Best Known For: New Standard, Petit New Standard

Inspired by the struggle of having to buy a pair of jeans after losing his luggage, Jean Touitou launched Atelier de Production et Création in 1987. By 1988, A.P.C. would open its first standalone store. From the very beginning, Touitou used raw denim to create A.P.C.’s jeans—a reaction to the distressed, diminished product available to consumers in the late-’80s. It makes sense, then, that A.P.C.’s star-turn came at the turn of the last decade, as men’s style was once again shifting away from maximalism to a quality-centric minimalism.

As “#menswear” took off, so, too, did the appreciation for A.P.C.’s raw denim; by the mid-2010s, A.P.C. was, arguably, one of the most well-respected and well-known denim brands. The company was opening new stores, stocked in increasingly important accounts and collaborating with Kanye West. And, despite Touitou’s penchant for controversy, A.P.C. has managed to maintain a foothold as the minimalist denim brand.

(Pictured: A.P.C. New Standard Denim)

Best Known For: Max, River

Ask Acne Studios founder Jonny Johansson about denim and you’ll quickly understand just how important the category is to him—and to his brand. Denim “is a part of our roots, our DNA,” he once told GQ. It’s not an exaggeration, either; Acne started off by making jeans, because Johansson saw denim as the most important piece in anybody’s wardrobe. Since 1996, Acne Studios has evolved a great deal, now considered to be among the leaders of modern luxury—a minimalist but playful brand that shows in Paris and is carried by retailers the world over, in addition to its own flagship stores.

As for denim, Acne Studios launched Blå Konst in 2017. The name translates to “The Blue Art” and is essentially Acne’s way of stating how important denim is to them, without compromising its ready-to-wear collections. It allows the company to focus on denim—something it is very good at—without making it the whole of what Acne Studios is.

(Pictured: Acne Studios Max Jean)

Best Known For: Stack Jean, Broken Jean, Patch Jean

Ralph Lauren may be emblematic of a bygone era of Americana, but Amiri is the paragon of success in contemporary American menswear. Mike Amiri had a glittering track record before launching his eponymous brand, having been responsible for creating stage pieces for some of rock n’ roll’s greatest showmen. In 2014, he teamed up with Maxfield to launch Amiri with an exclusive capsule collection of artisanal denim. Now, Amiri shows entire ready-to-wear collections—for both men and women—in Paris, having expanded from just denim.

But, from that first collection through to the most recent, Amiri’s aesthetic has been consistent—which is why it’s enjoyed so much success: Amiri’s fits are almost defiantly skinny, distressed and outfitted with bandanas or bedazzled. They are emblematic of Los Angeles, Hollywood and, to a certain extent, modern Americana.

(Pictured: Amiri Broken Jean)

Best Known For: Biker Jeans

The jean that launched a thousand replicas, Balmain’s Biker Jeans rose to prominence in the early 2010s, as rappers like Kanye West, Jay Z and Kid Cudi began expanding their fashion palettes. But Balmain was not born then—the French house has a long and illustrious history dating back to 1945.

The house has always sought to be the pinnacle of luxury, but has oscillated between classic luxury under the likes of Oscar de la Renta and ostentatious luxury under Christophe Decarnin and Olivier Rousteing. Under the latter two, denim has been central to Balmain’s success, allowing the house to tap into what it sees as modern luxury.

(Pictured: Balmain Biker Jeans)

Best Known For: 17cm, 19cm

“These jeans changed jeans forever,” wrote GQ about Dior Homme’s 19cm. It was under Hedi Slimane’s watch that Dior Homme came to be as influential in menswear as Dior had long been in womenswear. Appointed to head the label in 2001, Slimane’s Dior Homme gave the world the modern take on the skinny tie, the skinny suit and, yes, the skinny jean. While skinny jeans had long been a staple of punk culture, they had never really crossed over into the mainstream—Dior Homme’s 19cm changed that. So, while denim may not be integral to Dior’s history, it is foundational for Dior Homme. Under Slimane’s successors, denim has retained an important role — particularly slim-cut jeans, all outfitted with the brand’s signature “Cut” on the back pockets.

(Pictured: Hedi Slimane-era Dior Homme 19cm Jeans)

Best Known For: 503, ED-55, Nashville

To Japan what Levi’s is to America, Edwin was one of the first Japanese denim brands established after World War II. At the time, Edwin imported jeans from the United States and distressed them to create a worn-in look that was also supremely comfortable. In doing so, Edwin became the first company to use stone washing, which went on to become one of the most widely known techniques.

The first pair of true Edwin jeans was only produced in the late-‘60s and, in an ironic twist, the company is perhaps best known for its raw, sanforized denim—meaning the jeans aren’t stone washed and will instead fade and bleed, but won’t shrink when washed. Carried the world over, Edwin is divided into regional subsidiaries and counts Brad Pitt as a brand ambassador.

