Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people.

Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.

- Steve Jobs

Uniqlo’s premium jean, for example, is made in Japan of selvedge denim, a weave that uses a continuous thread and leaves a red end on the swatch. (It’s mostly a geek thing, but connoisseurs like to show off selvedge denim by turning up their cuffs.) Uniqlo sources its selvedge from Kaihara, a 100-year-old mill in Hiroshima that makes denim for over a dozen retailers, including Levi’s, Gap, and J.Crew, as well as specialty brands like Citizens of Humanity and 7 for All Mankind. There is currently a pair of selvedge Levi’s made for J.Crew selling for $150. Gap’s selvedge jean is $88. Uniqlo’s is $59.50.