New Denim Company Would love your opinions

[hawthorne]

I don't know if anyone said this yet, I read through the thread a day or so ago and no one had mentioned this. But what I'd like to see is clasps and "waxings" à la Dior Homme. I'm serious, the clasp insted of the top button just add a little extra feeling to expense, and Dior Homme's waxed denim is just so beautiful, so I think a cheaper alternative to that would probably be quite popular.

Edit: yea, I'm currently feeling realy influenced by Dior

[Servo2000]

I don't know if anyone said this yet, I read through the thread a day or so ago and no one had mentioned this. But what I'd like to see is clasps and "waxings" à la Dior Homme. I'm serious, the clasp insted of the top button just add a little extra feeling to expense, and Dior Homme's waxed denim is just so beautiful, so I think a cheaper alternative to that would probably be quite popular.

Edit: yea, I'm currently feeling realy influenced by Dior

The clasps are fucked. I know more than a few people have felt that the fit has been damaged by the clasps being stretched or warped since they simply are not strong enough to stand up to rigorous wear, and in the end you're essentially left with a skewed top button, so the jeans have a tendency not to sit wear you want on the waist.

Then again, people could just not size down like 13 sizes and have the legs tailored instead of stretching out the waist 8 sizes.

[hype_killz]

many ppl are saying stick with slim cuts and all, i suggest mutiple styles and cuts. if you stick with only slim cuts then you are limiting the market. There are many on here that love slim cuts of course, but there are also many that like more relaxed, baggier cuts as well. as for pocket emroidery, i say none. if you're doing raw denim then most often the embroidery comes off over time with wear. do something else unique instead.

[Pandemonium]

don't go too hard on bootcut.

[mickawes]

You say youve already perfected the fit, but you wont tell us what its like. I know you might think that we will steal your idea and what not, but we need some more info as to what you want from us.

Are your jeans tailored, like the "twentys-something metrosexual" rock and republic look, or are they antifit, or painted on, or something we havent yet seen yet?

Superfuture is, as mentioned before, an extremely niche and fickle segment of the denim market. However, we are only as good as the brands which we can buy. Alot of our influences and tastes come either from the authenticity of past trends (ie. cowboys, skinheads, 90s hiphop (buffalo plaid, short shorts, nikes), yachting...?) or the aesthetics of modern fashion labels which we cant afford and/or source.

If you want advice on cuts, look to "mainstream" japan, if you can categorize it like that. Everything that happens there happens here in like 2 to 5 years.

As for details and such, if you stick to authenticity with a modern twist, you should be fine. Its the subtelties that really sell me. Go to websites that talk about modern contemporary design and look at the type of artistic cues they put into their products.

Also, utilize the INTERNET to market your product. Make a website, sell globally through the website, offer as much information as you can. Basically make it accessible and give it charachter and feel. Julian Red did a good job with this, in my opinion, with their newrave style video catwalk collection thing. Or Diesel, with their 70s retro feel. Make your brand not just about selling jeans, but as a form of expression. If you dont have any ideas, advertise in your local design university for a quick little job or so.

And whats the deal behind 23? It may have some personal meaning to you, but when i see it, all I think is miss sixty, 1951 jeans (or whatever its called), and all the other generic brands with numbers in their name. If youre completly set on 23, you should make sure to make a strong story behind it.

Just my $0.02

[pacioli]

Hey AKK- good to see you. So as not to deviate from topic too much I'll be terse. While they have legal rights and business justification on their side their actions irk me to no end. The jeans we love along with people we care for have been affected. But something good has come of this I believe.

Matt_L_Gabriel - good luck and I look forward to seeing your jeans. My only opinion is that it's difficult to serve multiple types of consumers (as Nudie has been able to and Earnest Sewn has not been; my opinion) and I wish you success. It sounds like you are really passionate about your product. May I ask what other jeans you are into?

[jours]

Make the back pockets run the entire length of the jeans. It's g-g-geeeenius. And if you want to be funny, make the front pocket ridiculously small, like 5th pocket size.

[Matt_L_Gabriel]

Everyone keeps pushing identity, I was just trying to stay off that arena for now and cover that later with a different thread. My fiance is the fashion designer and I am a denim lover, who wears my jeans like my skin and that is why we started this venture. I am though a sales man by trade and understand that I am not just selling a product, but a dream, a lifestyle, ect... we will hopefully get on that later.

As for cuts right now here's where we are at. For men we have a slim fit "skinny jean" with normal and long inseam options, a straight leg, a narrower straight leg with a gentle boot cut, a mid-rise loose jean, and because I feel there is a market for it and it happens to be my favorite pair and skinny jean will a large yoke and a long inseam. The last option though some people may not like it is because of this. I am a relatively skinny guy 6'1 and about 185lbs. So I'm not paper thin, but I have a 28-29" waist making me a good 3-6 inches smaller in the waist than many guys my size. I carry my weight as many men do in my upper regions, and the larger yoke flattens my back side and makes me look more proportioned.

