MISTER FREEDOM

[akuma no uta]

I had a feeling the japan prices would be so much better, can def cop slot more than I expected if I go through rakuten

[rnrswitch]

Yeah, I can't believe it. The prices are better than in the actually Mister Freedom shop.

[zissou]

I just picked up the red anchor tee from SE during the sale. I'm glad they got more in, because I've been meaning to pick that up for a looong time.

[akuma no uta]

Did the math for the f/w 09 stuff japan vs American prices... At Fridays last conversion rate ( $1 = ¥97.55) it would be nearly 3,000 us dollars cheaper to get the entire line in japan rather than with the approx. Prices given to me by Katherine at mr. Freedom... $2,400 for the full decal leather jacket here, $1,619 dollars in japan...

[mpcec]

damn. bag looks nice, will probably pick that up as next purchase. what price was quoted for that from the mf store?

[akuma no uta]

500 bucks, which isn't bad if he will be the only place other than SE to have raw versions

[xchen]

Anyone know the cost of the Riders Dungarees offhand?

[akuma no uta]

These are the prices given to me by Katherine from mister freedom, if anyone else finds out differently please update me haha.

Riders dungarees $400

mechanics sweatshirt $290 without patch $300 with patch

mechanics shirt $300

leather jacket - plain $1899 with stars 2100 full appliqué $2400

greaser cap $360

backpack $500

mulhulland master $900

I didn't get the prices for the riders cap because I didn't know what it looked like. Now that was quoted to me about 3 weeks ago and I guess they are approximate prices that could change at anytime, to see the Japanese prices just look at the images that mr. Freedom posted himself. Nows the time I'm trying to figure out what I want to order from him (to get customized and to get raw I.e. The jeans) and what I want to save money by getting from japan. I have never bought one wash shit from rakuten so I'm not sure what kinda of differences there are in the fabrics.

[jacob_davis]

i will getting the Riders dungarees , mechanics sweatshirt and shirt, and the best of all the mulholland master.

[Baeyer-Drewson]

^^Hey Akuma, which Rakuten retailers would you recommend for Mr Freedom jawnz? Thanks.

[akuma no uta]

Having never ordered from rakuten I can't truthfully suggest any one in particular, I for one will be purchasing the items from hinoya as they will ship to America and accept credit cards

[B-Dawg]

I am also pretty into what Jared at Mister Freedom did with these jeans, which is remove the cargo pockets completely, it makes for a very clean and interesting looking pair of jeans, especially due to lack of an outseam...cool stuff.

I was just thinking of doing this the other day. I would totally have bought them during SE's sale today if I was allowed to wear jeans at work. Gotta wear black pants, so all my denimz get no love these days

[mpcec]

damn, price on the bag really caught me by surprise. not sure if i can justify buying this.

[glimmertwins]

Yikes...wasn't expecting that bag price either or the greaser cap being so expensive. Might have to pass this time around.

[Dead_Wizard]

What's "hard wash" vs non wash on the denim?

[akuma no uta]

Hard wash equals predistressed non wash equals raw

[rnrswitch]

In general this stuff is really expensive. Hell, I bought the chambray utility shirt on a whim, and the shit looks great and is constructed well, but $240 was a bit much. I mean $240 isn't a lot of money, but for a shirt it is.

All of the items are beautifully constructed (even the jacket), but I wonder where all this money is going. It seems like when a "collab" is done, both collaborators need to get paid, hiking the cost of the clothes, cuz now MF needs to get paid and SC gots to get paid too.

A little caveat: I have not personally handled all the articles of clothing, but I have handled the shirt I purchased and if I saw the shirt in a store, I would have pegged it at about $180 to $200. Nevertheless MF shit is beautiful and I will probably find myself looking at the mechanic shirt come september. I would easily buy more of this stuff at the Japanese prices, though.

[akuma no uta]

here is how it was explained to me by christophe last november, when i asked him why his prices were so much higher than the japanese stores, and he did it as a little math equation

"cost of item" = $10

cost of tarriffs + $2.50

cost of import taxes + 1.00

cost of shipping + $1.00

total cost of item now $14.50

while japan store has to pay cost of item and shipping. and the shipping will be lower.

