Five Four

Five Four's coated denim exemplifies the direction that the coated look has headed. The aesthetics has gone from an oily, waxy, heavy residue and slick or sticky hand feel (mostly achieved by applying the coating in garment form) to a more refined, sometimes sheen-driven, and subdued look (mostly achieved by using fabric that already has a less intensive overdye or coat).

From Five Four:





Note the blue blossoming through:



The coated denim idea captures my attention. There is not much in terms of historical significance. Instead it adds another level of complexity for you to think about denim wear. Imagine breaking through the coating to find the blue bloom through. Further break in will reveal the white under the indigo. With even longer wear in the white will be cast yellow.

Five Four Website

Naked & Famous Part Deux

Given the increasing interest in the Naked and Famous brand I am including some additional pictures and information. I truly believe that the attractive retail prices will introduce many uninitiated to not only selvage but quality raw denim. The market currently purchasing raw denim in the $120-140 price point can use Naked & Famous as a stepping stone to higher priced jeans like Sugar Cane, Samurai, and Full Count.

Blue in Green in NYC will receive their first Naked & Famous shipment in the next week or two.

This is their standard Indigo Selvage (13 oz; approximately $120 retail):



Big Slub Indigo Selvage front and bank (18 oz, high flame character, approximately $150 retail):





Black Selvage (13 oz, approximately $120 retail; my apologies for the bad photo):



Vintage Blue Selvage (15 oz, approximately $130 retail):



If one thinks of these as fashion items then the Vintage Blue is probably the most fashion forward (to take it further I think this shade and its variations are very trend right). But at the end of the day what Naked & Famous offers is a wearable showcase of beautiful fabrics at amazingly low prices. One of the reasons for that, as I understand it, is the Canadian factory where these garments are sewn is owned by the family of Brandon Svarc, proprietor of Naked & Famous. Nor are the garments washed (a huge cost contributor). The other reason is the construction, though solid, is not superbly complex (the current collection does not have hidden rivets --but neither does it have expensive, loud embroideries). Some of the details found on $200+ garments are not present. But did I mention their entry level indigo selvage Japanese denim jean is targeting a retail of $120?? Isn't that more easy to swallow for your True Religion-wearing friends?

When asked about the where the funky name and artwork comes from Svarc replies:

The name Naked & Famous is meant to be a satirical view of our celeb obsessed society. The owner wants to make fun of "Hollywood" and "glamor" brands that cost $300 and up only because Jessica Simpson wears them and not because they are higher quality.

The logo is reminiscent of 1950's Pop-Art. Lichtenstein and Warhol made satirical paintings of mass media and the "ideal blond" to make fun of society. Naked & Famous aims to do the same.

Naked & Famous Website

Hippies Era Orange Tab Big E Levi's











Edit: Here is what Lynn Downey, Levi's Historian and Archivist (and dare I say friend in the industry?), has to say about these:

[These are a pair of] juniors jean from the Levi's For Gals line, 1970ish. [...] would have been sold in junior departments of specialty clothing stores. We didn't sell in the big chains like Penneys or Macy's until around 1979. Marketing was mostly at point of sale.

When asked about the logic behind the non-red tabs she replies:

Orange was for fashion jeans, white was generally for Levi's For Gals except it was also for corduroy. Black Tab with gold lettering meant the pants had undergone the STA-PREST process.

Thanks Lynn!

Hippies Era White Tab Big E Levi's

American Shuttle Looms

This scan is taken from a 1904 Draper Company publication. The now-famous XX denim used on the original Levi's 501 production were woven on Draper looms at the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. In fact, Levi Strauss & Co. historian, Lynn Downey, notes that the denim from their "first waist overalls came from the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company in Manchester, New Hampshire, on the East Coast of the United States." ("A Short History of Denim," Downey).

In as early as 1904 the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. owned 1261 Draper Northrop looms (this does not even include other models of Draper looms Amoskeag had; please note not all Draper looms were used for making denim but to the extent of my research evidence most or even all denim looms at Amoskeag were from Draper who practically had a monopoly in loom-building at the time in America).

Today you can see the Model E at Cone Denim in Greensboro, North Carolina. I have not received full clearance to publish detailed info and media but here's a teaser.





