As the world of raw denim becomes more and more saturated with startup companies trying their hand at production and big-name retailers offering new selvedge options, it creates a lot of repetition in the marketplace. But how many ways can you change a pair of blue jeans to really stand out from the rest of the crowd? In the case of the new Japanese denim company Tanuki, they are not striving to recreate the wheel – just to perfect it in their eyes.
Formed by a “super-team” of Japanese craftsmen having worked decades in the denim industry, Tanuki is not your average startup. They know the ins and outs of the design, the production, and marketing that they dove headfirst into, and their experience shows in their product.
Just from reading their introduction, it is clear that they take great pride in their work with Kahida (Japanese raw denim). This release features a 15oz. “Retro” selvedge denim fabric that has origins dating back to the 1970’s when Tanuki founders were experimenting trying to create the ultimate dark and strong denim fabrics. They also offer a 16.5oz. “Natural Indigo” selvedge denim that would typically require a higher price tag due to the labor-intensive dying process, but can be offered for less by means of Tanuki’s refined rope dying process that uses less indigo to achieve a deep hue. Both denims come in a slim or tapered option, and are unsanforized in true heritage fashion.
Available for $285-$325 at Blue Owl.
