Rumors - Is someone really buying up all the shuttle loom time/denim
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Saw an interesting podcast by the 3sixteen guys where they mentioned how much trouble they're having ordering denim from Japan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc_nV7MhnA0/
full podcast:
Do you think there is merit to these rumors that buyers are snatching up all the loom time in a way that's more insidious than just selvedge being trendy right now and other brands are now competing for the fabric?
Is a Japanese brand like Iron Heart better positioned than an American brand that just purchases it? I find all of this fascinating.
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The looms are fucking busy - to the best of my knowledge that is down to demand from large American corporations that now want made in Japan denim. I'm not going to watch the hour long 36 podcast, but if they are insinuating that people are buying denim to fuck with the market, thats the first I've heard of it, and it sounds fanciful to me
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I had a quick run through at double speed. The first 9 minutes are unrelated babble, so i suggest skipping that, but it gets interesting for a while thereafter. IH mentioned at about 16 minutes.
Overall the story sounds pretty similar to what’s been said in various threads here, i.e. production is limited by machines and labour, while demand has increased massively. Also, the Japanese way of doing business and communicating is quite different to the western way.
An interesting listen overall.
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@Alex said in Rumors - Is someone really buying up all the shuttle loom time/denim:
large American corporations that now want made in Japan denim.
Hate this so much. I wish they would invest in the process, equipment, and expertise. Doing what’s expeditious is incredibly soulless. I don’t think any of us are holding out hope that they’ll do the right thing though.
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well, here’s to some hope that masses will tire of it quickly, like mostly everything else. i’m just afraid that they’ll leave everything in their path beat and broken
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This reminds me of the fiasco going on with Fender now in the guitar world. Company makes iconic product > company gets too big and starts making shit product > smaller, boutique companies lament said loss of quality and begin producing the products they originally came to love, "like they used to make it" > big company realizes they're no longer respected and start fucking with the smaller companies instead of having some accountability, just making better stuff, and winning back consumers' trust.
Sigh.
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Just listened to the pod, it’s mainly an inside baseball speculation about the lead times that everyone seem to be facing. Main point of the episode is the guys revealing a new denim they had produced through Nihon Menpu. Fun listen if you’re a consumer.
