Jeans are — more often than not — the character actors of our wardrobe. They're used to complement what's going on up top, to make the lead actor (i.e: you) look that much better. If they're great, you're great. Denim staples such as the ubiquitous Levi's 501 have been around for so long because they're simply dependable. This mentality, though, hasn't exactly led to "fun" jeans, even on the luxury end. $2,000 for a pair of special Japanese Momotaro Gold Label Jeans? Unless they come with a special pocket full of money to cover rent for the next two months or so, perhaps not.

Fortunately, Montreal-based brand Naked & Famous is the antidote to boring denim, creating some of the most out-there jeans available while still maintaining a spectacular cut. Kevlar, rainbow, raspberry scratch-and-sniff: You name it, they've probably made it. What's even more impressive is that they're made from ultra-premium Japanese denim and that they're selling them for an unheard of price – most of their pairs are under $200. Even in that sense, Naked & Famous are truly originals. I talked to N&F impresario Brandon Svarc to get a better idea of what drives the mad scientists of denim.

Esquire.com: First things first: Why Canada? How does that country influence you and your creative process?

Brandon Svarc: I was born and raised in Canada, and we love being different. My family has been in the denim and workwear industry here for over 65 years, and so it's my duty to continue our family business here. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy America. But I also love that as Canadians we are quite different, and so I try to make products and a brand that are very different from what any American brand is doing.

ESQ: You're a kind of mad scientist of denim. You've done everything from "rainbow" denim to camo corduroy, denim with Kevlar woven in, and you've even done a raspberry scratch-and-sniff jean. It makes the entire brand wonderfully interesting. I guess my question is: Why? Why the fk would you do that?

BS: Often I answer this question with, "Because I can." But the true answer is because I want to create things that are unique and rare. I want to create something that nobody has seen before. If I will only be alive for 80 or 90 or whatever years, then I must do something special and unique to leave my mark. How boring would it be to simply make one or two indigo denim fabrics and just cut it up in a few fits like most brands?

ESQ: Can you let us in on any secrets on how you make the special pairs? And what do you have coming up that you can tell us about?

BS: Well for us the mainstream idea of "design" is bullshit. I don't care about fancy design; we just develop new and unique fabrics. We think of crazy fun ideas ourselves, or often when we're in Japan, over dinner with the managers and owners of the mills. Our next crazy fabric is a Barneys exclusive which comes out in a few weeks: Hologram Denim!

ESQ: You could easily sell these jeans for at least twice the price, I'm betting. Why sell them for $130-$250, instead?

BS: We sell our jeans for a fair price because we, well… We have this crazy new concept called "not ripping off the consumer." Offering a fair price and having amazing value in our products is what has allowed us to grow over the past six years into a brand that is distributed in over 30 countries worldwide.

ESQ: OK, so final question: Why Japanese denim? And, more specifically, why Japanese denim in Canada?

BS: The first part of this question could take me a long time to answer properly, so my super-short, three-part answer is: a) The special shuttle loom machines that make our great selvedge denim fabric, b) The unique rope-dying methods which lead to the best fading jeans, and c) The unique water quality in Okayama.

Why Japanese denim in Canada? Well, because Japanese denim is our favorite and because we're the Crazy Canadian Denim Nerds!

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