INDIGO INVITATIONAL YEAR 5

Long before social media, denim enthusiasts were already pushing raw jeans to their limits. In the early 2000s, online forums like Superfuture and MyNudies became gathering places where wearers documented every crease and whisker. Friendly competitions emerged: participants would each start with a fresh pair and post monthly updates, comparing fades and sharing tips. These early fading contests turned personal wear into a collective experiment and laid the groundwork for today’s raw denim community.

The Indigo Invitational is the natural evolution of that spirit. Founded to celebrate authentic, everyday wear, it has grown into the world’s largest denim fading competition, uniting thousands of participants across dozens of countries. The rules remain simple and clear:

1. Pick one pair of raw jeans.
2. Wear them as much as possible for an entire year.
3. No shortcuts, no sandpaper, no artificial distressing.

Throughout the year, participants share progress photos and stories, building a global archive of fades that reflect real journeys and real lives. It’s as much about community as competition: the forum has simply expanded from niche message boards to a worldwide, connected stage, documented on Instagram as the main platform.

For BENZAK, partnering with the Invitational as a sponsor year after year has been a natural fit. Our jeans are built to age beautifully, rewarding long wear with unique character. Now, by joining the challenge myself, I’m finally taking part in a fading contest again; my first in well over fifteen years. I’ll be wearing and documenting a soon-to-launch B-02 REGULAR STRAIGHT 14 oz. green cast selvedge for a full year to see how far the fabric can go.

You can follow along on my personal Instagram account (@lennaertnijgh) as I put this new fabric to the test and document the timeless craft of authentic denim fading.

— Lennaert, founder of BENZAK

What sets the Indigo Invitational apart is how it turns a personal habit into a global, year-long collaboration. Participants start on the same day and share regular updates through photos, stories and meet-ups, turning everyday wear into a shared chronicle. From factory workers and cyclists to office creatives and world travellers, each life leaves its own mark on the denim, and the competition values these differences as much as the fades themselves.

Beyond the friendly competition, the Invitational has become a vibrant record of real-world wear. Each season, thousands of documented fades create a collective reference for denim enthusiasts everywhere, showing how different lifestyles, climates and routines shape a pair of jeans over time. It is an open gallery of living garments, inspiring both newcomers and long-time faders and helping to keep the culture of authentic denim alive for the next generation.

Joining is not only about testing a single pair of jeans but also about adding to this living archive. Every whisker and honeycomb that forms on the jeans will become part of a larger story, one that respects the history of fading contests and keeps the culture moving forward.

For a closer look at how long wear transforms denim, visit our Fade Archive. It features a selection of well-worn BENZAK jeans (and a jackets), including a few standout pieces that came to life during past fading contests. Each piece shows the character that only real use and time can create.