Edwin or often capitalized, EDWIN, is a Japanese clothing brand founded in 1947 as 'Tsunemi Yonehachi shop'. Edwin Co. Ltd., (株式会社エドウイン) mainly focuses on jeans manufacture. Their most popular line of clothing is the 503 jeans model which was first sold in 1997. The company has flagship concept stores in Japan in Harajuku, Tokyo and Minami-Horie, Osaka.
Established in Tokyo in 1947 (originally named 常見米八商店) the EDWIN brand is known for its authenticity, innovation and craftsmanship. Founder Tsunemi Yonehachi was amongst the first merchants to bring vintage American jeans to Japan in the postwar era, setting off a national obsession with denim.
In 1961, inspired by a growing demand, EDWIN debuted the first Made in Japan jeans.
By the 1970s, EDWIN had established itself as a pioneer in denim manufacturing, experimenting with wash techniques in the EDWIN Wash House that impacted denim wash processes around the globe. Innovations included ONE WASH, a prewash process to eliminate shrinkage prior to purchase, and OLD WASH, a precursor to stone wash that reproduces faded colors through careful abrasion techniques for a lived-in denim look.
Today, EDWIN continues to set the gold standard in Japanese denim production, priding itself on the use of exclusive fabrics, revolutionary production technologies, state-of-the-art finishing and advancements in design and fit.
