When we chatted with Kuro Denim at PROJECT NY we were really impressed with the detail and thoughtfulness that we saw in each pair of the Japanese brand’s jeans. They launched with a spring 2010 line under the name Kuro (which translates to black). A blurb in their latest lookbook explains that the name Kuro was chosen because the word represents “darkness and loneliness with an image of great mystery and great strength.” Fabrics include two variations coined Nihon Menpu and Yoshikawa Orimono, and the line comes in a range of fits, from slim tapered to skinny to wide straight.
The real magic is in the detailing and wash of their jeans, our favorite of which looked like they’d been worn lovingly for many years. Artistic, yet modest and clean stitching on the back waistband and “dirty” facades created using fading, distressing, and splashes of paint are just two examples of innovative (but not over-used) approaches we were shown. Some of the jeans are made to look like the factory worker’s jeans, reinforcing the origin of denim as a utility fabric for the working class. After getting up close to the denim, we left feeling like Kuro is a pricey denim brand that delivers a product worth investing in.
We’ll definitely be keeping up with them, so stay tuned. Check out the men’s denim styling tips we picked up from them during this same visit.
—Michelle Christina Larsen
Tags: distressed denim, Japanese denim, KURO denim, men's jeans, mens denim, Project NY
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