A Journey with Ai Denim

In September 2000, on the auspicious day of our New York store's grand opening, we unveiled our Made-in-Japan 藍 (Ai) Indigo-dyed denim. This exquisite natural indigo denim captivated the local audience, sparking conversations and admiration, and it continues to enchant many patrons at our New York store.

When the notion of opening a store in New York was conceived, we were profoundly aware of our Japanese heritage. We thought, "We are carrying the emblem of Japan to the birthplace of jeans, America."

At that time, as we neared a decade of crafting our original denim, we began to contemplate the boundless possibilities of denim meticulously fashioned by Japanese artisans.

While searching for hints for our new denim, we learned about an 藍 (Ai) dyeing workshop in Tokushima that could also weave denim. Typically, dyeing is done by dyers and weaving by weavers. We had never heard of a factory that integrated the process from Ai Indigo dyeing to fabric weaving. Moreover, this factory used Japanese-made power looms capable of weaving selvedge denim. This discovery significantly increased the possibility of realizing denim dyed with natural Japanese Ai Indigo, something we held dear.

The indigo from Tokushima is known as Awa Indigo, with a history of cultivation dating back to the Heian period. At the factory that inherits the "Awa Shoai Dyeing Method," the process of dyeing the yarn in natural indigo 20 to 30 times and then exposing it to air is repeated, resulting in a deep indigo hue. The fabric woven from this yarn on power looms was a denim unlike any we had seen before, featuring a profound depth of Ai Indigo and a unique, uneven texture. This Japan Blue denim, even after multiple washes, never faded to white but transformed into a misty purple.

The uniqueness of this Ai Indigo denim lies in the discharge dyeing process of the unevenly dyed fabric, known as "Aru." On this fabric, we meticulously applied sashiko stitching throughout. Our hope was to nurture this denim into a piece with a dignified beauty, reminiscent of well-worn workwear, a sentiment deeply embedded in the sashiko.

The back pocket is adorned with an "R" embroidery, crafted with threads dyed in the ancient Japanese red, known as Akane. Over time, as you wear and wash the jeans, the stitches may fade and fray, but upon close inspection, the "R" shape remains. Both the embroidery and the stitching will age gracefully alongside the denim. The center belt loop, with its red selvedge line visible when flipped, is deliberately stitched at an angle. This belt loop utilizes a special selvedge tape woven exclusively for this purpose from Ai indigo denim.

The challenge of Ai Indigo dyeing lies in its seeming vitality. Being natural, it behaves as if it were alive. Sometimes it bubbles vigorously, full of life, while at other times it seems to tire, and its dyeing power diminishes. By carefully observing its condition, we rest the indigo as needed and meticulously dye the skeins of yarn repeatedly with great care.

The hallmark of 45R's Ai Indigo denim is its rich color. Over a span of 2-3 weeks, we dye the yarn more times than any other indigo dyeing workshop, allowing the indigo to deeply penetrate to the core of the threads. For the weft, we combine beige threads known as "Kofukinari," which add a sense of depth to the denim's color. As the denim is worn and washed, it develops a beautiful play of light and shadow.

Our denim comes in two shades: Indigo and Sumi-Ai. Sumi-Ai undergoes an additional dyeing process with traditional sumi ink after the Ai Indigo dyeing, resulting in a darkened, almost blackish blue.

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The dyed yarn is wound onto cones and then proceeds to warping. This step aligns the warp threads before weaving the fabric. Hand-dyed indigo yarn inevitably has slight color variations, but we skillfully distribute and arrange the colors to blend seamlessly. Aligning approximately 2,200 warp threads within the 85cm width of the power loom without any color inconsistencies or excess yarn requires meticulous planning and the expertise of seasoned craftsmen. This critical task determines the "face" of the finished denim.

The fabric is woven on vintage power looms from the 1950s. These Japanese-made looms are among the earliest models ever produced, and only a few of them remain in existence today. Replacement parts are no longer available, so when a loom malfunctions, parts must be scavenged from other decommissioned looms of the same model.

When switched on, the loom produces a deafening clatter—clack-clack, clack-clack—making it impossible to hold a conversation nearby. The shuttle races back and forth at high speed between the taut warp threads, weaving in the weft threads. If a thread breaks, the process is halted to re-tie it. The artisans keep a vigilant watch to ensure the threads do not tangle or gather dust and debris.

These looms can produce only 30 meters of fabric per day, making mass production impossible. However, the unique texture and rustic charm of the denim, which we hold dear, can only be achieved with these power looms.

The selvedge on the edge of the fabric is unique to denim woven on power looms. While it's possible to add colored threads to create distinctive patterns, 45R's selvedge line is pure white. This simple and unadorned selvedge is the hallmark of our power loom denim.

Ai Denim: Available Sep 4th