A.P.C. Raw Selvedge Indigo Denim
22 October 2024
Cemented in Jean Touitou’s very first A.P.C. collection in 1987, following his trip to Hiroshima, raw denim quickly became “a super strong A.P.C. signifier.” “I went to Hiroshima since I was told that the best denim fabric was made there,” says Jean with very little hesitation, a statement he still stands by to this day. Reflecting on that trip, Jean recalls, “The man who became my weaver and I found a formula that made this fabric exclusive and inimitable. We shook hands twenty-seven years ago, no contract, no nothing, and he kept his word.”
Today, our selvedge denim is still manufactured in those same Japanese factories, maintaining the tradition and quality that began with Jean's vision. The quintessential A.P.C. denim—raw selvedge denim—is recognized for its 100% cotton canvas dyed with natural indigo. Woven using a Japanese technique that is denser and tighter than most others, A.P.C. raw denim undergoes no further treatment after weaving. The more raw selvedge denim is worn, the more it adapts to the wearer’s body, developing a unique patina—a characteristic hue that evolves with each pair of jeans.
To maintain its uniqueness, wash as little as possible, and possibly using one of the following denim washing recipes:
EXTREMIST RECIPE
Let your jeans get dirty for as long as possible. First wash: dry clean. Following washes: soak your jeans for about an hour in water with a little special dark laundry detergent added, rinse, roll in a terry cloth towel, and hang up to dry.
SEMI-EXTREMIST RECIPE
Soak your jeans for about an hour in water with special dark laundry detergent added, don't scrub, rinse, wring, and hang up to let the water drain.
MACHINE RECIPE
Machine wash at 30°C (90°F), delicate cycle, no spin cycle, with special dark laundry detergent.
SEAWATER RECIPE
Let your jeans get dirty for as long as possible, go swimming in the ocean wearing your jeans, rub your jeans with dry sand, and repeat several times. Rinse in fresh (not salt) water, and let dry in the sun.
JOHNNY BURNETTE RECIPE
For smokers with greased-back hair. Never wash your jeans. Smoke a cigarette, tapping the ash in the palm of your hand, which you have first passed through your hair. Rub your thighs with the aforementioned hand. The jeans will take on a blue-grey shine and will no longer smell like a fresh spring day.