Lynn Downey and LS&CO's "A Short History of Denim" (PDF Alert)

Cone Denim Website

USA Denim Mill Shake Up

There's major news regarding an important domestic denim mill coming your way. Keep your eyes peeled.

All my sources remain anonymous. Email me at pacioli@gmail.com

Signed Pure Blue Japan XX-005

Had these jeans for maybe 2 years now. They were worn hard for over a year. Wearing these jeans brings back memories of a time when I was reminded that life can be tough. During this period they were washed initially by hand twice and then eventually by machine 3 times with gentle detergent (Wool Lite, if I remember correctly).

Some specs: 14.5 oz, high shrinkage, nice blue selvage. Super slubby. Japanese denim.



















They were recently signed by Mr. Pure Blue, who gave me the flattering compliment that these are the most beautifully faded pair of XX-005 he has seen to date. Arigato Iwaya-san.

Special thanks to Yuji Fukushima.

Purchased at Blue in Green in NYC.

Stripping Off the Frills

Naked & Famous is not Paris Hilton's new label. Look past the pop art naked woman graphic and you'll find something remarkable: quality Japanese denim at eyepopping price points (more on that later).

The Canadian brand made its USA debut at the Blue show recently and I had a chance to meet the owner and see the goods. Brandon Svarc is quirky in an earnest-and-friendly way. The type who wouldn't shy from admitting to being a denim geek. His enthusiasm can be infectious with the right crowd. He talks excitedly about the denim he uses.

The collection is tight and concise. The jeans are wearable showcases for gorgeous denim fabric. There are no funky washes, prints, embroideries, or trims (but for the leather patch).

We begin by checking out the "Super-Thick Indigo Selvedge." It is Japanese-made, weighs in at 21 oz, and has a fat twill line.



Next up is the "Natural Indigo Organic Selvedge" that Svarc seems particularly proud of. They are working with their mill to weave the denim with a green selvage ID.

Three other notable jeans for both mens and women include the black stretch, vintage blue, and the silk denim.









The "Big Slub Indigo Selvedge" is something to behold. It is so flamy/streaky as to be recognizably Japanese denim. It weighs in at 18 oz beautiful.






With their basic selvage jean retailing at only $120.00 (indigo or black; 13 oz) Naked & Famous is an important player to watch. Already in place is a growing segment of the mens market ready for raw denim thanks to 1) the excessive use of the word Raw (ie G-Star) and 2) the constant reminder for consumers not to wash their jeans (ie everyone; read your care labels). Although the typical customer may not be attracted to the idea of breaking into a pair of jeans for months without washing them we also know that there is an existing customer base for this type of denim.

Throw in the fact that Naked & Famous is $20 less expensive than the retail price of APC and we have a compellng reason to believe that something important is happening. The price barrier to raw, selvage, Japanese denim is being broken. Granted these jeans are made in Canada and contain no frills (hidden rivets, back buckles, suspender buttons) but they are solidly built and the fabrics alone are beautiful enough to command even higher prices.

The FULLCOUNT Grand Slam

First of all FULLCOUNT is a fashion brand complete with fashion shows and photoshoots. Now let me say they make some fine jeans that would make any denim purist wake up sweating indigo. Part of it comes from the fact that founder-owner Mikiharu Tsujita (humbly self-introduced as Miki) is well versed in denim.

We sat down for tea last week in New York where I showed him the book, "History of Japan Jeans." While flipping through it he points out various veterans he's worked with (some he calls masters) over the years. He begins to tell stories. The one I found especially interesting is about the company he forged with sweat and tears.

FULLCOUNT s one of the Osaka 5, a group of five pioneer brands (Studio D'Artisan, Denime, Evisu, Warehouse, and FULLCOUNT) founded in Osaka for the pursuit of the best denim as seen through their respective lenses.

Tsujita recounts his younger days in the 80’s working in the famous vintage shop Lapine and traveling in the US with co-worker Hidehiko Yamane (of Evisu fame) to hunt for vintage denim garments. At the time vintage Levi's and the likes were already exchanging hands (American to Japanese) at hefty sums and it was difficult finding enough right pieces at the right prices to stock popular "used stores" like Lapine across Japan.

