chuck.r

This one?

http://zozo.jp/shop/flauge/goods.html?gid=200482

i love my country. i hate my country.

i couldn't care about viktor either way.

id rather pay a " branded" jeans than a locally made social climber low class/quality denim ..

this is exactly why the counterfeit market is so rampant and why a local high-end apparel/fashion industry does not exist in our country.

viktor jeans could source denim from kaihara, buy a shitload of union specials and hide rivets up the hooha and you'd still think it was shit, just because of what it says on the tag.

but if Ino was white or japanese and outsourced to cambodia you'd be all over that shit.

fucking filipino crab mentality.

i personally like the look of the polos and the jeans. sadly i'm in LA.

anybody interested in doing a pickup?

before i went to study in the states i did try the entrance exam to NTU and it was crazy hard, only the geniuses from high schools can do the test. I even spent like 2 months to learn all those crazy math, physic, and chem problem still i can only do like 1/4 of the tests correctly.

yeah ted, i was also wondering what you're major is. i'm guessing a medicine or bio or engineering, something science related from the kind of entrance exam you had to take. i'm hoping you don't need to take the same for communications majors. probably not right? I think for the school of comm there's a written test and an interview, and for the media arts it's a portfolio submission.

i'm paying the same as my american classmates at my college. quotas might well apply to the publics in singapore, but as far as privates like MDIS are concerned, i can't think of any reason to have a quota as this would reduce their profits.

hey glenn, do you mind me asking where you currently go?

Thanks for the replies guys.

Though design wasn't really the direction I was going, it does sound really appealing to me right now. I'm not exactly artistically inclined but I have dabbled in photography and art history courses, so I guess I can look into some design majors as well.

I had no idea NTU and NUS was crazy hard to get into. I'll try to ask my girlfriend's Singaporean friends what they think as well. But I was looking through NTU's website and they had these two types of media degrees, one is concentrated on the arts and design (which is probably easier to get into) and the other is communications, which is more journalism, PR, advertising related stuff (direction i was going), but it's probably harder to get into. It's called the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci). Does it sound familiar to anybody?

And what's an external university? Like a polytechnic two-year thing? Or just a uni that's ranked not so high?

Also, does me being an international student make a difference? Cuz I know in American universities, if you're not American you pay a higher tuition, and since you pay a higher tuition they actually want you more than locals. Plus there's usually a quota they try to fill on international students, like there has to be a certain percentage of Asians enrolled, etc. Is it the same in Singaporean unis?

Consequently, is anyone here enrolled in a uni in Singapore right now?

I was thinking about just pm-ing tweedles but I never realized there were so many Singaporians on this thread that could potentially help me out.

Anyway, I was really interested in going to a university in Singapore. Call me crazy but I've never been there but a special ladyfriend of mine is currently at LaSalle SIA studying fashion marketing and she seems to enjoy it. Plus it's pretty close to where I am right now, like a 3 hour flight from Manila I believe.

I studying in LA for the last two years but I had to go home due to some family problems, and I don't think I wanna go back. But personally I'm sick of where I am right now, and as great as Philippine Universities claim to be, I just don't think it's for me. Singapore seems like a great alternative: close to home yet far enough to be away from the family and all that, much cheaper than studying in the US and Australia (which was another choice), and it just seems like a pretty great place in terms of economic/social standing in Southeast Asia. Plus English is technically the national language so there shouldn't be any communication barrier to speak of.

Problem is I have no idea where to start applying in terms of what school is good or not. My girlfriend really just started there so she has no idea either. I was thinking of pursuing a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Media Communications or something along those lines. I really wanna be involved in a creative industry so that's the direction I'm going, but really, anything involved in media or communications or english or arts could be a choice. So what I'm after are universities that focus on these.

I was looking into UNSW Asia, which is the SE Asian branch of the one in Sydney, I think has a new campus in Singapore, and someone referred Singapore Institute of Management. I've been on the National University of Singapore website and that's an option too. But there are a bunch of universities I could apply to, I just don't know which ones are any good, especially at the course I'm moving towards.

I thought I'd ask any Singapore SFers if they had any suggestions. What do you think guys? Are there any other universities I should look into? And what do you think about the ones I mentioned above? Any suggestions and comments would help a whole bunch.

Thanks in advance guys.

As those of you who visited the store know, there are no pushy sales persons twisting arms or making you uncomfortable.

Which reminds me, I remember there being a very cute japanese salesgirl at the martel store, A+. I hope she's still around.

For those of you local L.A folks...the store used to be on Martel, just off of Melrose. I used to stop in there from time to time last year, but then one day it was gone! I nearly cried. No we know where it went

That's exactly what happened to me, Mr. Freedom used to be one of my stops whenever I hit up Melrose. And one day it was just empty and I was so crushed. I hoenstly thought they went out of business because I literally thought it was too good to be true.

