DENIMandPATCHES

The U.S. is among the top cotton-producing countries globally, and American growers lead the world in responsible agriculture and land stewardship.

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Heavyweight Flannels, American Selvedge, and Finally Celebrating DH15

Every autumn, I rediscover the same handful of heavy flannels in my wardrobe.

The old favourites go straight back into rotation without a second thought, which actually makes adding new ones surprisingly hard. (Not that I need more anyway.)

But there’s one heavyweight ombré that’s been making a pretty good case for itself. That’s where we start with this issue.

This Flannel Could Join My Rotation

I’ve had my eye on SOSOBROTHERS’ flannels for a while, but I’ve never owned one.

With flannel season back, I took a closer look at why one of them really deserves a place beside the shirts I already reach for every autumn.

40 More Prizes From Year Five

We’ve already covered the Indigo Invitational Year Five winners, but 40 sponsor prizes were still waiting to be handed out.

Bryan’s final wrap-up is about the people normal rankings didn’t catch—from personal style and repairs to photography, family participation and both finishers who made it through the year in 40 oz. denim.

Weirloom is in there too: Sven Bauer, tied for sixth in Re(Pair), won a pair of my jeans, and Marcel Schorro—who competed in Weirlooms—was recognised for his excellent and very personal repair work.

See who won all the spot prizes here →

Things Worth Your Attention

A lot of good stuff didn’t make the cut this week. These five did:

• Amsterdam denim week – Four straight denim days: Kingpins runs Wednesday—Thursday, then Denim Days follows Friday—Saturday. I’m there Thursday through Saturday.
• Mount Vernon Mills selvedge – I’m already in touch with them, and 45 historic Draper shuttle looms are now weaving in Georgia. They’re getting plenty of coverage already, and I know one of the brands getting the first production is a popular LA-based name I feature regularly.
• Gustin Japan Indigo 23 – If 23 oz. Japanese selvedge sounds like a sensible autumn choice to you, this has the dense weave and stiff, leathery hand you’d expect at that weight.
• Redcast Heritage update – Whitesville’s two-pack tees are fully restocked, John Lofgren’s Military Desert Boots have landed in three colours, and ONI has a new 8 oz. selvedge chino cloth plus the high-rise 271 Just Right Straight.
• Franklin & Poe leather – Two 1930s-style jackets landed this week: Attractions’ tea-core horsehide Lot 379 and The Flat Head’s deerskin Sunset Trail, both strongly rooted in 1930s motorcycle-jacket design.

DH15 Is Coming to Brund

Denimhunters turns 15 this year, but I still haven’t celebrated it. That changes on 5 November, when we’re getting people together at Brund in Copenhagen.

I’ve worked at the shop almost since the beginning of Denimhunters, and I’ve been part of plenty of events there over the years—including the Weirloom pop-up they let me do last year.

So hosting DH15 anywhere else would be weird. We’ll also use the evening to launch a special Weirloom x Heimat collaboration.

If Copenhagen is within reach, keep the afternoon free and come say hi 🤗

From the Archive – How to Get Sick Fades

An old one worth revisiting this week: what actually creates strong raw-denim fades, and why wear, washing and real life matter more than blindly following a six-month rule.

The post Flannel Season Is Finally Here—and I Want Another One appeared first on Denimhunters.

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L’AGENCE Spring 2027 puts polished, feminine denim in the spotlight. Their Spring 2027 collection is fused with a blend of Los Angeles ease and Parisian sophistication.

Are you looking for a more sophisticated and elegant denim look? But without giving up on trend, then L’AGENCE is the right brand for you. You can find relaxed and slim silhouettes, bootcut, low-rise, and even cropped styles.

The washes are mainly in a clean, vintage-y medium blue without distressing, just some slight fading on the front of the legs.

L’AGENCE’s key denim trends:

High-rise wide-leg jeans – the Clayton Wide-Leg Jean is a standout reference. It features a high waist, a long, wide leg and comes in many different colors.

