Japan’s selvedge denim industry- spinning dyeing and weaving cotton to small scale workshops and garment makers

Australia’s manufacturing and textile industry has been in decline for the several decades with mills and factories closing or moving production offshore. For the past 70 years Japan has established a thriving local denim industry inspired by American selvedge denim from the 1940’s/50’s. The Fellow travelled to Japan to research different makers, manufactures and mills, focusing on traditional techniques, machinery and materials used to make denim garments. The report identifies key processes and learnings that can be implemented in the Fellows denim business Everwear Denim, as well as more broadly to regenerate a local Australian denim manufacturing and textile industry.