Yeah things are a bit pricey, but the stock is ridiculous from what I remember. Lots of WWII-era, 50's hotrod and biker-culture, very Americana inspired. And it was hands-down the coolest-looking vintage store (don't let the website sway you), imo much nicer than WCAGA, and though still a bit pricey, it's still not as bad. NY rents must be much higher I guess, and it's probably more in demand in terms of stylists and designers looking for inspiration.

Haven't been to the Beverly blvd store but I'm definately checking it out when i go back in the summer. And I must've been so wrong in my assumption of why you left martel, it looks like you've moved to an even better location.

Christophe, you probably don't remember me, but like a year or so ago I interviewed you for my school paper, I was doing an article on all the vintage places around Melrose. I was the little Asian kid with his brother.

Speaking of which, I was there on a sale day once, and my brother picked up a vintage YSL (or was it Givenchy?) charcoal 3-piece suit in impeccable condition (no thrift-stink) for 50 bucks. So some things might be expensive, but you can find deals too. Personally, I'd go back every time just to look at the merch. It's a great store, very inspirational.

I'm usually not one to buy band t-shirts, but I liked this one

but more for the photograph than the band, really. They are a good band though, put on a great show.

Though I still wonder how a small Texan band was able to afford the rights for Hedi's photographs. I don't think it's blackmarket since they sell this online and another photo is used on one of their ep's, so the band must have permission to use them.

Then again considering they are an "indie" band, Hedi probably just traded the rights for a couple of handjobs or something.

You're welcome man.

the shop i bought the denim from is in a really secluded area where they sell denim only materials there. the shop's name is Good Morning textile. lots of variations there. from plains, blacks, to long streaky ones and flame indigo and stuff. its a haven for denim addicts. too bad they dont have shuttle loom selvage there.. but, at least for me, denim quality is at par with the denim mostly recognized here.

Hey majik, is it it's own seperate store or is it one of the stalls among all the other fabric stalls there? I should really check it out.

And hey, could you provide more detailed pictures of that nonselvage selvage line? I'm really interested in getting a better look at it, I don't think I've seen anything like that before.

Great pair majikero, it looks like top-notch quality construction. Your Mang Ben must be a really good tailor. Are those chainstitched hems? And the edwin arcs look really great, I'm guessing that tailor has some good machines back at his shop.

And I think I've been to that shop in Divisoria you were talking about. Indigo from floor to ceiling. Was there a nice Chinese-Filipina at the counter? I asked if they had any selvage and got confused looks, denim woven on shuttlelooms and more confused looks, anything denim that's just 30" wide and I got nothing. Totally forgot to ask if they had any ringspun denim though. Ended up just buying some cotton twill for trousers and some shirting fabric.

I should go back though, but parking's a bitch over there.

so you mean a ringspun denim has a strand similar to any cotton thread? like the threads needed for stitching?

I also have to admit that I could hardly tell the difference between OE and ringspun denim. But I had a very interesting experience when I interned for a photographer who was assigned to photograph for the employee denim handbook for Levi's Philippines. I saw everything from the raw cotton they use to make the threads, to samples of unwoven OE yarns and unwoven ringspun yarns, and even that's hard to tell without looking up close. You really have to see it, but all I can say is that OE threads are much tighter in the way they're spun so they look alot tighter, and I remember ringspun being "fluffier" and not spun as neatly. And looking at denim swatches of both ringspun and OE side by side, I remember the ringspun denim to have a more imperfect looking twill while the OE swatch was alot more uniform. This was all a while back, like maybe 5-6 months, but it was a very enlightening experience.

my friends liked some of my jeans so i gave it them... some are given to the ones affected by the typhoon in the south right before christmas.

That's really, really awesome man.

I believe the $120 (ie P5000+) Viktors are the 'high-end' models of the line. High-end meaning all the bells and whistles like jubei's pair, with the leather V and the twotone backpocket stitching. So it's safe to assume that the more you deviate from the basic, the more expensive it gets. And I think it's safe to say that most people on this forum aren't really fans of the Diesel school of crazy pockets and stitching.

I would suggest making that appointment with Ino though, so he can really measure you and you get what you want. What that basically involved was bringing in a pair of jeans I owned that fit me the best, and he made adjustments from there, slimming the leg or lowering that rise or what have you. He writes the measurements down and that's it. For those who are interested in getting a pair, I suggest you go for it, but stick with the basics. But if all them leather patches and rivets and stuff make your eyes twinkle, hell go for those too. They are your jeans remember.

