Iron Heart – History, Philosophy, and Iconic Products

Know for heavyweight denim, rugged flannels, and unrivaled attention to detail, Iron Heart is one of the biggest denim labels for a reason

James Smith

Iron Heart has been at the fore of the Japanese denim scene for over 20 years, now. Arguably the kings of heavyweight denim, Iron Heart have created some of the most iconic contemporary jeans that have helped to shape the raw denim scene as we know it today. As well as its denim goods, Iron Heart is renowned for its full range of expertly crafted apparel, ranging from knits to sweatshirts, t-shirts, and their infamous Ultra Heavyweight Flannel Shirts.

The brand has developed a cult following of loyal denim heads from across the globe through its accessible range of quality products that adapt classic Americana styles for a modern audience. Forever rugged and here to stay, we’re taking a moment to appreciate Iron Heart, taking a look at the brand’s history, philosophy, and iconic products.

Iron Heart’s History & Philosophy

Iron Heart founder Shinichi Haraki worked in the Japanese garment industry for nearly twenty-five years before founding Works, Inc. (Iron Heart’s parent company). His career in denim started at age 23 with Edwin as a pattern maker, progressing to designer and then producer/director in just three years.

Haraki-san left Edwin to start a consulting company at 26, advising others on how to best establish production facilities/factories for the manufacture of denim. After some time, he decided it was time to use his expertise by pursuing his own denim label. Inspired by the Japanese-American motorcycle community and heavyweight denim, Haraki-san founded Iron Heart in 2003.

Two years after the conception of Iron Heart, Haraki appointed Englishman Giles Padmore to manage international sales, marketing, and distribution. Padmore had written to multiple Japanese denim labels with a proposal to distribute them globally and Haraki was the only one to reply. Hailing from the small English seaside town of Gosport, Giles did not come from an industry background like that of his newfound Japanese business partner; he spent three decades traveling the world as an ‘IT Guy’, working for large corporations and small start-ups in Europe and Asia.

The partnership of an ex-IT professional from Gosport and a denim honcho from Japan is far from an ordinary pairing, but it has worked absolute wonders for Iron Heart. Padmore has introduced now-iconic Iron Heart products like the IH-666 or ‘Devil’s Fit’ Jean, and his oversight of Iron Heart’s international distribution has seen the brand’s sales increase in excess of fifteenfold.

Iron Heart has developed a cult following which comes to life in the Iron Heart Forum, a platform launched in 2009 and initially managed by Padmore himself. The Iron Heart forum allows the brand to interact on a personal level with its Western customers as well as provide expert advice on fits, fabrics, and product details. The forum has allowed Iron Heart International to build a real sense of community among its customers, many of which resonate with the brand’s motorcycle influences.

Iron Heart was originally made for bikers, and today that focus still guides the direction of Iron Heart clothing in terms of design and construction. Iron Heart garments are mainly built from heavyweight, artisanal fabrics, designed to be durable and applicable to the biker lifestyle.

The brand pays no attention to fashion trends and instead sticks to timeless pieces that are engineered to last and age gracefully. Iron Heart’s heavyweight denim is known for its fading potential, you only have to check our fades archive to witness how a pair of Iron Heart jeans ages. The heavyweight denim gives rise to deep creasing that creates high contrast fades and patina.

Iron Heart Today

Today, Iron Heart is one of the most recognized Japanese denim brands in the world. With over 65 stockists worldwide and a highly accessible web store/supportive forum, Iron Heart is able to reach a multitude of customers, but it still maintains a devoted cult following that grows each year.

The Works Inc. is based in Japan, with offices in Shibuya, central Tokyo, and Hachioji, Haraki-san’s hometown on the outskirts of Tokyo. Giles Padmore’s son, Alex, took over management of the brand in 2021, overseeing the operation and a team of 18 staff members.

Iron Heart doesn’t have any brick-and-mortar stores outside of Japan but the Iron Heart showroom and studio in Gosport is open to customers who wish to visit and take a closer look at the product. Those who do make the trip to Gosport can enjoy free hemming and 10% off their purchase.

Iron Heart sources its denim from a range of mills in Japan, with fabric weights reaching up to a thigh-bustin’ 25 oz. per square yard. Despite the brand’s legendary fade-potential, Iron Heart also produces treated anti-fade denim for those who want to keep their jeans dark and crisp.

Aside from denim, Iron Heart is arguably best known for its Ultra Heavy Flannel (UHF) Shirts, which were premiered in 2006 with the ISH-01. Each roll of UHF fabric is woven from hand-picked long staple Aspero cotton and dyed at a single location in Niigata, Japan.

Woven into a hefty fabric with wind-proof properties, UHF is brushed once on the face and twice on the internal side for soft, lasting comfort. It’s used to construct Work Shirts and Western Shirts in a range of plaids and other patterns. For a full review, check out Review – Iron Heart Ultra Heavy Flannel Shirt.

Sustainability

In response to the ever-worsening climate crisis, Iron Heart has begun taking steps towards more sustainable practices in the last few years. The brand introduced a 14.7oz eco selvedge denim woven from a mix of 40% regular cotton and 60% recycled cotton from denim offcuts from the cutting-room floor. Further to this, Iron Heart has formulated sustainable and bio-degradable packaging, sourced organic inks, and waterproof recycled mailer bags.

Water should be a huge concern for garment manufacturers, and Iron Heart knows this. It acknowledges that the dyeing processes used to create many of its products use a lot of water, and thus opts to not use any post-production washes or treatments that use even more water. At the time of writing, IH is also looking into reducing its use of sulfur dyeing, which releases harmful gases in the process.

The wastewater produced by sulfur dyeing is also harmful to the environment, thus Iron Heart has opted to use the most respected and eco-friendly dyeing company in Japan which has invested in state-of-the-art recycling and purification processes.

To bolster their sustainability efforts, Iron Heart introduced Project Re:Love in 2022 – a scheme in which the brand swaps used Iron Heart gear for store credit.

In response to dwindling levels of Aspero cotton, Iron Heart has made the conscious decision to reduce its use of the material. As well as reducing the amount of Ultra Heavy Flannel styles it puts out (previously every fabric was issued in Work and Western styles, now this is not the case), the IH has introduced its 12 oz. Slubby Heavy Flannel.

This fabric is the same weight as Ultra Heavy Flannel, but it is woven from American cotton slub yarns, resulting in a rough-yet-comfortable fabric that still has some windproof qualities and insane levels of texture.

Iconic Iron Heart Products

IH-666S-21

Available from Iron Heart for $455

IH-634-XHS

Iron Heart Ultra-Heavy Flannel Shirts

N-1 Deck Jacket