(Pictured: Edwin 503 Jeans)

Best Known For: Seagull, Daicock, Multi Pockets

Evisu’s story is legendary—in the truest sense of the word. Launched in 1991, Evisu started out producing a meager 14 pairs of jeans a day. Hidehiko Yamane, the founder of Evisu, would hand paint the brand’s trademark seagull on each pair. Evisu slowly grew and production expanded, as the brand added ready-to-wear and womenswear to its offering.

The early 2000s saw Evisu emerge as one of American hip-hop’s favorite brands, because of the crisp look of Evisu’s denim, the baggy silhouette and the impossible-to-miss branding. However, Evisu faced charges of tax evasion and fizzled out, before being relaunched in 2009. While other brands have thrived because of their cuts, their denim or their craftsmanship, Evisu has succeeded because of its fearless use of branding and maximalism.

(Pictured: Evisu Seagull Jean)

Best Known For: Painter Jeans

It’s hard to overstate the influence that Helmut Lang has had on contemporary fashion. The Austrian designer launched his eponymous label in 1986 and, by the turn of the millennium, his brand of industrial, utilitarian luxury had caught on in a major way. A number of Lang designs from that era—most notably the Spring/Summer 1998 Painter Jeans and Spring/Summer 1997 bulletproof best—are considered to be among the most covetable pieces of archive fashion.

Lang stepped away from the label in 2005 and, after changing hands a number of times, the brand was relaunched in 2007. Today, Helmut Lang has focused its efforts on reimagining and rereleasing some of Lang’s most iconic creations, including the aforementioned Painter Jeans, much to the Austrian’s chagrin.

(Pictured: Helmut Lang 1998 Re-Edition Painter Jean)

Best Known For: Century Denim, Crash Denim, Kapital Kountry line

The precursor to Kapital was founded in 1984 by Toshikiyo Hirata, who was inspired by American denim goods. In 2002, Hirata was joined by his son, Kiro. While the elder Hirata favored traditional denim, his son brought an experimental artistic side to the company that birthed the aesthetic that is today synonymous with Kapital.

Kapital Kountry, a sub-brand, was launched to allow Kapital to focus on its über-distressed garments that look, “to have been previously worn, perhaps by someone who was shot or stabbed and then thrown off a boat,” as David Sedaris once wrote in the New Yorker. Kapital and Kapital Kountry do old denim better than old denim can—from the look to the feel.

In recent years, as Kapital’s legend has grown outside Japan, the brand has expanded its bricks-and-mortar footprint, in addition to growing its network of stockists around the world.

(Pictured: Kapital Century Denim)

Best Known For: Chitch, Angst

Ksubi was born the same way most other contemporary denim lines are: The brand’s founders were left wanting more from what was available on the market. Founded in Australia in 1999 as tsubi, the brand began showing almost immediately in London, before rebranding to Ksubi in 2006. Amid financial turmoil—the brand’s parent company had to liquidate and Ksubi was relatively absent from stores until recently—Ksubi has been consistently provocative over the years.

Perhaps that’s what has endeared the brand to contemporary hip-hop’s biggest stars. Travis Scott has collaborated with the brand, while the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, A$AP Ferg and Danny Brown have all name-dropped Ksubi on tracks.

(Pictured: Ksubi Chitch Jean)

Best Known For: 501, 511

Is there a more iconic denim brand than Levi’s? In short, no. Originally a clothing importer, Levi Strauss moved into producing jeans after partnering with a tailor who couldn’t afford a patent for rivet-reinforced pants—what would go on to become the Levi’s 501. Levi’s began producing overalls before making jeans—a testament to the fact that, in the late 19th century, denim was still considered a workwear staple.

It wasn’t until after the Second World War that Levi’s would come to be associated with something other than work, as jeans became popular in a variety of subcultures. Levi’s began experiencing financial difficulties in the late-’80s and early-’90s but the company was essentially too big to fail, its red tab and stitching having become ubiquitous parts of Americana.

(Pictured: Levi's 501 Jean)

Best Known For: Super Guy, Weird Guy, Skinny Guy

There is, at the very least, an argument to be made that some of the best Japanese denim currently available is made in Canada. That’s what Naked & Famous would likely believe.

Founded by Brandon Svarc in 2008, Naked & Famous has earned a reputation for producing some of the most peculiar and original jeans in the world. In addition to making raw selvedge jeans, the brand has developed everything from scratch and sniff jeans to glow in the dark denim to heat-sensitive jeans—not to mention its famed Elephant Denim, an ultra-heavyweight denim that, at its heaviest, is able to stand on its own. Despite only being around a decade, Naked & Famous has managed to leave an indelible mark on the industry.

(Pictured: Naked & Famous Super Guy "Left Hand" Jeans)

Best Known For: Thin Finn, Grim Tim

Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Nudie was launched in 2001 with a focus that was, at the time, revolutionary. From the outset, Nudie has strived to make jeans in the most ecological and environmentally-friendly way possible; something that has become increasingly important for other brands in the last two decades.

