In a Marais showroom last June, Japan’s design vanguard converged, and TANAKA’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection, “Rose by All Names,” stole the spotlight. Amid a blooming floral installation, its jeans—crisp in silhouette, lush in texture, radiating quiet confidence—beckoned. This was my introduction to TANAKA, a brand that elevates denim into couture with a vision spanning centuries.
Denim Couture
Founded in 2017 by Sayori Tanaka in New York, TANAKA fuses Daikanyama’s meticulous craft with Manhattan’s effortless cool. Now carried by over 100 global stockists, from Bergdorf Goodman to Tokyo’s United Arrows, it’s carving a bold path. In 2020, Akira Kuboshita, a Human Made alum, became Creative Director. Both Sayori and Akira honed their craft at UNIQLO, leading womenswear and menswear design across Tokyo, Shanghai, and New York, forging a shared passion for denim’s universal language.
The Visionaries
Sayori, raised in Niigata amid kimono textiles and Japanese gardens, found her calling at Yohji Yamamoto, reimagining denim when black ruled runways. A decade at UNIQLO refined her global denim expertise. In 2017, she launched TANAKA to create genderless, trend-defying clothing that “weaves the past and next 100 years.” Akira, drawn by her vision of a century-loved brand, joined after steering UNIQLO’s knitwear and activewear. Together, they rival Japanese innovators like Kapital while aspiring to Levi’s global legacy.
Crafted to Endure
“Denim transcends eras,” Sayori shared. TANAKA hones this truth, focusing on jeans and T-shirts—wardrobe icons built to last. Its 13.5 oz selvedge denim, sourced from Hiroshima’s Kaihara mill, is woven on vintage shuttle looms for peerless durability and depth. A sustainable three-stage water purification process leaves water cleaner than Japan’s tap standard, reused in production. “It’s couture woven into denim,” Akira noted. Sayori’s creed: “Let the fabric breathe.”
