Who was the first Japanese repro?

[mizanation]

Folklore (well, Evisu's own folklore) says that Evisu was the first Japanese company to create a vintage 501 reproduction.

however, in digital denim's denim magazine, it says that the distinction belongs to Studio D'Artisan.

so, who was the first?

http://mizanation.blogspot.com

[digital_denim]

...Chicken?

Edited by digital_denim on Jun 9, 2006 at 10:37 AM

[mizanation]

ringring, serge?

http://mizanation.blogspot.com

[Chicken]

I've been reading a bunch of conflicting stories about this. One version I read said D'Artisan started it, but Evisu was the first big hit that started the trend.

I think another problem is that it's hard to define exactly what "repros" mean. There was this company called Canton that had created what are known to be the first Japanese jeans decades ago, but could we consider them repros?

[Paul T]

Good question.

Evisu on some of their own literature are said to have launched in 1991. yet Evis already produced a line of denim in 89, if not some time earlier. Edwin were producing selvage by 89. LVC Japan produced a 502 repro with selvage denim from Kurabo in 87. Would love to know when Studio D'Artisan first produced a vintage replica.

[frideswide]

Might be a good question for Ryu, if he's tuned in to this thread.

I know 'Big John' made jeans from the at least the 1960s onwards (and continues to this day); but 'repro' in the sense of reviving the use of shuttle-loom selvage, etc, is a different matter. The 'Meister' series came out quite late, but I remember seeing them when I first went to Japan in 1994.

The denim boom in Japan was really in the late 1980s/early 1990's. In Europe late 1990s/early 2000s (driven by Italy, Spain, and the Scandis). And north america just in the last couple of years, really.

[Chicken]

^ Canton launched in 1963 and Big John was started by a guy who used to work for Canton. Canton was the first Japanese jeans company. Their first jeans had selvage and chain stitching and everything, and I think they were raw. However, they were probably not a very faithful reproduction of vintage jeans. In the article I read in a magazine called "Made In Japan" it said that the owner Mr. Oishi rejected the first proto type complaining it was a direct rip-off of a 501.

[Anguished Irony]

Quote: Would love to know when Studio D'Artisan first produced a vintage replica.

Courtesy of Google translator:

[suteyudeio] [daruchizan] since establishing 1979, sent the various items to world.

The language mind has meant the†craftsman atelierâ€.

As for the eighties early Japanese jeans market chemical washing and the like

The jeans which administer processing had occupied main current.

In such age, this indigo, [retsudoserubitsujidenimu] of skein dyeing,

2 these policy [batsukushinchi] which are obtained from France, the copper make it drives out, the rivet,

With the sewing by the cotton thread of 2 color errand, original denim†DO-1†was made to complete.

And until the present time, not being fixed to the type, replica,

Furthermore it continues to make the denim without throwing away the prejudice.

[sneakeraddict]

Gents look at the tag on these Edwin europe made jeans.

Wouldnt that make it the first Japanese jeans company?

Don't know if they would have been repros or not, but I think I read Edwin was created basically to rip off Levis cos they were hard to get hold of in Japan, hence the first model was, I think, called the "505" (basically just a 501)

I am also selling these, I might add

Please click my website for some cool stuff for sale

Various brand new Edwins and new footwear UK 11 / US 12. Updated regularly.

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/j-edwards/superfuture.htm

[horriblyjollyjinx]

Quote:

Good question.

Evisu on some of their own literature are said to have launched in 1991. yet Evis already produced a line of denim in 89, if not some time earlier. Edwin were producing selvage by 89. LVC Japan produced a 502 repro with selvage denim from Kurabo in 87. Would love to know when Studio D'Artisan first produced a vintage replica.

--- Original message by Paul T on Jun 9, 2006 12:40 PM

Maybe it could have something to do with them changing their name in 91?

I have seen it mentioned on some Japanese page that SD was the first repro brand also. I don't consider jeans that are just copies of the 501 model(like Canton and other brands that were mentiond) to be repros, just rip offs.

http://repeattofade.blogspot.com/

[Chicken]

In the Lightning magazine Digital Denim and I have, it says Edwin started manufacturing jeans in 1961. Perhaps the company was established in '47, but didn't start making jeans until a little later. Even then, '61 is older than Canton's '63. I'm confused.

