Century Denim by Kapital. Classic Thinking With New Technology

Nobody Does Tradition Better Than Kapital

Developed by Kapital’s head designer, Kazuhiro (Kiro) Hirata, ‘Century Denim’ blends Japan’s rich textile history with the traditional five-pocket jean. Today, we are also taking you on a photo tour to get a rarely seen insider’s view of the inner workings and how it is made.

Century Denim uses sashiko threads as a decorative reinforcement to strengthen Kapital’s 12 oz. denim, a method similarly used for hundreds of years in Japan to repair farm clothes. Kapital first implemented this technique in 2012, before introducing triple indigo denim this year.

In order to create their original fabric, Kapital utilises four separate Okayama and Hiroshima-based factories; one thread spinning factory, one for indigo dyeing, one for weaving, and a finishing factory.

The warp, weft and sashiko threads are all spun differently to create unique textures and tensions that are now synonymous with Century Denim. The threads are rope-dyed using three different indigo dyes— Kapital’s No. 1 (American indigo), No. 2 (Japanese indigo), and No. 3 (natural indigo) and then woven on a single loom to create the new No. 123s Century Denim.

To celebrate the Year of the Monkey, Kapital has recently released a limited number of the ‘Monkey Cisco’, an iteration of the classic ’66 styled ‘Cisco’ cut, in their new No. 123s Century Denim. This new silhouette features a lower rise and roomier thigh making for a more comfortable jean but with a slight taper from the knee.

New For 2016 A/W

Although the initial run of the Monkey Cisco is limited (and almost sold out), Kapital will release a full range of the No. 123s denim in August 2016, coinciding with their 2016 Autumn/Winter Collection.

To keep up-to-date with all things Century Denim, follow Kapital and Century Denim ambassador Jonathan Lukacek (Bandanna Almanac) on social media, #centurydenim123s.