How Okayama Denim Became a Go-To Place for the Best Japanese Jeans (with Merv Sethi)

The Denimhunters Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, Merv Sethi from Okayama Denim tells his background, how he started his store with a tsunami relief project, and the USPs of his business. Merv shares his story and gives some insights into his background: his grandfather immigrated from India in 1952, and his family has been in the trading business ever since. We also talk about how the Okayama Denim Project that Merv did in 2011, in the wake of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, became the start of the Okayama Denim we know today. It all start when Merv was looking for a maker of the bracelet he did. That’s when he met Ken-ichi Iwaya, the founder of Pure Blue Japan, in his store on Jeans Street in Kojima. Okayama Denim is one of the few international Japan-based online retailers of Japanese raw denim. They retail most of the brands we all love to countries around the globe. In fact, in 2019, Okayama denim shipped to more than 70 countries! But the key USP of Okayama Denim has to be collaborations. They have to be right at the top of the ‘most collaboration’ list of any denim retailer. And they collaborations go far beyond the details of the jeans; they also collaborate with the makers on the denims. Make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast on your favourite player. The show’s on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, and of course on denimhunters.com.