The campaign has since then spread across the globe with artists all over the globe expressing Adidas and its relationship to the street culture in form of graffiti pieces. There are not many things that spell street cultures quite as well as graffiti art and the way I see it, Adidas is doing one helluva job connecting the brand to its fans and getting back to the roots of Hip Hop culture altogether.

Airport is pretty awesome place for work. I can’t even imagine spending time on the airport without all of today’s conveniences. All you need is that wifi connection and you’re good to go. Very productive 1,5 hours might I say!

I left my mark on the cafe chair too!

It’s always exciting to arrive in a new spot and finding your way around the city to the place where you got to be. I always prefer to walk whenever this was possible. This picture was taken on one of those less rainy days as most of the time it was just pouring rain day in day out.

This is where we spent most of our time in CPH. The venue at Gallery International Fashion Fair.

The entire time I was surrounded by different wear and tear projects from different individuals.

The winner is definitely this Going to Battle Label pair of Momotaro Jeans.

Although I don’t think my current project is far behind. Catching up on that particular pair real fast!

It’s always awesome to do some comparison to a fresh pair of jeans from the same label. You might think the jeans you’ve been wearing have not faded at all but the difference is there.

As mentioned most of the time was spent on the fair venue, but we had booked late flights on Sunday so we had some time to spend in the city roaming around. One of the main attractions we just had to visit was the Carlsberg factory, I mean it was something else. I seldom attend any of these tourist type of things, but I was happy we went there. The clouds looked pretty gloomy in the morning, although there was no rain it was very hot and humid everywhere.

Not sure what’s the story behind the Elephants at the gate? if you know, please share it with us too.

Apparently they have the biggest collection of beer bottles in the world.

It was awesome that it wasn’t raining at all on our last day as we got to spend at least little bit of time outside without the fear of getting soaked.

Most of the afternoon we spent roaming around the city embracing the Sunday’s buzz and the end of the CPH Fashion Week. Plenty of tourists all over the place and very vibrant environment. I liked it a lot. Last time we barely had any time to observe CPH and life within the city streets. I really like the fact that people bring their kids outside to eat, shop and spend time instead of just leaving them at home. Kids no matter what’s their age are part of the daily life. People are also very happy in comparison to the constant frowning you come across in Helsinki. I kid you not, most of the time people look like they get paid for frowning.

I also liked the boutiques in CPH, the Gucci store had very nice inviting atmosphere and the staff there were friendly and helpful. You see this is something I do in every city, I visit the boutiques to check the surrounding and the service (or the quality of service). You can learn so much by visiting these stores. It’s quite sad that majority of higher end boutiques feature ice cold staff that scan you the very moment you walk in and based on whether you meet their liking either give you assistance, neglect you or ask you to leave. Oh yeah, I have seen that. What most of these people don’t understand is that quite often it is the guy with relaxed outfit and casual looks that has the buying power instead of the people all dressed up to the occasion. Hey I know “I look so stylish, these people must have mistook me for my stylist” as Kanye said it but I’m sure you got the point. The service you get often decides whether you will leave your money with them or take it to another boutique or store.

There’s always a bigger fish, or a bigger dude. Although this one’s only a statue the guy was definitely much taller than me and I’m a big dude.

So, we had great time in CPH, and I really recommend this city to anyone looking for an urban holiday. I am sure we will be back to this city once again, let’s just see when. Life’s good, life’s beautiful so let’s not let small bumps on the road slow us down. The jeans are still intact and will get another well deserved wash next week, but until then I’m out. Copenhagen We Love You. Peace!