[rnrswitch]

Oh, I know why they are more expensive here, but I don't know why they haven't explored manufacturing some of the garments in the states.

But I assume it is pretty difficult seeing as how production of MFSC stuff is so small it is almost pointless to setup shop in the states. So be it. They don't seem to have any problem selling the stuff at the current price anyways.

[Happy Hooligan]

so does Levi's have to pay import tarriffs and import taxes too, since most of their stuff is made overseas?

[blm14]

Levis has to pay SOME duty. But check this out, as an example:

Raw denim imported from USA to, say, turkey at $2/yard. Then, once assembled, imported into the UK for say 80 quid a pair...

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

it seems like when a "collab" is done, both collaborators need to get paid, hiking the cost of the clothes, cuz now MF needs to get paid and SC gots to get paid too.

I think this is more true for MF/SC than many other collaborations. Maybe I'm being too critical of other supposed "collabs" but often it seems like a company designs a piece as they normally would, uses some premium materials, perhaps, and then has it manufactured at a higher cost by their supposed "collaborator" . . . To me, that's not a collaboration, that's just using a different factory to manufacture your shit.

In this case though, the higher price is (more) justifiable in that Christophe seems to actually be in perpetual dialogue with SC, creating new fabrics, sourcing buttons, vintage tags and who knows what else. It's one thing to use a factory for what they are already capable of, it's another to truly collaborate with them and create something new.

[akuma no uta]

so does Levi's have to pay import tarriffs and import taxes too, since most of their stuff is made overseas?

as levis is an American company there are exceptions to having your goods made in foreign countries for less money, Its not necessarily considered an import, but as sugar cane is a Japanese company it's considered a true import. I'm going to be getting a call from MF in a little while giving me their updated prices they are lower than what were originally projected, but I don't believe they'll be anywhere near as low as japans prices

[glimmertwins]

Oh, I know why they are more expensive here, but I don't know why they haven't explored manufacturing some of the garments in the states.

But I assume it is pretty difficult seeing as how production of MFSC stuff is so small it is almost pointless to setup shop in the states. So be it. They don't seem to have any problem selling the stuff at the current price anyways.

I don't know, American Apparel does small runs of things too(obviously of lower quality) but without knowing the numbers I guess it's possible that that's subsidized by the rest of their business.

I imagine in MF's case, your probably still paying an import for the materials even if you make them all here. Since the materials are such a big part of the draw to the MFSC line, that's probably not as easy to source here in the US anyway.

Besides - is the US really MF's biggest fish? Seems like they stand to sell more in the East than here. I don't know the Japanese market, but this style seems to be a bit of a smaller niche in the US market.

[rnrswitch]

Yeah, I assume that they sell most of their stuff in Japan, but come on, the Japanese will eat up made in usa stuff. (j/k).

Just, to me, the concept of designing replica Americana and manufacturing in Japan, when the designer is in the states, seems a little off. In concept, but obviously, not in practicality.

[glimmertwins]

Agree completely. If my great grandfather could see me now, he would probably slap me around for what seems like hours for spending so much on clothes that cost him so little.

[tmadd]

You guys are talking about this like the price discrepancy between the US and Japan for Mister Freedom stuff is any different than anything else from Toyo.

[rnrswitch]

Yeah, but everything else from toyo is not designed by somebody living in the states, and a typical toyo denim shirt is about $150, but a MFSC denim shirt is about $350.

[jacob_davis]

Yeah, but everything else from toyo is not designed by somebody living in the states, and a typical toyo denim shirt is about $150, but a MFSC denim shirt is about $350.

the shirts from toyo are very nice. i own a few of them. but i think mfsc are that much better (details , fabric and limited #s). also a reg. toyo shirts are not mass made, but compared to msfc they are. compared to some of these designer brands msfc is not that much, even the usa prices. everybody has to make money. that is the way the world works. design and quality costs.

[kiya]

Yeah, but everything else from toyo is not designed by somebody living in the states, and a typical toyo denim shirt is about $150, but a MFSC denim shirt is about $350.

Christophe isn't the only American designing chunks of Toyo's lines.