Edwin Denim: An Insight into Japanese Denim Factories

By Miranda Yeoh • 09 Jan 2012 in Hanger

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Edwin Japan has turned denim manufacturing into an art form by meticulously improving efficiency, quality, construction and washing methods by studying engineering machinery that are used to manufacture denim over the course of 35 years. By turning their profession into a craft, Edwin denim remains one of the best in the world today, thanks to Edwin Japan’s denim technicians that dedicate their entire careers to hone the craft. Having worked with Edwin Japan from the start, these technicians (also called “engineers”) remain with their assigned machines till the end of their careers and are given the freedom to self-customize and modify each of the machines beyond custom factory machine settings. By encouraging Edwin technicians to maintain and improve on their own machines, each machine has a unique and specialized way of making denim. This is also the reason why many “core heritage” Japanese denim brands wish to have their denim made in Edwin Japan factories.

Even the technicians at the Edwin Japan laundries are no different. They perfect their craft by finding ways of washing, dying, drying denim and even self-customizes machines for water purification and recycling. Interesting fact: the water used at Edwin factory laundries are purified until all the indigo dyes and impurities are extracted – it is so clean that fishes are able to swim in it.

Unfortunately the film does not go in depth into denim’s entire process, rather, it just shows an overview of bits and pieces of the factory because many parts of Edwin Japan’s denim making process need to be kept under wraps due to the company’s unique processes that have been created by Edwin. Either way, this short film is visually pleasing enough to spend your time on this Monday evening. Checkkid!