Atelier LaDurance

[scoon0224]

Has anyone here been wearing their Royston Broken Twills?

A broken twill Frontier just appeared on Cultizm (Frontier Worker) and I'd like to see what the denim looks like with some wear, cuz I've been hungering for broken twill for ages now.

[Guest]

if anyone is interested, i'm selling a royal jacket in size small, and the frontier pants in 30x33...http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=149144

[bobblehead]

hey guys, ive been looking at the royston black selvedge on context.. i wear a 31 in imperial dukes so do u guys think i'll be alright in size 28? And also, anyone knows how the black selvedge will fade?

[dawei69]

No offense to all those ALD lovers.... they make great jeans.... buy they r made in china.... spending over 200USD on made in china garmets is not not worth it...

[Hulk]

Just bought the ALD Royston Broken Twill

Great fit! They should break in really fast as far as I heared.

[scoon0224]

No offense to all those ALD lovers.... they make great jeans.... buy they r made in china.... spending over 200USD on made in china garmets is not not worth it...

Daweii, a lot of the older pairs on here were the original Made in France stuff. (I've lost my MiF Frontiers in a move!)

Unfortunately they've shipped to China. If quality hasn't slipped, I can forgive them cuz it keeps them from being $500 instead of $350... and they're so unique and wicked that I might replace mine with Made in China ones anyway... I MISS THEM

I think it was Context that said they had to sell their final runs of MiF Frontiers at near cost, because it had just gotten to be too much, and they didn't want to try to push them at like $400.

(if quality has dropped, and price has still gone up? Then ignore this and flame away!)

[dawei69]

It's not just about MiF or MiC or about the quality..... It's more about brand experience such as not minding the wastage of materials, people with denim knowledge making the garmet -not just any skilled sewer. We are really paying for the amount of effort put into making their garmets which makes them unique... I don't think they should reduce labor costs in order to maximize their profit... now you might say "they still have families to feed, etc" now that's quite bullshit, proverty is not an issue in france, I think it's important that brands stay true to how they advertise their jeans... My friend recently bought a pair of roystons broken twill. There is no label indicating the place of production!! now that's very misleading.... he think's his ALD is in fact made in france... until i told him.... i used to own one of the older ALD frontiers which are MiF which clearly statest "made in france" however, i think ALD is trying to hiding the fact that their manufacture has infact move to a different GMT ...

Daweii, a lot of the older pairs on here were the original Made in France stuff. (I've lost my MiF Frontiers in a move!)

Unfortunately they've shipped to China. If quality hasn't slipped, I can forgive them cuz it keeps them from being $500 instead of $350... and they're so unique and wicked that I might replace mine with Made in China ones anyway... I MISS THEM

I think it was Context that said they had to sell their final runs of MiF Frontiers at near cost, because it had just gotten to be too much, and they didn't want to try to push them at like $400.

(if quality has dropped, and price has still gone up? Then ignore this and flame away!)

[scoon0224]

It's more about brand experience such as not minding the wastage of materials, people with denim knowledge making the garmet -not just any skilled sewer.

Definitely about brand experience, and I agree with about everything else.

But it was never french denim-heads sewing them. It's just hired skilled sewers. This is true almost anywhere.

Ooe Yofukuten is an exception to the rule.

It's not totally about reducing labor costs to maximize profit. They were having rising costs in France, and a rising Euro, which were going to price them out of the market. I'd rather see them move production, than shut it down.

Essentially, yeah it sucks they had to move to China.

But I'm happy they're still making clothes, and it won't stop me from getting another pair.

RE message below: I never saw they said that on the site, good spot. I'll take their word for it, but I doubt the employees were SUFU-type denimheads. As for the other brands, honestly Ooe, Ande, and DV are so small I shouldn't really have counted them as companies. They're more like a one man show, and certainly denimheads of the highest order. The bigger brands are undoubtedly founded by denimheads, designed by denimheads, but I wonder if the folks manning the sewing machines are.

[dawei69]

Definitely about brand experience, and I agree with about everything else.

But it was never french denim-heads sewing them. It's just hired skilled sewers. This is true almost anywhere.

Ooe Yofukuten is an exception to the rule.

Read what they wrote on their site!!

