Summer is typically a time even the most ardent of denim heads escape their indigo prison, but Oni and Redcast Heritage have come up with an option they think will fit it just perfectly.

The “Kerama Blue” collection is the second collaboration between the secretive Japanese denim maker and the Spanish retailer, but it is one that’s going to turn heads. It features a slim cut jean and Type III denim jacket cut from a 15oz. selvedge denim and then heavily bio-washed to achieve a very light shade of blue.

I had the opportunity to wear test the jeans of this collection and found them to be unique and more wearable in hot weather, but still hard to deter me from the raw originals.

By the Numbers

• Name: Redcast Heritage x Oni Denim “Kerama Blue” 15oz. Intense Bio-Washed Natural Indigo Jeans
• Materials: 15oz. 100% cotton Japanese selvedge denim
• Made in: Japan
• Fit: Slim tapered and runs small, we recommend sizing up
• Details:
  • Comes with custom branded tote bag
  • Veg-tanned horsehide patch with custom artwork by Jon Kutt
  • Limited to just 158 pairs
• Available for $292 at Redcast Heritage

Fabric

I’ll start with this is the first pair of non-raw denim I have worn in at least a decade. Putting on a pair of pre-washed and soft jeans feels extremely alien to me and, as I have written at length on in the past, I have some pretty strong ideological opposition to pre-distressed anything.

The fabric itself is a 15oz. low-tension no-id selvedge denim, which I’m guessing is a similar fabric to Oni’s standard low-tension 15oz. denim (see here on their 200 and 222 models). The low tension makes it more breathable and adds some irregular character to the weave, which is even further highlighted by the wash.

Now let’s talk about that wash, which is going to be the most noteworthy and likely contentious subject of this release. Redcast’s effort here was to, “evoke the crystal-clear waters of Spain’s Mediterranean sea and the ocean of the Okinawa islands in Japan.” They describe going through many, many iterations and scouring vintage markets for 80s and 90s examples of acid and bleach-washed jeans to find it.

The “intense bio-wash” treatment Oni and Redcast came up with is one of the more unique treatments I have seen on a non-raw pair. I think the best looking jeans are those that are faded by a person wearing them, so I admire any brand that tries to make something new instead of a lesser copy of the real deal.

It’s not a fade or a pattern you could make just by wearing them, it’s an all over reduction of indigo into bright pastel nothingness. They’re light. Extremely light. These really do have an 80s vintage feel to them, like they were plucked off of a bloodied extra on the 1983 version of Scarface.

They also have a respectable amount of train track fading along the outseam and puckering at the hem. It’s an interesting, if unnatural look. They achieved it by using. “an intense biowash with Japanese enzymes and adding a minimal amount of bleach to obtain greater intensity without damaging the cotton.” It’s still too early in my wear to tell if this did weaken the fabric, but it probably didn’t strengthen it.

Fit

Oni and Redcast describe the fit of this pair as a modern straight cut, with a medium-high rise. It feels a little slim to me, but these were made for a European retailer and this fit is par for the course.

They’re also a bit small, I’m guessing a function of the wash. At 6’1″ and 190lbs, I went for the size 36, which has a measured waist of about 35″ and a leg opening of just under 8″.

I did appreciate the higher rise though, which I think makes slimmer jeans much more wearable. The leg opening is also suitable for sneakers or pretty much all boots except for western style or engineers with a larger shaft.

Construction and Details

Oni has been one of the go to names in high-end Japanese raw denim for decades now and this pair doesn’t disappoint in its construction. The rivets are tufted (and hidden behind the back pockets), the seams are neatly locked, the coin pocket selvedge peeks out just so.

It’s clear that these are jeans designed and crafted by skilled and passionate people and the only thing close to a defect I could find is a couple stitches on the chainstitch hem were a little loose. Other than that, perfect.

The custom embossed patch was also a nice touch, including the limited number of each pair in the run. Also appreciated is the tote back with the same stylized water dragon as the back patch.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a jean to get you through the warmer months that wouldn’t be out of place in cooler weather and you’re willing to branch out into washes, the Kerama Blue collection from Oni and Redcast represents an interesting and well executed departure from standard raws.

The current run, however, has been sold down to just a few pairs, so hopefully this is just the first wave of Kerama Blue.

Available for $292 at Redcast Heritage Co.