And to the guys who aren't interested, I suggest you take a look at his store anyway. The staff are friendly enough but it seems like they know jack shit about denim, but they'll let you look through swatch books and that can be fun. and rocker4life mentioned selvage denim, which sounds really interesting especially if it's really from a Japanese factory and not some random ass place that just happened to have an old loom hanging around. Shuttle loom + shit cotton yarn = shit selvage denim.

Yes it's cheaper to buy fabric in Divisoria and just have a tailor make you a pair, but quality suffers. Unless your tailor has an industrial machine that can chainstitch and sew bartacks, you won't even get close. I know, I tried this. I bought cheap denim and went to a random tailor. Total cost P450 ($9). Goddamn it's a shitty pair, but it was 9 bucks. You get what you pay for. This guy could do neither chainstitch nor could his machine do buttonholes. So I have a pair of jeans with hand-sewn buttonholes and bartacks. And hammered in rivets. No joke.

great fit... where have you bought those MJ Vans? i've been looking for them for the longest time now.

That guy that was selling on ebay, copped them for $60, shipped to my sister who went home for the holidays.

Pics of them being worn:

You have to realize that the fit and look of the jeans are completely up to you, hence the difference between mine and the one posted by jubei. Which is why Viktor (i mean completely bespoke Viktor, where your legs themselves are measured) would be great for the people on this board, but not so great for the general consumer public. Tacky taste = tacky jeans, all there is to it.

All in all i'm pretty happy with how mine came out, and I think the price I paid was fair. I don't know when the current prices were jacked up to P5800, but I think it might have something to do with the expectedly high rent of his store, and probably in order to compete with the previously mentioned 'premium' denim out there, Citizens, TR, Seven, Diesel, etc., blegh.

I thought I might as well post this and get my 2 cents in since this thread is pretty new.

I had these made around Feb 05 (I remember cuz the f/w 05-06 season just started), worn on and off a bit since then. I went in with the exact same intentions- I was a broke college student (still am) and the only way I could afford anything Dior Homme-esque was to go to Viktor and have something made.

At the time I’d never even seen a pair of DH in person, had no idea about cut, the low yoke, hem width, etc. I just loved the Spring 05 collection, so I printed out a few looks where I liked how the jeans fit and showed it to Ino, who was pretty willing to try it out. He even said that I was probably in the 2% of guys in this country who wear their jeans that skinny. This was the time that Viktor was being run from his apartment in ortigas, before he opened shop at the mall.

I chose the most basic style with the least embellishments and I wanted it really minimal, like all black stitching, just the simple arcuate, just a couple red accents to keep in interesting.

I wasn’t blown away, but I wasn’t disappointed either. The rise was VERY low, we’re talking low even for chick jeans. And the legs were really pretty tight, especially around the knee down. I was thinking it was fine though since he only uses raw denim and I expected it to stretch. It stretched a little, but not much so I’m guessing the denim’s sanforized. It’s still really tight in the knee, that’s why I don’t wear it as often as I’d want to. I’m pretty pleased with how it looks, but it’s far from the best fitting pair I have.

You can’t fault the quality though. Chainstitched everything except the hems (shame), bright red pocket bags, Viktor rivets, black bartacks. They're pretty tight and I haven't blown a seam yet. I mean, this isn’t just some guy with a singleneedle. The red V belt loops are nice touch imo. Plus Ino’s a stand up guy. And I got them for P3,800 which is like 70 bucks, which I think is fair for jeans that nobody else will have.

The only criticism I have about Viktor though is purely a personal one. Ino’s admittedly a huge Diesel fan, like from way back, and I think Viktors kinda emulate Diesel with the leather embellishments and the colored stitching and whatnot. And that’s fine, that’s his taste, whereas I prefer more minimalist designs like APC or DH. I think the problem arises when you get customizable jeans with really an unlimited choice in trimmings and embellishments, and you present it to people who are not really denim-savvy. They start to thinking the more the better, and things get outta hand. In other words, you get a guy walking around in raw bootcuts with leather strips and colored stitching and all sorts of doodads all over his ass, it’s just not something I wanna look at. But then again, that’s just me. I have seen really nice Viktors before though, don’t get me wrong. But for every one nice pair I see, there are like 3 not so nice pairs. So bespoke sounds like a really good idea for you superfuture guys but that’s because you guys know your denim. Put it in the hands of the general public, especially the Filipino general public, and it ain’t so pretty. I love my peoples, but we are so behind in fashion and trends and stuff here it’s just sad.

With that said, I really appreciate what Ino’s doing with Viktor and what he represents in the landscape of Filipino retail. You can say what you want, but there really isn’t anybody doing what he’s doing over here, and not many do it anywhere else.

Anyways, nice forum you guys have here.