(I will talk about the charms later)

As I wrote back in July “the label is not the same as Momotaro Jeans but a new brand under the textile division (Collect Co). Same group as Momotaro Jeans, same origin but includes more washed denim. The fabrics come from Japan but production is done in China. Here’s the first thing, the brand name Japan Blue has already caused quite a bit questions around the web and among those who visited us in Copenhagen. If the umbrella is called Japan Blue and the brand is Umbrella isn’t Momotaro Jeans then also part of Japan Blue. See where I’m getting? Of course Japan Blue is Japan Blue and Momotaro Jeans is Momotaro Jeans, separate brands under two different companies. Momotaro Jeans belongs under Rampuya and Japan Blue under Collect Co. But why not name the brand different to avoid confusion? I guess the rationale behind this that Japan Blue has already created a certain status and a brand could definitely benefit from this status. Fair enough.

So what makes the brand different. I mentioned in the past that the brand introduces more washes and a modern street-wear approach in comparison to the ultimate Vintage approach of Momotaro Jeans. This is what I like, including a diffusion line within a brand has seldom worked and could potentially damage the brand. So Japan Blue brings high quality garments/apparel to those not willing to spend quite so much in a Vintage denim experience as Momotaro requires. Well, is that all? Is this just a range of lower cost jeans using Japanese fabrics?

Not quite, the brand is an experimental brand that wants to find new ways to use indigo and use new technology to create something fresh and new. This is another thing I like about the brand, open minded approach testing the market and limits of what can you do with clothing to improve the user experience. I wrote about the water repellent nano-technology (yes, if you have not read the text check it out) and blue adventure boots which are basically hand dyed indigo work boots (nice). But with so many things going on with the brand can this sacrifice focus? Potentially yes, the brand is new. There is no store selling it and it has just been introduced. The brand is in a trial phase still finding its place and there some of the things we have seen will most likely fade away as the brand’s approach clarifies and they get that much needed focus. The products themselves have not been finished and some of the about 30 styles of denim will never be seen on the store shelves. It has thus been a privilege to see the products live. So we have a brand that mixes vintage sewing and classic approach to modern style and experimentation. What about the products then?

I should start with my favorite, 15 oz Superior Selvadge Denim and 14 oz Super Fine Denim. The blue selvedge and stitching look good and the denim is that high quality denim we are used to from Rampuya and Momotaro Jeans. The pricing for the jeans although cheaper is not much behind Momotaro Jeans. Quality-wise most people would not even realize the jeans have been made anywhere else than in Japan. It’s important to note that the friend factory in China uses vintage tools to produce the denim.

(The experimental nature is apparent with the pocket lining as well)

However, when I took a look at some of the lighter “more experimental” denim, I did not get any feelings of awe or surprise. The jeans reminded me of the other diffusion lines out there. From what I discussed with my friends from Japan, many of those familiar with Momotaro Jeans have a similar feeling about Japan Blue. They want to Vintage experience, the good old Japan Made product that can take wear and tear and just get better. I mean if you an get the best, why settle for anything less? I could imagine there are many people who will love the jeans as they might not be familiar with the Momotaro Jeans and many don’t even care but for me I stick with my Momotaros (no big surprise there).

So what about the tops? The shirts are pretty awesome, light and soft but made of quality materials with Vintage tools. Something I would imagine could appeal to many people. There is only one but. The shirts cost more than Momotaro Jeans tops. The price is not an issue if you can substantiate the quality and the perceived status. But we’re talking about a new brand, so I saw many people roll their eyes when they found out about the price. Again we come back to the origin of the products and the people’s perceptions. If there were shirts in my size I wouldn’t mind copping some of the linen-cotton shirts but for many not familiar with the company’s background they might not think the same way and probably opt for Momotaro Jeans Chambray Shirts or alternatives.

On the positive side, you can make your shirts, jeans or caps water repellent and choose a hand dyed indigo waist patch. Small details that can make difference. It was fun watching people play with the sample shirt and water bucket just to find out the shirt did not absorb any water. Damn.

We have to highlight the trial stage and experimental nature of the brand and people behind it. The brand needs focus, that’s for sure but with time this could build up into something great. I am sure that once the brand gets into stores and we start to hear the initial ideas about the brand and products, we can then better tell how the brand will pursue it’s journey. I salute that daring approach and although we stand behind the Peach Boy and the ultimate Vintage experience, I believe there are those whom will adopt Japan Blue and make it their brand of choice. Only time will tell. But no matter what you can be sure we’ll keep you posted. Peace.

