Mastermind Japan - What's the Appeal of this Brand?

[Guest Fade to Black]

When I first heard stories about MM, I was quite intrigued with the whole concept of using super luxe materials for streetwear...then I took a look at some of the stuff in person and was quite underwhelmed. The MM X Visvim Kiefers are nice, but the regular collection stuff that's been in stores so far hasn't impressed me much...the quality is pretty good, but I just can't fathom dropping 8 bills for what is essentially just a cotton t-shirt with a print on it, and that's without mentioning the blatant logo-ing on a lot of their garments...using sea island cotton for a military jacket sounded intriguing but again, touching it in person didn't help me justify the insane price it demanded...ditto for jeans that cost up to $2K that I wouldn't substitute for a nice pair of washed Diors.

This stuff seems to be selling out in stores, so I'd like to know what is the exact market for this brand???? Its name recognition doesn't seem to be as far reaching as say, UC or N(N)...is it simply the price factor that creates such high demand?

[djrajio]

Mastermind is horribly overpriced and creativity underwhelming. The appeal is its brand-name and having people know you spent an enormous amount of money to wear the label. It's popular here in Japan but amongst a set of scensters that like flaunting who they wear rather than what they where...

[Guest Fade to Black]

It's popular here in Japan but amongst a set of scensters that like flaunting who they wear rather than what they where...

That makes sense...kind of like an exclusive boys' club. There seems to be virtually no design aspect at all to the clothes.

[b_mang]

its just a next big brand for labelwhores. Once too many kids are wearing numbernine and undercover etc... they wont feel like they are on top. They go to an even more expensive , exclusive... brand. MASTERMIND.

[Guest Fade to Black]

Makes sense...but at least UC and N(N) have clothes that have some details, some semblance of thought that went into making them. Mastermind is just jeans, t-shirts, basic sweaters, and other accessories that have more or less the same logo on them.

[derdankhund]

I don't like their stuff that is way overly logoed, but I must say some of my favorite t-shirts are a plain black skull on black cotton ripped/distressed t-shirt and a white skull with multi-colored crystalline eye sockets. Both of them are quality and have held up much better over time than a similar number (n)ine tee I got rid of. Is it overpriced?...certainly. Are Number (N)ine and Undercover overpriced?...maybe not quite as much...but I'd still say certainly. Most Japanese labels are overpriced due to a variety of macro and microeconomic factors. Overrated?...who cares what other peoples' opinions of clothing are anyway?

on a side note, has anyone on here bought any of the recent glut of fake mastermind tees that have been cropping up on ebay?

[faust]

is their pics / info on any of their stuff online? just curious to see what kind of stuff they have after hearing about them a few times..

you can see it on yoox.com. warning, it'll bore you to tears. besides that omnipresent scull shit, not much to see. i've seen it person in NYC. it never sold.

[djrajio]

You can see the fall collection here:

http://www.dress-japan.jp/onlineshop/list/c000001_p001.html

Please explain to me how this leather studded belt can command a 94,500 yen price tag!? Outrageous. The design just sucks too.

[ddohnggo]

those prices are absolultely ridiculous

[purplerocket]

Mastermind are for people with too much money to spend.

Though saying that I recently bought a Mastermind x Gambler tee for £74, which is a fair price, I think of it as substituting 3 stussy tees or 2 Bape tees . Though have to say the material and the fitting is the best I've got compare to my other street wear brands.

[derdankhund]

Looking at new season's stuff, mastermind seems to fit the pattern of most japanese designers for me; I love a couple of their pieces, and wouldn't be caught dead in the rest. I like where there is a more subtle use of skulls, and am certainly not stoked on the huge backside logos on most of this season's t-shirts. One of my favorite t-shirts of theirs (which I have in a size too small for me) is the one with bandages sewn onto it, with a skull above crossed military rifles of some kind, which then says "No More War" underneath. It is sized medium, but doesn't run as loose as a lot of their t-shirts and would fit a size small much better. If anyone wants to buy it, PM me for sure as I could use the money to invest in something else...

[Servo2000]

Please explain to me how this leather studded belt can command a 94,500 yen price tag!? Outrageous. The design just sucks too.

I think what's even better than that is the pair of 158,00 yen sweatpants. Sweatpants!

