Denham, a Dutch Jean manufacturer in Amsterdam, celebrates its 10th anniversary since its establishment. While there is a lull in the premium denim market, Denham's fan base is growing, but not decreasing. Hiroaki Negishi, president of Denham Japan, welcomes people who have a close relationship with Denham, and in the first installment of this series of interviews, we will be joined by Yuji Ota, editor-in-chief of the men's fashion magazine "Oceans" to find out the secrets behind the brand's success.
Born in 1972, he is the President and Representative Director of Denham Japan. After graduating from university, he worked in various industries in fashion companies, and later became a founding member of Glamour Sales, where he served as COO. 2011, he was appointed President and Representative Director of Denham The Jean Maker Japan, and has also served as Brand Director of Denham's home country since 2002.
Yuji Ohta
Editor-in-Chief of Oceans magazine. born in 1972. After graduating from college, he joined a tire manufacturer, where he worked as a sales representative in the overseas department before moving into the editorial world. In 2001, he joined "Leon" as a founding member and moved to "Oceans" in 2006. 2008-present.
Denham made the Shibukage generation roar.
First of all, Mr. Ota, can you tell us about your fashion history before you came to Denham?
pointy rice fieldThe first step was when I stole a copy of my older brother's "Popeye". I was in the fifth or sixth grade. I was in the middle of the "Shibu-Kaja" generation, and soon after that, I discovered the appeal of denim. My first denim was Levi's®, which I bought when I was in the eighth grade. I have worn many different denim styles, but the only denim that has remained in my wardrobe is from specialized brands. But the brand I wear most often now is Denham.
Pictured is Jason Denham, owner of Denham.
The brand is a regular contributor to Oceans magazine, and until recently there was a Series on the owner, Jason Denham. What attracted you to it so much?
pointy rice fieldAlready, the thought that goes into denim is amazing. "THE TRUTH IS IN THE DETAILS". The fabric, sewing, construction, and attention to detail is out of the ordinary. The best example is the darts.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoUntil then, it was said that denim (5-pocket) could no longer create new designs. Jason stepped into Sanctuary and effortlessly created his own unique design. This is a man who has honed his cutting skills under Joe Caisley Hayford.
pointy rice fieldThe silhouette is much more beautiful with the darts. Especially, you will fall in love with the back style.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoWhile I am not sure if I am being too forward, I don't think there are many places that do this kind of serious craftsmanship. This is a slim-fit standard called "Razor," which we have been making since 2012. It's realistic, isn't it? Jason has faithfully reproduced the vintage style down to the number of threads and angles.
Razor" is a slim-fit classic that has been in production since the 2012 Spring/Summer season. All processes, from denim production to finishing, are done in Japan. As Mr. Ota says, the realistic damage processing is worth seeing. 66,000+TAX
pointy rice fieldSo is the way the colors are dropped. This crispness is one of the most impressive. The yellow stains are also in good condition. In fact, Denham has a specialist in damage processing. Mr. Kikkawa, who lives in Hong Kong and has worked on denim for numerous brands, has known Jason for 20 years.
Jason is a very Japanese man. He is very studious. I once had the opportunity to interview him at his headquarters in Amsterdam, where he had a huge number of vintage items in his atelier and a collection of Japanese fashion magazines. If a customer is wearing a pair of denim that has aged beautifully, he will make an overture to exchange it for a new pair (laughs).
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoJason once told me, "I may look European, but I am Japanese. I may look European, but I am Japanese. You look Japanese, but you are European inside.
The man who quadrupled the sales of the Daikanyama store.
I heard that sales have increased significantly since you became involved. Although Mr. Negishi has been in the fashion field for a long time and was once involved in a denim brand, he is not a hard worker with a bias toward threads. Despite this, he had quadrupled his sales in less than a year.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoThe first clue came when he asked me if I wanted to increase sales at the Denham Daikanyama store. I told him I needed the key for that, and he gave it to me. That was the beginning.
Anyway, I stood outside the store and made contact with people on the street. If I found someone I was interested in, I looked for a way to strike up a conversation. There was no special remedy for this.
The Daikanyama store is the second Denham store in the world, following the one in Amsterdam, Denham's home country. The owner, Jason Denham, first encountered Japan through denim, and Japan has become the most important country for him.
It is a down-to-earth and honest style that would make the gods of business happy. And now, he is known in the European industry as the man who sells denim priced over 50,000 yen the most in the world.
pointy rice fieldAnd so it began with the handwashing service. Look outside the store. You see the staff washing hands today. No one had ever done such a thing before. This is the eaves of an eel restaurant. Passersby are interested and come into the store. Mr. Negishi continued to wash without a break, even on winter days when his hands were numb and on days like today when the sun was blazing hot. I feel his love for denim. Although he is not on the sales floor as often as he used to be these days, patrolling the store is still his daily routine. He is a very hands-on person, isn't he?
Free wash service at a storefront. The road that serves as a washboard is bleached white from years of exposure to detergent. Consistently, three to four bottles are brought in daily, and this past weekend they counted 15.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoMy work with the ams starts in the evening, so I can make time to go to the store during the day.
That kind of passion of Mr. Negishi's permeates every corner of the store. (Pointing outside the store) I heard that the gallery is staffed by Denham Japan staff. I heard that almost all of them came to listen to this interview.
pointy rice fieldThere is no end to the stories that can be told about our commitment to craftsmanship. We all have the knowledge and passion to meet these demands.
cliff along the shore of a river in Niseko City, HokkaidoIt's best to let people wear them because they are inspired and like them.
pointy rice fieldDenham is a brand that has an excellent sense of balance in all aspects, and is the opposite of self-indulgent denim. And although it is expensive, it is a brand that gives you a sense of satisfaction that is well worth it.
