Sweden’s Indigofera is one of those brands that will probably never reach the mainstream; founders Mats Andersson and Johan Söderlund are simply not interested in making the short cuts it takes to move it up to the big league. And don’t get us wrong, this is exactly what we love about the brand. In our book, Indigofera stands for dedication and commitment to make the best, no bull shit jeans for die hard denim enthusiasts. Thomas Bojer caught up with Mats Andersson to discuss the loom state Japanese Shrink-to-Prima-Fit denim and the ideas that went into it.
So, you and Johan design and develop all fabrics and denims yourself. Could you tell our readers a little about the process of developing a denim?
In the case of our Shrink-to-Prima-Fit we worked with one of our Japanese mills that also produced the 100% natural indigo 16 oz. denim we did back in 2009. We wanted the character of 100% natural indigo in a fabric that could be slightly more accessible in terms of
Before and after a 2-hour soak. The jeans shrink up to 10% in length and 5% in waist. This is the regular ‘Clint’ fit.
Did you have any concerns about going into the shrink-to-fit market?
It is a real challenge to market a fabric like this. It’s only for the daring denim lovers. Maybe like a single malt with smokey character. It takes time and guts to appreciate it, but it gives you a more personalised fit in my opinion.
As with all Indigofera jeans, the Clint Shrink-to-Prima-Fit is sewn with cotton/polyester thread and has a chromed cow leather patch.
What are you most proud of with this denim?
I’m proud to have retailers supporting us by buying this fabric to show their customers what jeans can be about. Just getting it on the market is a big thing for us. The average denim customer would never buy it, it takes time, knowledge, guts and love for denim making to appreciate it.
I know you’ve been asked more than once before, but why is it that you don’t chain stitched the hems of your jeans?
We think the chain stitch adds beautiful character to a jean, and it’s a faster way hem compared to lock stitching, but we do not think it is the best way of sewing. If the thread breaks the chain unravels. This is one of the reason factories stopped using it.
The roping effect is an irregularity that I think looks beautiful, but it is really just a thing that couldn’t be controlled in production back in the days. As you have thread going in from one side the underlaying fabric is pulled along, which is what creates the tension and in the end roping effect. Potentially you could have the effect on a lock stitch if you don’t feed the fabric.
The Clint Shrink-to-Prima-Fit is available from selected Indigofera stockists including Pancho and Lefty.