As a result in '89 Tsujita and Yamane launched the brand Rodeo backed by Lapine's owner. It offered raw denim with details that nodded homage to the vintage jeans they loved. Rodeo was famously different from existing brands like Studio D'Artisan and Denime, who pushed similar products but were supported by strong financial backing. It was known as a homebrewed label that distributed in vintage stores for likeminded individuals.

But in 1991 the ambitious duo splintered off and formed Evis (later renamed Evisu). I could not help but ask him to talk about the rumors of Evisu having purchased a vintage American-made shuttle loom (having heard this myth repeated as legend twice the prior day was strong motivation). It is reassuring to hear that the rumors are indeed not true. Evisu began making jeans using denim made on Japanese-built Toyoda looms.

Due to differences in brand direction (Evisu is now known for its colorful handpainted logo's that cover the backpockets; its mascot is the god of money) Tsujita sets off on his own purist's path. He stares off to the side with a distant look as he recalls what went through his mind at the time. Without substantial funding he knew that his next move would either make or break him. It was this feeling of being up at bat with 3 balls and 2 strikes that led him to name his lifework FULLCOUNT.

Since making that swing FULLCOUNT has become a popular Japanese brand offering both knits and wovens for men and women. Jeans from the line have features like natural indigo, Zimbabwean cotton, hidden rivets, back buckles, 100% cotton threads (for vintage purists) and of course selvage. But it is the essence of the vintage jeans that he wore as a youth that he tries to capture. In describing the FULLCOUNT denim he mentions soft and comfortable as being the most important points. As he models the jeans he's broken-in over 5 years he tells me this is the point when the jeans are the most comfortable. He emphasizes the belief that fashion trends change but comfort does not. Their brand concept states "FULLCOUNT is not influenced by fast-moving fashion trend."


Caption: Miki in his 5-year FULLCOUNT jeans standing next to his collection.

Yet he insists FULLCOUNT is a fashion brand. His customers, while appreciating the vintage details, use his products to primarily fulfill fashion needs. This contradiction leaves me a bit perplexed. But after only half a minute I decided I don’t need to fully understand it. Balances and struggles between ideas contribute to denim’s character. You can analyze it all day long (and we do sometimes) but in the end all you need to do is wear it to get it.




Caption: The jeans ripped on his recent travels; New York is a tough city.





We talk about his arc designs post and pre Levi's cease-and-desist letter (sized like a book but doesn't read like one).





FULLCOUNT Website
Special thanks to Kotaro Tanaka
Special thanks to Lat40N

Tom McKenna Named President of Cone Denim

Reports are coming in that Tom McKenna has been chosen to be President of Cone Denim. McKenna, who succeeds John L. Bakane, has been with Cone since 1981 when he began as a sales representative in their New York office. In 2004 he served as President of Sales and Marketing.

Source: News-Record.com

Loom Chatter 3

In the last Loom Chatter post I envisioned a future in which fly shuttle weaving is practically a lost art and rapier and air jet looms are coveted, rare machines that have been replaced by cutting edge equipment driven by nano-sized robots. This far-fetched yarn of fancy was spun to convey an important point.

To my fellow purist denim head: did you know that when the now-revered power shuttle loom was introduced there were strong sentiments against it? It was denounced by the trade and enthusiasts for weaving characterless fabric that was too uniform and mass-produced. Proponents of the hand loom were so vehement that in 1790 a mill was destroyed by a mob to show their dissatisfaction. Granted the trade had great economic incentive (power looms enabled reducing the labor force to half) but the general feelings are similar to what we have today when preferring the shuttle over air and rapier looms. I provoke this point to have us question, and perhaps reinforce, our appreciation of vintage fly shuttle weaving, looms, and denim.

To give us an idea of what was going through the minds of the people introducing new loom technology below is a sampling of advertisement quotes from the Draper Company.

In 1895:
"We believe that certain improvements we are soon to introduce will divide the cost of weaving by two..."

"Textile workers should be interested in all inventions that make their labor easier, cleaner, or healthier."


In 1896:
"The majority believe in progress. They favor inventions that relieve human labor by transferring operatons from fingers to levers and cams."


In 1897:
"Before the year is over the Amoskeag Mfg. Co. will have nearly 10,000 looms changed to take our motions."


