Founded in 2009 in Fitzroy, Melbourne, by Swedish and Australian designers, Neuw pays homage to Neuwlandstraat, Brussels, where creative director and co-founder Pär Lundqvist lived and began to alter denim from his vintage collection. Neuw combines Nordic design with "a more casual Melbourne aesthetic," and defining features of its jeans include the Neuw Fob Ring, which hangs from the front right belt loop "in memory of the beautiful fob watch given to Pär by his grandfather," alongside a repair stitch on back right pocket (due to old jeans having wallets breaking through them), and a back hem dart that symbolises the roots of the brand.