After a handful of bumps in the road, not the least being a typhoon hitting Japan on the day of shipping, Pure Blue Japan and Denimio’s first denim competition officially commenced October 15. Contestants will be uploading as many pictures as they like to Denimio’s contest page and be able to provide commentary and “like” photographs, amongst other abilities. As per usual, the goal is produce the finest pair of faded denim possible in 12 months.
Over the course of the next year, awards, challenges and events will be announced by Pure Blue Japan and Denimio to make sure things stay interesting. The first challenge has already been announced: incorporate the jeans into a Halloween costume. The favorite creation will win a $100 dollar gift certificate. These challenges will be fun, but for everyone who is involved, the real draw is the grand prize: a gift certificate to Denimio and a paid trip to Okayama to visit the PBJ factory in person.
Originally the idea of a customer of Denimio, Pure Blue Japan’s CEO Ken-ichi Iwaya loved the thought of a competition. Not too long after, it was decided that people would compete in company’s popular XX-012 model, a slim-tapered fit with both indigo warp and weft. The competition pair, however, differs from your standard PBJ in three ways. Most noticeably, the white embroidered indigo leaf on the standard back pocket has been replaced with a bright green leaf. Secondly, the leather patch now features a pair of faded jeans being dipped instead of a fresh pair. Finally, privy only to those wearing them, Iwaya took the time to hand number each of the 220 pairs produced for the contest. The number appears in silver sharpie on the pocket bag.
Most people pre-ordered their jeans in the beginning of June but Pure Blue Japan produced a couple more pairs in each size in both raw and one-washed. As of Tuesday, October 28th, only a size 27 was available in one-wash while raw had options from 27-31 and size 33. Purchasing a pair now will run ¥33,000 (~$330).
