Denim Stores In Australia

[Saisen]

Also will take some instore photos of Mckilroy soon 

[Saisen]

Some old pictures I had on the computer of McKilroy.
The shop layout constantly changes to showcase brands/items etc

Will take new and current shop setup soon. And also if anyone needs any information or anything from the shop let me know

[okisan]

On 19/04/2017 at 1:53 PM, kicks79 said:

The Australian retail scene is pretty tough. The largest independent chain here in Sydney has closed down.

Now with Great Southern Denim gone, there are fewer stores pushing interesting brands. 

As a shop owner, I would love to stock everything that a brand did. However, the reality is that this is simply not possible.

My advice to people is to support their local stores, go in and talk to the owners and let them know what they want. 

They are more likely to stock things if they know there is a viable market. 

 

 

 

 

 

Just my 2 cents on this, as you all know i'm on Sufu from time to time... I could probably talk about this for pages but i'll keep it brief, as much for my sake as yours.

kicks79 is right on a couple of points here, the retail scene is definitely feeling it right now, and it's essentially like you need to be on sale more or less permanently just to be able to have any chance of just even staying afloat, let alone thrive - and that's no way to be. Combine a premium product that has wholesale prices that seemingly increase season after season, with a consumer that consistently wants things cheaper & cheaper and there'll be problems sooner rather than later. Add in the fact that the denim scene is still somewhat of a niche market over here and things get tricky. We would have loved to have brought more from our brands, and even more brands, but it's easier to move a $275 pair of jeans than it is a $275 Japanese flannel shirt... if you see what i mean. 

In terms of GSD we could have kept going and stuck it out longer, but surveying the landscape we had to question whether that would actually be the right call, after all we both have families to look after and contribute to. It is disappointing not to be able to continue doing what we we're doing, but the conditions need to be right in order for that to happen, and after having spoken to our customers (both new & old) during the last 4 days worth of closing sales we feel we made the right call.

 

Edited April 24, 2017 by okisan

[Saisen]

Current McKilroy in Perth, WA store layout

[kicks79]

Great interior, it looks amazing! 

 

[Syncd86]

Great looking store @Saisen

in other news Corlection are stocking samurai jeans now. They had sj3000(?) and the 511xx as well. Glad to have a Samurai dealer in Melbourne! Picked a a black strike gold sweatshirt from them, super luxurious feel to the fabric!

[kicks79]

I'm surprised that they got Samurai.

I know that in the past that Samurai were very loyal to RHD and would not deal with any other retailers in Aus.

[mikecch]

^ Given the volume of denim they move and their wealthier customer base I'm not surprised. 

Will check it out soon.

[conqueror]

On 09/05/2017 at 2:06 PM, kicks79 said:

I'm surprised that they got Samurai.

I know that in the past that Samurai were very loyal to RHD and would not deal with any other retailers in Aus.

RHD changed hands a while ago and have since stocked further 'competitors'. however, the former owner and current owner are friends so i'm sure they were all introduced to each other.

[BlackPig]

Just saw that Levi's Melbourne Central now stock LVC line, various 501 cuts according to years, and denim jackets as well. 

[conqueror]

9 hours ago, BlackPig said:

Just saw that Levi's Melbourne Central now stock LVC line, various 501 cuts according to years, and denim jackets as well. 

adelaide too, although i didn't notice any jackets (but didn't specifically look for them either).

[jbanger]

^ the one in the mall @conqueror?

 

will check out later this morning if i go in

[louisbosco]

On 2017-6-16 at 9:18 PM, conqueror said:

adelaide too, although i didn't notice any jackets (but didn't specifically look for them either).

interesting.. i wonder what about perth..

[mikecch]

Kinda weird how the local Levi's people aren't advertising this much. Would love to check this out soon! 

[propellerbeanie]

8 hours ago, mikecch said:

Kinda weird how the local Levi's people aren't advertising this much. Would love to check this out soon! 

