Jeans Genie - Zero Waste Life

Since ancient times, the Japanese have believed that a life force resides in all creations. Valuing and caring for the things we use, a zero-waste life. Pointing the way to better living for a new era. A warehouse in a quiet Tokyo neighbourhood. A massive quantity of denim is kept here. All of it damaged and no longer wearable. Indeed, it's already been discarded as trash. The man unpacking these disused jeans is Kawahara Takuya, creative director of apparel. The contents are mouldy and badly stained. Using jeans like this, Kawahara performs manufacturing magic. To be specific, he turns discarded denim into desirable fashion. Women particularly love his baggy jeans. Two different kinds of denim combine to create a lovely silhouette. And he produces many other remade creations. Today, he's looking for more old jeans to use as new material. Using his keen sense of fashion, he can see the hidden potential. I think I can create an overall colourful look. I can do this. I can see the backbones of the person who wore these jeans. I wonder if they wore these to work. It's a bit interesting, isn't it? Even jeans that are now just rags are a potential source of small parts. The buttons are still alive, so I'm going to extract them. I don't want to waste them. I don't want to throw them away. The selected jeans are washed with soap and hot water to remove any dirt. He tries to preserve the feel while delivering a clean product. I don't just want them to be clean. I want them to be slightly dirty. It's different when they're not dirty. Kawahara began remaking jeans two years earlier after meeting Yamasawa Ryōji. He approached Kawahara to tap his industry know-how and start a business using discarded denim. Yamasawa had 20 tons of discarded jeans he'd bought on a visit to the United States. I didn't want to waste them. I just wanted them to be in my possession. It was the first time I'd seen so many clothes. I was surprised. But I was determined to do something about it. Two denim diehards. Through trial and error, they developed a remade fashion line. And just a year later, the storefront opened. Yamasawa is the owner of the business. I'm wearing pants and a skirt. It's cute. I'm always thinking about what I can do to make it look better. It's like I'm putting my life into it. It's interesting. Today, Kawahara has brought a load of freshly washed jeans. This is a tailoring shop he's worked with for years. He's here to discuss remaking ideas. He wants to take advantage of holes in these jeans while also reviving them. He'll also piece multiple pairs together to make a jacket. It's fun to touch, isn't it? You want to touch them, don't you? We're all friends with jeans. Only those who like them can do this. Once all but tatters, the jeans are reborn as fine vintage fashion. The holes are gone, but their outline remains as a stylish accent. The natural stains in the thread add character. A jacket pieced together from many pairs of jeans. The paint remaining on the fabric is boldly incorporated into the new design. The recovered buttons are put to good use. It's a luxury. You can use a lot of things. You can't do this anywhere else. It looks good. Thank you. It's cool, isn't it? Wow, it's cool. It's really cool. It's really good. You don't want to sell it? No, I don't want to sell it. A department store in Tokyo's Shinjuku district. Among all the famous brand names, Kawahara and Yamasawa's line of upcycled products has its own display. You're throwing everything away. What a waste. It's old, but it's not old. It's reborn as a new product. I think it's a really good product. Even if you don't say, I'm wearing high-heeled jeans, I think it's cool, and I want you to cherish it. I think people will understand. If they don't, I'll be in trouble.