In 1898:
"What do you think of a loom that requires but half the labor, weaves more perfect cloth and will run over time without need for attention."

"The only hope for our cotton mills in these critical times lies in the prompt adoption of improved machiner."


In 1900
"Every new idea meets the same opposition...In the first few years this machine had to bear the brunt of criticism, antagonism, doubt, fear, and mis-representation."

Disclaimer: While above applies to cotton weaving history in general I have yet to establish the extent to which this applies to denim. If anyone comes across any text related to this matter please leave a comment or shoot me an email at pacioli@gmail.com

Source: "Labor-Saving Looms" by Draper Company (1904)

Iowa Jeans Drive

Those in Des Moines, Iowa need to drop by Iowa State University with their old, unwanted jeans.

Habitat for Humanity and Iowa State Univeristy is running a drive to turn collected jeans into home insulation for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The denim that is donated is recycled into denim blue bales of insulation called Ultra Touch, which is a natural cotton fiber insulation.

...

"They take those foam blocks and they feel them and they're just like, 'This is denim? These are the jeans I have on? This is crazy,'" said ISU student Marjorie Smith.

The idea of using denim for insulation is not new. Stories of vintage collectors finding overalls inside walls of old homes circulate in many circles. The "From Blue to Green" drive last year by Cotton Inc. helped insulate 12 homes that now shelter Katrina victims.

The goal this year for Habitat for Humanity is 70 homes. Being the average home needs approximately 500 pairs of jeans a target of 35,000 garments will be needed. If you are in the area feel free to pitch in by visiting these drop-off locations below.

Hamilton Hall - ISU Campus
Agronomy Hall - ISU Campus

Bethesda Lutheran Church
Memorial Lutheran Church
First United Methodist

Visit website of KCCI, Des Moines's local TV station, for more info and a video on denim Ultra Touch.

KCCI Website

Loom Chatter 2

I have my eyes set on an antique Harley Davidson and must consider selling some of the jeans in my collection. Can I interest anyone in a pair of deadstock True Religion jeans from the early 21st century?

The denim was woven on air jet looms, which were superior to our modern nanobot looms. While factories today prefer nanobot looms for their ability to make stronger and more consistent denim fabric (due to nanobots automatically tucking in loose yarn fibers along with programming the correct shade while weaving) only air jet looms can yield the imperfections that are a characteristic of vintage denim. There are very few of these looms left and even the European repro brands who use denim made from vintage air jet looms cannot claim they are delivering an authentic product because of the nanodye used to color the yarns.

The denim on these vintage True Religion's were dyed in real indigo, which fade with wear, whereas nanodye sticks on to the entire surface area of yarn fiber. Finally the most impressive aspect to this collectible item is that actual people operated the sewing machines and grinding tools, ensuring no two jeans are EXACTLY the same. Comes with real cotton patch. Made in Mexico. 20 million Euros or best offer.

Loom Chatter 1

In contemplating denim my mind is a Northrop loom in constant chatter. One yarn of history crosses another in seemingly endless lines with no obvious direction to follow.

This thought came to me as I struggle to research for an important publication.

On a separate note here is something interesting you may or may not know. While one of the first things we look for on vintage jeans is the sideseam that clearly reveals a closed selvage remember that the busted sideseam is not the only seam construction to spot narrow, fly shuttle loom denim. Many old jeans and overalls used the felled seam construction, which hides the selvage line. Seasoned collectors who’ve sifted through damaged garments surely have noticed that when the felled seam is opened often a pristine selvage line (often natural/white color) springs out like a newly blossomed flower.

I discovered this recently on a solitary mission confined in a small, temperature-controlled room attempting to deem which pair (sometimes rag) of denim was worthwhile. While this finding shocked me at the time I am now sure it is common trade knowledge. It’s one of those things that you learn on the job.

Going forward all ramblings and theories related to weaving technique, history, machinery, etc. will be posted with title "Loom Chatter" and I invite anyone interested to contribute to this column.

