JELADO Manufacturing ~Vintage Denim~ Vol.4 "The DNA of the '501XX' woven with romance and science"

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~ "Black Tag". Now onto production ~

 

 

It has been several months since the discussion between Muroi, a key figure in the domestic denim industry, and JELADO's Goto.

(The conversation between the two isclick hereFrom)

This time, I was able to accompany the dyeing process of the new model of denim fabric "LAST RESORT", commonly known as the "black tag", so I would like to share with you what I saw.

 

First, let’s clarify the differences between the “LAST RESORT”, commonly known as the “white tag”, used on the 2020XX released in September 9, and the newly produced “black tag”.

 

 

 

 

The clear difference between the two fabrics is the era of the 501XX they were based on. The "white tag" is based on the 47's model known as the "late 50 model." The "black tag" is based on the 47's model known as the "early 40 model."

 

 

Both are made by dismantling and analyzing vintage deadstock owned by JELADO, but the number of threads in the warp and weft and the weave are the same as the previous model. The specific differences between the two models are the spinning (i.e. the yarn) and the dyeing.

(※ Regarding the manufacturing process of "white tags"click hereFrom)

 

 

I will not go into the details of the spinning process this time, but in order to express a more "rough" look than last time, the unevenness of the warp threads has been made even stronger, and the processing of the thread before dyeing has been deliberately omitted.

 

 

 

And then there's the dyeing. The "white tag" used on the 301XX was designed with a dyeing process that was designed to allow for good color fading and speed, but this time, under the guideline of making the deep blue color peculiar to vintage items more visible, the dyeing was carried out at a different factory than last time.

 

 

The process is followed below.

 

 

STEP.1 "Warping"

This is the process of turning a lump of yarn called "cheese" delivered from the spinning factory into a rope-like bundle of about 500 threads. The threads are set manually, and if a thread breaks, it is repaired by hand. It takes about three years of training to master this work.

 

 

By the way, the process of washing the thread with hot water, which was done when manufacturing the "White Tag", has been deliberately omitted. By not carrying out the preliminary process that is originally intended to stabilize the dyeing, the aim is to express the roughness that the "Black Tag" aims for.

 

 

STEP 2 "Dyeing"

The rope-shaped yarn is then dyed. As it is repeatedly dipped in indigo, the yarn gradually oxidizes and turns a deeper shade of blue, as you can see in the photo below.

 

 

The number of times the thread is dipped in the solution, the height of the dyeing machine to promote oxidation of the thread, the temperature of the indigo solution, etc. are all trade secrets. All I will mention here is that this time, "refining" was not performed, and the number of twists was increased to strengthen the unevenness of the thread, which made it difficult for the color to penetrate the thread, and so the thread was dipped in the indigo solution more times than usual.

 

 

The cross section of the dyed yarn is shown below. As a result of precise calculations by skilled craftsmen, they have succeeded in creating a white center, where the core is not dyed all the way through.

 

 

STEP 3 "Separation"

After dyeing, the yarn goes through a process called "splitting" and is then pre-wound onto a beam (like a giant bobbin). By making the tension of the yarn more uniform here, the reliability and efficiency of the subsequent processes is improved.

 

 

STEP 4 "Sizing"

After this, the warp threads are glued to give them a smooth texture before they are woven into the loom in a process called "sizing." At this time, the white threads on both sides of the fabric, which are unique to selvedge denim, are also glued. Incidentally, the distinctive scent of denim comes from this process.

 

 

Below is the warp thread after sizing is complete. Even when you look at the photo, you can see that it has become firmer and more resilient.

 

 

My Feelings, Then and Now

After dyeing, the yarn is then woven on a Toyota Industries Corporation G3 shuttle loom, just like the "white tag" of "LAST RESORT."

 

 

And here is the finished "black tag" of "LAST RESORT". Can you see that the surface of the fabric is fuzzier, the back has more nap, and the blue is darker than the "white tag"?

 

 

The 501XX is an intricate reproduction of the 47XX "late '301 model" deadstock owned by JELADO, using the "white tag" of "LAST RESORT". And the "47E XX" is a reproduction of the "early '301 model" using the "black tag".

 

 

The former is a smart denim that is committed to beauty and is also conscious of the speed of fading, while the latter is a rougher denim that takes the texture unique to vintage denim a step further.

 

 

Additionally, the pattern for the "301XX" was taken from a larger size pair of jeans, resulting in a deep rise and a modern silhouette, whereas the pattern for the "301E XX" was extracted from a 32-inch pair of jeans, resulting in a shallow rise and a sleeker silhouette.

 

 

The "301E XX" is scheduled for release in October 2022.

stay tuned! !

 

 

<Text by Kobo Tagata, Photos by Sawada Seiji>

 

 

 

JELADO original denim line Last Lesort productsclick here