It’s 2011 all over again! Japanese megaretailer BEAMS has upgraded a fleet of Nissan cars with… selvedge denim? Yes, really.
Overseen by Tadayuki Kato, the extremely busy design vet who’s also behind BEAMS SSZ and Vans’ Tokyo Design Collective, the BEAMS x Nissan collaboration is an homage to denim. Or, more accurately, a “Denim Tribute,” according to their shared website.
But instead of, I dunno, jeans with Nissan patches or something, the duo hit upon something much more obvious: A sextet of bespoke automobiles fitted with subtle BEAMS branding and denim seat covers.
Hopefully, it’s not raw denim. How do you wash indigo stains off of leather seats?
The collection of BEAMS-ified Nissans include a more international-style SUV, the X-Trail, but focus more on compact rides that better suit Japan’s narrow streets, like the electric Sakura and adorably squashed Roox.
Besides the selvedge seats, the cars all wear understated orange accents in homage to BEAMS’ signature shade, plus a more overt logo stamp towards their rear. Nothing super noticeable unless you’re really looking. If only the cars themselves were wearing jeans.
BEAMS and Nissan previously partnered on a collaborative Roox a year ago, which also included a set of selvedge denim seat covers with floor mats to match.
On one hand, there’s something to be said about selvedge denim, an innately quality fabric inextricably associated with Japan, being utilized in place of conventional seat finishings like leather. It’s a smart middle ground between two Japanese companies that evokes both heritage and the playful fashion that’s become representative of BEAMS’ oeuvre (this is the company that flips Ziploc into a clothing brand).
On the other, denim seats. Hopefully the break-in period is relatively short.