"Keeping the tradition alive today means having employees who have all been selected for their skills and craftsmanship. Experts who can express their passion for jeans tailoring while adopting the progress of modern technology."

This indicates ppl with denimheads makes their jeans (unless they are making false advertisement again)... Dude... I dont make false accusation...

secondily, most respectable denim brands on SUFU ARE made by denim experts... not just ooe...

just to give a few examples:

AndeWhall

Double Valente

and pretty much all the highend japanese repro..

[Guest Selvage Seb.]

I don't think they should reduce labor costs in order to maximize their profit..

Being a small label with a small group of costumers I don't think the main reason to move overseas is to maximize their profit. I rather think they did this to survive in these hard days. Do you really think it was a free choice?

Keeping their production in Europe will just simply be too expensive. Are you willing to pay an extra 100 dollars for reading in the tag 'Made in France'?

When there is no (prove the opposite) difference in quality. I have handled both 'MiF' and 'MiC' jeans and I couldn't spot a flaw. The fabric still looks and feels the same and so is the stitching and detailing as we are used from ALD.

Small brands are having hard times, especially when you are aiming for a select group of costumers. Don't you think raising the retailprice with at least 100 dollars is a no go nowadays?. I do completely agree with you that is it all about the 'brand expierence' and even I do think it is sad they've moved to China but..

What would you've done?

Move to China and make the best of it..

or loose money on every jeans sold?

Be glad Atelier la Durance at least still excists

This being said, please think about this again;

No offense to all those ALD lovers.... they make great jeans.... buy they r made in china.... spending over 200USD on made in china garmets is not not worth it...

And by the way, what do you think about Double RL?

-Sebastian

[dralfonzo]

i would not instantly think 'shit quality' if it was MIC, but I think that when you market your brand in the way that ALD has done then it is a bit cheeky. But I am all for the small brands fighting to stay alive, I have an old MIF Royal Jacket and I love it.

last I heard though someone told me that ALD was no more.....

[dawei69]

Keeping their production in Europe will just simply be too expensive. Are you willing to pay an extra 100 dollars for reading in the tag 'Made in France'?

When there is no (prove the opposite) difference in quality. I have handled both 'MiF' and 'MiC' jeans and I couldn't spot a flaw.

And by the way, what do you think about Double RL?

-Sebastian

simply look at this way.... There is nothing wrong with made in China stuff, in fact i think it's better than romania, turkey, indian, or thailand...It's just that I'm not really keen spending around $250USD on a pair of falsely advertised jeans when is the production cost of garmet probably $50 or less, in a place where the workers are paid in peanuts...

Now i might be exaggerating a bit, but ALD sometimes doesnt know the needs of their customers.. I imagine their primary customers are denim purists. But some of their products just doesnt have a niche market. e.g. their pre-washed prescott selvage... -the fake wash just doesnt make it with the denim purist, the cut doesnt fit it with the hipster, the price just bankrupts your wallet... Am i making a little bit of sense?

Never seen a pair Double RL, I'm from New Zealand, lol, not really into american brands except for levis, and simon miller -they keep things simple.

[Guest Selvage Seb.]

last I heard though someone told me that ALD was no more.....

Tell us more..I know their having hard times but.. ALD is no more?

To Dawei69;

Do you have any idea about production costs of clothing?

And do you know Atelier la Durance is not even a French brand?

In fact, the owners and founders are Dutch..

so, what do yo mean by falsely advertised?

[dawei69]

Tell us more..I know their having hard times but.. ALD is no more?

To Dawei69;

Do you have any idea about production costs of clothing?

Yes i do know the prices of production in china

you should read this new thread.... the cost of production around $50USD is probably an understatement....

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=178724

"The retail price of most designer jeans is calculated by multiplying the wholesale cost by 2.2. A pair of jeans that costs $158 at Saks, for example, was sold to the store for $72"

The manufacturing company is still making money from the $72 whole sale price... $50 production cost is no exaggeration for MiC garmets....

