25 months of wearing the 19 oz. LEE 101Z by King-Yu Yiu
King-Yu Yiu, a London based high-fashion designer, got on our radar a few years ago by wearing his previous fading project beyond its limits. Ever since we have been following his account with great interest, and we have become #instafriends, by sharing a passion for denim and indigo.
25 months ago, King-Yu Yiu started with a fresh pair of heavyweight denim, trying to match, or even outrun, his former performance. Trying to create the sickest fades we’ve ever seen, and wear this pair for more than 3,5 years. Looking at the first 25 months, we are pretty sure that he will squeeze all life out of this pair.
We decided to display a part of the conversation we had with King-Yu about his findings of the 19 oz. LEE 101z. After reading our interview with Mr. King Denimfader himself, make sure to follow him on Instagram and to follow the rest of his journey in the 19 oz. LEE 101z
Robin Denim: King, congratulations with the two-year mark. How’s the 19 oz. LEE 101Z holding up?
King-Yu Yiu: Many thanks! Time flies by incredibly fast…but so far so good, the shades have really shown up as we’ve all witnessed and now in the coming year there will be a lot more repairs required; especially along the whiskering no doubt! The fabric is becoming very slubby and weaves generally opening up over time. However not as much as my previous 23oz pair – as mentioned in our first interview “the heavier the denim, the faster it wears.”
– as mentioned in our first interview “the heavier the denim, the faster it wears.”
Robin Denim: What is your favorite part of the jeans?
The favorite part at the moment would be the honeycombs – the highs and lows of contrasting indigo shades, the form and definition are always incredible to see. Another part I always like is what’s underneath the rolled cuffs! Unraveling it from time to time, I love the degrade from the original raw denim to what’s been faded – the gradual “dip dye” look effect is stunning to see. Not to mention the (STILL) virgin buttonhole…!
Robin Denim: Looking at the photos, you’ve done several repairs. Who did the repairs, and which do you like most?
By my local tailor down the road! She’s fantastic and has been extremely patient over the years, even though she broke quite a few broken needles! She has a good eye for detail, and we’ve been working together for almost a decade since moving into London. Although there are plenty more artists/repair masters with whom I would like to collaborate in the upcoming future.
Favorite parts would be just below my back pockets – always love the top-stitching in a random order; raw and organic, exactly how it should be done.
Robin Denim: After two years, I can imagine that the jeans is starting to fall apart. Is there still some life in it?
So long my tailor can repair and re-patch as much as she can – there’s always life even for the most worn pair of jeans!
Robin Denim: You have been wearing your previous for 3,5 years, are you planning to beat this record?
Without a doubt, until the very, very end!
Robin Denim: Do you already have eyes on a new fading project?
Good question, I have been thinking well in advance about this but one thing for sure I would like to wear in is a pair of looser / relaxed straight silhouette fit – the previous two have been regulars so would like to see the effects for myself. Who knows, maybe I’ll collaborate with a manufacturer and start to wear in a “King-Yu Yiu” pair! It’s part of my long-term plan to start a small capsule collection. If not, would need a very good hunt and try on a few pairs!
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