Vintage-inspired washes – faded blue denim brings a relaxed, lived-in quality to the collection, while the styling remains refined.

Denim with sophisticated tailoring – L’AGENCE’s signature combination of jeans with fitted jackets, elegant blouses and polished accessories makes denim feel appropriate beyond casual dressing.

Find the best denim looks for Spring 2027 in our gallery below.

You can shop for the current L’AGENCE collection on the brand’s website, at Bloomingdale’s, and at Saks Fifth Avenue.

The post L’AGENCE Spring 2027 – Denim Elegance first appeared on Denimology.

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Three Shirt Styles, Made-to-Order Sizing, and a New Colourway Inspired by Swedish Autumn

I have a type when it comes to flannels: ombré. I like how the colours bleed into each other instead of sitting in hard blocks.

So the ombrés in my own rotation are the ones I keep reaching for, and I’ve had my eye on a few of SOSOBROTHERS’ heavyweight flannels.

Plenty of brands already make excellent heavyweight flannels, including ombrés. But if you’re spending this kind of money on a shirt, a heavy fabric in a good-looking check isn’t enough. There’s got to be a reason to choose one over all the other very good options.

So I’m looking at the three things that set these apart: the fabric, the choice between the three styles, and the made-to-order measurements. The new brown adds another dimension by dropping the weight to 12.5 oz.

Flannels Had to Catch Up With Denim

SOSOBROTHERS launched its first heavyweight ombré flannel in 2024. Before that, the flannel shirts were lighter, even as the denim range was getting progressively heavier.

Johan, co-founder of the brand, says that mismatch was the reason to rethink the shirts. The brand went back to its partner mills and developed a heavier fabric, using Australian cotton from its proprietary denim programme spun into 7s yarn.

The first colour was blue, followed by red and green. The experiment did not stay small for long: SOSOBROTHERS later described the heavyweight flannels as its most popular shirting fabrics by a wide margin.

Purple and yellow followed, turning the heavier fabric into a proper range. The current 13.5 oz. shirts now have as much going on in the cloth as they do in the colour.

Look Closer at the Check

Look past the ombré colour and the cloth is woven in herringbone, with a fine zigzag running underneath the check instead of a flat grid.

Then it’s brushed on both sides. The inside is softer, while the face keeps more texture. So the pattern is doing two things at once: colour across the surface and herringbone underneath it.

The shirts use YKK hardware, Coats heavy-duty thread and chainstitched seams. But choosing the fabric still does not tell you what shirt you are buying. The same cloth can become three different styles.

Pick the Shirt, Then “Fix” the Fit

Buying the fabric does not lock you into one design. The Western gets pointed yokes; the Work gets work-style chest pockets; the Mechanic gets open chest pockets with a pen-holder slot. All three are regular fits with rounded hems.

Then the made-to-order system kicks in. Sleeve length can still be adjusted at no extra charge. Shirt length, chest, and shoulder changes are $20 each.

The point is not to customise for the sake of it. If the stock measurements work, leave them alone. If the sleeves are always short, add length. If the body is right but the chest is not, change the chest instead of sizing up the whole shirt.

That is where the system earns its keep: one bad measurement no longer forces a compromise everywhere else. Longer arms do not have to mean a baggier chest.

Most of my own flannels are standard sizes, and I would not change measurements that already work. The value here is having the option when they do not.

All the flannels are sanforized and pre-shrunk, but Johan says they can still shrink by up to around 1 inch depending on water, wash cycle, spin and heat. If you adjust the measurements, you need to allow for that yourself; no shrinkage allowance is added automatically. If you are between standard sizes, Johan recommends sizing up.

The trade-off is time. SOSOBROTHERS currently quotes up to seven weeks for production, although shirts ship earlier when they are finished sooner. If you need one for a particular date, order accordingly.