At least, they seem to be, as I can't read japanese.

[LanceP]

Mastermind x Fragment Design reversible flannel shirt... I actually wanted these. But for $990+... wow. FUCK THAT!

[Guest Fade to Black]

looks very cheap indeed...the way it's generated so much hype should be taught in marketing classes.

After all, the creator of the label used to work as a sales associate at Yohji Yamamoto, i figured he would have come up with something more creative, following in the master's footsteps at least...

[sneakerstar2]

looks very cheap indeed...the way it's generated so much hype should be taught in marketing classes.

After all, the creator of the label used to work as a sales associate at Yohji Yamamoto, i figured he would have come up with something more creative, following in the master's footsteps at least...

Sales associates is not know to be that creative,but they are often good at business/marketing as you pointed out. Would have been better if he stole some creative ideas from master Yohji and not just his price range

[ddohnggo]

Sales associates is not know to be that creative,but they are often good at business/marketing as you pointed out. Would have been better if he stole some creative ideas from master Yohji and not just his price range

unfortunately, mastermind's prices seem to be beyond yohji's price range.

[Guest Fade to Black]

unfortunately, mastermind's prices seem to be beyond yohji's price range.

wayyy beyond...for the price of one of those cotton sweatpants posted above, i could pick up 4 pairs of wool gabardine trousers from YY's signature collection.

[sneakerstar2]

But you could just by this "100% GENUINE!!!! CRYSTAL SKULL AND GUNS!!RARE!! " tee from master mind for 1 dollar! LOL

http://cgi.ebay.com/JAPAN-MASTER-MIND-GUN-SKULL-size-L-neighborhood_W0QQitemZ170016266241QQihZ007QQcategoryZ15687QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[sneakerstar2]

Thats 100 % Genuine with 4 ! so it must be legit

[derdankhund]

I may pull the trigger on one or two of the cheaper mastermind t-shirts currently on ebay, so i'll keep posting if I end up getting any. The material on the t-shirts I have now is quality so I have a suspicion I'll be disappointed...

[sneakerstar2]

Fade to black, if you are refering to these http://www.dress-japan.jp/onlineshop/list/c000001_d000049.html they are indeed 95 % silk. But the price is still a fuckin joke.

[derdankhund]

if they weren't so tapered at the bottom I'd try to snag a pair...as it stands...I can't do tapered sweat pants, even if they are 95% silk...

[Astérix]

Shit's definitely way overpriced...if tees are going for $250+ on Yoox you know somethings up.

[magus1234]

I think I would actually kill someone for that Destroyed flannel.*drooling*

Anyone know anyother brans that do similar destroyed type shit like that

ohh ya, is that price 1200 dollars? Jeez

[djrajio]

Practically every Japanese street wear brand did a flannel jacket rip last season. Fat comes to mind. Also, phenomenon, swagger, devilock...heck even the main retail stores did em, United Arrows, Beams, etc... If you want it destroyed, just take a knife and go crazy...

[magus1234]

Practically every Japanese street wear brand did a flannel jacket rip last season. Fat comes to mind. Also, phenomenon, swagger, devilock...heck even the main retail stores did em, United Arrows, Beams, etc... If you want it destroyed, just take a knife and go crazy...

ugh I will look, but can you point me in an "online" direction......

thx for the heads up!

[englandmj7]

^^ If you want a nice and warm-as-hell flannel jacket with a hood go to your local Walmart = $15.99. I fuckin' love mine and they come in red/black, green/black, etc.

Then get some sandpaper, acetone, bleach, whatever the shit you want to mess the thing up with and go to work......

[darkanimal]

I think I would actually kill someone for that Destroyed flannel.*drooling*

Anyone know anyother brans that do similar destroyed type shit like that

ohh ya, is that price 1200 dollars? Jeez

I got my destroyed flannel in HK a year ago super inexpensive, yes the style was all over the place.

[6MT]

didn't HF was one of the run way model on one of their show during the tokyo fashio week ealier this year? i seem the pic on the run way, it really donesn't impress me at all, sadly to say...

and what exactly is "ditto" mean?

[englandmj7]

"ditto" mean?

Ditto means "me too" or "I second that"