I agree that it's very odd. I was actually first made aware of Melbourne Central selling LVC gear through a customer. Luckily though, it was one of our regular, denim-savvy customers that told me about it because he knew I'd be interested or would have more info about what's to be expected. Unfortunately, I never saw any sort of announcement about it on our work forum... I haven't asked how popular the LVC line is, but I'm interested to know. They should at least have a post about it on the Levi's ANZ Instagram account, where I'm sure most of y'all would eventually see it pop up in your "explore" tab.

[louisbosco]

1 hour ago, propellerbeanie said:

 They should at least have a post about it on the Levi's ANZ Instagram account, where I'm sure most of y'all would eventually see it pop up in your "explore" tab.

interestingly enough, it doesn't 

Edited June 20, 2017 by louisbosco

[kicks79]

To be honest, I don't think anyone outside of Sufu and other denim heads really care about LVC.

We used to sell it here in Sydney at a shop I worked at. The 47 501s fully distressed cuts. This was a time when everyone was wearing Supreme, Levis,  Evisu, and Nike Dunks.

Maple here in Sydney have been selling LVC for a while. The prices are on par with Iron Heart, Samurai and other Japanese brands. Which again if I'm honest I would rather cop over LVC. 

[mikecch]

^ On that note, I'm rather curious about the local pricing! Wonder how much they're selling the midcentury repro jeans for? 

 

@propellerbeanie I keep a tab on the IG account of a couple of people from Levi's Australia - no news. Maybe this is deliberately low key? 

[mondo]

7 hours ago, kicks79 said:

Maple here in Sydney have been selling LVC for a while. The prices are on par with Iron Heart, Samurai and other Japanese brands. Which again if I'm honest I would rather cop over LVC. 

Heh.. every time I walk into Maple wearing well-worn jeans that they actually have on the shelves (LVC 501 54z, Sugarcanes.. well all right, they don't seem to stock 47s, 66s, Okinawas or Hawaiis) they look at me as if I couldn't possibly afford any of the stuff they sell.

To be fair, last time a shop assistant squinted at my LVC Valencia St Type II ($30 Vinnie's find, thankyouverymuch) and said "You know, that's actually a cool jacket you have there"

/edit  whereas the cool chick in Kicks79's store clocked everything the second I walked in.. I know clothes aren't the be-all and end-all.. but they kind of are if you work in a shop that sells them..

Edited June 21, 2017 by mondo

[conqueror]

3 hours ago, mondo said:

Heh.. every time I walk into Maple wearing well-worn jeans that they actually have on the shelves (LVC 501 54z, Sugarcanes.. well all right, they don't seem to stock 47s, 66s, Okinawas or Hawaiis) they look at me as if I couldn't possibly afford any of the stuff they sell.

To be fair, last time a shop assistant squinted at my LVC Valencia St Type II ($30 Vinnie's find, thankyouverymuch) and said "You know, that's actually a cool jacket you have there"

/edit  whereas the cool chick in Kicks79's store clocked everything the second I walked in.. I know clothes aren't the be-all and end-all.. but they kind of are if you work in a shop that sells them..

i don't get it - were you expecting to get your dick sucked because you were wearing a pair of "well-worn jeans"?

[mondo]

No, just expecting them to recognise their product—since the selling point of their raw denim is that it will yield idiosyncratic fades over time.

And I doubt I'll ever reach a point in life where I think "yep, I've had enough blow jobs now"..!

[BlackPig]

On 2017-6-21 at 6:16 PM, mikecch said:

^ On that note, I'm rather curious about the local pricing! Wonder how much they're selling the midcentury repro jeans for? 

 

@propellerbeanie I keep a tab on the IG account of a couple of people from Levi's Australia - no news. Maybe this is deliberately low key? 

IIRC they were selling for $370. I would rather spend my money on Japanese raws.

[okisan]

My conversations with a Levi's rep one time indicated there really was no plan for the LVC line in Australia. When it did sell it was in a 'capsule' style format, at a single selected location, and in limited quantities. That said, Maple seem to have had it for a while and in quantities that on the surface don't appear all that limited. It all indicates that it's of very low priority for them in this market.