Brown Changes the Formula

The newest brown ombré is inspired by autumn in northern Sweden. It also breaks the 13.5 oz. pattern: at 12.5 oz., the fabric is one ounce lighter than purple, yellow and green.

The weave stays the same. The reason for dropping the weight was comfort: SOSOBROTHERS wanted to make the flannel easier to wear and bring it to a wider audience without taking it out of heavyweight territory.

The brown is also double-brushed on the outside. Johan says the extra brushing gives it enough substance that you won’t notice the one-ounce drop in weight.

The current range is purple, green, yellow and brown. Red remains available only through the Shirt Builder while it’s being discontinued. All four current colours are available through both the MTO shop and the Builder. Brown itself is available as Western, Work and Mechanic.

The ombré is what gets my attention. The ability to choose the shirt and then fix the measurements is what makes this range more than a fabric story.

The post Heavyweight Ombré Flannels, Made to Order Your Way appeared first on Denimhunters.

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22 – 23 September 2026 | The Platz, COEX, Seoul, Republic of Korea

First Denim Show In Korea

Denimsandjeans Korea held its inaugural edition on 22 – 23 September 2026 at The Platz, COEX, Seoul, bringing together denim and apparel companies, brands, sourcing professionals, designers, students and industry specialists from Korea and international markets.

The two-day event combined a B2B sourcing exhibition with industry discussions, design presentations, a student denim design competition, a curated trend presentation and a hands-on Korean denim workshop.

The first Korea edition brought together companies and industry participants from Korea, Vietnam, China, Türkiye, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, with the exhibition presenting fabrics, garments and other solutions relevant to the upcoming SS28 and AW27 product directions.

Rather than focusing only on denim as a finished fashion product, the programme looked at the wider relationship between materials, sourcing, design, technology, functionality and changing consumer lifestyles.

VISITOR & BUYER PROFILE

D&J Korea brought together Korean and international professionals involved in sourcing, design, product development, retail and fashion businesses.

The visitor profile included Korean and International fashion brands, retailers, sourcing organisations, buying houses, design teams and industry professionals looking at denim fabrics, garments, washes, finishes, functional materials and related supply-chain solutions.

Selected buyer, brand and sourcing organisations represented among the registered visitors included:

LF Sourcing , Hansae, Shinsung , Tongsang, Shingsae, B.CAVE / LEE Korea, GUESS Korea , E-Land Retail, Kolon F&C , Musinsa , DI Dong-Il, Homeplus, Li & Fung, Mango , Hugo Boss , Bestseller, Edwin , MCM Worldwide and many more brands

The international presence added a sourcing dimension to the event, connecting Korean fashion and sourcing professionals with companies from several major denim and apparel manufacturing markets.

INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN REPRESENTATION

The exhibition brought together companies from across Asia and other important denim-producing regions.

Participating companies represented markets including:

Korea | Vietnam | China | Türkiye | Pakistan | Bangladesh | India

The supply-chain representation covered a broad range of product and production capabilities, including denim fabrics, apparel, materials, accessories and manufacturing solutions.

This allowed visitors to review different sourcing options within a single setting and compare developments across markets.

OPENING OF D&J KOREA

The inaugural edition opened on 22 September with Stanley Hwang, CEO & Managing Director of TCE Denim, joining the event as Chief Guest.

The opening marked the beginning of the two-day programme, which brought together the international denim and apparel industry with Korean designers, students, sourcing professionals and fashion industry representatives.

The opening programme was followed by industry sessions examining the changing relationship between denim, performance, design and lifestyle.

INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS & KNOWLEDGE SESSIONS

The conference programme focused on several questions currently relevant to denim and apparel development.

Activewear vs. Denim: Friends or Foe?

The first panel examined the relationship between denim and activewear, particularly around comfort, movement, functionality and changing consumer expectations.

The discussion featured:

Daniel Ou – Chief Product Officer, 2XU, Australia
Daeun – Founder & Creative Director, 2000Archives & 2000Atelier Kyndof Inc., Korea
Bong-Seok Gwon – CEO, BLR, Korea

The session was moderated by:

Yeo Kim – EVP, Global Head of Design, Li & Fung, Hong Kong.

