It's in the details #01
Denim, but not as we know it.
UNIQLO jeans
Details 1
Dyeing
This blue is filled with the wisdom of over 100 years*.
*Our denim partner, Kaihara, was established in 1893.
Jeans have been an iconic wardrobe staple for decades. From worker's uniform, to Hollywood appearances, and prominence in the counter-culture movements of the 60s; denim's versatility has seen jeans evolve from a utilitarian essential, to streetstyle, to a mainstream everyday garment, and even an aspirational luxury item. Japanese denim has a reputation among denim lovers for being the best in the world, and is a product category that UNIQLO take pride in producing. Many of our jeans, including our selvedge denim, are made by Kaihara, a denim manufacturer in Hiroshima, who we have been in partnership with since 1998.
Created with our world-renowned partner Kaihara.
Kaihara has been working with UNIQLO since 1998. Established in 1893, Kaihara is Japan’s top denim manufacturer. Expertly handling every step of the denim production process in-house; spinning, dyeing, and processing are all undertaken by Kaihara. The name “Kaihara denim” has become a global standard of excellence and they receive frequent designer collaboration requests. UNIQLO have partnered with Kaihara on fabric and a wide variety of denim garments.
The exclusive Kaihara “white core,”
creates a character like no other.
Kaihara is especially known for their inimitable, premium dyeing technology. The beauty of Kaihara denim comes across in the gorgeous signature fading that comes with repeated wear. This technique is made possible with deep indigo on the surface, with a large portion of the core kept white. Kaihara’s superior technology can also be seen in the consistent quality they reproduce across a wide range of models, each with hundreds and thousands of pieces released every season. They maintain the quality of jeans sold globally, by creating a recipe for the entire post-production process, including the use of chemicals, washing time, temperature and laser treatment, that occurs in all production facilities.
The most famous denim created in collaboration with UNIQLO is selvedge denim, woven using old-fashioned shuttle looms. The proof is in the red stitching that is revealed when the hem is folded back.
Details 2
Texture
Vintage look.
Cutting edge laser treatment.
Denim has been called out for its heavy impact on the environment, due to the large amount of water needed during the indigo dyeing and washing processes. We tackled this issue head-on with Kaihara, conducting numerous experiments to resolve the challenges one by one, and continue to make improvements, including the introduction of a state-of-the-art laser machine. We have succeeded in reducing the amount of water used during processing by up to 99%*. (*Comparison of Men’s Regular Fit Jeans in 2017 and the same model in 2018. The amount of water reduction varies by product.)
It’s not just a distressed look
It’s the mark of a cutting edge laser.
Our Jeans Innovation Centre, which launched in 2016, conducts experiments and research to evolve denim. The laser machine that was introduced removes the requirement for manual labour to create distressed denim, and removes the risks caused by chemicals and dust. We now apply data to create a bespoke distressed look for each item, using lasers to create a worn look.
The vintage look used to be a labourious process.
Achieving a worn look with lasers.
The vintage look used to be a labourious process.
99% reduction in water usage.
Using only a teacup of water.
In the past, a large amount of water was used in the washing process that is essential to create a premium texture. We needed to make fundamental improvements and introduced a washing machine that allows “ozone gas washing” and “nanobubble washing” that uses virtually no water. By combining these, we succeeded in reducing water usage by up to 99%* while maintaining the quality of jeans. (*Comparison of Men’s Regular Fit Jeans in 2017 and the same model in 2018. The amount of water reduction varies by product.) We are now able to finish jeans with approximately one teacup of water.
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