After a 4 years hiatus, we're pumped to bring back the “Cadet" Jeans, the second chapter in our ongoing collaboration series with Samurai Jeans. With pickings running slim across the board on the denim production front in Japan, we only managed to piece together enough fabric for 60 pairs for this drop.
At the heart of this collaboration is the exceptional 15oz. Selvedge Back Satin fabric, a departure from traditional Indigo Selvedge denim. While this particular fabric has been a mainstay in Samurai's lineup as the "SJ52BP" model, they have kept their standard issue version exclusively one wash, while the Cadet’s come unfiltered in raw state. Another unique element of this fabric is the striking Silver Selvedge Lamé that beautifully compliments the olive hue of the fabric. To add a touch of flair, we experimented with thread construction colors, ultimately settling on a fine luster beige for the stitching accents, as the perfect contrast to the fabric's character.
Customization is the hallmark of this collaboration. Convincing Samurai to adapt their standard silver "Yamato” rivets with a blackout treatment back in 2019 was a challenging feat, but it was essential to bring out the essence of this collaboration. These buttons harmoniously coexist with Samurai's "Iron Matsunoki" buttons, featuring the Japanese Kanji character for Samurai. "Matsunoki", or pine tree, holds great significance in Japanese culture, symbolizing auspicious omens. A closer look reveals the laurel surrounding the button, paying homage to the pine tree's sacred symbolism. One welcome change we have made for this year's edition, was to switch out the pocket bags for a fabric we fell in love with. The intricately woven twisted yarn fabric is composed of natural indigo and ecru yarns which results in a heather-like appearance. Given that the indigo yarns are naturally dyed, expect a slow and steady evolution of color - a detail we reserved just for the wearer, in true OD fashion.