The discussion considered how ideas traditionally associated with performance clothing are influencing denim design and how denim can respond to changing lifestyles.

Designed for Motion: What Denim Can Learn From the Way We Live

A presentation by Nikita Raman, Senior Designer, BOSS Womenswear, Germany, looked at the relationship between lifestyle and denim design.

The session considered how movement, everyday use and changing ways of living can influence the way denim products are designed, developed and worn.

Denim Decoded: The Art & Science of Fall 2027 Denim

On 23 September, Yeo Kim, EVP, Global Head of Design at Li & Fung, presented a session focused on the creative and technical thinking behind Fall 2027 denim directions.

The presentation connected trend forecasting with design, product development and sourcing considerations.

Who Designs Denim? The Designer or the Data?

The second major panel examined the relationship between data and creative decision-making in denim design.

The panel brought together:

Nikita Raman – Senior Designer, BOSS Womenswear, Germany
Jihyun Park – Chief Designer, Hansae MK / Buckaroo / The B Archive, Korea
Kelvin Wong – Division Manager of Denim, Li & Fung

The session was moderated by Daniel Ou, Chief Product Officer, 2XU.

The discussion considered whether data can help identify future consumer demand and how data-driven insights can work alongside the experience and judgement of designers.

KOREAN DENIM DIY WORKSHOP

The event also included a hands-on workshop led by Korean Denim Master Geon / Denim Tiger.

Inspired by the Korean Chuseok season, participants created their own Denim Chuseok Lucky Bag, drawing from the traditional Korean Bokjumeoni pouch.

The workshop offered visitors a different way to engage with denim, moving from industrial production and sourcing into craft, cultural reference and hands-on making.

The activity was open across both days of the event and provided an informal point of interaction between visitors and the wider denim community.

STUDENT DENIM DESIGN COMPETITION

A central part of the Korea programme was the D&J Korea Student Denim Design Competition, organised in collaboration with KTN News and supported by ATS International.

The competition brought together students from 13 Korean universities:

• Seoul National University
• Hanyang University
• Jeonbuk National University
• Chung-Ang University
• Hansei University
• Hongik University
• Sejong University
• University of Ulsan
• Korea University
• Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
• Yonsei University
• Sookmyung Women’s University
• Gyeonggi University of Science & Technology

Theme: Denim in Motion

The theme encouraged students to consider denim beyond its conventional use and explore how the material could respond to movement, comfort, performance, travel and versatility.

The student garments were displayed throughout both days of the exhibition, allowing visitors and industry professionals to view the work alongside commercial denim developments.

The students were guided by Jihyun Park, Chief Product Designer at Hansae MK for Buckaroo and The B Archive.

The judging panel included:

Jihyun Park – Hansae MK / Buckaroo / The B Archive
Daniel Sanchez – Head Designer, Mango, Spain
Nikita Raman – Senior Designer, BOSS Womenswear, Germany

The judging took place on 23 September.

The competition created a direct interaction between students, professional designers and the denim industry, giving emerging designers an opportunity to present their work in an industry exhibition environment.

DENIM TREND & DESIGN PRESENTATION

The D&J Korea Trend Area, “Future Surface: Denim Reimagined,” explored how denim is evolving through new surfaces, construction, functionality and colour. The six directions presented different approaches to the future of denim and were curated by Nikita Raman, Senior Denim Designer at Hugo Boss.

CONCLUSION

The inaugural Denimsandjeans Korea edition brought together three connected areas of the denim industry: sourcing, design and education.

The exhibition provided a meeting point between Korean buyers, brands, designers and sourcing professionals and an international group of denim and apparel companies.

The knowledge programme added a broader industry perspective, with discussions around performance, lifestyle, data, design and future denim directions. At the same time, the Student Denim Design Competition and Korean denim workshop brought students, designers and visitors into the programme through more practical and creative activities.

