After 365 Days of Fading, the Cream has Risen to the Top! Here Are Your Winners!
The Redline Rally is the most gruelling fade competition on the planet. It’s a relatively easy thing to put on a pair of jeans and wear them daily for a year. To do the same thing with a shirt or a jacket, though—that’s a different matter entirely.
The results are always impressive, but this year, our competitors outdid themselves. The pieces in our Top 20 have all gone further and faster than ever before, and we want to commend all of the competitors who made it this far.
All of you deserve special recognition for what you managed to do to your pieces this year, and we’re going to try to spread the prizes out so we can recognize some of the deserving pieces that didn’t make it into the winner’s circle.
Thanking Our Sponsors and Our Judges
Before we get to the results, we have two very special thank yous. First, we want to thank Iron Heart, our sole competition partner for the Redline Rally. It’s thanks to Iron Heart that we’re able to keep the competition free for all competitors.
If you’re considering a piece for Y4 of the Rally (starting in January 2026), Iron Heart shirts and jackets remain our top recommendation—you’ll see why below.
We also want to extend a big thank you to the fade experts at Heddels, who took this task incredibly seriously. They’ve been on the vanguard of the selvedge scene and fade culture for the better part of two decades, and we’re proud to have them with us as judging partners.
I asked them what they think constitutes a beautiful fade. This is what they said:
“At Heddels, we don’t believe that there is a singular ideal that all raw denim wearers should strive to achieve.
The fades we treasure most are those that show the person that lived in it, the choices they made in it, and who they are: if they like to hike, ride their motorcycle, bounce their child on their knees, or kick back in an air-conditioned office.
All are valid approaches and we look for the most authentic expressions of the people who wore them.”
I couldn’t have said it any better. Now, without further ado, our results, starting with tenth place.
Redline Rally
Y3 Top 10
10th Place
Kang Jantrasri
Our defending Redline Rally champion earned his way back into the winner’s circle with beautiful work on his Benzak Type II. I can’t take my eyes off the curving line that crosses the middle of the jacket at the second button. More great work from a dependably excellent fader.
“Nice all-over fade, this one looks soft!”
Heddels
Buy a Benzak jack here.
9th Place
Brent Baker
The Flat Head Type II – 14.5 oz.
Flat Head’s Pioneer Denim was, for a time, the selvedge of choice for fade fanatics. Brent is showing us why. He’s set incredibly deep combs in at the elbows, and he’s given us a great look at that trademark vertical texture. A jacket many of us would kill to have hanging on a hook by the door.
“Pretty great on a Type II!”
Heddels
The Flat Head is available at: Redcast Heritage (ES) and Franklin & Poe (US)
8th Place
Thaweesak Sriwisart
As our panel noted, this purple denim is an incredibly bold choice–especially when its been overlaid with these intense high-contrast fades. Thaweesak is an artist of fades, and we’re very glad to see him and this incredible Pinion piece inside the winner’s circle.
“The high contrast purple weft lends this an acid wash look. Not for everyone, but I find it compelling.”
Heddels
See more Pinion jackets here.
7th Place
Sorawit Sangsanan
Some of the most honest and hard-wearing fades in the competition. Everything about this jacket screams “WORK” at the top of its lungs. Not the most extreme fade to come out of the Southeast Asian scene this year, but that’s what our panel really loved about it.
“Nice unwashed fades with the dirt caste of heavy wear, still worn after taking a beating and no repairs.”
Heddels
Check out Gupe here.
6th Place
Scott Stasiuk
Tanuki Kusaki Type II – 19.5 oz.
Our Defending Indigo Invitational champion finds himself inside the winner’s circle once again. From top to bottom, this jacket reads like a book, beginning in the dark and moving (quite suddenly) towards the light. A brilliant bit of work from a guy who clearly has this down to a science.
“Beautiful contrast on a highly textured fabric. It’s also nice to see the entire gradient of the indigo from top to bottom.”
Heddels
You can get this Tanuki jacket at Blue Beach Denim.
5th place
Will Clark
With two of these shirts in the winner’s circle, it’s likely we’ll see a lot more of these in the coming years (provided that UES keeps on bringing them back). The fade potential in this beefy fabric is off the charts, and what Will has done to it takes our breath away.
“Love the naturalistic look and color gradient in this piece. You can see the life lived in every bit of grime and know the texture just by eyeing it.”
Heddels
UES is available at Redcast Heritage (ES) and Iron Shop Provisions (US)
4th Place
Alex Chong
Studio D’Artisan D5571 – 14 oz.
This Studio D’Artisan Western has been attempted more than once in past Rallies. It’s always performed quite well, but never quite as good as this. Alex has put the long miles in on this heavy western, and he’s got one of the best-looking shirts we’ve ever seen to show for it.
“This is the aspiration I have for all my denim westerns. If Alex has a partner, they either love him very much or left him months ago. So much dedication to achieve this look on a shirt. Bravo!”
