STUDIO D'ARTISAN

Studio D'Artisan is playful. Their classic patch has two pigs either side of Mount Fuji, a cute homage to Levis and the two workhorses either side of a pair of jeans. Playful is one way to describe Studio D’Artisan. Serious player is another.

Founded in Osaka in 1979 by Shigeharu Tagaki, Studio D'Artisan is the oldest of the Osaka Five and still one of the leaders of the Japanese denim world, with an equally legitimate claim to be one of the founding fathers of Japanese “America Casual”.

They were the first to use deadstock hardware from the US and the first to perfect Hank Dyeing which renders a deeper penetration of the indigo dye, characterised by a “streaking effect” and a longer fading life.

The Zimbabwean cotton is soft. It gives the jeans an immediately personal feel. Fades appear to be a cross between high-contrast and the classic soft patina of Americana yesteryear. In Studio D’Artisan you feel like you’re dealing with origins. They do things right. Attention to detail is immaculate, and always authentic.

The current president of the company is Yoshinori Fujikawa.