TRENDING
Explore our history, our fits, and how every pair gets made.
The history
It started with a road trip
Motel denim began on the open road. Founders Will and Andy crossed the US on a vintage sourcing trip, started reselling their finds at markets, and learned fast what people really wanted.
2005: Bali
In 2005, Will and Andy set up in Bali and built Motel from the inside out - shaping the brand that Motel denim would become.
2021: Building the Design Team
Our first denim block landed in 2021: the Bootleg jean, alongside the Parallel in indigo wash - still one of our best sellers today.
2022: The Roomy goes viral
In 2022 we launched The Roomy - the perfect low-rise, baggy-through-the-leg fit everyone was chasing. It went viral fast. The 80s Light Wash Parallel dropped the same year and hasn't slowed down since.
Motel denim began on the open road. Founders Will and Andy crossed the US on a vintage sourcing trip, started reselling their finds at markets, and learned fast what people really wanted.
2005: Bali
In 2005, Will and Andy set up in Bali and built Motel from the inside out - shaping the brand that Motel denim would become.
2021: Building the Design Team
Our first denim block landed in 2021: the Bootleg jean, alongside the Parallel in indigo wash - still one of our best sellers today.
2022: The Roomy goes viral
In 2022 we launched The Roomy - the perfect low-rise, baggy-through-the-leg fit everyone was chasing. It went viral fast. The 80s Light Wash Parallel dropped the same year and hasn't slowed down since.
2023–2024: A bigger team, a bigger wash library
A growing design team meant more washes, pulled straight from vintage denim - Vintage Black, Vintage Blue Green and True White among the favourites. We added skater shorts and low-rise denim mini skirts, too.
2025: A trip to Japan and the twisted seam
In 2025 we went to the source - Japan, home of the world's finest denim heritage - and came back with the Twisted Seam: a jean that went viral in its own right, now sitting alongside the Roomy and Parallel.
Late 2025 – Early 2026: Inspiration without borders
Our design and buying teams travelled the globe - Japan, Korea, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen. With every trip shaping new styles.
Where we are today
Today our denim team is 13 strong, with 49+ shapes and counting. Same destination as Will and Andy's 90s road trip: to become the world's best denim brand.
A growing design team meant more washes, pulled straight from vintage denim - Vintage Black, Vintage Blue Green and True White among the favourites. We added skater shorts and low-rise denim mini skirts, too.
2025: A trip to Japan and the twisted seam
In 2025 we went to the source - Japan, home of the world's finest denim heritage - and came back with the Twisted Seam: a jean that went viral in its own right, now sitting alongside the Roomy and Parallel.
Late 2025 – Early 2026: Inspiration without borders
Our design and buying teams travelled the globe - Japan, Korea, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen. With every trip shaping new styles.
Where we are today
Today our denim team is 13 strong, with 49+ shapes and counting. Same destination as Will and Andy's 90s road trip: to become the world's best denim brand.
The make
Great denim doesn't just happen. Every pair is drawn, stitched, washed, fitted and re-sampled until it's perfect. Here's how:
Every pair starts with vintage finds, archive references and a mood. We pull from the '70s, the '90s and wherever we've travelled, setting the rise, leg shape and details that make it Motel.
We obsess over every centimetre, from the rise, the thigh, the way it moves - fitting and refitting until it hugs in all the right places.
The wash is the personality. We test shades, fades and finishes, rinsing, stoning and tweaking until the colour's exactly right.
Before anything goes online, we live in the first sample - checking stitching, stress-testing the stretch, being brutally honest. Only then does it get the green light.
And then… they're yours. All that fitting and fading for one thing: the pair you reach for on repeat. That's the Motel perfect pair.
Every pair starts with vintage finds, archive references and a mood. We pull from the '70s, the '90s and wherever we've travelled, setting the rise, leg shape and details that make it Motel.
We obsess over every centimetre, from the rise, the thigh, the way it moves - fitting and refitting until it hugs in all the right places.
The wash is the personality. We test shades, fades and finishes, rinsing, stoning and tweaking until the colour's exactly right.
Before anything goes online, we live in the first sample - checking stitching, stress-testing the stretch, being brutally honest. Only then does it get the green light.
And then… they're yours. All that fitting and fading for one thing: the pair you reach for on repeat. That's the Motel perfect pair.
As worn by you
FAQs
Wearing your jeans 10 to 12 times before washing helps save water and conserve energy.
With our dark denim, take care to avoid contact with light-coloured clothing or accessories, especially when the jeans are wet, as the rich, dark colour may transfer.
To minimise colour transfer and help set the dye, we recommend washing your jeans on a cold cycle after purchase and before the first wear.
To achieve natural wear effects and conserve energy, try not to wash your jeans too often. When you do, we recommend washing them on a 40°C cycle. Always turn your jeans inside out before washing.
Before washing, always check the care label on your jeans, as our guidelines may vary by style.
Please note that colours may transfer onto fabrics and upholstery, especially if washed with fabric conditioner or softener.
We recommend drying your jeans flat or on a line.
You can use a very low tumble-dry setting if needed, but always check the care label on your specific pair first.
Our jeans are made from 100% sustainable cotton including recycled cotton.
To get the best fit, please always chose your natural waist size regardless of which rise of jeans you are buying.
HOW TO MEASURE
WAIST: Measure around the natural waist line above the hips.
LEG: Measure on the inside leg.
All our jeans are available in leg lengths 30", 32" and 34"