Heddels
You can buy Studio D’Artisan from these retailers: Redcast Heritage (ES), Division Road (US), Brooklyn Clothing (CA), Hinoya (JP)
3rd Place
Jørn-Bjørn Fuller-Gee
The man that needs no introduction, Jørn-Bjørn has stormed into this scene and become our unofficial mascot. His energy and passion for the clothes and the lifestyle around them are infectious. He’s inspiring people to do more in their clothes—to live wildly, out there over the edge.
What he’s done to this Pale Rider is beyond words. This combination of crocking and patina is almost impossible to replicate. Like our man JB, this one’s amazing both inside and out.
“The inner roughout fades on these are as much a sight as the exterior. You can really how much indigo was worn both inside and out of this piece. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an intense “second-hand” fade before.”
Heddels
Get a Pale Rider here.
2nd Place
Hiroki Tanaka
Our man in Japan has been making a strong case for himself for the last few years as one of the year’s best faders. We’re not sure what he does for work or in his spare time, but, whatever it is, he’s absolutely shredding stubborn pieces. A truly exceptional result for this hard-to-fade piece.
“Very impressive and naturalistic fades on a notoriously-slow fading piece, and in herringbone, no less! The contrast and the creases on the arms would make any pair of jeans blush, and the pen and lighter (?) fades show a dedication rarely seen on raw tops.”
Heddels
Momotaro is stocked at: Division Road (US), Hinoya (JP), Cultizm (DE), Brooklyn Clothing (CA)
REDLINE RALLY 1st Place
Tobias Hinchliffe
Faded into the ground by an English brick layer, this wabash work jacket shows what happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object. If this jacket could talk, it wouldn’t be able to–it’s flat on its back and catching its breath.
We’ve been quietly cheering for this one all year. Tobias is an intensely deserving champion, and we’re proud to crown him the king of the Redliners!
“What’s lost in contrast is made up for in sheer dedication. This looks like a garment pulled from a mine or a rusted steam locomotive. The ghosts of fades lingering in the remaining indigo. What a feat! I’ve never seen anything like it—at least not in this century.”
Heddels
Get your Iron Heart wabash here.
Re(PAIR)
Top 5
5th Place
Bardya Firoozyan
We’ve been drooling over this UES Tricotine for two full years now. Every update has been a delight to open, and we’ve placed it in more spotlights than we can count. It’s found its way into the winner’s circle, where it’s always belonged. Brilliant work, brother.
“Even all-over fades that can only come from lots of loving wear.”
Heddels
Get one at Redcast Heritage.
4th Place
Mohd Tarmizi Mohamad
We love sashiko fades, and boy has Mohd given us one for the ages here. While some of the pieces in the finals look like they’re holding on by a thread, this one has lots more to give. Who wouldn’t kill for a jacket like this? Truly awesome work.
“I’ve never seen such well-defined fades on such a thick sashiko before, well done with the pocket fade.”
Heddels
Buy one of these at Cultizm.
3rd Place
Jon Breitenbucher
Iron Heart IHSH-62-IND – 12 oz.
Iron Heart’s Wabash won’t give up the indigo easily. It takes a lot of abuse and a lot of coaxing to get the dye moving. Jon waited and waited, and he was rewarded for his patience. Looks like a piece out of workwear history here. Definitely deserving of a spot on the podium.
“Nice work on the wabash, feels very natural and age appropriate while keeping all the texture and detail we appreciate.”
Heddels
Pick up a wabash shirt like this from Iron Heart’s webshop.
2nd Place
Long Chan
Iron Heart IHSH-295BB – 14 oz.
For anybody who has ever tried to fade black denim (particularly this stubborn double black selvedge from Iron Heart), this shirt is bound to impress. It’s got two-year-piece written all over it, and we’re so glad that Long (with his beautiful little girl along for the ride) went the distance in it.
“Black denim fades don’t get enough love, but maybe they would if they looked like this.”
Heddels
Iron Heart stock this shirt here.
Re(PAIR) 1st Place
Sven Bauer
We’ve been saying it for years. Tellason’s Coverall, particularly in this weight, is nearly unmatched in terms of bang for its buck. Its fade potential is off the charts, and Sven’s two-year approach to this jacket (full of long walks with the dogs and god knows what else) has fully realized this potential.
“Beautiful contrast including all over fade and the repair work on the hems is skilled and elegant.”
Heddels
Read more about Tellason’s Coverall in our in-depth review of it … or just get one here.
Looking Ahead to Y4 and Y5
We honestly can’t remember the last time that we’ve had a few months without competitions running. We’ll use this time to reach out to new sponsors and to recommend great pieces for the next competitions.
The next Indigo Invitational (jeans) will start on September 1st. Registration is open now, and you can register here. The next Redline Rally will start on January 1st of 2026. Registration will open very soon.
If you’re looking for the perfect pair for the next Invitational, start with our Selvedge Master List. If it’s a Rally piece you’re after, start with our guides to made-to-fade jackets and made-to-fade shirts. See you on the starting line!
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The post Cream of the Crop: Redline Rally Y3 Winners appeared first on Denimhunters.
DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site