Synthetic dyes and automated machinery dominate fast fashion. But in Japan, luxury denim makers use centuries-old looms and natural dyes to make jeans they say can last a lifetime.
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00:00Traditional looms and indigo dyes, once used to make kimonos in old Edo Japan.
00:08Now they're behind a modern and thriving industry here, luxury denim.
00:31These denim makers know that in an industry dominated by fast fashion,
00:37automated machinery and synthetic dyes are king.
00:41But they say that natural dyes and hand weaving last longer,
00:46and have aesthetic advantages too.
01:00Denim makers believe that their jeans' quality can not only outlast the years that wear denim down,
01:14but also the technological changes that every industry is facing.
01:19Some believe it could even help.
01:30Customers from around the world are lining up to partake.
01:44Japanese denim has become a coveted luxury abroad,
01:48with companies making up to 40% of their sales from overseas.
01:53The most expensive pairs of jeans sell for up to $1,300 in the U.S.
01:58I think the raw denim is quite nice as well, especially seeing all the samples with all the fades.
02:04I think I'm looking for raw denim jeans now.
02:07Offering lifetime repair warranties for fixes to the material,
02:11these denim makers hope that the industry will continue to thrive for their customers' sake.
02:17Because a well-worn pair of jeans, they say, can trace the paths of their customers' lives for decades.
02:24Patrick Chen and Sonia Schlesinger for Taiwan Plus.