Pronto's Denim Carnival - 27th October 2013

[davito]

Wow very impressive, great pics, nice reading everybody had a blast.

[IHIHIH]

no prizes for guessing the BIGGEST seller tat day ..

oh yes .. i like tat Sarina pic ..

[twin]

Great post and pics Giles.
All of you must have had a great time at the carnival.

[louisbosco]

Back in singapore now and awaiting G and P in less than two weeks!

[sirxlaughs]

Great pictures of the event. I'm also digging the arc color on the collab jeans. Any chance the new 21/23 will get something unique like that? 

[Giles]

Yesterday we wandered around the local area and visited 4 Pronto shops.

Random Iron Heart…..

The space between these 2 malls is where the Denim Carnival's tent was pitched.  It had been taken down over night….

[Giles]

@sirxlaughs:

Great pictures of the event. I'm also digging the arc color on the collab jeans. Any chance the new 21/23 will get something unique like that? 

Nope, I'll leave that to Collabs…..(I do like it too though)....

[Snowy]

Denim over there is just something else. So great to see the community really getting into it. Wonder why it's taken off there more so than other parts of the world. Really love it!

[Giles]

Good question and one that is causing me not a little head scratching….....

[Fergz]

I wonder has it to do with the association with American culture and the fundamental role that denim plays in this association? Perhaps we're more blasé and less bothered in Europe and the US outside of the niche markets? Just thinking out loud…..could it also be to do with Japan's standing as a producer of remarkable denim? Or maybe the Asian kids are just way cooler....!

[Seul]

We're just fucking spoiled… And SE kids seem to be tons of fun... If it wasn't for the temps I'd haul my arse over there...

[Fergz]

The temps are one of the main reasons I should haul me arse over there !

[Giles]

@Giles:

Good question and one that is causing me not a little head scratching….....

Sorry, I misinterpreted Snowy's comment.

Yes, Japanese denim is ridiculously popular in the SE Asian Countries.  No doubt about that and I agree with some of Fergz analysis.  We are literally mobbed when we visit.  I mean look at last night at Kronoz, guys drove 5 hours to be there, half a dozen guys flew 2 3/4 hours just to meet us, it is insane (in a nice but extremely humbling way)

What has me scratching my head is why the demand in Thailand is so much greater than any other SE Asian country.  Our collabs sell out in hours, it's hard to keep up with demand.  If Thailand is not Iron Hearts largest geographical market outside of Japan today, it will be in within a year, of that I am sure.  I have never been to the Inazuma festival in Japan, but people who have and who were at the denim carnival said that the Pronto event was way more crazy…..

[Snowy]

Thanks for the replies. Whenever I've visited Thailand in the early '00s I found the denim knock-off scene was already huge. In Hong Kong it was all about the handbags, in Bangkok even then it was denim. The culture's taken a different turn, would love to know the trigger :). Appreciate the musings/replies so far.

[MikeC]

It's weird that SE Asians are so obsessed with IH, that they will deal with sweating their asses off, just so they can say, they wear IH. Crazy.

[Giles]

Quote from retailer on this trip, "if it's heavy and slim, you can't lose, that's why IH is the talk of the town"….

[louisbosco]

oh yeah you guys in europe and such wanna get here, but for us here in SE we just want 4 seasons!

[Giles]

Great write up….

http://www.rawrdenim.com/2013/11/2013-pronto-denim-carnival-bangkok-thailand-re-cap/

[Giles]

And I absolutely love this image…...

The Brothers Sachdev…Sunny, Chnanon & Paul

[Seul]

You go all the way to SE Asia and you reckon these blokes 'll have proper tough names… "Hiya, me name's Paul"...