We’ve been on the hunt for a show-stopping trouser brand for a while, and we can safely say that we’ve found it in Japanese-born Echizenya. Thoughtful and intentional design, impeccable craftsmanship, and best of all, machine washable. Yeah, that’s right. Dress pants that you don’t need to take to the dry cleaners.
Trousers may not seem like the most interesting topic in the world, but we’re so impressed with this particular brand that we wanted to feature some of the things that set them apart from the rest.
A Heritage Brand Dedicated to Excellence
Echizenya has been producing pants under the brand Eminento since 1949. Their factory is located in Matsuura, Japan on the southern island of Kyushu, and it is one of the most efficient factories of its kind.
A single pair of Echizenya pants can take 5-6 months to make, going through about 150 steps from developing their original fabrics to the final product. Despite this, their team of over 100 expert craftspeople is still able to finish upwards of 800 pairs of pants every day.
Unparallelled Construction and Fit
Echizenya is not satisfied with just a “good” pair of pants. Every single detail is carefully considered and crafted with intention, from their triple threaded buttons and placement of the pockets to the curve of the waistband.
For example, they use custom zippers that are larger on one side so the zipper curves the fly toward the inseam, rather than outward like many other trousers. Where else do you see that level of dedication?
The design is contemporary yet classic, combining Italian sophistication with the updated trends you’d expect from Japan. Adjustments are made by hand right down to the millimetre to ensure the perfect silhouette.
Combining Tradition with Tech
The factory in Matsuura
Echizenya knows when to innovate and when to trust tradition. Their team uses vintage Japanese looms that produce unmatched durability, softness, and natural stretch, and they know that nothing can guarantee quality like having experts hand-craft each pair. But they have also developed proprietary technology that allows them to produce their pants with extreme precision and allows for results that human hands alone cannot achieve.
Trouser fabric before (top) and after (bottom) going through the seat curve press
They have created cutting, sewing, and assembly machines that are not found anywhere else in the world, like their seat curve press, which creates a natural curve in the trousers. Think of it like 3-dimensional sewing. This kind of practice is extremely rare and results in a better fit than can be achieved by simply sewing flat fabric together.
Washable, wearable fabrics
Fabric cutting at the Echizenya factory
Echizenya specifically designs many of their fabrics in-house, giving them complete control over the final product and one-of-a-kind results. Their fabrics are tested for resilience, making them suitable for heavy wear. Many of their fabrics, including their summer seersucker, have also been developed to be machine washable, and they often don’t need to be ironed.
The pants have a natural stretch to them, so if you’ve gotten used to working from home in your joggers, this will be an easy transition. Truly, once a person tries these pants on, they find it hard to go back to their traditional wool trousers.
