A name synonymous with hard-wearing and long-lasting denim and the culture surrounding it, Iron Heart made their name (and continue to make it year after year) by producing garments that go the distance and then some.

Their hard-wearing pairs are perfect companions for the long and winding road, and they continue to run neck and neck at the very front of the pack in terms of our competitors’ brand of choice. The world’s best faders choose Iron Heart for the same reason fans of rugged apparel do. They’re nail-tough and razor-sharp, and they just get better with every roll of the odometer.

With their ongoing support of the Invitational, Iron Heart has more than lived up to their reputation as strong supporters of denim culture. No brand has done more for this competition and our fade-loving community than Iron Heart.

We’re proud to welcome Iron Heart back for Year Four as a competition partner, and we welcome all our returning soldiers of the Iron Heart Army.

Brave Star made a huge splash in this community in Year Three of the Invitational, becoming the first American brand to take home the gold medal. They’ve joined us as partners in Year Four, and their stable of world-class faders means that they’ll be strong contenders for a return to the podium.

With a nearly unmatched combination of value and performance, their heavy pairs remain one of the best choices for those who want to push their pairs to the absolute limit without maxing their credit.

Don’t forget about their middleweight and lightweight denims. Brave Star have denims up and down the scale, and something on the lighter side might be the perfect weight for your lifestyle. Find the right balance between denim and your day-to-day life and you’ll be off to the races.

We’re proud to welcome Brave Star into this community, and we give a hearty welcome to the Brave Star fans who’ve come here to test their mettle against the world’s best.

The brainchild of denim designer Tillmann Wroebel (AKA Monsieur-T) and Greek apparel manufacturer Themois Goudroubis, Handz is a small label with a big heart. More than any of our partners, they purposefully cross barriers of age, gender, and style with their designs. Their vision is broadly inclusive, making them a perfect fit in this global and diverse community.

This year, Handz are making their debut as competition partners, and they feel their jeans will be an excellent choice for competitors. We agree, and we’re not just taking their word for it. We’ve handled and worn Handz jeans, and we feel they have excellent fade potential. They balance stylishness and ruggedness perfectly.

We’re proud to welcome Handz as a Year Four competition partner, and, if you’re still looking for that perfect pair for the competition, we encourage you to consider Handz.

Founded in 1998 in Osaka, Samurai Jeans quickly pushed the world of selvedge denim in new directions. From the beginning, every design decision had fades front of mind, and they’ve earned legions of fade-loving fans for their efforts.

Samurai’s fade-forward focus means that nobody in the denim world can lay as much claim to fade supremacy as they can. Put simply, nothing fades like Samurai denim.

Samurai were one of the first brands to experiment with heavyweight denim with the aim of producing a fabric that would produce stunning contrast fades, and in 2006, they initiated the world’s first denim fading competition. For these innovations (and for countless others), we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

We’re proud to welcome Samurai Jeans back as one of our Year Four competition partners. If you’re looking for stunning high-contrast fades, put Samurai Jeans at the top of your list.

Since 1996, The Flat Head have been on the leading edge of the selvedge scene. Founder Kobayashi-san gained extensive experience repairing vintage American workwear during his time running one of Japan’s best vintage boutiques, and, when he started producing his own clothes under the Flat Head label, he quickly established the brand as a serious contender for the title of Japan’s best selvedge and leather label.

Best known for their slubby denims with trademark vertical texture, The Flat Head have secured their position as one of the firmest fade foundations you can find. Considering their reputation, we don’t see nearly as many pairs of Flat Heads registered in the competition as we should. They’re a little harder to come by, but they’re more than worth the effort.

We are intensely proud to welcome The Flat Head into this community as one of our Year Four competition partners. If you want to leave your mark in this competition, a well-worn pair from Flat Head is guaranteed to turn heads when we cross the line.

After an extremely impressive showing in Year Three, New York’s Left Field has joined us as a competition sponsor. We think they’re a perfect fit in this community, and we hope you’ll help us welcome them.

Founded by Christian McCann way back in 1998, Left Field emerged out of a passionate belief that American manufacturing could still produce jeans that could compete for the title of the world’s best. They were one of the first labels to prove definitely that American brands could still make ’em like they used to.

If you’re looking for a pair that will help you stand out from the other competitors right from day one without sacrificing anything in terms of fit or quality, Left Field will be an excellent choice. You’ll quickly see why they’re so often ranked among the brands at the very top of the selvedge scene.

We’re proud to welcome Left Field as a competition partner for Year Four, and we hope you’ll consider them when looking at your options. You’ll quickly see that their jeans are a base-clearing home run.

One of Thailand’s best-known makers of heavy-duty denim for fade enthusiasts, Piger Works has been making hardcore garments for hardcore faders since 2010. Each year, the Thai faders show us why Piger Works is so adored in Southeast Asia, and more faders in the West are starting to take notice.

Piger’s pairs can stand tall beside even the world’s best heavy selvedge. Their fabrics are engineered to give them unique fading properties, and each year we see pairs with the Piger Works badge cruise into the Top 20 and challenge for spots on the podium. An excellent choice for serious contenders.

We’re very pleased to welcome Piger Works as a Year Three competition partner, and, if you haven’t done so already, we encourage you to add a fast-fading pair from Thailand’s best denim brand to your collection.

Long-time supporters of the competition, Naked & Famous have joined us this year as competition partners, adding to the incredible support that they’re continuing to offer in the form of huge prizes for some of our winners.

As pioneers in the selvedge space, Naked & Famous quickly established themselves as a brand that pushes the envelope, exploring new territory where others dare not tread. From the world’s heaviest selvedge (40oz!) to luxurious cashmere denim blends, the only thing Naked & Famous don’t do is ordinary.

The brand’s wide range of fits and denims has made them the most popular choice for Indigo Invitational competitors. Dependable and budget-friendly, their pairs won’t disappoint even the most discerning denimheads.

We’re proud to welcome Naked & Famous and their sister brand Unbranded to the competition as Year Four competition partners. Help us show our gratitude for their years of support by wearing one of their badges this year.