has now created this denim with plant dyeing using Akane, the oldest red dye. The combination of the warp dyed in indigo blue and the weft dyed in deep red of Akane creates the reddish indigo tone of the fabric. The intermediate colour obtained by mixing these two dyes is a Japanese tradition called “Futaai” (Dual coloured). “Futa-ai” had been used for clothes by the noblemen since the Heian period, and was forbidden for ordinary people.

This denim fabric is woven on a Toyoda G3. The Toyoda automatic loom “G3” was first introduced half a century ago. As the earliest power loom in Japan, the maintenance can be challenging simply because there are no more new replacement parts available; when maintenance is needed, they can only replace the parts by gleaning the parts that are still functioning from the same models which are no longer in use. Besides, it has very low productivity as it weaves only 5 meters of fabrics per hour. However, G3 is the only machine that still weaves the same workwear-like denim that had a unique rough surface, yarn evenness and ruggedness as what it did half a century ago. Studio D’Artisan is carrying on the legend of the earliest power loom “G3” and producing original denim with it.

These jeans feature great details such as an exclusive deerskin leather patch, Studio D’Artisan custom blackened plated copper buttons or a unique centre belt loop. The centre belt loop in the back uses an antique obi band. This obi band expresses exquisite Japanese craftsmanship with fine works woven by hand one by one. Because the designs of the obi bands are all different, the jeans will be only one in the world with no same item existing.

The Relaxed Tapered fit simple taper from the knee down with a close leg opening, still offering plenty of room in the thigh and top block with a medium- high rise.

Under the slogan of “Reconstruction of great old things”, Studio D’Artisan is one of the iconic brands of Japanese denim. Founded by Shigeharu Tagaki and reproducing classics of French and American workwear since 1979, Studio D’Artisan takes pride in having been one of the Osaka 5.

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