VF to Acquire 7FAM and lucy

VF, home to Wrangler, Lee, Riders, North Face, etc. just inked a deal to bring Seven for All Mankind into the fold. The deal for 7FAM is $775 million financed through a mix of existing cash, VF credit lines, and long-term debt. Along with this VF is also picking up lucy, a rapidly growing women's activewear brnd with approx. $57 million in annual sales, for $110 million

It is important to note that Mike Egeck, 7FAM's CEO, used to work for VF. He is now expected to be President of VF Contemporary Brands (to be made up of 7FAM, lucy, and future additions) and report to VF President and CEO Eric Wiseman.

Here's the PR:

VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), a global leader in lifestyle branded apparel, announced today that it has signed definitive agreements to acquire two dynamic and growing companies, Seven For All Mankind, LLC and lucy activewear, inc. The two companies will form the foundation of a new lifestyle brand-based coalition, VF Contemporary Brands, which VF intends to build with additional contemporary brands over time. VF's other coalitions are Outdoor, Jeanswear, Sportswear and Imagewear. Upon closing these transactions, VF will name Mike Egeck as President of VF Contemporary Brands, in addition to his current role as Chief Executive Officer of Seven For All Mankind, reporting to Eric Wiseman, President and Chief Operating Officer of VF Corporation.

"Our ability to identify, acquire and grow brands has been a key driver of shareholder value over the past several years, and we're clearly maintaining this momentum," said Mackey J. McDonald, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The acquisition of these high growth, high potential brands marks another milestone in the continuing success of our Growth Plan. These brands extend our reach to important and growing consumer segments, broaden our presence in healthy and growing channels of distribution, provide us with additional vehicles to expand our direct-to-consumer business through owned retail stores and online sales and offer the potential for continued growth internationally."

Added Wiseman, "The formation of the VF Contemporary Brands coalition, with over $350 million in annual revenues, marks our commitment to building new platforms for sustainable growth. We will invest in the potential of both the 7 For All Mankind(R) and lucy(R) brands, and also plan to acquire other brands that will enhance the portfolio of this new coalition."

Press Release

People's Liberation Fashion Deal Deal

Off the press:

People's Liberation Signs New Distribution Agreement for the William Rast Brand in the Benelux Region

People's Liberation, Inc. (OTCBB:PPLB), the designer of high-end casual apparel under the brand names People's Liberation and William Rast, today announced it has signed an exclusive 2-year distribution agreement with Fashion Deal BVBA for the distribution of all William Rast-branded men's and women’s denim, knit and woven apparel in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Fashion Deal BVBA, is an exclusive importer and distributor of brand name clothing and shoes in the Benelux Region of Europe. Included in Fashion Deal's impressive list of brands it represents are Juicy Couture, Trovata, Kenzo, Martin Margiela, See by Chloe and Biya. Fashion Deal will commence marketing of the William Rast apparel line with its spring/summer 2008 collection.

"We are very pleased to have partnered with Fashion Deal BVBA in support of our continued international expansion effort," said People's Liberation, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Colin Dyne. "Fashion Deal BVBA brings the William Rast brand to a new, previously untapped market for us. We will continue to actively seek additional distributor partners in order to increase our reach for both of our brands on a global scale."

Press Release from Business Wire

Get Lucky on a Hippie Bus

Lucky Brand Jeans is touring the country on a "1949 Flexible Bus" (wink) "transformed into a vintage-inspired high-tech lounge, courtesy of the famed crew of MTV's Pimp My Ride. Today the Denim Highway tour is stopping off in NYC, where people can stop by for some free food and drink, check out the Bus, and catch a live performance by neo-psychedelic local band, The Hysterics." Pretty guys and girls will invite you to "get on the love bus" and get into their (Lucky Brand's) jeans for a custom fitting.

Go to the Denim Highway website for more info.

Incoming: Takumi Clothing

Word on the street is Takumi Clothing is trying to break into both the designer fashion and denim head camps. For the former there's the combination of flashy details like visible selvedge (reminds me of Earnest Sewn) on the coin and back pockets as well as subtle indigo fabric lining (it's on the inside yoke as far as I can tell and I'm digging it). Fashionistas can check it out at Fred Siegel in Santa Monica.

To try to sell these same jeans to the denim heads I will mention: both the denim and the jeans are made-in-Japan. The raw indigo denim are offered in two cuts with vintage-style hardware inspired by American ranchers and miners who wore their jeans to rags with hardly any cleaning. You must do likewise to get that awesome, authentic fade. Whether Takumi's positioning can impress anyone in this crowd remains to be seen but being carried by the New York boutique, Blue in Green, definitely put the brand on the radar. You can find it on their shelves in August.