The first edition therefore combined the commercial purpose of a B2B sourcing exhibition with opportunities for knowledge exchange and design engagement.

For Denimsandjeans, the Seoul edition marked the introduction of the D&J platform to the Korean market and added Korea to its network of international denim industry events across Asia and other key sourcing markets.

UPCOMING SHOW DATES 2027

Egypt : 13-14 January, Intercontinental City Stars, Cairo

India : 28-29 April, The Lalit Ashok, Bangalore

Vietnam, Korea , Japan 2027 will be announced soon

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The 6397 Spring 2027 Ready-to-Wear Collection, debuted this past September. It is the brand’s very first runway show in its 13-year history since the 2013 launch

Spring 2027 is pretty relevant to the denim shift we’ve been posting about over the past few months. 6397’s artistic director, Lizzie Owens, continues with the brand’s understated New York wardrobe approach. But the jeans have some very specific proportions.

Relaxed and wide-leg jeans remain central. High-rise and mid-rise proportions coexist rather than one of them dominating. Clean, lived-in denim instead of heavily distressed jeans. Long lengths are important, particularly with wider legs. Vintage-inspired washes give the jeans an effortless, already-loved quality.

In this Spring 2027 collection 6397 shows how many different denim silhouettes can coexist.

You can check out the denim keylooks in our gallery below.

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40 Indigo Invitational Faders Who Have Earned Special Recognition (and a Little Something)

After nearly a month of voting and judging, the winners of Year Five of the Indigo Invitational have been awarded their prizes. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of rugged gear is now working its way to the twenty-five showcase winners.

After the dust had settled, there were 40 prizes from the competition’s sponsoring brands and retailers left over. Each year, the competition uses these prizes to recognise faders who distinguished themselves with either their fades or their conduct during the year.

This is the competition’s opportunity to take a second look at the field and to make sure that faders and pairs that might have been passed over by the community and the judges receive their just deserts. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating not just the Top 10 faders this year but also the spot prize winners below. 

Ry T. Spear Memorial Prize

Ane Kvinge – @androfades 

We lost a valued member of our community in 2024. Ry T. Spear was riding his motorcycle late at night when he was struck and killed by a careless driver. We established a special prize in his honour, using this prize to recognise exemplary personal style.

This year’s winner of the Ry T. Spear Memorial Prize is Sweden’s Ane Kvinge, whose hard-nosed style and Ghost Black SOSOs caught our eyes very early in the competition. We discussed this with Ry T. Spear’s partner, April Hanley, and she was thrilled with the choice.

Ane’s getting a Cloth & Cut Portland Fatigue Shirt, which we know will fit right into her killer wardrobe.

Indigo Spirit Award – ROW Conference

Maria Saha – @pistachiopony

We use this prize to recognise faders who bring a spirit of warmth and camaraderie into the community, and Maria has done this in spades all year.

From her home base in New York, she’s encouraged and cheered on her fellow faders while fading her Gustins, exemplifying the kind of care and kindness that makes the community such a warm and inviting place for newcomers and veterans alike.

We’re giving her two prizes: a chain-stitch embroidered Y5 anchor patch from Thread Tripper and a $100 gift card from hometown favourites Self Edge.

Indigo Spirit Award – SEA Conference

Leo Anthony Franco – @leoanthonyf 

A recommendation from Mifflin Mabalot, who led our SEA Conference Top 50 selection team: Leo has been an absolute bedrock member of this community for a few years now, and he’s helping spread the good word in the Philippines, where the community is small but intensely passionate.

Leo did great work in his Flat Head jeans this year, so we’re sending Leo a pair of Nudies, which we hope we’ll see him wearing in next year’s competition.

Made to Fade / Founder’s Favourite

Hugo Crawford – @hugocrawf 

Hugo made his own pair for the competition, and he didn’t go easy on it. Crossing the line with frayed cuffs and hard-earned, top-to-bottom fades, the pair cruised into the Top 50, but the softer contrasts didn’t catch many eyes during the community vote.

