J.Crew has announced their next denim partner: Nashville-based Imogene + Willie. The debut doesn't get more American than this, as the Tennessee business operates out of a 1950s gas station, with a husband-and-wife team at the helm.

J.Crew's list of collaborations is growing so fast, the company's becoming the Mary J. Blige of the fashion world.

The Imogene + Willie collection comes hot on the heels of other successful cult-denim partnerships, most recently with the British line MiH (Made in Heaven). Other team efforts, such as Fenton/Fallon's jewelry for J. Crew, have raked in sales, too.

The limited-edition denim line starts with two exclusive men's jeans, one in a dark wash and another in a light wash with a well-worn finish. The straight-leg cut harks back to classic jeans from the 1940s and 50s. It's easy to picture a young Marlon Brando in a pair.

There will also be two bags: a leather tote ($800) and a style based on vintage U.S. mail bags ($650). Two women's tops are in the works.


The collection will be available in late August, both online and in select J.Crew men's stores in New York City, including the upcoming Madison Avenue location.

Each pair of jeans is hand-washed and hand-numbered in the Nashville workshop. All this hands-on attention pushes costs well into the three digits, at $375 for the dark wash and $425 for the light wash.

Carrie and Matt Eddmenson, Imogene + Willie's owners, started their company in 2008 after years of developing denim washes for megabrands including Earl Jeans, Polo/Ralph Lauren RRL, and J Brand.

Striking out on their own, they were determined to create timeless styles in rigid denim. Until now, they've kept things local. Customers get their jeans fitted and hemmed within sight of the sewing machines.

"Since we were little, [Matt and I] waited for the J.Crew catalog to arrive in the mail," Carrie told StyleList. "Now that we are big kids over two decades later, we are more than honored to be a part of the ever-so-special J. Crew collaboration project."

Frank Muytjens, J.Crew's head of men's design, sends the love right back. "We love everything that Imogene + Willie do!" he told StyleList.

"The hand-washing techniques that they create in their Nashville workshop and backyard are incredibly unique and every pair is so special. Carrie and Matt are true artisans!"

And if these are too precious for you, there's always the J.Crew exclusive washes from Levi's.