Selvedge jeans retail approximately $300. Non-selvedge ones go for $220 or so.
While it does not have that when-it-drops-you-must-cop factor I will be sure to check them out at Blue in Green this summer and report back with anything interesting.

Takumi Clothing Website

Problems in Pakistan

Here's an interesting story for those doing business with Pakistan. Apparently broad protests reflecting public dissatisfaction over the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has led to violence and massive strikes in Karachi, a city where textile manufacturing is crucial.

Pakistan's The News (edited by: Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman) reports:

Ameen Bundukda, a denim manufacturer, said he and his labourers could not reach
the factory due to frail law and order. Last two days have showed serious lack
of governance. This will cause the investor morale to come down.
Manufacturers-cum-exporters, who were already wary of the judicial crisis, will
have to bear additional air-shipment cost, in case the prolonged strikes bar
them from meeting the deadline of delivery orders.

You can get the macro picture from this ft.com article.

The News Article

TRLG Hires Former Pac Sun Man

Release:

True Religion Apparel Inc announced the appointment of Marc J. Klein to the newly created position of Vice President, Real Estate. Klein brings more than 12 years of experience negotiating and procuring real estate transactions and managing store strategy development for retailers such as Pacific Sunwear of California, Limited Brands and national property developer The Taubman Company.

Klein, 41, joins the company after serving as director of real estate for Pacific Sunwear of California where he executed the development and expansion of the company's retail strategy, the company's outlet store portfolio and assisted in developing its corporate real estate system throughout the entire country.

"Marc offers a wide range of experience in leasing, budget planning and store operations that will be key to managing our retail platform expansion," said Michael Buckley, president. "Marc's primary role will be to identify and negotiate leases for premier locations, and his experience doing a substantial number of mall and street deals on a national level annually will be critical to True Religion as we pursue our retail rollout."

"Marc is a retail veteran with invaluable experience in real estate development and management," said Jeffrey Lubell, chairman and chief executive officer. "He is the latest addition to a growing, talented team of professionals that will help establish True Religion as a global lifestyle brand."

Prior to joining Pacific Sunwear, Klein served in various roles of real estate management with Limited Brands, most recently as director of real estate for the Mid-Atlantic region. At Limited Brands, Klein was directly responsible for managing real estate for approximately 550 stores throughout the country, including store planning, legal and finance projects. Klein also played a key role in developing and maintaining ongoing relationships with developers, brokers and retail landlords throughout his region.

Klein began his career with the shopping center management company Landau & Heyman Inc and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. He holds a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Michigan.

True Religion Press Release

TRLG Taps FOUR Marketing for UK Dist.

This is one of two TRLG releases I'm posting today:

True Religion Apparel Inc announced it has engaged FOUR Marketing as the company's new distributor in the United Kingdom, effective for the fall 2007 season.

As a leading independent fashion clothing and accessories distributor known for a high level of technical product expertise and intimate knowledge of the UK customer base, FOUR Marketing currently represents a variety of designer labels such as Against My Killer by Andrew MacKenzie, CP Company, Evisu, Fake London Genius, McQ by Alexander McQueen, Stone Island, Superfine and Tretorn.

"FOUR Marketing is the kind of business partner we seek to represent our brand as we take a methodical approach to growing our customer reach in the UK, Europe and other key international markets," said Jeffrey Lubell, chairman and chief executive officer of True Religion Apparel. "FOUR Marketing's engagement will dovetail with the efforts of our internal team as we work to position the True Religion brand for continued, sustainable growth."

"The United Kingdom has the potential to become one of our largest markets outside the United States," said Michael Buckley, president. "We believe this new distributor agreement significantly advances our goal of realizing the potential of and demand for True Religion products in this market, starting first in London and extending throughout England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland."

FOUR Marketing has grown through an expanding network of independent boutiques and department stores by building long-term brand value and sales growth in line with brand expectations. The company plans to market and distribute the entire line of True Religion branded apparel to more than 250 retailers in the UK market, including Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Selfridges. Among the specialized resources available, FOUR Marketing's in-house media team, FOUR Publicity, is expert at executing extensive advertising campaigns to national newspapers, consumer magazines and lifestyle trade publications, and its retail group offers a wide range of experience coordinating retail expansion, including shop fit and concession design and installation.

