They are then rinsed in water and dried before repeating the process. The jeans are hand-immersed one by one for a few hours in basins containing the Akane ferment. Like with any other natural tint, Akane is not a strong dye, so a single soak is not enough. The jeans were shipped from the sewing factory to a dyeing workshop in a different place (still inside Okayama prefecture) to proceed with the overdye. This process takes a long time, since no chemical products are used to prevent damage to the cotton fibres. Thanks to this, as we explained earlier, the denim feels very soft and much lighter than any other 16.5oz jean. To achieve this the Tanuki people did an enzyme wash that removes all the starch and significantly relaxes the fabric. Before tinting with Akane, the fabric had to be softened so that it would properly absorb the pigments. To obtain this result in terms of both colour and texture, this was the process followed: We have been testing our Homura jeans for several weeks in the heat of Madrid and can state that this is a great choice to wear throughout the year. They’ll look great not only with boots in the colder months but also with your sneakers in warm weather. These 16.5oz jeans seem far lighter than they actually are they are also highly breathable, making them ideal for every month of the year. As many of you know, Red Cast fabric is 100% cotton (Australian and Texas blend). But nothing could be further from the truth. It is so comfortable that, when worn, it feels like a stretch jean.
![otus1 oni x tanuki otus1 oni x tanuki](https://cdn.weasyl.com/static/media/0e/58/6c/0e586c46ae60f917bb425e026c892ea4f7de9cc69100392285a67c6b666c12cf.png)
This Homura is a 16.5oz jean that when worn may feel like 13oz. After many overdye tests we observed that not only did it perfectly capture the Akane, but after the whole overdye process the fabric became much softer, retaining its character but with a totally different result, much softer and comfortable and with a greater feeling of lightness and ease. The Tanuki team chose several jeans in Red Cast fabric and started to experiment. It is a very special fabric, very hairy, with great texture and slub. We started out from one of our favourite fabrics, not only as regards the brand but also all Japanese denim. Quite often basic fabrics are used for overdye jeans, but that was not the case here. We have achieved the ideal colour for a fabric that could not be a better representative of our shop’s name and the culture of both countries.Īfter months of much testing to achieve the desired colour and texture after overdyeing, we chose the Tanuki Red Cast fabric. Doing the overdye with too strong and synthetic a dye would have been too striking, but by doing it with Akane we have obtained a perfect result: a very natural wine-coloured red that is so reminiscent of the great Spanish wines –which we happen to be passionate about– as well as of the country of the rising sun. We liked the idea of doing the garment overdye on the jeans instead of on the yarn so that all parts of the jeans would turn red, not only the fabric but also the seams, pockets, selvedge, labels, etc. Producing jeans and then soaking them one by one in Akane in their respective baths, then rinsing and drying them, would involve a lengthy and laborious process but the result would be unbeatable. The idea of overdye quickly came into our heads. Such a natural and beautiful red colour is not obtained with any other plant or sediment furthermore, the Japanese are knowledgeable about this dye like nobody else and have been dyeing with Akane for hundreds of years (since the Edo period). Akane (Madder plant) was the favoured candidate from the get-go. We did not want to go as far as an artificial red, so the path to follow was to experiment with natural dyes. Many Japanese call Redcast or Red Cast fabrics the “true denim”.Īfter a bit of brainstorming we arrived at the idea of making a fabric with that reddish, almost purple indigo hue in the warp and a very natural wine tone in the weft. It is a rather unusual but much appreciated fabric by denim devotees. Like may of you will know, Redcast is a type of denim with a reddish indigo hue. Right from the start we liked the idea of doing something that would enhance the name of our shop.
![otus1 oni x tanuki otus1 oni x tanuki](http://mydoggywash.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PIPPA-768x432.jpg)
Whenever we get together we spend hours and hours talking not just about clothes but also about many other things and we usually agree on everything, so we knew that a collaboration with them would lead to jeans of which both parties would be very proud. We admire Tanuki’s work and love their philosophy and how their mixture of tradition and modernity go hand in hand. We met in person around 2018 and ever since, at each one of our meetings, we have been mulling over the idea of doing something together. Tanuki was one of the first brands to put their trust in us, making it possible to give life to Redcast almost four years ago.