BDD Launches Super-Affordable BENZAK EU-Made Line

BENZAK Made in Europe. Everything You Would Expect In A Premium Japanese-Made Jean

Few things in life compare to a pair of Japanese-made selvedge denim jeans. The attention to detail, the indigo shades, the craftsmanship and not least the fact that they’re made in Japan. There’s only one issue, really. Good Japanese jeans don’t come cheap.

Lennaert Nijgh is the brains behind Benzak Denim Developers, and he knows this issue all too well. For four years, he’s been making some of the best Japanese-made jeans that money can buy. We’ve reviewed several of his brilliant products, including the crown jewel of his brand, the BDD-710. Trust us, if you want a pair of Japanese jeans with all the right details that are fitted to Western taste and silhouettes, they don’t come better than what Lennaert is making.

But BDD still has to make it’s big breakthrough. The brand has been positioned in the heritage niche together with repro brands, but in fact, the garments have a much broader appeal. There’s no immediately apparent reason that fashion-oriented retailers shouldn’t be able to stock Lennaert’s magnificent jeans. So why aren’t they?

If you ask Mr Benzak himself, price point has something to do with it. Prices for the Japanese jeans sit around the €300-mark. For fashion retailers to command such premiums, they need a product with a familiar name on it. Lennaert has always been particular about not giving up any control over the brand, which is why it’s funded mainly through crowd-sourcing. That means BDD has never had budgets for excessive marketing or promotion, which you need to get the attention of more commercial retailers and media.

Crowd-Sourcing For A Wider Crowd

That’s why BDD is now launching the all European-made BENZAK line. By producing everything in Europe, Lennaert has been able to get the price down to a very reasonable €179 suggested retail price. Like before, the Dutch denimhead has turned to Kickstarter to get his wares out the door. During the campaign, you save €30 on the regular price. And there’s even an early bird offer limited 50 to pairs that will ship for only $129. That’s a pretty amazing deal!

The BENZAK line launches with two styles, a slim and a regular, each available in two Candiani denims, a 15 oz. indigo and a 13. oz black. In addition, Lennaert has designed a range of tees and sweats. Everything is cut and sewn in Portugal. You can get all the details of the products over on the BDD website.

Packages For Early-Adopter Retailers

Another very cool feature of the campaign is the wholesale package. For €5,000, you get 50 pairs of jeans, 10 sweats and 30 tees. It’s important for Lennaert to make clear that, although he relies on Kickstarter to fund the production of his garments, BDD is not about cutting out the middleman. The goal with the new BENZAK line is to get the BDD brand and products in front of as many people as possible, including retailers.

The amusing video that Lennaert and his team made for the launch perfectly explains how the line and garments came together. You won’t find any cat videos that will keep you more entertained, and you’ll actually learn something this one.