Japanese denim is known throughout the world for its superb colouring and quality. The Bichu-Bingo region located in the south-western region of Honshu, Japan is supporting this worldwide phenomenon. Three companies from the region, SAKAMOTO DENIM CO., LTD., SANYO SENKO CO., LTD., and SHINOHARA TEXTILE CO., LTD. will exhibit at Milano Unica in February 2020 as a team formed under the banner of the JAPAN DENIM brand owned by the fashion boutique PARIGOT (Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture). The three-company team will show off the latest developments of the unique evolution that defines Japanese denim.

SAKAMOTO DENIM①, a rope dyeing specialist, will present the history of indigo dyeing in the Bichu-Bingo region, and highlights of its production process, including its own in-house developed rope dyeing machine. The company will also showcase its sustainable manufacturing system. Using electrolyzed water in its uniquely assembled ecological dyeing system allows SAKAMOTO DENIM to greatly reduce its use of chemicals and detergents. SAKAMOTO DENIM will also exhibit denim textiles made from organic cotton, hemp and the cotton-like kapok fabric, as well as a true indigo-dyed selvedge denim developed in collaboration with SHINOHARA TEXTILE.

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SANYO SENKO② is a specialist in fabric dyeing, and their stepped-down discharge printing technique, which creates a denim with a sophisticated gradation of colour, has garnered wide praise, having attracted enormous attention at the 2019 Milano Unica. SANYO SENKO’s newly developed “Biggie Processing” imparts a vintage look to denim while reducing the use of chemicals. SANYO SENKO will exhibit a number of denim textiles with a vintage look, including a faded effect created by washing the textile after it has been coated in pigment.

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The textile maker SHINOHARA TEXTILE③ is also enhancing its line-up of sustainable products. The company produces bespoke yarn made with Fair Trade Burkina Faso cotton for its selvedge denim, which sports a rough, vintage look. SHINOHARA TEXTILE will also exhibit an extensive line-up of the TENCEL® denim textiles it has produced for many years to wide acclaim. The company will also showcase its PILE DENIM and products from its POLYORI series, a textile with a wide range of uses made from recycled pre-dyed short-fibre polyester fluff.

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