“Denim dreams live here.” That’s what Ruedi Karrer, the Swiss Jeans Freak, thought. Now you are standing in front of The Jeans Museum in Zurich. It is the world’s only brand-independent museum for heavily faded denim.
Let’s step inside The Jeans Museum. It is home to over 14000 jeans and denim jackets. All are naturally faded. Ruedi Karrer founded this museum. He was born in the Swiss Alps in 1959. Ruedi fell in love with denim in 1973. His family received two pairs of Levi’s jeans in a clothing donation parcel. Corduroy pants weren’t interesting after that.
The Jeans Museum started in the Swiss mountains in 1973. It opened in Zurich in 2001. Ruedi encourages denim heads to wear their raw denim as long as possible. He suggests that they never throw them away. Over 12000 beloved denim items have found a safe place to survive here.
Ruedi started collecting raw denim in 1973. He was in a little mountain village. In 1980, he moved to the University of Zurich for his studies. In 2001, Ruedi opened the first room for his little museum. After five years, he expanded with a second room.
Why a jeans museum? Ruedi became a raw denim addict. He realized the power of strong denim evolution. He decided to keep this raw denim spirit alive. He preserves many samples for visitors. This idea grew during the 80s and 90s.
The Jeans Museum collects jeans and denim jackets from the sixties until now. The Jeans Museum encourages people to wear their raw denim as long as possible. That is why the museum is always five to ten years behind the market. Besides Levis, Lee, and Wrangler, brands like Nudie and APC are slowly dropping in.
What is the weirdest pair of jeans in the collection? Ruedi has an unwashed Levis lined denim jacket from the 60s. An American farmer in the Rockies wore it hard for decades. Also, there are Big Smith jeans from the 70s worn by a Japanese student. They have never been washed.
Ruedi was shy and weak when he was young. He wanted to be a rebel. Raw denim gear was a symbol for freedom. It represented the Hippy era.
Ruedi never washes his raw denim gear. He likes the original color tone more than the royal blue color you get on washed denim. To lower the risks of early crotch blowouts, he wears his stuff one size too big. He also airs them a lot.
Besides brand archives like the Levis museum, The Jeans Museum of Heaviest Fadings is the only place worldwide displaying the power of denim evolution. The main topics here are vintage items from 1950 until 1980. You will also find heavy weight denim, raw denim, and customized items.
The Jeans Museum is a self-funded non-profit organization. The Jeans Museum kindly accepts worn-out jeans to archive and display. The goal is rescuing beloved denim articles from the garbage. The Jeans Museum hopes to keep the spirit of raw denim alive forever.
Remember Ruedi’s vision. He wants information about The Jeans Museum spread to customers when they buy their jeans. Wear your raw denim projects as long as possible. Never throw them away. Give your retired stuff an eternal life at The Jeans Museum.