Dim Mak and Candiani launch denim collaboration

DJ Steve Aoki’s fashion brand Dim Mak has teamed up with Candiani denim to launch its first collaborative pair of jeans that have been crafted with sustainable fabrics and manufacturing methods.

The Dim Mak x Candiani EC-01 is a limited edition pair of jeans completely made in Los Angeles, using sustainable techniques with fabric created by Candiani Denim Mill and hand-painted by Aoki and his Dim Mak artisans that have been designed to “showcase the future of denim”.

The five-pocket straight-fit jeans feature an exclusive denim fabric that is composed of equal parts recycled cotton, made from the Candiani mill’s own production waste utilising recycled cotton and fibres including Candiani’s ITMA Sustainable Innovation Award-winning indigo selvedge fabric ReGen Denim created for the 80th anniversary of the Candiani Mill and featuring Refibra technology, a recycled fibre created by Lenzing using cotton waste.

The style of the jeans look distressed, however, Candiani notes in the press release that the denim’s wash actually required “very little washing at all” as the distressed, vintage-effects, and even the artwork itself, was created by using laser technology to gently burn the fabric’s surface with varying degrees of intensity.

In addition, the yarn is dyed using Candiani’s water-saving Indigo Juice and Kitotex technologies, which enhance the custom laser treatments that give the jean its signature look. This whole process of creation allows for “incredible savings” in terms of water, chemicals, and energy compared to conventional denim, without compromising the aesthetics, performance, and durability of the final product, added Candiani.

In total, these jeans consumed only 31 litres of water compared to 2,755 litres in conventional denim, and used 0.2kg of chemicals instead of 0.8kg.

DJ Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak launches sustainable jeans with Candiani Denim Mill

What makes these jeans stand out, other than their sustainable credentials, is the deconstructed pop art meets manga aesthetic, which is an evolution from Dim Mak’s ‘AOKI 1of1’ series, where Aoki has been upcycling clothing and making original, one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces.

Working at the Candiani Design Centre in Los Angeles, Aoki chose hardware and learned about denim treatments and processes before individually hand painting illustrations of the Yōkai, Japanese demons Rokurokubi, Karakasa kozō, and Gashadokuro - with the help of Dim Mak’s artists.

“When I visited the Candiani Mill in Italy,” said Steve Aoki, “Alberto showed me how they were able to reuse waste in making new, even better jeans. I was inspired by their conscientiousness toward the earth and wanted to bring that mindset into Dim Mak with our first collaboration.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Alberto Candiani, owner of the Candiani Mill, added: “Steve and I did this collaboration to have fun, and we did. We leveraged each other’s expertise and style to create a one-of-a-kind jean that is a true reflection of our friendship. This project was incredibly fun for both of us, made better by playing with the right ingredients.”

The Dim Mak x Candiani EC-01 jeans retail for 150 US dollars and are available on the Dim Mak website and app.

Images: courtesy of Candiani/Dim Mak