We’re back with more from New York’s Spring/Summer 16 Market Week. Yesterday, we showed you everything we saw at the Capsule show, and today we’re taking you through the floors of Liberty Fairs.
Read on to see the latest from Freenote Cloth, Tellason, PF Flyers, Blue Blue Japan, Danner, Dickies 1922, Knickerbocker MFG, and many more!
FDMTL
It’s been a while since we last saw Gaku Tsuyoki and FDMTL (formerly known as Fundamental Agreement Luxury). Although the brand is new to the States, they’ve been producing in Japan for nearly a decade now. On this showing, Gaku decided to emphasize the Boro and patchwork side of the brand.
They had these amazing pairs of Vans collabs, which are currently exclusive in Japan.
Another highlight was their take on the MA-1 flight jacket. It’s got the traditional black nylon warp but an rope indigo dyed cotton weft, so it has that classic MA-1 sheen but will fade like a pair of jeans.
Knickerbocker MFG
The guys at Knickerbocker MFG have grown by leaps and bounds over the past couple years, going from caps and private label work to a full cut and sew collection produced in house last season.
They’ve taken their mid-century workwear look to jeans this season–a buckleback with a khaki warp fill and a whole host of single-needle stitching details.
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The rest of the collection shows notes of everything from dark California beach wear to selvedge workshirts to Pendleton-esque hunting flannels. Everything has a 30s and 40s vibe to it–suspender buttons, pleats, boxy fits, and muted colors.
Himel Bros.
Dave and Itzhak didn’t have too much new to show. Standouts included this asymmetrical D-pocket jacket with a vintage Hawaiian print lining.
Nigel Cabourn
Wealthy indigo fans rejoice, Nigel Cabourn’s classic Cameraman jacket has gotten the blue treatment. The half buttons/half toggles piece of outerwear is done up in brushed cotton very similar to the fabric you’d find on an N1 Deck Coat.
The rest of the line features just as much blue, with chambray shirting, duck caps, and a denim cruiser jacket.
Ladywhite Co.
The mantra of doing one thing and doing it right is true as ever at Ladywhite Co. Phil Proyce keeps making white tee-shirts but had a couple variants up his sleeve. The first was a pocket tee that’s piped and angled, like what you’d find on a Brown’s Beach Jacket.
The other was a throwback 1930s style sports tee, with a wide collar, semi-transparent fabric, and high sleeves reminiscent of Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics.
Kato by Hiroshi Kato
Kato by Hiroshi Kato continues with many of the things we saw last season but in a lighter weight, like the 12oz. jeans below or the 4oz. grey chambray leisure pants below them.
Dickies 1922 / Dickies x Palmer Trading Co.
I’ve wanted coveralls to come back for such a long time. So I was thrilled when Ann Richardson of Dickies 1922 showed me a sample of one they developed with Palmer Trading Co., but then they said it would never ever reach retail due to to production costs. Still waiting on those coveralls.
Aside from that heartbreak, the Texas workwear brand continues to turn out no-nonsense selvedge shirts and pants.
They’re also tip-toeing into distressed clothes with this line of paint-splattered painters pants.
PF Flyers
PF Flyer’s Made in USA line continues to expand with a half dozen new colorways to compliment the existing black and whites, including a completely blacked out version with a dark sole.
They also had this bang-on collaboration with The Brooklyn Circus. The off white and brown canvas on the red sole make these look like century old museum pieces–I half-expected the rubber to be vintage-brittle when I picked them up.
Ebbets Field Flannels
The big news from Ebbets Field is continued production on their hockey jerseys. The Seattle based company is one of the only places in the world that can knit the old wool sweaters just like originals. Those stripes are knit into the garment, folks!
Tellason
Our visit to Tellason was a bit of reunion as Gerald used to intern with the guys (Tony’s on the left). They’re bringing back some old favorites, like the sherpa-lined trucker jacket.
And over the past couple seasons, Tony and Pete have been expanding their run of fabrics. They’re looking to new mills in Italy and Japan to fill out many of the colors they can’t find domestically, like this sulphur double black denim.
Or this shirting weight indigo canvas from Italy’s Blue Selvedge mill.
New product would be these sateen canvas fatigues, done in khaki and traditional drab olive.
Full Count & Co.
Last week was also the first domestic showing for Full Count & Co. in over a decade. One of Japan’s oldest denim brands has been stocked at Blue in Green in New York for years, but they’re looking to expand their North American presence.
They were showing primarily the core denim line, but it’s still very, very good.
Freenote Cloth
The Broderick brothers of Freenote Cloth continue to expand their line from denim into shirting, outerwear, and beyond. Their pieces combine quite a few novel fabrics and details and yet remain very versatile and easy to wear, like this nep western shirt with snap buttons.
Some heavy heavily textured chambrays with chainstitch runoff details.
They’re going brighter in denim, below we see their standard Cone fabric beneath the already bright Cone 1968 denim.
And here we have their new denim–blinding bright 70s Wrangler-esque blue!
And it’s nearly impossible to make a denim jacket with hand pockets without bulking up the fit, but Freenote did just that by placing the pocket on seam and securing it with rivets. You can hardly tell it’s there!
Blue Blue Japan
The masters of indigo garment dyeing Blue Blue Japan solidified that title with with the below studies in gradient dipping.
Koromo
And can you say boro! This jacket from Koromo is one of the finest examples we’ve seen of the Japanese technique of distressing and repairing indigo garments, just don’t ask for the price.
They also had this absolutely bonkers waffle-woven shirt with slubby white yarns interspersed.
Danner
Danner may be known for making your granola uncle’s hiking boots for the past 50 years, but they have also been making boots for the US Marine Corps. Active designs are restricted to military use only, but these just got declassified and are now available for your enjoyment!
And they’re also going full Japanese boro. These boots even have their own chainstitch run-off and a completely unnecessary patch!
And if you’re like that granola uncle and have a well worn pair of Danners, don’t forget about their recrafting service. Below is the same pair of boots, guess which one Danner had a second crack at?
One day left! Check back tomorrow for our coverage from Man, Kingpins, and the Blue in Green showroom!
