We’re back again with another recap of the Spring/Summer 2017 menswear trade shows (if you missed it, head over to our coverage of the latest edition of Liberty Fairs). This time, we’re talking about that new new from the Capsule trade show floor. Gather ’round, turn up the speakers with some Red Garland for ambiance and check out what’s coming to stores this time next year.
Want to skip ahead to part 3? Then head over to our recap of the MAN Spring/Summer 2017 trade show.
Yuketen
Yuketen and Yuki Matsuda has gone full cozy boy with his luxe version of Birkenstocks. He’s rendered them in premium veg-tan leathers and attached them to a natural crepe sole with a jute side wall. Birkendrille is the term we’re looking for here. They’ll be available in natural, dark brown, and black. No doubt they’ll be priced more than a pair of Birks but nowhere near a pair of Hender Scheme‘s.
Huaraches on Huaraches on huaraches. Take your pick. Though, there are so many different weaves and material combinations that it’s dizzying and they all honestly sort of blend together.
Monitaly
Monitaly produced their custom-woven fabric Vancloth this past spring. It’s an all cotton fabric that’s very tightly woven, giving it water-repelling properties similar to Ventile. But unlike Ventile, it’s less noisy when the fabric rubs against itself. It’s now coming in a handful of colors including navy, black, sand, and khaki and done into even more styles including this Type II jacket.
Guatemalan-style fabrics also made an appearance in the collection, pushing its way into the outerwear realm. Fancy knits seem to be a thing this season.
Left Field NYC
Christian McCann of Left Field NYC always seems to have a nose for good fabrics. Case in point – 12oz. indigo-dyed selvedge bedford cord. The wales are thicker than the usual bedford cord and should give way to some unusually interesting fades with dedicated wear.
Also in the pipeline are some jeans that use a 14oz. Taiwanese selvedge denim. This lowers the price of his jeans down to $145 and is aimed squarely at the entry level market. New to the raw denim rabbit hole? Consider Left Field NYC (after reading our primer guide, of course).
Still in development, but worth bringing up, Left Field will be introducing a 7oz. American loomstate selvedge chambray shirt. Loomstate and selvedge are both buzz words that pique any denimhead’s interest. But what else? Well, though the fabric is woven in America on Draper 3 looms, it’s not woven by Cone Mills. Now we’re talking.
Three Animals
At the heart of the new Three Animals brand is the ‘Made in China’ label and they proudly wear it on their sleeves. Like Red Cloud, Three Animals seeks to get Chinese production out of the bad rap with which it’s associated.
For their premium line, Etiquette Indigo, they produce their goods in southern China in the Tong village. There, they grow cotton which they then spin into yarns that are subsequently indigo-dyed with plants they cultivate and ferment themselves. Using a traditional hand-operated loom, the yarns are then woven in a laborious process that takes five workers an entire day to prep.
Peep the indigo-dyed jacquard fabric on this Safari-style jacket. The pieces also use traditional Japanese fabric to line the yokes, the body, the pockets, and even the pocket flaps. Also, there’s no exposed seam to be had for any of their pieces.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this check shirt is dyed using carrots. They’re actually dyed using ochre.
The designer is a woman based in France, so you’ll see some French-inspired pieces like this indigo-dyed fisherman’s shirt, an adaptation of the fisherman shirts that are prevalent in the coastal towns of France. Keep an eye out for this brand.
Anonymous Ism
What can you say about Anonymous Ism? Some of the best socks come from these guys and they’ve got more indigo dyed ones on the way. Remember your ABC’s. Always be crocking.
Tanner Goods
There wasn’t much new at the Tanner Goods booth, but what the leather lads did have was their Swedish military salt & pepper fabric in an all new black color. They’ll also be coming out with an indigo dyed leather belt. It’s a very dark shade of indigo, and though we only saw a belt, we’re assuming they’ll make it into other styles.
Naked & Famous
Every year, Naked & Famous pays homage to the Zodiac calendar with a jean that reflects the animal and element for the given year. For spring, those components are the rooster and fire. Check out that patch! Reminds me of barbecued chicken, honestly. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went down that route and somehow dyed their denim with liquid smoke and chicken stock.
Shell cordovan leather patch. You know, for those of you who want a taste of that horse butt but can’t afford to stick both of your feet into a pair of shell shoes.
They’re also coming out with some of the lightest denim out there. At a feathery 8.5oz., the 2×1 indigo denim will be made into jeans as well as a jacket.
Red white and blue denim, for the truly American. The denim threads are interwoven with the colors of America with a Betsy Ross selvedge ID. What better way to express your patriotism by wearing a pair of jeans made with Japanese fabric that’s sewn in Canada?
Green tea lovers who also love raw denim will love N&F’s forthcoming green tea dyed denim. It takes the green cast to the next level by using the green tea dyed threads for the warp. It might keep you awake, but it definitely should have less caffeine than their previous coffee-dyed denim.
Yearning for more? Then get yourself over to our coverage of the MAN Spring/Summer 2017 trade show.
