It’s been three months since I got my hands on a pair of Momotaro’s Going to Battle Labels and it’s only fair that you’ll be updated on my wear project. First, let’s take a look at what they looked like brand new:

Nice, crisp and dark indigo with the back pocket’s white lines clear and shiny.

This is what they look like after three months of repeated torture, drunken snow angels (kinda like the normal angels, but with their halos left in the locker room), stacking, cuffing, stretching and whatnots. No being dragged behind a moving car, but I suppose that’s got to be left for the summer when there’s more friction from the sand and concrete.

A few lines here and there, some extra wear on the cuffs and a few faded whiskers on the front, the white lines fading a bit, but that’s about it. It’s annoying really. No matter how bad I treat these jeans, they refuse to begin to show some wear. It’s like they’ve got a mind of their own and they’ve decided to piss me off. Hardly. Here at NDH there is no giving up, no backing down. I will break them if it’s the last thing I do.

Then again, all this compliments Momotaro on creating denim that lasts through everything. If my possible future kid somewhere does not wear these when I pass away, I will personally haunt his ass for eternity out of pure spite for his disrespect towards art – which these jeans are.

After three months there is one person in particular I wish to recommend these jeans to. John Connor, you’ve found your attire. Now go and win that battle!

Happy Women’s Day!

That applies to everyone! All of our lady friends, customers, readers, suppliers not to mention family. Happy Women’s Day!

In celebration of this day I thought of posting some sneaky sneak previews courtesy of KIKS TYO from their upcoming Summer 2010 line. What KIKS have released on their Twitter as well as Facebook page indicate that we’ll be seeing more of Yuu Tejima, Yuki Hoashi and Aya Kiguchi shortly.

I’m a Laker fan, but this Suns shot ain’t half bad. All I can ask from the guys at KIKS is that, where’s Lakers at?

I mean take a look at this. Matt Barnes fakes the ball at Kobe’s face and he doesn’t even flinch, haha. I couldn’t help myself. Go Lakers!

For more sneak previews of what’s to come from KIKS TYO in the not so distant future, follow the crew on Twitter and Facebook. Naturally don’t forget our Facebook group and page. You can also follow us on Twitter, just look for denim_house.

The weather might be gloomy but I hope these pictures brighten your Monday. There’s still time to pick a flower to that special woman in your life. Or you can just give her a call or drop a line. It’s all good.

One love y’all. I’m out, peace!

Hi Y’all,

Super Sunday behind us and I’ve had a rather nice weekend. For those wondering where have we been as there has been only few posts lately, yours truly has been multitasking for the past few weeks on another level. In addition to this, I decided just to take an evening or two off, haha.

But what would a week be without a little checkup on the ongoing denim project.

I can see that others have taken up a challenge of denim project blogging as well. You can take a look at denim debate. They have a pair of Momotaro Jeans there as well. Well back to this wear and tear project. The winter has cooled down (or warmed up) since my last post and last few days have actually been pretty beautiful weather-wise that is.

This week I wanted to post a little comparison to my previous project being that we’ve hit the two month milestone. Starting off with the frontal shot. There are still plenty of miles ahead before the current project matches up with the previous one, but hey we’re getting there much faster than I initially expected.

Momotaro Jeans – Copper Label project:

Momotaro Jeans – Vintage Label project

The light does not do the Copper Label project justice. In natural sunlight the faded blue in contrast with the natural deep blue color of the Momotaro Jeans is really beautiful. I mean the jeans could stay at their current state and they would be awesome, but I am putting them through a lot more wear in attempt to get that ultimate fade, heh. Still plenty of wear ahead.

The stacking on the back of the knees is definitely going to top the previous project, that I know already.

A little closeup of the tags, just for the fun of it.

I decided to call this edition whiskers, because the jeans are really creasing nicely. These creases will most likely stay there throughout the project and will fade to give the jeans a hopefully symmetric set of whiskers. But don’t get me wrong an unsymmetrical set of whiskers couuld be rather nice as well. You can see my iPhone has made its mark as well. Lately I have not kept my wallet in my front pocket and this thus there has not been much wallet fade on the front. But also the left side of my jeans has gotten nice set of whiskers as well. Just a tip, to get a symmetric set of whiskers, don’t keep your wallet in the front pocket.