[Chicken]

Okay, just to throw another curve-ball into this whole issue, there's also a denim company called Eight-G. In the same Lightning issue mentioned above, it says they created the first Japanese jeans in the mid-50s.

In an article titled "Who created the first Japanese jeans?" it says that up until now, it was accepted widely that Canton was the first. But more than 1 year earlier than them, Takahata Housei (sewing company) may have produced the first Japanese jeans using denim imported from the Cone Mills.

What's kind of interesting to me is that it seems like nobody has a definitive answer in any of these articles. They keep using words like "may have" or "possibly". Go figure.

[tweeds]

e.g. cowboys "may have possibly" existed in tokyo even as early as 1960.

actually, isn't it kind of hard to chart the founding of a design house, or even a textiles company? most of these older companies could have been mergers themselves, or collaborations, or family businesses that got yanked into the denim path for example. levi's wasn't even a jean-making thing when it first got started. it merely supplied the denim to a shop in Reno, and later the two stores merged and patented the rivets, arcuate, etc.

[takashi]

I'm pretty sure that Canton used American-supplied denim to start their line back in the 1960's.

[Chicken]

Yup. Canton Mills in Georgia.

[Chicken]

Quote: Evisu on some of their own literature are said to have launched in 1991. yet Evis already produced a line of denim in 89, if not some time earlier. Edwin were producing selvage by 89. LVC Japan produced a 502 repro with selvage denim from Kurabo in 87. Would love to know when Studio D'Artisan first produced a vintage replica.

Well, I've found some more documents that shed light on this subject. In this magazine, "Made In Japan, Nippon No Jiinzu," there's a section with a Japanese denim timeline. I'll highlight some moments here:

1986 Studio D'Artisan announces first model, DO-1

Sugarcane announces work-wear replicas

1988 Sugarcane announces XX-type 5 pocket denims

Denime announces relica jeans line

Replica jeans, such as D'Artisans are caught on by enthusiasts

1991 Evis Industry begins production

1992 Full Count begins production

1993 Evis Jeans #2001 explodes with popularity

I've noticed part of the confusion is that the process of releasing denim into a market takes a long time. Notice in the timeline, it says D'Artisan "announces" DO-1 in 1986. But if you go to their website, they'll say that they "created" DO-1 in the early 80s.

Same thing with Evis. They probably had proto-types of their denim line but took few years to release them. Their official denim launch is in the early 90s.

This is a tricky subject, the more I find out about it.

[Guest Berget__]

Is the DO-1 that SD produces nowadays the same as it was in '86? If so Im even more tempted to get them...

I aint gotta get money man money get me

[Chicken]

Quote: Is the DO-1 that SD produces nowadays the same as it was in '86? If so Im even more tempted to get them...

On their website, D'Artisan says SD-DO1 is a model they have "protected" since its debut in '86. Indigo-dyed 24 times. Yellow stitching overall, with orange stitching around the yoke. http://www.dartisan.co.jp/jeans/dt_sddo1.html

Otherwise, don't have more knowledge about it. Don't know if little details like leather patch may have changed.

[thinkfilm28]

You seen to know alot about denim -- I remember buying a pair of redline selvage from Bloomingdales. It was made by Mossimo (this was way before mossimo became a cheap brand) I think the style was Kurabo or something like that.

Does anyone know much about a dark selvage denim made by Adriano Goldschmied -- I believe the style is called esthetic collection jean denim blue?

[thinkfilm28]

What are the hottest repros right now -- I'm especially interested in Selvage -- can you give me a list of Brands?

[Kodak]

Search for Japanese denim and you will have your answer.

Edit: Not to be rude but there are a goldmine of threads if you search and you can also read the stickied thread at top of the page.

[snugglepony]

What are the hottest repros right now -- I'm especially interested in Selvage -- can you give me a list of Brands?

superdenim encyclopedia, lovingly maintained by tweedles?

EDIT: whoa. halfway to superjunkie...