Redcast Heritage partners with Tanuki for an exclusive ‘Akane’ overdye
The Spanish premium denim webstore Redcast Heritage and Japanese denim powerhouse Tanuki teamed up to create something which was never done before. After a long and time-consuming process, and hours of testing and shaping, the two managed to create the most unique coloured weft jeans we’ve ever witnessed.
The first collaboration between Redcast Heritage and Tanuki is called ‘Homura’ (炎), entitled ‘burns with a blue flame’, and is featuring a unique and very natural wine-coloured red that is so reminiscent of the great Spanish wines as well as of the country of the rising sun. The two wanted to collaborate to offer something different, something special, and something entirely made in Japan, well; they have succeeded!
Keep reading to find out all the details about the Redcast Heritage x Tanuki Akane Overdyed Slim Straight Jeans, or go straight to the Redcast Heritage webstore. Please keep in mind that the collaboration is only produced in a limited edition of just 100 pieces, and will only be available while stocks last. Once it’s gone, it’s gone!
The Team Up
Although Redcast Heritage is relatively young – they’ve started in 2018 – the store built an impressive reputation for itself. Next to offering some of the greatest and hard-to-get denim brands, specifically from Japan, owners Isabel and Eduardo are having excellent relationships with some of the masterminds behind these brands. The collaboration with Tanuki, same as the team-up with ONI denim from last year, proves again that Redcast Heritage is highly valued by some of the most sought-after denim brands in the world.
Originating from Okayama, Japan, Tanuki is a collective of experienced craftsmen and is built on a foundation of knowledge and passion for denim. The brand has made a name for itself by designing well-balanced contemporary fits, and incredible denim fabrics, which have become popular across the world in the blink of an eye. Tanuki’s knowledge and experience in making denim fabrics, is making them push the boundaries of denim production time after time, allowing them to release one bestseller after another.
For their first collaboration together, Redcast Heritage liked the idea of creating something that would enhance the name of their shop. They decided to start experimenting from zero, and they managed to create something truly unique..
The 16.5 oz. ‘Akane’ Overdye Denim
When Redcast Heritage and Tanuki spoke about their first collaboration, they decided that the path to follow was experimenting with natural dyes. Akane (Madder plant) was the favored candidate from the get-go and the idea of an overdye was quickly decided. Despite the lengthy process of overdyeing the jeans one by one is very time-consuming and labor intensive, the two chose this specific method because the result is unbeatable!
After testing multiple denim fabrics, the Tanuki Red Cast fabric showed itself to be the ideal base. But, before tinting with Akane, the fabric had to be softened so that it would properly absorb the dye, which has been achieved by an enzyme wash. The jeans are then hand-immersed one by one for a few hours in basins containing the Akane ferment. After, the jeans are rinsed in water and dried before repeating the process. Like with any other natural tint, Akane is not a strong dye and a single soak is not enough for a intense color, so the process is repeated a few times for each pair of jeans. This involved a lot of time and dedication but resulted in a weft showing a color similar to a good red wine in tone and depth, and for its part the warp has a gorgeous deep indigo tone with natural reddish nuances that will fade to high contrast blue with red undertones.
The result of the wash and overdye is that the 16.5 oz. denim fabric did not only capture the Akane dye perfectly, it also made the fabric much softer, retaining its character but with a totally different result – much softer and comfortable and with a greater feeling of lightness.
Redcast Heritage x Tanuki Homura (炎)
For the occasion of the very first collaboration, Redcast Heritage and Tanuki developed a slim straight silhouette, featuring a mid rise, a fairly slim thigh and practically no taper from the knee downwards. Another detail which was custom designed for the collaboration is the natural vegetable thick cowhide leather patch featuring the special design for the collaboration: an Akane plant branching out against the rising sun. Furthermore the jeans is featuring signature Tanuki details including the embroidered Tanuki logo on the back pockets, and custom copper buttons and hardware.
Here’s a breakdown of the details in full:
- 16.5oz unsanforized Japanese Akane Overdye selvedge jeans. It has been rinsed several times during the overdye, so expect no further shrinkage
- 100% cotton (Texas and Australian blend)
- Akane (madder plant) overdyed
- Mid-rise
- Slim straight
- Slubby, irregular & hairy texture
- Low-tension woven
- Embroidered Tanuki Logo, two lines near the right back pocket
- Heavy-duty bar tacks
- Tanuki custom copper buttons and hardware
- Hidden rivet pockets
- Selvedge hidden coin pocket
- Japanese extra-durable herringbone cotton-lined front pockets
- Raised belt loops
- Custom vegetable tanned cowhide leather collab patch (sewn at the end)
- Made in Kojima, Japan, by Japanese denim craftsmen
- Limited to 100 pairs
The Redcast Heritage x Tanuki Akane Overdyed Slim Straight Jeans is limited to only 100 pairs and comes at a price of €315. The jeans will be available from Friday 24 June 2022 until stock lasts. Head over to Redcast Heritage for more information about the jeans or to place an order for an exclusive pair of jeans made by an iconic Japanese denim brand and one of Europe’s finest denim stores!
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