In celebration of unity between Japan and the West African country of Cote d’Ivoire, Japan Blue Jeans have collaborated with the Ivory Coast to create a special pair of jeans. JBJ and Cote d’Ivoire wanted to keep the jeans simple, stripping away details that might detract from the jeans’ unifying elements.

Harvested and hand-picked in the Ivory Coast, the cotton used for these jeans has very long staples, which gives the denim a unique texture. Because the cotton has been harvested and picked without the use of machines, the cotton comes in a form that is much closer to its natural and original state. The leather patch is made of a supple cowhide which displays the JBJ logo and also reads ‘100% Cote d’Ivoire Cotton’.

On the inside of the jean, you’ll find that the pocket bags have been screen-printed with silhouettes of Japan and Africa. The left details the characteristics of Cote d’Ivoire cotton while the right details the characteristics of the Japanese production. The selvedge is the most apparent display of unity and contains the colors for both the Japanese and Cote d’Ivoire national flags.

Since both Ivorian civil wars, Cote d’Ivoire has struggled to rebuild. In 2006, JBJ began a charity program to help in the revitalization. Through this smaller collaboration, Japan Blue Jeans will donate 1% of all sales to the Embassy of Cote d’Ivoire in an effort to help in progressing the development of the Ivory Coast, especially their cotton industry.

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