We’re doing everything we can to put things right with this exceptional pair with two great prizes: a hand-forged iron bottle opener in the shape of a pair of jeans from the champion of our Re(Pair) category, Alex Scheibner, and a pair of heavy selvedge jeans from WarpWeft.

Tied for 11th / 6th Place

We hoped we would have enough prizes to recognise all of the Top 20 faders, but, as you’ll see below, there were just too many exceptional faders who cried out for a moment in the spotlight.

Still, we’ve managed to pull aside some great prizes for the faders who very nearly cracked the Top 10 in our ROW and SEA conferences and the Top 5 in our Re(Pair) category.

Look through the gallery to see all the fades that we’ve recognised with the following prizes: 

Double O Seven

Travis Napoleon – @indigo_trap 

Travis’s competitor number, ROW007, seemed an exceptionally good fit. Travis looks as much at home in his hard-worn Strike Golds as James Bond does in a tuxedo. Top 20 fades, but podium-level style and swagger.

He’s getting one of the most jaw-dropping prizes we’ve got: a full chain-stitch embroidered back piece from our friend at Thread Tripper. He can use this however he likes, but we’d sure love to see this one added to a Redline Rally piece (either this year or next year’s). 

Home On the Range 

Cade Schmutz – @selvage_cowboys

We can’t let the year close without recognising our resident true-blue cowboys, Cade and Valerie Schmutz. Cade finished just shy of the Top 10 this year in his Piger Works 21BSU, and, with his hard-riding lifestyle, we know he’ll be a contender every year that he joins us.

We’ve pulled out something rather special for him: a piece of his choice from A New Medium, the brand-new in-house brand brought to you by the people at Iron Shop Provisions. What can one of these brilliant pieces look like after a full year in the saddle? We hope we’ll find out next year. 

Wunderkid 

Travis Gagnon – @brandun_the_barber 

The last cut we made when selecting this year’s Top 50, Travis (just 12 years old) deserves extra-special recognition for his hard work this year fading his pair of Naked & Famous Denim, overseen by his fade-loving father.

We’ve given him a $100 gift certificate from Withered Fig, and we hope he’ll use it as a down payment on a perfect pair for Y6. On this trajectory, he’ll be cracking the Top 10 before his sixteenth birthday.

Naked Titans

Brenton Henry and John Iaculli – @40ozdenim and @johnidugan 

Two faders threw themselves at a nearly impossible task this year. They took on Naked & Famous Denim’s landmark 40 oz. selvedge. We hoped that at least one of these pairs would cross the line at the end of the year, so we were very excited to see them both make it across the line.

Brenton’s pair was the more faded of the two, so we’re going to give him his choice of pieces from Naked & Famous Denim. For his titanic effort, John will be getting a custom pair from Baird Jeans (which will likely feel like sweatpants after a year in unforgiving 40 oz. selvedge).

The Gnarly One

Chanaphat Mouumphan – @chanaphatb

Chanaphat’s extreme fades (some of the wildest we’ve ever seen in the competition) tend to split judges and panellists down the middle. This meant that they finished the year tied for 51st place, but we just can’t let this Thai farmer go home empty-handed.

We’re sending him home with a pair of heavyweights from our friends at Sage. We hope we’ll see this pair on the starting line when we kick off Year Six in April.

Big Adventures

Michael Caputo – @aloha_bigmike 

Mike from Hawaii impressed us early on with his Brave Star Mojaves, but even more with his lifestyle, which seemed to embody everything the selvedge scene is about. Wildly stylish and adventurous, Mike has all the makings of a serious lifestyle fader. We hope we’ll see him back next year.

We’re connecting with him oneculture, who’ll be making a special pair for him. The San Francisco/Hawaii connection might produce winning results in Year Six.