As for women, we have a skinny jean ruched and not. a straight leg with and without gentle boot cut. a cigarette, and a skinny with gentle boot cut thats a little looser around the hips.

The question regarding websites and global sales through them is a tough decision to make. We will have a full site launched hopefully within the next month or so, but as for sales on them that is where things get a little trickier. It is a good source of profit and an immediate way of reaching a global market but it puts off some retailers and distributors. It's an iffy subject that I personally have yet to make a decision on yet.

[kiya]

Personally, I drop any brand that starts conducting online sales on it's own site.

It hasn't really been much of an issue in the past because any brand with half a brain behind it knows better.

[unklesteve]

We will have a full site launched hopefully within the next month or so, but as for sales on them that is where things get a little trickier. It is a good source of profit and an immediate way of reaching a global market but it puts off some retailers and distributors. It's an iffy subject that I personally have yet to make a decision on yet.

I'd recommend against it, personally.

The additional markup that you make by selling direct will never be enough to pay for the promo that you will get from staunch retail allies. BiG, Self Edge, etc are already set up to pimp the living hell out of your product in ways that you haven't learned yet. That's not a slight on your abilities, that's just a reinforcement of how much you learn from running a successful retail operation.

The last company I worked for that decided they wanted to sell direct managed to piss off a LOT of their retailers. The compromise that worked was pricing all of their web stuff at 15% higher than what everyone else was retailing it for. So that direct sales were a service and a convenience for people that couldn't find particular products online or in brick-and-mortar stores. It didn't really work, however, because it still reduced sales from other stores even with the pricing increase.

You want your retailers to love you, love you brand, and promote the hell out of it. If you sell direct, you run the very real risk of losing your staunchest allies.

S

[glitz_inc]

I would definitely go for an e-commerce platform. The profit margins are huge, and it's so easy to setup and fulfill online orders nowadays. Any press writeups that you get can point directly to your site - and you can fill orders from around the world.

While some smaller boutiques will loyally promote your product, others might consider you just the new flavor of the month. Larger stores - like Barneys - may drop you because of a staff change and a new buyer. But if you establish a strong online presence, and keep your customers happy with advance notifications, special products, and limited editions - then you have some insulation against the whims of your wholesale clients. Just be sure that your pricing matches the suggested retail price. You might consider slightly limiting your online assortment as well - so that some pieces are exclusive to wholesale and will make your stores feel special. On the flipside, you can also have online exclusive pieces.

Good luck!

[dismalfuture]

i wear apc almost everyday and i hate their jeans, only pair i own are the discontinued bootcut models. the pockets are too fucking small.

I'm the same way, I like APC's pieces, some seasons more than others and older stuff more than the newer stuff of late, but APC was the place to find basic, slim-fitting stuff in nice fabrics. Most of their designs are pretty enduring, look good for awhile. People talk about basics like AA and Base Control but that shit is boring. I'd rather shell out the $100 and buy a cashmere blend knit piece that will last me for 2/3 years, or a nice simple military-looking jacket that's not too overdone.

APC jeans are pretty boring, on the other hand, and anything that fits me is from the women's sizing (26 or 27) so the pockets don't fit my wallet and the yoke and rise are too short. They fade nicely, but since you can only basically wash them once before they turn that light royal blue, that is annoying too.

Personally, I'm kind of tired of the Dior cut too. It's very nice but I've been wearing it awhile now and am looking for something new to move onto. Having your own cut rather than copying someone else's 5 year old fit would be better anyway.

personally, I would like to see a thicker selvedge denim (doesn't have to be from Japan, IMO, as long as the essentials are there), hidden back pocket rivets, longer yokes and 10" rise or slightly higher, felled double-needle inseams, slightly larger watch pocket that could possibly accomodate smaller cell phones, blah blah.

I'd actually like to see the denim maybe unsanforized and lefty so it has a bit more shrink to it and a more satisfying fade over time? I just like roping around the hems and inseams and would want more pronounced traintracks, if I'm going to be paying for selvage. Diors and APC's don't really have the satisfying fades because they don't shrink enough to rope up and the depth of color is just not there.

Last wish, keep the price closer to (or below if possible) the 200 dollar mark rather than the 300 dollar one. I'd be far more willing to try out a new brand of jeans for $200. $300 and there's too many choices.

[Denim Rockstar]

As for pictures I will post some in a couple of days there not on this laptop and I've been working remotely away from home at the studio for the next couple of days, though If we finish the raw black womens we're currently working on tonight I'll get some up if not just wait a couple of days and you'll be golden I think you guys will like what we have been doing.

(whistling and looking at my watch) No offense, but I'm still waiting on those photos Matt.

[Denim Rockstar]

Hey...whatever happened to "Twenty-Three brand jeans"??

[unklesteve]

This guy was talking to my wife and I about doing some logo/branding/marketing work. (We run a design firm, among other things..)

Two e-mails, one phone call, and then......nothing.

Flaky.

[wEstSidE]

start a thred about how he flkaed.