When denim lovers think quality, they think Japan. So it should come as no surprise that a small Kyoto-based label has won a luxury lifestyle award for Best Artisan Denim Design Specialists 2019 from British publication LUXlife.
Gion Jeans & Yukata Co. has been making small runs of carefully crafted jeans since 2010. The two Brits behind the company have their products manufactured in the "denim capital" of Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture.
According to creative director Lee Longshaw and designer Peter Card, their commitment to quality means using the best fabric, with timeless designs and cuts that flatter the intended demographic of men over 45. They refuse to follow trends; the lineup is limited to straight cut, slim cut and -- to replace the standard boot cut -- a "geta cut" in a nod to the Gion district of Kyoto. They also offer a unisex style after noticing women wearing their jeans.
"We wanted to use the best of everything," Longshaw told The Japan News in a recent interview in Tokyo. "The idea is that Gion is synonymous with craftsmanship and artisanship."
In another nod to Gion, the jeans also feature a piece of kimono fabric, often vintage, sewn inside below the waistband. Longshaw characterizes this hidden decoration as evoking the Meiji era, "where the outside of the kimono would be a bit miserable but the inside would have a bit of decoration."
That kind of attention to detail may be a reason for their recent award.
Jessie Wilson, awards executive at LUXlife publisher AI Global Media, explained in an email that when choosing their winners, they look for "evidence of expertise within a given field, dedication to customer service and client satisfaction with an ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation."
Despite only selling eight pairs in the first year, Longshaw and Card were confident in their product and decided to capitalize on the Gion concept of exclusivity.
"If you go to a lot of Gion teahouses where the geiko and maiko are, they won't let you in unless they know who you are," Longshaw said. "To mask the fact that we didn't have any stock, we said, 'ichigen-san okotowari' -- if we don't know you we won't sell them to you."
These days, the jeans are available in a number of boutiques as well as at their Kyoto showroom and online.
After "starting with nothing," Longshaw puts their growth down to word of mouth. Of course, that requires a quality product, so I asked Card by phone what goes into making the jeans. In addition to aiming for classic yet innovative design, he said Japanese selvage denim is key, explaining that it is often softer and more durable than its overseas counterparts because it uses longer cotton fibers, combed yarn, advanced rope-dying techniques and vintage shuttle looms that have a looser finished weave than modern projectile ones.
That reputation was confirmed by Devin Leisher, the U.S. filmmaker behind the 2016 documentary "Weaving Shibusa."
"Japanese denim is still a buzzword here in the States," he said by email. "It's still very much seen as the ultimate denim to those who care."
Gion Jeans are manufactured by Kuroki Denim in Okayama Prefecture. "They do everything themselves in-house, so they control the entire process," Card said. "It's the idea of craftsmanship, the thought behind it, rather than just doing things the quickest way."
In an era that is rejecting the idea of fast fashion, locally made, durable jeans seem like a great fit for sustainability. Moreover, the creators behind Gion Jeans want people to feel good.
"Every customer should feel like a VIP," Longshaw said. "When people wear our jeans, I want them to feel good, to go out and have confidence."
www.gion-jeans.com
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
