How did the name of Japanese denim brand Edwin derive from the word “denim”?

The name Edwin was formed by reversing DENIM and changing the letter M into a W.

Edwin is a Japanese denim brand founded in 1947. Its name is commonly explained as a wordplay transformation of “DENIM”: the letters are reversed, and the final M is visually changed into a W, producing EDWIN. This construction gave the brand a name that sounded like a personal name while retaining a direct connection to denim.

The company became known for importing, producing and developing jeans in Japan, where access to American denim was initially limited after the Second World War. Edwin later became associated with Japanese denim manufacturing and distinctive washes, fits and technical experimentation.

The name is often mistaken for an ordinary English or American surname. It is not primarily a reference to a founder called Edwin, nor is it the name of a Japanese city. The wordplay is the key fact behind the brand’s identity and is why the name is especially memorable in denim history.