True Religion Press Release

LS&Co Q1

Their spin:

First-quarter results reflect continued improvements in the company’s key operating measures, including net revenues and net income.

Net revenues for the first quarter were $1,037 million compared to $968 million for the same quarter in 2006, a 7 percent increase. Net revenues grew in each of the company’s three regions. The increase primarily reflects growth in the Levi’s brand across all regions due to a higher proportion of premium-priced product sales, strong growth in emerging markets and additional brand-dedicated retail stores. Net revenues also benefited from favorable currency exchange rates.

Net income for the first quarter increased 61 percent to $87 million compared to $54 million in the same quarter of 2006. The improvement reflects an 11 percent increase in operating income, mostly driven by a $25 million benefit-plan curtailment gain related to the closure of a U.S. distribution center, lower interest expense and a lower effective tax rate, partially offset by higher restructuring expenses.

“We're off to a good start this year,” said John Anderson, chief executive officer. “Our sales grew for the second consecutive quarter, reflecting a broad-based improvement worldwide. Our premium products are doing well with consumers in many markets. At the same time, some businesses, including Japan and the U.S. Levi Strauss Signature brand, need considerable improvement. Overall, we made very good progress in the quarter.”

First-Quarter 2007 Results

Gross profit increased 7 percent to $498 million compared to $465 million in the first quarter of 2006. Gross margin was stable at 48.0 percent of net revenues for the first quarter of 2007 compared to 48.1 percent of net revenues in the same period last year.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 2 percent to $296 million in the first quarter of 2006 from $291 million in same period of 2006. SG&A as a percent of net revenues was lower at 29 percent compared to 30 percent for the same period last year. Higher SG&A expenses in the 2007 period were primarily attributable to increased selling expense related to new company-operated stores, higher distribution and marketing expenses in line with the improved net revenues for the quarter, and higher corporate expense. These increases were partially offset by the benefit-plan curtailment gain, and lower advertising and promotion expenses.

Operating income for the quarter increased 11 percent to $189 million compared to $171 million for the first quarter of 2006. The increase was primarily driven by the benefit-plan curtailment gain, partially offset by restructuring charges related to a planned distribution center closure in Europe.

Interest expense for the first quarter of 2007 decreased 13 percent to $58 million compared to $66 million in the prior year period. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower average debt balances during the 2007 quarter, reflecting debt refinancing and debt reduction actions taken during 2006.

“We continue to build our financial strength,” said Hans Ploos van Amstel, chief financial officer. “Our margins remained strong and our revenues grew. We are delivering more profit to the bottom line as a result of our lower debt, and lower interest and tax rates. In addition, we will continue to focus on ensuring our cost structure is competitive.”

The company’s first-quarter investor conference call will be available through a live audio Webcast at http://www.levistrauss.com/Financials/EarningsWebcasts.aspx today, April 10, 2007, at 1 p.m. PDT/4 p.m. EDT. A replay is available on the Web site the same day and will be archived for one month. A telephone replay also is available through April 17, 2007, at 800-642-1687 in the United States and Canada, or 706-645-9291 internationally; I.D. No. 4529229.

Innovo Q1 Results

Their spin:

Innovo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: INNO) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended February 24, 2007.

Highlights
-- Net sales increased 32% to $13.8 million compared to $10.4 million in the first quarter of 2006. -- The Company generated positive operating income during the period.-- The Company experienced positive operating leverage during the first quarter, growing sales 32%, improving gross profits by 180% and reducing SG&A by 13% from a year ago.

For the quarter ended February 24, 2007, total net sales from continuing operations increased 32% to $13.8 million compared to total net sales from continuing operations of $10.4 million in the prior year period. The company reported a loss from continuing operations of $173,000, compared to a loss from continuing operations of $4.1 million in the corresponding period a year ago.