Couples that Fade Together…

Clement and Emmanuelle – @clemmach and @emanwell_santos 

If you’ve been following these two at all this year, you know that this prize is well deserved. Always in their jeans (Onis for him, Naked & Famous Denim for her), they captured a slice of their shared lives, showcasing not just jeans well worn but also a life well lived.

We’re hooking them up with a nice little package from Hen’s Teeth Italy, including two tees and two bandanas of their choice. It seems a fitting prize for a couple that has a shared passion for well-made heritage goods.

Female Fader of the Year

Allison Owczarczak – @skullymcnature 

This was the one fader we wanted to break the rules for this year. We kept things anonymous during the public voting round, but we wanted to highlight the fact that Allison was the only female fader to crack the Top 50. With her exceptional Brave Star Frankenstein fades, she very nearly cracked the Top 20.

We’re going to connect Allison with the only female fader to ever stand on our podium, Ella. She’ll craft a silver belt loop cuff for Allison to attach to her Y5 pair, turning the pair into a trophy of sorts.

Allison is also an early favourite to end the year on the podium of Brave Star’s own fade competition, the Dye Hard Championship, running alongside the Indigo Invitational.

Family Values

The Twoeys and the Lindbergs – @raw_2e_faded and @darkbluecrew 

There were three or four families of faders this year, and we’re always excited to see folks bringing their kids into the selvedge scene. They’re giving the young ones a taste of the fading life, which is sure to leave an indelible mark.

We’re giving the Twoeys and the Lindbergs (who even got the dog in on the action!) a pair of $100 Self Edge gift certificates that they can use to get their kids something special for a job well done. 

Shutterbug

Wilsson Kohnert – @photoduell 

Wilsson kept his shutter finger extremely active this year, taking exceptionally good photographs that documented the journey he shared with his good friend Stefan Gutsche. Their fades  (Wilsson in Naked & Famous Denim, Stefan in The Unbranded Brand) were great, and the pictures showed Wilsson’s and Stefan’s every crease and comb in breathtaking detail.

We’re connecting Wilsson with our good friends at Cultizm, who’ll be giving him a pair of his choosing for the next Invitational. We’re looking forward to seeing more of his photos next year.

Super Subs

Savoeun Loeung – @voeun.loeung 

Savoeun’s final submissions for his Iron Heart 777s were far and away the best-looking photographs we saw at the end of the competition. The fades were just shy of that Top 50 quality we’re looking for, but the photos very nearly pulled him into the finals.

We’re giving Savoeun a pair of Nudies, and we hope we’ll see much more of his new pair (and his excellent photographs) next year. 

Equatorial Vintage

Bin Abdul – @peakfr3ak 

Vintage fades are like a breath of fresh air in the Southeast Asian scene, where contrast fades are pursued with an almost religious ferocity. Bin Abdul turned in these absolutely brilliant Levi’s this year, and we’re happy to recognise him for going against the grain.

He’s won a pair of lightweight selvedge from our friends at Sage. 

Rising Sun

Satoru Honda – @ketudekawheel195

Each year, Samurai picks their favourite pair out of the field (limiting their selection to the pairs that haven’t already won a showcase). This year’s Samurai pick is Satoru Honda, whose brilliantly balanced faded Samurai S5100VX earned him a spot in the Top 50 and a very special prize from Samurai.

They’ll be sending him a Samurai Cotton Project tee and a grab bag full of Samurai goodies and keepsakes. 

King in the North

Derek Lamarche – @canuckfades 

Faders north of the 49th parallel (like this year’s ROW winner here in Norway) need to take advantage of every ray of sunshine and every opportunity to fling themselves into the great wide open to get the indigo really moving.

Derek did this in spades this year with his Copper Weft SOSOs, and, though he didn’t crack the Top 10, we’re making sure he’s not going home empty-handed. We’re connecting him with our friends at Canada’s Lost & Found, who’ll be sending Derek a pair of his choice from their world-class selection.  

