45 years of the Osaka OG's, and they certainly still have a bunch of tricks up their sleeves. July brings us the most hotly contested series of releases from their 45th Anniversary collection, with a particular focus on the brand's heritage, their panache for experimenting with natural dyeing techniques and re-imagining quintessentially Japanese textile patterns.
Kicking off this week's drop is a naturally dyed beauty in the form of the 15oz. "Hinode-Awa" Selvedge jeans. Combining a natural indigo warp with the natural plant-based 'madder red' dyed weft, results in a fabric that wouldn't look out of place in an art gallery. The indigo dyed warp is dyed using a very tedious "Awa-Sei Aizome" method. This technique involves approximately 30 cycles of washing to reveal the true nature of the indigo color. With each wash, discordant shades are washed away, and the fabric gradually reveals a profound and harmonious hue.
SDA have really made their 45th anniversary collection one to remember with the reintroduction of their Triple Selvedge Jeans and Type 1 jacket. First brought to the world via their 20th anniversary collection, these products have made a long overdue return. For their 45th anniversary, Studio D'Artisan used the original yarn from their first model, the "DO-1". They meticulously narrowed the loom's width to an unprecedented 20cm and 38cm, weaving the narrowest selvedge denim ever created. This achievement signifies an entirely new realm of possibilities for denim, born from tradition and technology. The 15oz. naturally dyed denim is complimented with a pony hair patch and engraved copper male/female rivets.
Finally this week we have two pieces from SDA's "Rain Kasuri" collection, dropping in the form of a pair of Sashiko pants and 5 pocket jeans. The distinctive indigo-dyed fabric called "Ame Gasuri," or "Rain Kasuri," plays a central role in this collection. "Ame Gasuri" is renowned for its unique and intricate patterns that capture the essence of falling raindrops. It is created by using Kasuri threads only in the warp, allowing the weaver to craft irregular, broken straight lines that mimic the appearance of rain falling.