Marc Crossman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Innovo, commented, "Our first quarter results underscore the positive progress we have made broadening the Joe's Jeans brand by continuing to increase our domestic distribution and evolving our product line. Our strong sales results coupled with a reduction in our operating expenses allowed us to dramatically improve our losses from a year ago. We are very pleased with our start to fiscal 2007 and look forward to continuing with this positive momentum across our business."

For the quarter ended February 24, 2007, gross margins for the Company's Joe's Jean business increased to 37% from 29% in the corresponding period a year ago. Selling, general and administrative expense for the first quarter of 2007 decreased 13% to $5.0 million compared to $5.7 million for the first quarter of 2006.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss its first quarter fiscal 2007 results today, April 10, 2007 beginning at 4:30 pm ET. To access the live call, please dial (866) 356-3377 (U.S.) or (617) 597-5392 (international). The conference ID number and participant passcode is 98226508 and is entitled the "Q1 2007 Innovo Group Earnings Conference Call." The information provided on the teleconference is only accurate at the time of the conference call, and Innovo Group will take no responsibility for providing updated information. A telephone replay of the conference call will be available beginning at 6:30 PM Eastern Time on April 10, 2007 until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on April 24, 2007 by dialing (888) 286-8010 (U.S) or (617) 801-6888 (international) and using the conference passcode 56339275. In addition, the conference call will be archived for two weeks on the Company's website at www.innovogroup.com.

First Look: Denim Design Lab LE Book



In the intro to his new book Brian Robbins starts with the sentence, "The beauty is in the details." He was describing vintage denim that can pass as folk art but it's apparent that this belief drove the creative process that resulted in the "Denim Design Lab LE" book. It's in a 9 x 12" hardcover, full color format, bound in Cone White Oak's organic denim (complete with attached selvage bookmark), finished by LA's APS Laundry and Finishing, and features cover embroidery, cutouts, and screen printing. You open the cover and see that you're holding a hand-numbered copy of only 5000 copies. But is this new edition just a repackaged version of the much smaller book that was included in the DDL finishing kits? Can you judge a book by its cover?




A few turns into the 175 pages or so I noticed the usual Levi's/Lee homage devices: black/white photos evoking Americana, old advertising posters and memorabilia, and a writeup of denim history. This glossy collage of quality images and texts is actually quite enjoyable to flip through. But for someone who has too many books on denim already most of the pictures (Cone's White Oak tree excepted) and information were unremarkable in their freshness. Yet I'm sure this presentation will still please many denim enthusiasts; +1 point.


The next few sections profile Adriano Goldschmied (often called the godfather of premium denim), Renzo Rosso (Diesel), and Hidehiko Yamane (Evisu). These three figures are respectable for having pushed the boundaries of their respective markets but to single them out in "a tribute to the beauty of vintage denim" leaves something to be desired. I have absolutely no problems with spotlighting these three giants if this book were a tribute to the business of denim. The connection between a beautiful pair of Levi's 501 made in the 1890's and these three fashion industry masters is not so strong. -1 point.

But make no mistake about it. This book features enlarged picture after picture of gorgeous vintage jeans photographed from various denim archives. While the smaller book included with the DDL finishing kit also showed these masterpieces you really have to see them in the large size that this limited edition offers. Check out the Levi's 501 "XX" (aka oldest known 501 in existence) and the "Nevada Jean" that Levi Strauss & Co. purchased on eBay for more than $46,000. The colors and details are stunning. Big +1.


Robbins also earns points with "The Denim Manufacturing Process." In this section he walks us through the general processes needed to turn cotton into cloth and documents some of the key processes with vintage photos from Cone Denim. Only those looking for nerdy, indepth industry knowledge will be left disappointed but we can't please everybody. For the majority of jeans lovers who had no idea that crafting denim was such a complex process this section (along with the section about cutting/sewing/finishing) can inspire a deep appreciation for these blue cotton pants that cover our asses.

Overall Robbins has presented a work that informs and delights in an eyepopping package. More importantly it can serve as a tool that will definitely get the conversation about denim started between you (the denimhead) and your uninitiated guests. So go ahead and judge this book by its cover. Spread the denim love.



More info on where to get your own copy coming soon.

Denim Design Lab Website

More info on Amazon.com

UPDATED: Suggested retail is $100 (it's steal for what you get) and will be available on Barnes and Nobles's website as well as Atrium and Zakka in NYC.