Evisu’s Comeback: Interview with CEO Scott Morrison

Now completely disassociated with Evisu Japan (when ownership shifted three years ago, they bought the worldwide trademark minus Japan), Morrison started by stripping out the gold columns, red and black walls with dragons and logos in favor of a more pared down aesthetic. "We tried to whitewash everything literally and figuratively," he explains, the idea being to put the jeans first, rebuilding "from that foundation to make the best denim products in the world."

The approach starts with a subtle modification to Evisu's recognizable back pocket gull in tribute to the ones Yamane hand painted on his first 14-pair collection, which themselves referenced the wartime rationing that led to the lack of stitching on the 1944 501s that started the whole thing. (Stores in Japan still hand paint them today.) Morrison's gull of course mimics what happens as it fades over time, "something that I would actually enjoy wearing rather than something that's really in your face" and staying "true to the story of what a jean would look like had you bought it abroad and then worn it over time."

Interestingly, while the recently-launched women's collection, a small capsule range, features all of the vintage feel and hand-processing, it veers more directly towards the Italian side of the denim world. Super soft stretch denims and the like cater to the general lack of interest in selvege denim from that market.

With three new tiers of denim, Evisu, Evisu Genes and Private Stock, as well as a more fashion-oriented line called Stylecraft, bag collaborations with Mandarina Duck and more, it will be a busy year for Morrison. For now, he says, "new fits, new silhouettes, great new washes—and just that alone, and downplaying the back pocket design, has spun everything in a real positive direction."