Two Italian expert denim and sportswear insiders, Barbara Pellegrini and Marco Bozzi, recently visited the first edition of the Denimandjeans Japan trade fair in Tokyo, and participated in Denim Days, the connected event held in the country.

Pellegrini, who worked, among others, for groups like Bestseller and especially took care of Jack&Jones since its birth for 25 years, and Bozzi, who collaborated for brand including Nudie Jeans, R.D.D., Calvin Klein, Guess, Peuterey and Napapijri, visited, some highly specialized companies in the Kojima district, Japan's denim industry capital, and decided to share their latest "blue" memories exclusively for The SPIN OFF.

We report their enthusiastic report of visiting places not new to them, but always full of charm, and memories of denim addicts that will remain in their eyes and hearts for a long time.

"When you return from Japan for days, your eyes are still full of wonder. 

For Marco and me, it was not the first time, but this trip had a special flavor because we would experience intensely and closely the reality of the small town of Kojima, dubbed 'Japan's denim capital.'

Kojima is located in Okayama Prefecture, more specifically in the Southern Kurashiki area. It overlooks a sea that shimmers under the warm autumn sun and makes it even more magical. Here time seems suspended between past and future, old and new.

At the Kojima train station, there is a 'Holy Land of Jeans' welcome sign that tells in a few words where you have arrived. In the station lobby there are indigo-blue beverage dispensers, lockers, doors for platform access, and then the large print of jeans on the main staircase that reiterate that we live by denim here.

The walk down Kojima's Jeans Street is a continuous, pleasant discovery of small stores where it is impossible not to fall in love with anything, not only clothing but also items of all kinds, strictly indigo blue. Even the asphalt is indigo blue and is finished with red and white side stripes like a real selvage!

It's like wandering around Wonderland. You can find indigo ice cream from Rivets, the old loom at Momotaro's that weaves a spectacular selvedge canvas, but also denim flowers in Big John's store. Everywhere you are greeted by endless kindness despite the difficulty the Japanese have in understanding English. More than words, looks and gestures speak. The Kojima community has a blue soul by tradition and by choice. We appreciate this even more by visiting the Denim Days market, where local artisans and small businesses proudly display their creations. We are struck by the image of a jean embroidered on canvas fabric with incredible craftsmanship. For that, we can't help but get it for our office. The indigo ink for the fountain pen, in various shades, is also a special treat.

The authentic spirit of this community appears even more evident during the parade organized for Denim Days held at the Denimandjeans Japan fair.

People of all ages who live here and express their personal interpretation of denim walked the runway: we saw a super cool kid in overalls smiling behind a pair of yellow glasses, a stylish girl dressed in a denim kimono decorated with splashes of colorful paint, a young mom with her children-all absolutely special in their being normal-dressed in denim.

You can breathe in the attachment to the roots and the pride in keeping alive the uniqueness of this place kept alive from generation to generation.

When we visit Japan Blue Co. Ltd in the department where they weave wonderful selvedge denim, there is an elderly gentleman sitting on the floor carefully cleaning the pieces of one of the machines. We are told that he retains the "knowledge," that he knows precisely the history of these looms, and that all the young members of the department turn to him. 

In the TCB Jeans & Co. workshop, too, the new and the old generation mix: some very young guys are sitting at the sewing machines, and it strikes us that they are absolutely cool and dressed in denim from head to toe. 

The older workers are in charge of the final inspection of the pieces. With their long experience, they can ensure that the best possible product comes out of the workshop.

In visiting Whoval Laundry Co. Ltd we notice the human, almost family-like dimension of this facility where the pace of processes is slow to devote the necessary care to each garment.

In Kojima one grasps the art of know-how, not of doing for its own sake. It is undoubtedly a matter of culture that teaches one to devote the proper time and deserved attention to every detail. Each garment is designed to last, to accompany the wearer for a long time. After all, the magic of denim lies in the transformation that a garment undergoes when worn, especially if raw, when it will tell the story of the person who wore it, revealing his or her habits and personality.

This experience for Marco and me represented another stage in what we like to call our 'blue journey,' the beautiful path in life that has allowed us to match our love for denim with our work. Of Japan, we keep in our eyes and hearts its spectacular uniqueness, with the desire to return soon."

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