French fashion designers Marithé and François Girbaud established ÇA – now Closed – in 1968 with the simple idea of launching Italy’s first denim label.

However not everyone was happy with their choice of name; after a legal battle about the company name in 1978, ÇA became Closed. The logo is the actual stamp used to mark the legal document “closed” after the court case, demonstrating a sense of humor and ingenuity that have defined the brand throughout its history, whatever its name.

Since the beginning, Closed has remained a company with strong ties to its heritage, striving for innovation decade after decade and always setting new standards. The Girbaud founders sold the business to Hamburg-based business partners Hans Leplow and Günther Giers at the start of the nineties. In 2009, Giers’ son Gordon and his friends Til Nadler and Hans Redlefsen took the helm, fulfilling a lifelong goal of working with friends. French imagination, Italian craftsmanship and German tradition all come together perfectly to create the ultimate jeans.

A contemporary design brand with a unique creative DNA, Closed’s iconic X-pockets are one of the small details that translate into great design. Designed in 1978 for their Pedal Pusher Denim, the X-pockets allow easier access to the front pocket. Angled at 33 degrees, they create the signature X-shape. Closed embraces their roots in traditional craftsmanship while also constantly innovating. Their commitment to sustainability reaches across all levels and aspects of the business, from green electricity to recycled cardboard for shipping to organic and recycled fibers in the jeans.

The company headquarters are in Hamburg, Germany, while all the denim is made in Italy. The jeans are hand dyed, hand washed and hand distressed with an expert involved in every step of the process. Candiani, masters of traditional Italian weaving and the greenest denim mill in the world located just outside of Milan, produce the denim fabric. Lavanderia Everest, an Italian laundry located near Venice, creates the washes. The jeans are then sent to Ancona, Italy for their distressing treatment. Then c’est ça!—the perfect pair of Closed jeans.