And then, the ass whiskers.

There were some seat whiskers in the last project but these jeans have defo more. Not that it’s a bad thing. What to do? I sit on my ass most of the day. I wonder if the type of chair affects the type of creasing the seat experiences? I would think so.

Lastly a little cuff comparison.

Those snow lines really fit the winter. I think that once all that snow melts I wither get a pair of rubber boots or the roping will get really obvious even before washing the jeans. Will keep you posted as the project and the spring progress.

That’s all for the day. I will try to chill for few more hours before another week full of crunching. Thus, no matter where you are; have a great and dynamic week ahead. I’m out, peace…

Hi Y’all,

I’ve been browsing not just new pair of fresh kicks for the summer (yeah, fresh purple kicks hunt is still on) but also a pair of basketball shoes for the summer’s upcoming pickup games. This edition is thus more focused on the basketball shoes. That said, what I recently came across with sure made me feel nostalgic. A pair of Adidas Kobes.

These were the shoes I wore back in high-school when I was still actively playing basketball. Naturally I did play for many years since then but these were the shoes that “helped” me in my games back in the day. The shoes really fit my feet, probably better than many other shoes since then. The kicks had one major flaw though. The shoelace loops broke after few months of active wear. I remember having had something like 3 pairs in one season. Then again I did break a lot of other shoes as well, so not really blaming the shoes because I liked them. The shoes were designed in collaboration with Audi and the design was inspired by Audi TT. The shoes still look like space shoes but I like them. Now that I found a pair online in my size I’ve been very tempted to get them but then I found these.

Nike Hyperdunk + Zoom Kobe V x Aston Martin pack.

Pictures courtesy of freshnessmag.com.

I saw this video way back and thought it was a pretty nice viral video. At least it got people talking and sending it around. The video also inspired the respective shoes. So if you haven’t checked it yet, you can do so now.

Aston Martin collaborated with Nike and Kobe on a silver and gray shoes with Kobe and Aston Martin logos on the shoe tongue and other video related features like “I told you” and “I got this” slogans on the lacelocks which refers back to what Kobe stated on the video. The rumor is that these are limited to only 500 pairs so I might have tough time copping a pair. Nevertheless the shoes look nice enough for few pickup games.

Another basketball shoe I am fancy is the new Air Jordan IX. The shoe is inspired by Japanese designs and reflects the stardom of Michael Jordan. The shoe is among the best known designs from the AJ series. I think this pair is so fresh that it would fit casual wear just as well as a pickup game.

Picture courtesy of marqueesole.com

We’ll see what pair I end up copping but I will be sure to post a little something on that pair once I get them. There’s still plenty of snow that needs to melt before the street season starts so there’s also time to browse around for more shoes that spell F-R-E-S-H. That’s all for now, I’m off to chill from the blog for a minute now just to get back to it like an addict. Peace…

Sex sells.

Indeed. What hasn’t it sold so far? Maybe horse plows for mormons, but that would be the proverbial exception to the rule. Continuing with the excellent topic of Tony’s about naked girls, here’s something related from the wonderful world of denim advertising.

There’s been two new advertising campaigns by Diesel for the winter/spring seasons of 2010. This is the better (forget the other, it’s just stupid).

Image courtesy of Denimology.

Then again, we all knew that sex sells. It’s not yesterday’s news, it’s not even last week’s news. Even neanderthals always went for the best looking cavegirl or -man. Which then begs the question: are we supposed to appreciate this not-even-slightly disguised insinuation that our buying behaviour stems from pre-historic times and we are little better than our trogdolytic forebears?

Sure we are. How can we even begin to deny the basest of our impulses? We can’t.

Yet, what bums me out a bit, is that the Diesel ad above says that sex sells, but does little else. Puma did it a whole lot better a couple of years ago. Sure, officially Puma claims that this is not theirs, but I genuinely doubt it. Whatever the case may be, personally I think this is brilliant. Forget subliminal messages, double entendres and puns and go straight for it!

“It” being the clever straightforward advert of course. Ahem.