[truestorytravis]

last I heard though someone told me that ALD was no more.....

i asked the guys at cultizm if they could tell me anything. all they said was ALD is "facing some challenges" doesn't sound good.

i own the royston and prescott, and i don't think that ALD prices are too high because no other brand makes a jean that's similar in both design and material. (confession: i only own them both because i got them on sale, but i would have bought the prescott regardless and i hardly ever buy jeans full price.) it might be a bit of an ego boost for me if their production was centered in europe, but ultimately it's the jean itself that matters. i guess i don't make my denim decisions based fully on brand experience.

can anyone confirm that their stuff is produced in china? i may have missed the citation.

[rubyblue]

Hi,

Indeed ALD is at present being produced in China, as their former factory in France had to close their books... I know the founder & owner of ALD, Gerard, who lives in France by the way, and we had a chat a few days back. ALD went through difficult times, but, no worries, they keep on going strong. While being produced in China, they also dropped their RRP a tiny bit (220€/pair approx.), at least in Belgium & Holland, and quality hasn't slipped at all. We do stock the whole ALD collection over here in antwerp (clinicantwerp.com). Hope this info helps you guys out, if not, plse ask...

[lenn]

gerard is a great guy, met him a couple of times, but i can't really forgive him for moving the production to china... the whole 'made in a small town in france' thing was pretty sweet imo.

[rubyblue]

you're right.... the whole idea isn't anymore. As much as he told me, ALD is now being produced in the same factory that produces PRPS... BUT, he won't hesisate to return to France and produce his products in an artisnal manner, but only once production cost drops. Meaning, at present he was forced to move to China, to keep the retail price reasonable and in certain ways it's a good move (he could have opted for eg Turkey) : the chinese are learning quickly, and quality doesn't suffer or is less, on the contrary...but you've the feeling of a mainstream product, mass productions (A littel remark : I won't say i'm in favor of this China move, though quality is good in some factoreis, but workers who make those garments are very badly paid and = not at all in balance with current RRP. I'm willing to pay big bucks, but it has to be in balance).

[dawei69]

ALD is now being produced in the same factory that produces PRPS...

I find this very difficult to believe.... either you are bullshiting us or ALD is bullshiting you....same production factory as PRPS??? get a grip of ur geography.... prps are produced exculsively in JAPAN.... not CHINA!

If they are produced in china.... the RRP should be much much lower.... same as all other made in china garmets... not fucking 220euros....

[lenn]

yeah, of course it's all about the costs. and i also believe the quality is pretty much up to par with the french stuff, but still... it doesn't do it for me also, after seeing the documentary 'china blue' i'm not very fond of chinese made jawnz ;p

kinda strange that gerard states prps is produced there too, i have 2 pair, and both are made in japan. is he referring to the cheaper wrkshop prps line?

[rubyblue]

As a buyer I can only say that when an article mentions being produced in Japan, Italy or else, it doesn't mean that the whole production proces takes place overthere. Meaning : one uses japans'finest denim, the actual production of the jean takes place in China, finishing touches (washings, etc...) are done in Japan. This allows putting a tag made in Japan inside the garment....

[coleslawyum]

Actually knowing PRPS, they most likely are made in China, but fabric made in Japan. They cut corners where ever possible if I recall. Anyway, just buy from a Japanese brand if you want the real deal. They have a huge range of pricepoints to choose from.

[blm14]

just so that you know, by international trade law, if a pair of jeans is 99% made in China but the tags themselves are applied in Japan and then the jeans are initially SOLD out of japan then the company can put "Made in Japan"

[kiya]

All this MIC/MIJ conversation is moot.. ALD no longer exists.

Unless somebody wants to buy the company and revitalize it.

[Tiro]

All this MIC/MIJ conversation is moot.. ALD no longer exists.

Unless somebody wants to buy the company and revitalize it.

is this for real? what happened?

[arcanum]

^ i would like to know too

[lenn]

moar info kiya

[kiya]

I have a good friend which has sold ALD at his shop for five years and i was recently with him in Tokyo (he lives in Germany) and he told the story as to what has happened with the brand.

Unfortunately he also told me that it's not to be repeated, so there you have it.

[lenn]

ah that's too bad...

i wasn't very keen on the quality of the denim/jeans anyway (i got a pair of prescott dark tone 1,5 years ago, and managed to get a 15cm rip at the ass after wearing them for 6 hours. yaaay), but still, gerard made something different.

[xxhalcyonxx]