Repairs of the Year

Every year, we see faders go to great lengths to keep their pairs from disintegrating underneath them. Repairs and embellishments add character to the pairs, and we always try to recognise a few of these at the end of the year. 

Scroll through the gallery below to see some of our favourite repairs and embellishments from Year Five. 

Crafter Extraordinaire

Kat Cotten – @teraseraph 

Kat is already a legend in the scene, and she brings her painstakingly crafted masterpieces into the competition to put them to the test. Her pairs are immediately recognisable, and we’re incredibly privileged to have her with us every year.

We’ve pulled something aside for Kat: an Orginale bag from our friends at Obbi Good Label. We hope it serves her well. 

The Miner’s Special

Dec Martin – @denimforestry 

Sometimes the best route to success is the one that walks the familiar road. Dec took a pair of Levi’s 501s and gave them the rough treatment this year. They look like something you’d pull out of a pile of rubble at the bottom of a mine shaft.

For this classic treatment, we’re giving Dec a classic combo: a pair of jeans of his choice and a tee from our good friends at KATO.  

Worked to Death

Sigmund Horrig – @workin_denim 

Sigmund, who builds log cabins the old-fashioned way here in Norway, had his pair of Naked & Famous Denim Dirty Fade Selvedge in the sweet spot when we were about halfway through the competition. Since then, he’s battered them down to the white.

It’s an impressive achievement, and he’s definitely due for a new pair. He’ll get his choice of pairs from our very good friends at Raw Denim Norway. 

The Deadstock Duo

Chase Ivany and Patrick Lanini – @chase.in.denim and @caffiend_dkc

We’re closing the year with two pairs that got new life in the competition. Chase wore a pair of GWG Rider Kings that rolled off the assembly line in Edmonton in the 1970s. Patrick brought a pair of Iron Hearts produced in 2005, before the brand changed their arcuates to the ones we’re all familiar with.

We’re giving each of them a pair of Nudies and a vigorous salute for bringing these priceless denim artefacts into the competition.

That’s a Wrap on Y5

That’s all, folks. It’s been a wild year from start to finish. We’re already hard at work on Year Six, and we hope you can join us. All you need is a brand new pair of selvedge jeans and a willingness to put them to the ultimate test by wearing them as much as you can in one year. 

The best place to start looking for a new pair is our Selvedge Masterlist. We hope we’ll see you all on the starting line on April 1st.  

The post Best of the Rest: Indigo Invitational Y5 Spot Prizes appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

Adidas is leaning hard into denim for Fall 2026, and the important part is that it isn’t just conventional jeans. Denim is being fused with adidas’s trackwear heritage.

Keylooks from adida’s Fall 2026 denim collection:

Firebird denim – the standout
The Firebird Adicolor Denim Jeans are a mid-rise, straight-leg jean with the familiar Firebird/Three Stripes sportswear language. adidas currently offers them in multiple washes.

Denim track jackets
A good way to pair your jeans: classic Firebird and SST track-top shapes are reconstructed in denim, including cropped and oversized women’s versions.

Straight-leg jeans
For Fall 2026, adidas is reinforcing the straight jean rather than pushing only super-baggy silhouettes. The men’s collection currently includes both SST and Firebird mid-rise straight-leg jeans.

Wide / barrel / low-rise
The women’s denim range broadens considerably: high-rise wide-leg, barrel-leg, mid-rise wide-leg, and low-rise flared styles are all represented.

The adidas denim collection fits perfectly with the broader Fall 2026 move away from one dominant baggy silhouette. Straight jeans, vintage washes and sporty denim are gaining ground while wide and baggy remain important.

And Adidas is also explicitly offering vintage/worn-in washes, dark blue, black and grey denim, reinforcing the broader Fall 2026 interest in vintage denim and darker washes.

Adidas denim is available to shop for on the brand’s website and in their stores.

The post Adidas: Sportswear x Denim – It’s a Match! first appeared on Denimology.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site