Edwin was founded in 1947 in Tokyo by Mr. Tsunemi, a lover of classic American denim with distressed details. The company did not originally produce denim, but instead focused its resources on importing American jeans into Japan where they were unavailable, as there was no denim production in Japan at the time. These styles caused a sensation throughout Tokyo and Mr. Tsunemi saw an opportunity to grow Edwin into more than an import company. As the denim jeans trend spread throughout Japan , the country began to recognize the opportunity to move away from imported products and start producing denim. By 1953 the first Japanese-made jeans were available on the open market, however these did not match the quality of the US denim companies that had been perfecting the technique over the previous 80 years. Edwin came into the game in 1961, producing their first pair of commercially available jeans using the technique perfected by Mr. Tsunemi since 1947. Not content to produce just another pair of blue jeans, Edwin jeans were the heaviest in the world at 16 ounces and feature a rainbow selvedge that has become a signature detail for the company. The brand has grown from strength to strength over the next few decades and has been at the forefront of some of the most revolutionary new denim practices. In the early 1980s Edwin created the Old Wash style, closely followed by the stonewash technique. Both of these processes designed to create a worn-in denim look have become some of the most iconic and recognizable washes around. Following this success and growth, the brand began exporting their jeans worldwide in the 1970s and has grown to become one of the most iconic and respected denim companies globally. The brand has branched out to focus on the European market and release a range of apparel to perfectly complement their classic jeans. The brand is known for its iconic ED-55 and ED-80 fits and special rainbow selvedge produced on original Japanese looms. Discover the new Edwin collection now, graphic tees, overshirts and jeans can be found now at littleamericastore.com
