5EP - a message from Godmother

[LA Guy]

Hey guys, I wasn't sure that this was the right place to post this (there are so many Supers around, it gets me confused) so Minya et al., please move it to the right forum if this is the wrong one. In any case, crossposted at Styleforum:

So, talked to Godmother, the 5EP designer, and she has pulled her back, so she is a little laid up for a bit. She assures me that all shipments of 5EP goodies will be ready to go out on Feb 15, come hell or high water. Anyway, she asks for your patience.

Also, (and I don't know anything about this), the CC fiasco is being sorted out and some sort of Paypal system is being implemented. I am sure that Godmother or Hitman will contact you guys who are affected by this.

[sfwq]

Is 5EP doing some sort of e-commerce site?

[LA Guy]

Is 5EP doing some sort of e-commerce site?

Um, they will be. They are clearing out deadstock for a March new delivery though, and stuff was originally slated to go out Feb. 1.

[tweeds]

for those wondering: godmother's initial post about the 5ep deadstock

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=21484

[LeicaLad]

I want to Thank LA Guy for his denim evangelism. I reread his Top Ten thread on a regular basis. I’m not sure why 5EP hasn’t gotten quite the love here that other makers. Maybe the cuts are less focused on skin-tights for teenagers, but rather on timeless cuts and careful construction. I'm in for a pair.

I’m also pleased when you can deal directly with the very individuals making your threads. I think we should really be making a point to support 5EP, as well as Ande.

And I have learned a lot on denim through LA Guy’s efforts pointing in the right direction(s). Thanks, again.

[horriblyjollyjinx]

Maybe the cuts are less focused on skin-tights for teenagers, but rather on timeless cuts and careful construction.

just wow.

maybe shit is wack or maybe people aren't fat enough for their jeans? just trying to find of a reason!!

[LA Guy]

just wow.

maybe shit is wack or maybe people aren't fat enough for their jeans? just trying to find of a reason!!

That was rather unfriendly.

In any case, I'd have to say that the main reason is that the hype hasn't really caught on. I don't mean that in a derogatory sense towards Superfuture. Hype on Superfuture builds up and dies down very quickly because the age of the typical reader is relatively low compared to that of some other fashion related message boards, but it is definitely not a phenomenon not seen elsewhere, to a greater or lesser degree.

Off on a tangent, but I promise to get back on point at the end of this post. Internet message boards are interesting that way. It is notoriously difficult to predict which way the winds are going and when they will change, which is one (though not the only) reason that many designers (and, to a lesser extent, retailers) are loathe to post on messageboards (though many lurk on them) because the reactions to their posts could easily go one way or the other. Several retailers tell me, for example, that Wings & Horns and W+H phone sales for slim fit hoodies and duffel coats spiked during the Superfuture and Styleforum frenzy of FW06. Now, I really like the brands (W+H and Wings&Horns), think that they have distinctive voices, and own a lot of pieces myself, but it would be foolish to think that the frenzy for slim fit hoodies and the backlash against classic fit hoodies was not fueled by a dozen or fewer posts between the two SFs (there is a lot of cross pollination between the boards.) There are a number of other examples out there, but that one was possibly the most striking, although the rush to buy Pure Blue Japan 005s probably rivals it.

As for 5EP, I think that it would be unfair to classify the brand as anything short of excellent. The 5EP denim used comes from one of the best Japanese mills there is, and is one of the highest grades of denim the mill produces. The hardware and construction are both very high grade. For the amount of money it costs to produce these jeans, the $260 retail price that they command is a very reasonable, and getting them on sale for $150 or so is a bargain. Certainly, it's not just me. Some of the most discerning retailers in the US and beyond have been taken by them, and they are well regarded by a lot of people in the denim industry.

Re. fits. The trend right now is towards skinny jeans (though this is due to change in FW07 or SS08, from all indications,) which is why there are so many questions on the boards as to what are the slimmest models put out by Samurai, Sugarcane, Studio D'Artisan, and so on, although the majority of the jeans put out by these companies could not be characterized as "skinny" in all good conscience. 5EP just has 2 models - the lower rise bootcut, and the higher rise straightleg. Both can certainly be sized down for a skinnier fit (the bootcut is better suited for this because of the slim cut of the hips) if that is what the buyer wants.

HJJ, perhaps you have had some negative experience with 5EP jeans? If not, and if you have not tried them, I would suggest that you buy a pair, or at least look at them, and check out the quality for yourself. I know that Liberty's of London had them, but don't know of any European stockists.

Finally, I don't really evangelize for any brand. I am certainly not paid by any brand to write about them. I just write about the brands I like. Some catch on (Wings & Horns/W+H for example, and Engineered Garments more recently on this board,) others, not so much (as far as I know, no one else is buying Fred Bare caps.)

[LA Guy]

I should also add, to HJJ, that your blog is pretty interesting, and I am guessing that your post was in reaction to Leica's. However, I really think that without having personal experience with a brand of jeans, it's not really fair to infer things about the fit or the quality.

[LeicaLad]

Gee! And I was just trying to say thanks for the informative threads. I said denim evangelism, not any specific brand. Nor did I realize that evangelism has any negative or pejorative connotations. I STILL find LA Guy's posts informative, so I still say thanks. Sorry for any other misinterpretations.

Yeesh.

[horriblyjollyjinx]

I don't have an opinion about 5EP, what I said did not touch the brand itself but only the statement that I feel was very narrow minded and elitist, "most people here are young and dumb kids". If I misinterpreted you LeicaLad, then I apologize. If I didn't, then what I said stands.

I would love to check out 5EP some day.

[LeicaLad]

Young and skinny, perhaps, which is essentially true. I certainly didn't suggest nor mean anything derogatory. I sure didn't call anyone stupid. I'm looking forward to my pair of 5EP, and I was thanking LA Guy for the threads that led me to 'em.

IF that apology still stands, it's accepted. Let's just focus on the good stuff. Cool?