“This was my first pair of raw Japanese denim. My brother purchased them from CORLECTION and gave them to me as a congratulatory gift for becoming a staff member at the CORLECTION Melbourne store. I named them ‘Day-One-Denim.’ Just as the leather patch says, ‘Save Memories At Indigo Falls...,’ I really did create many memories with them—good or bad. They became a part of my life, a part of me.”
"Before I became a staff member at CORLECTION Melbourne, I was already a huge fan of the store—though I was more into loopwheeled garments at the time. When I first received this pair of denim, they were in raw condition: rugged, beautifully tough. I gave them a warm soak before wearing to remove the starch, and I planned to wear them three days a week.
I told myself, 'Let an indigo journey begin!' "
"After the first three months of wear, I noticed that the denim had become even softer than I expected—especially after the first few wears. Ray told me this was because the denim is made from long-fiber cotton, which gives the denim a more comfortable hand feel. After those first three months, I gave them their first gentle cold-water machine wash. I found that the silver-coated buttons had begun to develop a brownish copper hue little by little; the lightweight indigo sulphur thread-dyed HBT inner pockets had started to fade slightly along with the denim itself; and the roped belt loops showed a mild aging look at their centers."
"After the first six months of wear (and two washes), I began to notice that the Cat’s Whisker fades were forming in the top block and thighs. Some short vertical textured fades had also developed, and many shades of indigo started popping out. I finally began to understand why CORLECTION named this collaboration denim with SDA the 'Indigo Piggy Bank.' "
"After the first 12 months of wear (and four washes), I felt that the basic tone of the faded look had finally taken shape (especially the Honeycomb Fades on the back of the knees). In other words, I told my friends, 'The show just begins!' I loved how the natural tan cowhide leather patch—almost white when brand new—had turned into a light-brown colourway. I began to feel the vibe of Wabi-Sabi culture. It was similar to, yet not the same as, what I had experienced with loopwheeled garments."
"After the first two years of wear (three days per week), I decided to slow down the process a little, because I felt that the 14.5oz weight might have dropped to around 12oz—which made me prefer wearing them only on warm days. Even today, I still love the 'jumpy arcs stitchings' design on the back pockets. However, some loose stitching has appeared, and I know this pair of denim is truly getting older now."
"After three years of wear, I had already done one crotch repair on this pair of denim, and I found myself appreciating well-textured Japanese denim even more. I truly did save a lot of memories at the Indigo Falls… When I look back at this pair now, they’re not just denim—they are JUST ME."