Image courtesy of Ads of the World.

So what do you guys think? Does sex in advertising products get you excited, erect(81) even? Or do you do what we promote here at NDH and put the sex into sex appeal.

Whatever you do, remember to be safe.

Hi Y’all,

Sunny Saturdays! I should rather say soggy Saturdays as all that snow is now turning soggy thanks to the recent 0 Degrees Celsius temperature. As long as you’ve cleaned your roof from excessive snow, everythign should be just fine. The great thing about soggy snow is that you can now make snowmen and have a snowball fight. Great!

Last week I introduced our first batch of erect81 arrivals and this week it’s time to introduce you to Azumi Harusaki and Risa Kasumi. Both of whom are featured on the fresh erect81 shirts straight from Tokyo, Japan.

Azumi Harusaki, a Japanese av star and media celebrity is on adds to the impressive number of erect81 collaborations. They say words speak a thousand words, so let the pictures speak.

While on the topic of Ms. Harusaki I thought of sharing something that sure made me laugh. A Japanese game show where they put their male contestants through on hell of a test. The goal is apparently to avoid giving in to temptation while the lovely ladies do their utmost to seduce the contestant. Hahaha… See for yourself.

Watch kissgaman – azumi harusaki 090102 in Entertainment |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Our next contestant, sorry I meant entry is Ms. Risa Kasumi. Known for her full lips this model, actress and an av star has been making name for herself since 2007. But needless to say her lips are not her only asset. The shirt features erect81’s signature contrast style mixing gray-scale and pink color.

Hope this has made your day even better than it has already been. I mean I just watched the video again and it cracks me up, haha. Good job fighting the temptation. If you are tempted to try something different, head to our store-side and check out what erect81 has to offer.

That’s all for now, I’m off to make a snowman. Peace and have a great weekend.

Hi Y’all,

Pardon for the post free Wednesday. I had a day like no other. February 24th 2010 is definitely marked in my books as a day to remember. So much electricity in the air, so many things happening. Haha, so much that even my beloved iPhone crash landed on the floor.

Crackberry free week ahead (yes, I know it’s not a Blackberry). I should be able to get a replacement for the damaged iPhone soon but I feel the abstinence symptoms kicking in already. But things like these don’t slow me down. The day was so good I was actually able to smile about the whole incident.

Enough of this intro though. Back to business.

I titled this week’s edition “the snow lines” because the snow has already left marks on the jeans that need hours and hours of walking ankle deep in the snow. As I have. Just take a look at the situation at my home yard. Like I said, ankle deep.

Yes, that is a small tractor (not sure if this machine has its own name) clearing some path on the yard just so that you can walk around.

The last two days have actually been bright and sunny, but the beginning of the week was something like 24/7 snowstorming. Due to popular demand some picture material to show what I mean. The picture looks gray because there’s so much snow flying around.

Back to the lines. Just few days back I posted some fit pics of the jeans in their current state and I could do the same now but instead I rather limit myself to just one picture.

These lines will as long as I have these jeans remind me of this crazy winter. An old fashioned winter like Finland has not had in years and will probably not have either. The creasing would normally cause such lines in some parts of the jeans after the soaking/ washing of the jeans. While I have not washed nor soaked my jeans the cuffs get soaked every day. But hey they’re like battle scars just telling stories of battles of the yesterday.

That said, don’t cry over the amount of snow, appreciate it. Snow is great unless you’re covered in it, or something. And the snowy days when the sun is shining are just amazing, aren’t they?

Stay safe everyone and clear those roofs. Once the plus degrees arrive the snow will turn really, really heavy. I wonder what kind of effect it will have on the cars covered in snow? Be easy I’m out.

Hi Y’all,

As the title says, a little greetings from the Momotaro Jeans brand as well as Nordic Denim House to everyone for their support this far and especially during the Copenhagen Fashion Week.

We would like to thank everyone for their interest in Momotaro Jeans, checking our updates on our Blog, Twitter and Facebook and for visiting our stand at the Terminal-2 during the Copenhagen Fashion Week. It’s always great to meet and talk with people who share our passion for vintage denim and Momotaro Jeans in particular.

