We all know that Japanese denim is special and it represents the signature of most premium denim brands. That’s why the guys at DENHAM took it upon themselves this season to travel deep in to the heart of Japanese denim culture. They visited new finishing houses run by artisans who are deeply passionate about what they do. Together, they formulated recipes based on DENHAM library pieces and discovered several finishes built on a foundation of narrow loom red selvedge denim.

This month, DENHAM will release a new collection based on their findings called 1st EDITION SELECT. The denims within the collection took 6 months to create, were specially hand made in Japan and will only be available in very limited numbers. For your chance to grab a pair of these 100% handmade Japanese denim jeans, check out COLETTE (Paris) or PRESENT (London).

We wouldn’t normally feature ASOS on Denim Geek, but received an interesting preview of the Autumn/Winter 2010 Collection this week and were impressed with some of the highlighted key trends and looks. ASOS enlisted the help of Dazed & Confused Menswear Editor Robbie Spencer, who has collaborated with the likes of Levi’s, Ray Ban and Fred Perry to help put the previews together.

The menswear lookbook is split into four key trends and chapters; Smart, Nomad, Rebel and Accessories and is made up of strong shots that include some beautiful denim and footwear pieces. Our favourite of the bunch has to be Nomad, which trends grungier, outdoor looks and focuses on knitwear. Chinos feature heavily and are revitalised in both twill and in brighter over-dyed colours. Outerwear has an outdoors feel including a short parka and heavier jackets.

The Rebel trend on the other hand, explores youth culture and veers into 50s territory mixing collegiate styling with the UK indie underground. The shirting in this chapter really stands out for us, as studded collars and plackets nod to rock and roll influences and detailing is key.

All products will be available at ASOS in September.

Journal de Nimes Nº5 – The British issue – has officially launched today and we’re looking forward to reading our copy with a rather large coffee. The guys from Tenue De Nimes travelled to the UK recently and were inspired by so many great things, that they could have “easily filled 100 pages”. In this fifth release you’ll find an interview with Nigel Cabourn at his Newcastle residence, along with features on Grenson and Miles Johnson, head designer of the inspiring Levi’s XX department. Add to that a London shopping map, plenty of British Treasures, a brief history of the Duffle Coat as well as a tribute to the 180th anniversary of the legendary Woolrich and you’ve got great little read on your hands.

A digital version of the magazine is available at http://issuu.com/nimes/docs/journal_no05 or you can grab a hard copy at AnotherShop.

Carhartt has developed over many years into a well known USA based brand. Founded in 1889, it is still a family owned company, owned by the descendants of company founder Hamilton Carhartt. The company was originally founded to make work clothing for railroad workers and their initial growth period was focused on the need for durable and long lasting work overalls. Today their products are commonly found on construction sites, farms and ranches but are also making headway within the streetwear market.

Carhartt are set to release a new Heritage Line which was recently previewed in association with the forthcoming A.P.C. x Carhartt collaboration. This will the the third collection under the Heritage name and as you would imagine, styles are combine ideas from Carhartt’s rich workwear history. The result is a collection featuring tees, fleeces, jackets and denim. At the preview, an interesting collection of exhibition pieces were also on display to showcase points from the brand’s illustrious past.  For more information, check out www.carhartt.com.

Last week was a big week in Berlin, where shows Bread and Butter and Seek were taking place. There were hundreds of labels looking to impress and the guys from Edwin were in town showing off their looks for Spring/Summer 2011. We’ve never seen such a stunning blend of workwear looks, varsity and denim and Edwin never fail to impress us with some killer pieces included. For those who don’t know, check out www.edwin-europe.com for more information.

We were over at Hypebeast this morning and thought we’d quickly share this with you guys. One of our favourite brands, Naked & Famous are staking their claim in denim history with the world’s heaviest denim fabric and their 32oz Weird Guy jeans. These must require some serious heavy-duty construction and as the pictures show, these rather heavy selvedge jeans stand-up on their own and will be limited to around 10 pairs. Get the latest on the brand at www.nakedandfamousdenim.com.

We’ve featured a couple of articles lately which haven’t been straight down the denim lines, but the collections have been so strong that we couldn’t not post them. You Must Create is one of our favourite British brands and we managed to grab a sneak peek at their A/W 2010 collection this week. Bearing a traditional European feel with elements of the hunter, the artisan and the peasant, the collection includes modern variations of the Guernsey, Aaron and Fairisle knits along with a mix of heavy cords, waxed wools, bonded cotton and herringbone canvas.

Shirting options include flannel stripes, linen cotton ticking stripe and pink chambray. Jersey wear includes feeder stripe, blanket striped fleece and indigo cotton. To satisfy us Denim Geeks, we would expect the collection to include at least one straight, raw selvedge jean. The collection’s European feel continues with strong shapes for men including this shawl collared pea coat, Edwardian tailored jackets and pocketed fishing jackets. Check out YMC at www.youmustcreate.com.

Studio D’Artisan is a Japanese brand known chiefly for their incredible denim, and increasingly in recent seasons, the ever-popular Loopwheel sweats. Studio D’Artisan show that while you may have stashed away your 14oz selvedge denim for the summer already, there are some truly quality warm-weather alternatives on offer from their Spring Summer collection.

Chino’s are this year’s alternative to quality denim, yet these olive green ones provide a rugged familiarity fans of Studio D’Artisan will already be accustomed to whilst providing a healthy alternative to the ‘malaise of beige’ on offer this time of year. Built for hard-graft and exposure to the natural elements allow them to dry in the hot sun to really see this top quality fabric come into its own.

Also featured here is another top quality work shirt from SDA which hits the mark in every department. Made from a rich and luxurious chambray fabric combined with triple chain stitching throughout, this is a classic summertime piece with fantastic attention to detail brought to the fore. Studio D’Artisan is avaialble at one of our favourite independent stores, www.superdenim.co.uk.

It’s not strictly denim, but just look at them. We know you guys are always looking for killer footwear to finish off your bottom half and you’d have to search far and wide to find true competition for Yuketen. The American company have been producing quality shoes and boots for quite a few years now and the upcoming range of designs for the new season all showcase great attention to detail and vibrant colourways. This tiny preview gives us a peek at some low-top moc/deck style shoes with intricate patterning throughout as well as a few various short designs. Keep your peepers on www.yuketen.com for more information and check out Oi Polloi for Yuketen in the UK.

Japanese brand Haversack take inspiration for their cleanly cut collections from both vintage workwear and military styles but add unique aspects of cutting edge innovation to finely tune each piece. They are a brand that aim to make timeless clothing utilising a mixture of both new and old ideas.

Their Spring/Summer 2011 collection looks to be built off a strong aesthetic that follows the basic principles of great design and functionality. Broken down into three separate lines, Haversack first boasts looks from its main label, including items deeply reflected by military uniform and hunting wear. Featured as well is Haversack General Garments, which takes the essence of French labor wear from the 1900′s and sailing cloths and Haversack Attire, influenced by the 30-40′s upper classes. For more information on the brand and this season’s collection, check out http://www.haversack.jp.