Private company

Edwin

Clothing retailer

Edwin or often capitalized, EDWIN, is a Japanese clothing brand founded in 1947 as 'Tsunemi Yonehachi shop'. Edwin Co. Ltd., (株式会社エドウイン) mainly focuses on jeans manufacture. Their most popular line of clothing is the 503 jeans model which was first sold in 1997.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1969Founded1
  • Industryjeans1
  • HeadquartersTokyo1
  • Legal formjoint-stock company1
EDWIN COMPANY Head Office
Photo: Abasaa, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

Edwin or often capitalized, EDWIN, is a Japanese clothing brand founded in 1947 as 'Tsunemi Yonehachi shop'. Edwin Co. Ltd., (株式会社エドウイン) mainly focuses on jeans manufacture.2

The story

Established in Tokyo in 1947 (originally named 常見米八商店), the EDWIN brand is known for its authenticity, innovation and craftsmanship. Founder Tsunemi Yonehachi was amongst the first merchants to bring vintage American jeans to Japan in the postwar era, setting off a national obsession with denim.

In 1961, inspired by a growing demand, EDWIN debuted the first jeans made in Japan.

By the 1970s, EDWIN had established itself as a pioneer in denim manufacturing, experimenting with wash techniques in the EDWIN Wash House that impacted denim wash processes around the globe. Innovations included ONE WASH, a prewash process to eliminate shrinkage prior to purchase, and OLD WASH, a precursor to stone wash that reproduces faded colors through careful abrasion techniques for a lived-in denim look.

Today, EDWIN is known for its use of exclusive fabrics, new production technologies, and advancements in design and fit.

From Wikipedia’s article on Edwin (company), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

Actor Brad Pitt has been an official spokesman and model for the brand, appearing in many of its advertisements in the past.

From Wikipedia’s article on Edwin (company), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1969Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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