Since 2001, Nudie has used organic cotton to make its dry selvedge denim and introduced a number of programs designed to keep people in Nudie jeans longer: free repairs, upcycling old pairs and, when that’s not possible, they recycle old denim. While other brands are only now turning its attention to sustainability, Nudie has slowly carved out a niche for itself, while perfecting a luxurious, but sustainable denim.

(Pictured: Nudie Jeans Grim Tim Jean)

Best Known For: Slim Fit Selvedge, East-West Denim

RRL (or “Double-R-L”, as it's pronounced) was created in 1993 as a brand unto itself, allowing Ralph Lauren to explore the aesthetic of heritage Americana, drawing on different elements and eras from gold rush-era workwear to Navajo patterns to military uniforms from the Great Wars.

But RRL has done more than just recreate the aesthetic—it has sought to recreate the quality and feel of products from a century ago. Case in point, the brand’s East-West Denim, which has a chain of production that sees cotton go from Tennessee to Japan, back to America, before being transformed into jeans.

RRL’s commitment to the aesthetic of yore has seen it enjoy tremendous success, both in the United States and abroad—particularly in Japan.

(Pictured: RRL Slim Fit Selvedge Jean)

Best Known For: D02, Destroyed Crash

Yves Saint Laurent founded his eponymous brand in 1961 and denim was not among the things he was known for. It was Hedi Slimane who turned Yves Saint Laurent into Saint Laurent Paris in 2012, transforming the Parisian house into the aesthetic heir to his vision for Dior Homme—the luxury brand for those who lived life like a rockstar: hard, fast and informed by the aesthetics Los Angeles.

Of course, Slimane brought his signature skinny jean to Saint Laurent, this time with more of a rough and tumble look; the jeans were often heavily distressed—faded and ripped. Perhaps more than anything else, Saint Laurent popularized the pairing of skinny jeans and Chelsea boots. In many respects, Slimane’s Saint Laurent laid the groundwork for brands like Amiri and the Los Angeles rocker-chic aesthetic.

(Pictured: Saint Laurent Paris D02 Skinny Jean)

Best Known For: The Jean

Takahiro Miyashita is one of the most revered Japanese designers — and one of the most influential. His first foray, Number (N)ine was a cult-favorite. In 2009, Miyashita stepped away from Number (N)ine to launch an eponymous label that, over the years, has showcased increasingly personal design. TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist. has been a leader of a new generation of subversive post-punk Japanese designers drawing on a decidedly dark, military-industrial view of Americana.

The Jean is one of the brand’s most recognizable designs, blending the aforementioned post-punk aesthetic into a classic garment that inspires both awe and curiosity—and even if Miyashita never says it, it’s impossible to not see Evisu’s multi-pocket denim as forebear to The Jean.

(Pictured: TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist. The Jean)

Best Known For: 68, 85, Scab

Jun Takahashi’s Undercover is from the same school as TAKAHIROMIYASHITA The Soloist. Sometime around 1989 or 1990, Takahashi launched Undercover and, since then, he has been both tremendously successful and influential. Post-punk Americana is an undeniable thread within Undercover’s cannon, but so, too, is cultural reference—after all, working with Nike on a running capsule or with Valentino on luxurious outerwear doesn’t exactly represent the pinnacle of “punk”. But Undercover’s appeal lies in the manner in which Takahashi has managed to reference pop culture in a way that’s just subversive enough to be clever and interesting.

From graphic T-shirts to intricate cut-and-sewn pieces, Undercover’s legend knows no bounds—the brand’s archival pieces, like Scab Denim from 2003, and its contemporary collaborations, like the Undercover x Nike React Element 87s, are both highly-sought after.

(Pictured: Undercover Fall/Winter 2005 "Arts and Crafts" 85 Denim)

Best Known For: Social Sculpture

Hiroki Nakamura’s Visvim, founded in 2001, is the perfect embodiment of the symbiotic relationship between American and Japanese fashion. Inspired by both traditional Americana and classic Japanese clothing, Visvim has developed a cult following over the last two decades. The brand arguably enjoyed its most success in the early-to-mid 2010s, as men’s style evolved in the traditional-prep sphere to include more researched and well-made pieces. Visvim prides itself on the craftsmanship that goes into its pieces and, particularly, the unique ways in which its garments are dyed and finished.

While Visvim is revered for its footwear offerings (Grizzly boots and FBT sneakers are standouts), indigo denim has long been at the fore of the brand’s collections. Early offerings featured zany details, but that eventually gave way to the Social Sculpture denim line, which is made from premium indigo rope-dyed denim. Per Nakamura, the unwashed selvedge denim is designed to reflect the life of the person who wears it—sculpted by society.

(Pictured: Visvim Social Sculpture 04 Denim)