These boots are solid, I mean heavy duty cow-hide boots that should be well fitted to your adventurous life, no matter whether you’re a lumber jack or a city slicker the boots will keep you going. From what I gathered from our friend Katsu, the boots are first very tough due to the heavy duty leather, but adjust to your feet nicely and actually get very comfortable after some wear.

I guess majority of leather boots take some time to adjust on your feet and these are no exception. What makes these shoes different from the rest of the work boots around is the hand dyed finishing. That blue we have grown to love with our jeans adapted and applied on the leather surface of the boots. Just imagine the fading these shoes produce.

On the downside, the shoes don’t come cheap. For 800 USD you can cop a pair of the Japan Made boots, which are available in sizes 26 cm up to 29 cm.

What do you think? Is this the way to go with work boots or should the blue stay on denim? I’m out and once more, thanks to everyone who came to visit us at the Gallery CPH. It was an awesome trip. Cheers!

We just had to visit Illums Bolighus for a heavy dose of Danish Design. The thing about Illums Bolighus is that you need to be prepared to blow money fast. The design does not come cheap, but damn the environment is as inspiring as it gets. We did not do much shopping as our apartment is still in a state of chaos but I did see few items that would have fit there just nicely.

One piece that really caught my attention was this bag that just drew me in to do some closer inspection.

The bag was amazing! I mean the first thing I noticed was the awesome natural leather color of the bag. The color was very similar to the duffel bag in my use at the moment and I love it. I must have spent minutes just checking the looks of the bag without even touching it.

Time for inspection. This one is something like a duffel bag meeting a doctor’s bag, fitting all the essentials for a trip.

I wrote that god is in details and details do count with products like these. The tough leather mixed with artisan-like stitching and harwdware make this bag a real winner. I have to be honest, I have not heard of Mismo before bumping into this bag, but I am now a fan.

After some further research, I totally co-sign the brand’s approach of classic, straight-forward and durable design. The brand pays homage to the classic Danish design keeping the cratsmanship virtues alive with the close attention on details. I am sure that this heavy duty bag would only get better with time. Just like a pair of vintage jeans!

Just like any artisan product the Mismo goods don’t come cheap, but it’s all about price-quality ratio. I know my luggage and this one gets thumbs up. So 1000 € for a bag like this is a worthwhile investment.

The bag is also available in black and burgundy but my favorite is the natural leather one.

Picture courtesy of Mismo.

Which one you prefer and what’s your view on such vintage luggage? Let us know, perhaps soon enough we too can bring in such pieces of art.

While in Copenhagen, the brand had an awesome promo on the streets with a graffiti artist painting the brand’s logo with brand specific art on shipping containers in front of everyone. This was probably one of the coolest things we saw in Copenhagen and just had to share it with everyone.

Way to go Adidas this was one cool promo!

I will post another few articles about Japan Blue but I thought of starting with something pretty interesting. Without giving out too much about my next Japan Blue article, I can say that Japan Blue is more experimental brand in comparison to Rampuya’s Momotaro Jeans which is all about Vintage Denim. Made by hand, without compromise.

One of the best examples of this experimental attitude is the opportunity to coat your Japan Blue clothing, making it water repellent.

This feature demonstrated at our stand was one of the biggest attractions as folks didn’t seem to get enough of dipping the shirt in the bucket just to find out that it didn’t absorb any of the water.

The water repelling coating is based on nano-technology. That’s pretty much all I can say about the technology used but the fabric can be treated using this technology to give the fabric a wter repelling surface without affecting the fabric’s natural qualities. Pretty neat.

I didn’t even know that the Japan Blue denim hat was coated.

The coating is alternative and can be added to any garments from Japan Blue. This reminds me a bit of the Dickies stain proof work wear. Although Japan Blue is more focused on urban wear the work wear mentality is very much alive with the brand. I will cover the brand in another few editions but I’d say this is enough for the day. Now I’m off to get some rest, take care of you and yours, I’m out. Peace.

