Design your made-to-measure Alberto Candiani x Velasca Millesimo!

The collaboration Alberto Candiani x Velasca brings one of the iconic garments of the Milanese brand to our micro-factory! At the Candiani Denim Store located at Piazza Mentana, 3, Milan, you can now create your made-to-measure Millesimo using an exclusive fabric that showcases authentic denim characteristics and reflects our shared values: craftsmanship, quality, and being made in Italy.

What’s Velasca’s Millesimo?

Millesimo is the favorite pair of jeans from Velasca, perfectly embodying the core values of traditional denim. It’s a timeless, versatile, and inclusive garment that can be worn with sneakers during your leisure time or paired with classic shoes for more formal occasions.

The fit is comfortable around the hips and thighs, with a straight leg that extends from the knees down, making it a flattering choice for all body types. The slightly high-rise design further enhances Millesimo’s adaptability to various styles and shapes.

With Millesimo, Velasca aims to provide jeans that are built to last a lifetime, never go out of style, and improve with age, increasing their beauty and becoming a more personal and cherished item over time.

How to make your perfect Millesimo

In our micro-factory, you have the opportunity to design your custom-made Millesimo jeans, tailored to enhance both your body shape and personal style. These Alberto Candiani x Velasca jeans are crafted from 100% cotton selvedge denim, showcasing the richness of denim and Italian craftsmanship. They will be available until the end of the year in three distinct washes, with each made-to-measure pair priced at 350 euros.

These jeans feature selvedge detailing on the watch pocket and one of the back pockets. They also include a special Alberto Candiani x Velasca logo that is laser-engraved on the back patch, which you can customize in your preferred color. These elements indicate that your jeans are part of an exclusive collection, with each pair made entirely in Italy. The fabric is manufactured at our headquarters in Robecchetto con Induno and sewn in our micro-factory in Milan, showcasing Velasca’s timeless designs. Additionally, you can select the metal hardware for your jeans. The embroidery of your initials, in the color of your choice, is included in the price.

Choose your favorite wash

Denim stands out from other fabrics because it is washed and treated after being cut and sewn to achieve the desired aesthetic and feel. Raw jeans are untreated, which can make them feel stiff and rough at first. Additionally, washing them at home should be done infrequently and gently to prevent shrinking and damage to their authentic appearance. The allure of raw denim lies in how the indigo fades over time, reflecting the wearer’s habits, while the fabric molds to the body’s shape, enhancing comfort as it is worn.

For this reason, pre-washed jeans have become the most common option in the industry. The washing process softens the fabric, minimizes the risk of shrinkage, and creates a vintage aesthetic that mimics the natural aging process of raw denim. This unique fabric is known for becoming more beautiful with age, but it does require time to develop its character.

That’s why, for the very first time, we offer pre-washed selvedge denim in our micro-factory, catering to all tastes and preferences. Our dark-washed jeans receive only a brief rinsing to remove excess indigo, allowing them to maintain a rich color and resemble raw denim. Medium-washed jeans undergo a longer rinsing process, striking a good balance between the authentic look of denim and the softness and worn-in aesthetics we have come to expect. Lastly, light-washed jeans, often the softest option, achieve a worn-in, vintage appearance through an extended rinsing process that removes various layers of indigo.

Why a selvedge denim fabric?

Selvedge denim represents a sartorial approach to weaving. It is crafted on vintage shuttle looms, which were the industry standard until the introduction of more efficient full-width looms after World War II. These modern looms facilitated mass production to meet the increasing demand for apparel.

Shuttle looms are significant as they were the birthplace of modern denim at the end of the 19th century. They also produced Genoese fustian, the predecessor of denim. Although shuttle looms operate more slowly and weave narrower fabrics with a more relaxed yarn tension compared to modern machinery, they create the unique, slightly uneven texture that sets each piece of denim apart, and the selvedge stripe—characterized by a white or colored edge with contrasting stitching—that was originally designed to prevent fraying.

Today, selvedge fabrics are rare in the industry but are highly valued by traditional denim enthusiasts, as they represent the most authentic form of denim. The selvedge is typically visible on the inseams, which is why selvedge jeans are often worn with cuffs to showcase this distinctive feature.

We take pride in preserving the legacy of selvedge denim in the region where it originated. Our selvedge denim is woven on vintage shuttle looms from the 1960s, but we enhance it with the most advanced raw materials and technologies available today. Among these innovations, our proprietary Blue Seed cotton stands out.

Discover our exclusive Blue Seed cotton

Blue Seed cotton is a hybrid, non-GMO variety developed by Gowan Seed Company. We have exclusive access to this cotton, which allows us to allocate its seeds to preferred farmers and trace the entire supply chain of our fabrics.

Hybrid seeds produce heterosis, or hybrid vigor, which enables the plant to exhibit enhanced biological functions beyond the simple sum of its parents—similar to the concept of 1+1=3. Specifically, Blue Seed cotton is a result of crossing extra-long staple cotton, known for its high quality and softness, with Upland cotton, which is recognized for its resistance and durability.

Testing conducted by Elmendorf and Grab demonstrated that Blue Seed cotton is 30% stronger than conventional cotton while maintaining a soft hand feel. According to Elmendorf, the Blue Seed cotton warp varies from 9,300 to 10,500 g, whereas conventional cotton’s warp ranges from 6,660 to 7,700 g. Grab noted that the Blue Seed cotton warp varies from 98.1 to 130 kg, compared to conventional cotton, which falls between 70 and 99.3 kg.

This regenerative cotton is sourced from Spain

The specific Blue Seed cotton used for the exclusive fabric by Velasca is sourced from Spain. This short supply chain allows us to effectively control the traceability of our raw materials while also reducing environmental impact. By minimizing the distance between us and the farmers who grow our cotton, we lower the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation.

Additionally, this regenerative cotton is certified by regenagri®, which ensures that practices helping to improve soil health and support the well-being of local communities are used. This certification also focuses on restoring ecosystem balance.

Moreover, Blue Seed cotton is highly resilient in the fields, requiring fewer resources—including water—for cultivation. It can thrive even in the driest soils, making it an ideal rotational crop. Crop rotation is a key aspect of regenerative agriculture, as it helps break pest cycles, enhances soil structure, and reduces dependency on chemical inputs.