FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXIX - KAIHARA MILL
Doublewood Denim is made from high quality rope-dyed Japanese selvedge denim, do you know as of now, we are only using Kaihara denim mill so far, a textile house in Fukuyama City, Japan, that’s been producing indigo-dyed fabrics for over 100 years and the largest denim supplier in Japan?
Today we want to give you some background and history of Kaihara denim mill. Kaihara mill was started in 1893 as a source for indigo kasuri, an ikat-like weaving technique that’s used for kimonos and wall hangings. They started their selvedge denim production until 1994.
Kaihara uses a large quantity of pima cotton from US as it is one of the best cottons in the world despite its higher cost which differentiates them from others. For added strength, the cotton is re-spun a total of 64 times, after which the indigo dye is applied by a special rope-dyeing process (the threads are wound up like rope and pulled back and forth through a network of rollers and vats) to deepen the final hue. More importantly, it gives the denim a more 3D and rich color.
Lastly, besides the tradition and heritage, what makes Kaihara so superior and a perfect match for us is we both share an uncompromising aptitude for fine denim making.
