Heller's Cafe X Warehouse Preview

With the Heller's/Warehouse crew working day and night to get everything perfect for the launch it has been difficult getting any shots of samples.

I did manage to get us a teaser of what to expect. The idea behind the the Heller's Cafe by Warehouse collection is to challenge our ability to distinguish between vintage deadstock and new repro. We can expect to see 5-12 styles (based off workwear from 1870's - 1880's). While denim (yes, raw) will play an important role we will also see workwear tops and bottoms.

A crucial theme for Larry McKaughna, founder of Heller's Cafe, is the hopes of changing the status quo. His vision is to raise the bar on what quality is for the average consumer. He intends to attract even consumers who may otherwise may not be interested in vintage details and fits (often anti-fits).

Check out some of the materials targeted for the first release.











While certain design aspects are still quite secretive I will venture the prediction that the duck canvas (first 2 pictures) will be used for reproducting a brown duck, v-back waist overalls in the Heller's Cafe collection. Dated as late 1800's it is one of Heller's Cafe's most prized pieces. Here is a previously published photo of the piece.

Heller's Cafe x Warehouse

Word is out that Heller's Cafe is doing a special collection with Warehouse Company Japan. Both names are reputable in their respective trades and there are high expectations for the line to consist of amazing garments that are vintage-inspired and faithfully, painstakingly reproduced.

There will be an event July 1 - July 3 to showcase this collection at:

Pangea Solarium
1-24-1 Ebisu-nish
Shibuya-ku
Tokyo
Japan
03-3463-3482

More information to come.

Invitation Link

Japanese Indigo Morsel

I discovered a fascinating tidbit of history regarding Japanese indigo in a recent conversation with Luis Pedroza, founder of Takumi Clothing. In Japan indigo dyeing is an art perfected and mastered through centuries of practice (though not always for denim). The circumstances that proliferated the use of this dye can be attributed to the Tokugawa Shogunate who restricted the clothing of certain Japanese classes to being made of indigo dyed cloth. Pedrosa directs me to Sadako Fukui’s book, "Japanese Indigo Design."

In 1628, the Tokugawa Shogunate regulated the costumes each class could wear and inhibited ordinary people from wearing anything except indigo cotton or hemp. Within this restriction a great variety of patterns was created.

I am sure a great variety of methods and rituals were created as well.

Thanks to Luis Pedroza, who has proven himself to be a great student of indigo and denim history and an artisan in his own way. Please visit his website for the goods.

Takumi Clothing Website
Amazon.com Page for "Japanese Indigo Designs"