ONI will always have a special place in our indigo hearts, they have been with us for a long time and we have developed some amazing jeans, jackets, and even shirts together. It is safe to say that without this brand, the history of Japanese denim would be somehat incomplete.
ONI jeans differ from western jeans as well as classic Japanese repro old school. Here, the whole emphasis is on the uniqueness of the denim, its unusual, almost man-made texture, the special methods of dyeing and weaving, and, of course, on the natural transformation of indigo color (Oni jeans fade like no other denim ever will). At the same time, Oni Denim jeans are decisively sparse in details, namely in order to focus all the attention of the owner on the denim itself.
Oishi-San, the creator of the Oni brand, once exclaimed, glancing at a freshly woven batch of denim for his jeans: “Yes, this denim is uneven like the devil himself!” ONI, a devilish demon in Japanese mythology hence gave his name to the brand. This was the starting point for the Oni Denim concept – jeans with an unusual, deliberately rough slubby denim, which at the same time are extremely comfortable to use.
story today will be about a new ONI Denim release. It is a brand new combination of a beloved cut with an outstanding denim, So, let’s get started.
Style
Those of you who have been following Oni Denim for a long time probably know the 546 model. This is one of the most popular styles of this brand, which we are pleased to present in a revolutionary denim.
The 546 cut features a relatively narrow leg (but not overly narrow), medium moderate width in the upper thigh, and a fairly light taper from the knee.
The 546 model is also characterized by a lower rise. Keep in mind that because of a low rise, the model sits on the widest part of your waist, it may therefore be a good idea to size up. However, this is just a recommendation. The fit of any jeans depends on personal preference – some prefer to wear jeans more relaxed, and some dig a tighter fit. It is very subjective and the beauty of this cut is certainly its versatility.
We recommend this style to all of you who prefer a well balanced, modern slim fit without extreme taper and without a very wide thigh. This cut goes with pretty much anything, you can combine with fancy stuff to dress it up or add some rugged workwear for a more casual look: denim jackets, shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, high-tech sports jackets, boots, sneakers – whatever you want! This cut will not let you down.
Denim
This denim is worthy of a short explanation. In an earlier blog post, Earlier we talked about the Aizumi Denim, clocking in at 16oz used with the ONI-622 cut. We have good news for you guys: ONI is releasing the AIZUMI denim in the 546 cut, which is great news all around!
The Aizumi is characterized by a slightly more average density than usually associated with ONI. Which results in a jeans that you can wear pretty much every season. This density allows you to get a beautiful texture and at the same time these jeans can be worn at any time of the year.
This denim is woven from a mix of cotton varieties with an average long staple. A low tension is used on the loom. The texture of Aizumi denim has a natural loom shatter, perhaps this can be called “slubby light”. This denim does not have a super pronounced ultra slubby texture, as, for example, Secret Denim (ZR). However, this fabric still oozes character with every thread with its almost fuzzy and hairy surface.
The main feature of Aizumi is its very unusual color. The warp threads are rope dyed like most classic jeans. However, it combines the traditional color of indigo with a black ink. Therefore, when you first pick up these jeans, you may notice that the jeans have a very unusual shade: in bright sunlight you see a rich indigo color, and in artificial light this color will be close to black. It is a truly unique colour and quite expensive to make.
The fades will be outstanding, at first a beautiful bright indigo color will appear and at the same time the black will fade to a grey-ish tone, which results in a rich variety of colours and shades.
To top things off, a bright red thread is woven into the selvedge ID, which gives the jeans just the kind of edge they need. It is just the right amount of contrast without being too flashy.
Details
The patch is made of deerskin leather, tanned to a nice shade of brown. The color may have some darker hues, because the deer hides are painted by hand for tanning. Like always, the ONI demon takes the centre stage here. Such a thorough approach using manual dyeing of the skin certainly indicates a rigorous and painstaking work of the manufacturer.
The back pockets of this cut are roomy enough to accommodate most modern smartphones, which is incredibly handy. The signature arc, which ONI calls the “arc of the demon”, is embroidered on the back pockets.
The upper corners of the back pockets are reinforced with hidden rivets. It’s a nice detail that often goes unnoticed but adds a nice vintage feeling to the entire jeans. In these places, fading will appear first. The hardware is made by Universal, who are still the best in the game!
The jeans are stitched with a nuanced combination of ginger and lemon threads, which contrasts beautifully with the overall dark color of Aizumi denim. ONI has always had an outstanding eye for their thread colours and this jeans is no exception.
The belt loops are, as to be expected from ONI, slim and raised. ONI’s donut buttons pay homage to the 1940s and the branding on the buttons and rivets is incredibly detailed. At the moment, all the buttons of Oni Denim are branded with “O.N.International”.
Since these are low-rise jeans, the four-button design (including the button on the waist) looks like a reasonable choice and will make these jeans more comfortable to wear (trust us, one button makes all the difference.
The corners of the front pockets are reinforced with branded copper rivets, which are made in a vintage style. And if you bother to look into your coin pocket, you will find the same bright red selvedge ID well hidden on the inside. This is a tribute to denim history, since coin pockets were made this way on old jeans until the 60s.
The front pockets are lined with a durable twill, sturdy as hell and big enough to fit even the biggest smartphone.
The hem is finished neatly with a chain stitch to ensure some roping which we all love so much!
The construction of this jeans is outstanding, as to be expected by high quality jeans made in Japan. The attention to detail is second to none and the craftsmen who are cutting and sewing these jeans really know what they are doing. The stitching is meticulous and you can rely on these jeans to be around for ages.
Conclusion
The Oni-546 Aizumi is a highly anticipated addition to ONI’s line-up. The 546 cut has been an absolute crowd pleaser and hit in ONI’s legendary secret denim (and yes, we have restocked the ONI-546ZR too in case you missed out last time). For those who cannot get enough of this cut, this release should tickle your fancy. The AIZUMI is a quite young fabric but has taken the denim world by storm. It’s a truly unique colour and the fabric features enough slub, fuzzyness and character to please even the most extreme denim connoisseur.
This is a cut that will never go out of style. It is the perfect cut for one of the most interesting denims we have seen in a long time. We are sure, you can’t wait to break in a pair and let the fading begin.
Enjoy the shopping!
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