Japan, 1947 and K. K. Tsunemi founds the designer jeans label Edwin, today, Edwin is owned by Tsunemi's son and since 2003 the European market has been in the hands of the Swiss based company, Edwin Europe AG.

The name Edwin comes from playing with the 5 letters of denim Reversing the DE to ED and then reversing the NIM to MIN and then flipping the M to make a W which spelt EDWIN!

Edwin started producing men's designer Jeans in 1961 and has become famous all over the world for creating new washing processes and techniques and also for developing exclusive fabrics and designs that no one has ever seen before.

For example, in the mid-1970's Edwin was the first to pioneer a new type of washing, "Old Wash", where the fabric was rubbed by hand scraping. This initiated the worn out look that is still extremely popular with Edwin and other design labels today.

In 1972 the strong jeans are being made which encourage the hippies. And a new folk fashion is born with the Patchwork by Edwin.

Throughout the 1980's, because of Edwin's high standard of dyeing technology, they came up with a number of different finishes for the Edwin jeans. Edwin was the first to introduce the Stone Wash process, at a time when Americans were only used to buying jeans either raw or rinsed. In 1980 the Edwin Chicago and Edwin Stonewash Jeans break onto the market and are a phenomenal success and a big fuss is also made about the Edwin Chicago campaign.

1982 and Edwin is now on the market officially via the Elite Fashion Channel. The sales of the International Edwin Basic Series, which are the improvement of the Edwin Work Wear stabilizes. '82 also sees the Edwin London Slims make their debut in Japan, after request of the people who already had heard of the great success the Edwin London Slims had abroad. Come 1985 USA Edwin International is founded. Musicians like Kenny Rogins, Hewy Louis and Billy Joel, appreciate the quality and fit of Edwin jeans and begin to unconsciously endorse Edwin by wearing the product. Edwin starts to attract the people's attention without advertising campaigns. (probably due to celebrity endorsement and of course the exceptionally high quality of the Edwin Jeans themselves). In 1986 production in Iowa, U.S.A. begins. This way, the first made in U.S.A. Edwin hit the market. Edwin merges with the second greatest jeans company in the U.S.A., Lee. This was the result of the fact that the creator of jeans in America had the know-how of Edwin.

By 1992 The Edwin Baggy Jeans and the Edwin Workman Jeans, which were made with retro denim in 1991, make great sales. The Edwin Ross, which achieves great sales in Europe hits the Japanese market. And there is a merger with Fiorucci (a casual designer brand in Italy) and a co-operation with Carhartt (an American Work-wear company).

Today Edwin is still at the top of the designer jeans market. Producing original, simple and stylishly brilliant garments. With the continuation of Edwin's excellent products the refusal to sell out to major high street chain stores and effectively saturate the market. And such long running ad campaigns featuring Hollywood's A-List superstar Brad Pitt the good name of Edwin shall continue for some time to come.