Day three was rather quiet in comparison to February’s, however last time the fair at Terminal-2 was a four day event and a different event altogether so there’s no need to compare.

We met more of our friends and had good chats about denim, fabrics and fashion in general. Made good plans for the future and had fun all the way to the end of the exhibition.

I realized I had not included a picture from the fair on the blog just yet. So here you go, a view from the second floor of the Forum Copenhagen.

In celebration of the last day, the drink serving started pretty early and you could see folks walking around with drinks in their hands already early afternoon. It could be that it was the same every day but in the previous days I was too busy to notice that. Well we had our share, but since we’re talking about “free drinks” (nothing’s free in this world) the amount of alcohol is very small so we were basically enjoying cranberry juice all afternoon. I have to voice out my appreciation for the organizers for including plenty of drinking water on the venue.

These waterboxes kept us hydrated throughout the event.

I had a nice chat with the folks from TribaSpace, discussing the event and next steps. It’s always nice to have a chat with like-minded people and I’m always in for a meaningful conversation, so keep in touch guys!

We made the best out of the more quiet minutes by conducting product photography and chatting about the product lines and way to improve the existing products. Most of the pictures taken were for the Japan Blue brand but I caught few pics of the Momotaro Jeans selection as well. I will post pics and details on the blog about new lineups for the season soon, so stay tuned for that.

It’s always crazy how fast the time flies when you’re doing something meaningful and fun. I told everyone that I felt like I’m on holiday even though we have been working as hard if not harder than back home. Still the environment and the relaxing pace of the Gallery CPH were like a vacation for yours truly. It remains to be seen if we will be back for next season. But one thing is for sure, our foothold in the region is firmer and we are here to stay.

Thanks to everyone for their support during the event and a special thanks to all those sending emails, comments and visiting us during the Copenhagen fashion week.

Japan Blue, Momotaro Jeans and Nordic Denim House have left the building and we’re off to the rainy city of Copenhagen to watch Expendables! Yeah!

Around lunch time we the number of people was greatly reduced and late afternoon the venue was very, very quiet. I heard that there was a fashion show somewhere outside and I sure hope this was the case because Gallery was empty like school on Sunday (I think they started to serve the food and drinks outside, the sun was shining and there was a fashion show outside). So I used my time to get to knoe the Japan Blue products even better, like the shirts.

The buzz and number of random people passing by was reduced to probably half of the first day. This raises question about the event itself or at least about the timing of the other attractions. Still the contacts we made were nice. More interesting chats with likeminded people.

The fan has been very useful as after al lthat walking and talking you need to cool down and what better way to do so than a Vintage hand made and dyed Japan Blue fan.

I also had good time to focus on my other work and make way to my inbox. Hope you have been following us on Twitter as this has become the main method of communicating what’s happening here. SLow days such as these also enable interesting chats with your colleagues about Dragonball and Hakuto No Ken! You know these toons?

Work hard, play hard! Martini sponsorship guaranteed that the drinks were flowing for another day. So we might have had our share.

The message on the bar counter was clear as well. Noted with!

It was also nice to see folks outside since it was like the first evening it was not raining. The catering was not half bad and I can imagine that all the people that were supposed to be inside were actually packed outside enjoying the weather and catering since it was the first clear sunny day for a while. All good, I appreciate, never hate.

Following the event we made our way to a local Danish restaurant called Tivolihallen which according to our Japanese guide-book serves authentic Danish cuisine, and it certainly did! It was pretty awesome and our Japanese associates seemed to like the food as well. The environment was interesting to say the least. Again just like the night before, it was all about good conversation, company and food. No business talk, just fun. Appreciated the dinner guys. Arigato Gozaimashita!

Tomorrow shall be an awesome day, I think. But now it’s time to catch some well earned shuteye. Copenhagen, over and out.