Many of you probably have heard of indigo, the little green plant that gives denim its deep blue colour. The tradition of indigo dyeing originated in Japan - in the 17th century - and was back then already used by Samurai. Nowadays, most jeans are dyed with synthetic indigo, due to cost and time efficiency. However, the natural indigo dyeing process is still kept in tact in places like Tokushima, Japan. This small town in the shadow of Osaka is home to one of the most artisanal factories of the country. The footage below pays homage to this precise and delicate business. It gives an insight in the application of old techniques and highlights the advantages of dyeing with natural indigo. Did you know for instance natural indigo refrains your jeans from becoming smelly and dirty?

We truly love this vintage production method and therefore cut our latest Pablo Stone Blue from naturally dyed denim cloth from the Nihon Menpu denim mill. Based in Okayama, Nihon Menpu are experts in this particular field of play. Moreover, denim dyed with natural indigo has a deeper blue hue, and maintains its colour for a longer time as the dye gets deeper into the cotton fibre. Natural indigo dyeing is more time consuming as the process has to be repeated more often for the desired result. Generally speaking, this is the reason jeans made from natural indigo dyed denim are more costly compared to synthetically dyed counterparts. What you get in return is a pair of jeans that is resistant to dirt, odour and will age even more distinctively. As you can see in the pictures of our newest Pablo, the colour of the denim is slightly lighter blue. What you cannot see, but will most definitely feel, the denim is stiffer compared to synthetically dyed denim. The Pablo Stone Blue is made in a limited run of only 50 pairs, and is finished with a tonal, light blue selvedge. It has a straight leg and a button fly. Part of our 9-year anniversary celebration, this pair of jeans is an investment that will be with you for a long time. Love indigo, love jeans, and check out the Pablo Stone Blue below.