Ask Giles and/or Alex Anything
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@Giles nice! Thanks for sharing all that. In my imagination I always conjure up images of old, Japanese men and women dressed in hand woven robes laboring over old, wooden looms, tirelessly pulling the bar back and forth, weaving them denim. While I know this is unrealistic fantasy in this day and age, I love the idea nonetheless.
I did a bunch of reading on Kurabo Mills and learned what a gigantic and diversified corporation they are. With ventures in biotech, pharmaceutical, biomass power plants, and so much more. It sort of completely dashed my old world “mom and pop” handmade textile imagery.
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Maybe this is common knowledge and I just missed it, but do you/Haraki have any ownership or investment in the mills that produce your fabrics? Or are they all independent partners?
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Didn't know Levi was in the high-end Japanese denim.
Looking at their offer, I fail to understand the appeal for 12oz denim priced at 295$...
Monopolizing the mills for that is a scandal
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That’s what I thought. As a small business owner, my gut says owning a mill would be one of the last things I’d want to sink millions of dollars into. Seems like you’d have to keep it running at a massive scale and probably make products for a lot more than just the Iron Heart community to make the numbers work.
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@Slash A "non demim" person was talking to me about Levis Blue Tab. They are advertising is as Japan made and the Japan made is expensive but the collection is probably 10-15% Japan made, similar Japan made denim made up china, rest china / cheap location. I guess they are taking a lot of capacity but there isn't enough for the whole collection.
TLDR - Blue label looked to me that they are marking up on the perception of a premium product from premium locations but mostly it isn't.
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The ones I looked up were the "vintage" ones where it's stated its "12oz red line selvedge denim".
For the "Blue tab" ones (priced 250$) nothing is mentioned at all, which is probably like you say because its not that noteworthy, to say the least
405$ for a trucker jacket with non provided denim weight, provenance, or nice details, except the global "made in Japan" !
Please M. Levi, make some room for the real deal
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@Slash Just like every other fad before (Rolex’s and other higher end watches, Custom Knives (or production knives pretending to be custom), Sneakers, etc.) the denim thing will fade with time and everything will return to normal. Blame the flippers or what not, but I hate the game and wish people only bought what they truly wanted instead of trying to make a quick buck.
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Levis also has terrible sizing info. Not good enough for me to want to try their better quality stuff
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Giles/Alex, with your long standing relationship with Haraki-san and Iron Heart both personal and professional, what Japanese cultural attitudes or behaviors would you say have changed or been implemented into your way of thinking and life? Do you think your British behaviors or mannerisms have changed Haraki as well?
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@jimcord that's a tough one - I probably have adopted a few things subconsciously, but im not sure what they are. I try to put myself in the headspace of our Japanese colleagues when communicating with them, which I think helps ease communication and minimise clashes. I am not sure Haraki has adoped much of the british/western way of thinking, but his openess to listen to us is in itself quite unusual.
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@Alex thank you for your response. I guess with Iron Heart being his brand and vision and it’s success, one does not have to easily bend often, but glad to hear that he does to the Padmore team on occasion. I respect and admire the success IH has garnered with such a unique east/west partnership.
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@jimcord Sorry to be tardy in responding....
I'm not sure that much has changed to me as a general personality shift, but I am much more aware now, of how to behave when in Japan to lessen intercultural tension/misunderstandings. I also find myself constructing sentences in English in a way that I have observed Japanese constructing sentences when they speak English.
When Haraki is over here, he needs to go home having eaten at least, Scones, clotted cream and jam, a Sunday roast, fish and chips and, as a bonus point, a decent beefburger.....
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Giles, it sounds as if you are plotting a haraki-san game of thrones takeover by means of a heart attack! Lol
I still remember the advice you gave me in Los Angeles when I told you about the customer service issue I had with Momotaro, in case you don’t remember, you said you would wish you had known me sooner so you could’ve helped me craft my communication with them better to avoid the misunderstandings that took place. I took that advice to Heart in every communication I have had since with any Japanese company., trying to be aware of how tone and words can be misconstrued in translation. I appreciated the advice then, and I still appreciate it now. Thank you.