[conqueror]

On 21/06/2017 at 10:00 PM, mondo said:

No, just expecting them to recognise their product—since the selling point of their raw denim is that it will yield idiosyncratic fades over time.

And I doubt I'll ever reach a point in life where I think "yep, I've had enough blow jobs now"..!

probably came across as overly aggressive since i haven't had my dick sucked for a while. apologies.

i dunno man, i've been to GIP store wearing an old wtaps jacket and no one said anything. same with wearing samurai 710s at samurai etc etc. maybe i have very low expectations going into 'boutique' stores and/or come across as completely unapproachable, though.

funnily enough the only time anyone has ever commented on my clothing publicly was tune magazine who took my photo wearing a uniqlo polo, eternal 883s, and nike internationalists. i doubt they would have even looked at me twice if i wasn't blondish and 6'1.

edit: surprisingly received a few pms about levis in adelaide. i moved to canberra for work 2.5yrs ago and only go back a few times a year, so can't comment on what they have now. the store is in rundle mall (sorta opposite nike) and seemed to be staffed by mostly teenagers. felt kinda like being in general pants or something.

Edited June 23, 2017 by conqueror

[mondo]

^No worries, I just thought you were having a bad day or something..  Maple is actually a decent store, I should say; I've bought stuff and will buy again if they have what I'm after—they just need to realise that by stocking Orslow, LVC and Sugarcane they're attracting a clientele of reasonably knowledgable denimheads who will periodically drop a few hunge to get something new into rotation, but aren't as likely to make impulse buys... so maybe a "man, you've put  some work into those, are you after a new pair or thinking about a change for your next project..?" wouldn't go astray..

Maybe that's wishful thinking.. the only notable reaction I've had recently to any clothing or accessory was when I took Flathead wallet out at work to see if I had any change for a coffee run, and a female colleague said "that wallet... it's gorgeous.." (and no, it wasn't stuffed to bursting with notes!).. she just wanted to touch it.  Guess that's as close as I'll get to a BJ.

[Maynard Friedman]

I think that wallet thing was a euphemism.

[mondo]

she's vegan, too, so that rich cowhide with tendon stitching must have been such sweet pain... guess it just happens to be her fetish

[mikecch]

12 hours ago, BlackPig said:

IIRC they were selling for $370. I would rather spend my money on Japanese raws.

Yeah, that's a bit hefty, you could buy Japanese jeans locally for that amount. Say what you like about reproductions, denim generalists outnumber reproduction enthusiasts significantly, in an already fairly small market -I'm guessing most folks are like us and would rather by from brands like RJB, etc for the same price. That's not a very smart pricing, unless Levi's were also willing to do a bit more work on consumer education and community engagement. Just IMO of course. 

5 hours ago, okisan said:

My conversations with a Levi's rep one time indicated there really was no plan for the LVC line in Australia. When it did sell it was in a 'capsule' style format, at a single selected location, and in limited quantities. That said, Maple seem to have had it for a while and in quantities that on the surface don't appear all that limited. It all indicates that it's of very low priority for them in this market.

Yeah, I can count the number of reproduction hobbyists that I know of in Melbourne with one hand. Given how many denim specialist stores there are in Melbourne and Sydney, it's probably wise for Levi's not to focus on the artisan denim market until they have something more substantial to offer. 

[Iron Horse]

1 hour ago, anklspr said:

Conq's right. A few hundred bucks doesn't get you a personal shopper. (Or a denim intern.)

Depends, some shop staff are like that, especially if one seems approachable and nice. Take5 Taipei or Speedway for example know how to sell and will strike up lots of conversation and ask what clothes customers have on. 

[gabetjh]

Took a few pics of LVC in Melbourne Central. The prices killed me but pretty interesting though! Someone already mentioned they are 370. The jackets are 500. i think theres a STF type 2 jacket or something. sorry about the bad images. was trying to be discrete while taking them.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2017 by gabetjh