Edwin International
Japanese manufacturer of jeans, established in Tokyo in 1969. Due to increased specialization in denim products, it soon became one of the leaders in the Japanese market. It is part of the purist vintage tradition which established itself in the late 1990s based on fabrics made on hand looms, dyes used according to ancient procedures, and sophisticated manual finishing. Wearability is often like that of the original denim. The use of fabric less than 29 inches high (less than that usually used for jeans) required rib cutting, because of which every garment shows the characteristic selvage on the side, visible in the turn-up. In 1996, Edwin International acquired a majority stake in Ateca Spa, the owner of the Avirex brand for Europe.
Avirex becomes an independent company. Edwin continues to own the rights for the Japanese market.
Edwin relaunches its partnership with Fiorucci. The Milanese designer says that he intends to work with the Japanese company, which has owned the brand since 1992, in order to identify new licensees and launch new products.