Your feedback about the brand and its products inspire us to reach new heights in the denim scene. All you have to do is try a pair of Momotaro Jeans and you will see for yourself, in the exquisite details and the rich indigo blue that Momotaro Jeans are of superior quality. Your support helps us carry the brand to new regions, so that even more people can experience the essence of true vintage denim.

We look forward to continuing the dialogues started during Terminal-2 and should you have any questions regarding the brand and products, feel free to contact us at info@nordicdenimhouse.com for information.

Thank you and see you soon!

Regards,
Rampuya&Co. & Nordic Denim House

www.japanblue.co.jp/momotaro/
www.nordicdenimhouse.com
info@nordicdenimhouse.com

After Tony’s posts of some brilliantly faded Momotaros (scroll down here), and because of his ongoing personal project, I thought it only appropriate that the denim advert of the occasion concentrates on the actual “wear”.

This time we’ve got an old Levi’s advert from a few years back and it is, quite appropriately, titled Wear Them Out. Now, Tony’s been talking about this a lot and I fully agree. I’ve been torturing my Going to Battle Labels just under 3 months now, and they’re sprouting a few nice whiskers on the thighs and the cuffs’ve received some extra wear, and even some tear, from stacking them. Winter is a brilliant time to start wearing new jeans: Lots of opportunities to dip them into snow, waiting for that spring when the ice begins to melt and the possibility of washing the denim in the sea just keeps inching closer. Just to get more of that personalised thing going on. More on this wear-project of mine in the coming weeks.

Back to business. This ad not only demonstrates how important proper wear is for denim, but is kinda cool as well. The only thing that would’ve made the ad better would be if the instead of the guy they’d had a Naked Girl.

Ok, fine. Not a naked girl, but a girl wearing denim. Sheesh. Can’t a guy even dream. Besides, I blame Tony for adding the excellent Quolomo and erect81 labels to our product lines.

Anyway, here’s the ad:

Hi Y’all,

Sunday snowy Sunday… and so on. It has indeed been a very snowy and cold weekend here in the jolly old Finland. It feels as if it was just yesterday but last week at this time yours truly was still in Denmark. Shout out to everyone we met there, CPH Vision/ Terminal-2 staff and of course Momotaro Jeans. We love you all. On that note, you can check interview conducted TribaSpace during the fair.

How important is Copenhagen for your business?

This edition of my Momotaro Jeans Copper Label project has a twist to it. But for that you need to read all the way until the end of the post. Or just scroll down if you feel like it.

Anyway, the jeans have been worn non-stop for a month now and all I can say is that I love my jeans. The wear is already starting to show already when it took months with the previous project. Detailed pictures will follow next month. But this week is all about fit pics.

The first pic already shows well started fading process on the jeans’ thighs. I have already developed a nice set of whiskers on the front of jeans as well. Plenty of more creasing is expected in the following months but this is a rather splendid start.

The side shows the color difference between the untouched and already (slightly) faded parts of the pants. The cuffs are getting plenty of “snow lines” as I will call them from now on. But it’s all good though, they add in to the uniqueness of the project. My iPhone has left a mark on my right pocket as well.

Most notable thing about the back of the jeans is the stacking. The creasing is leaving a nice set of lines to the back. The seat is not all too faded yet though there is some creasing and fading appearing on the seat as well. Still the front shows the fading and change in color much better than the back.

Lastly, the surprise I was telling you about. Along with our new T-shirts, we also got a little something else from the guys at KIKS TYO. A rare piece of wood that comes with a pretty picture and nice graphics.

Yes, the fresh KIKS TYO collaboration with China’s premier skateshop Fly that resulted in a limited edition skateboard deck featuring an imprinted pictorial of Yuko Ishida on one side and graphics of spilled milk and milk carton with Fly’s founder Jeff Han on the other side. Don’t forget that we already have a shirt to match the deck.

So I guess I get to say Got Milk? once more. Got Milk? Yes sir…

That’s all for now but check out our newest additions from erect81, QUOLOMO and KIKS TYO and stay tuned for more updates. I’m out but definitely staying indoors, coz it’s cold outside…