Why this hoodie is a historic piece

We wanted to offer you the most authentic version possible and faithful to the vintage American hoodies taken (and better) by the Japanese. With the same unique personality that they know how to give to the material and the same level of perfectionism in the details.

And to do this, it had to be impeccable in terms of:

• its fleece, thick and soft, from a prestigious Japanese weaver,
• the shape (of the hood for example) and the cut,
• the finishes, with a high-end double zip and ribbed edges that hold well.

But before exploring all that, I have to tell you his story!

The epic of a historical piece

1 – Climbing onto the podium in America

The hoodie was first a modest piece of clothing that protected New York workers from the cold in the 1930s, then athletes on the sidelines.

This is particularly the case in American universities, where it gradually leaves the stadiums to join the student locker room. There, the hoodie becomes fashionable, with its cousin the sweatshirt.

Images taken from the book Take Ivy which I highly recommend, by Shosuke Ishizu, Toshiyuki Kurosu, Hajime Hasegawa and photographer Teruyoshi Hayashida.

At the same time, on campus, it often keeps its sportswear side which makes it so identifiable. And we too, for our new hoodie, we wanted to keep this original spirit that we find in:

• its mottled gray fleece,
• its flat cotton cords ,
• its visible flatlock seams , which limited internal friction during exercise.

This sporty version of the hoodie became a star of the American locker room in the film Rocky in 1976, during the legendary training scene.

What I find super interesting is how this sportswear fits perfectly into modern life. With the relaxation and aura he exudes.

And the Japanese appreciated this aura too. So much so that they took this piece even further.

2 - Takeoff for Japan, Fleece Nirvana

In the 1960s, in the post-war era, Japanese culture opened up to the world. And they develop a certain fascination for the clothes of the American wardrobe and particularly that of... students on campus.

They thus re-appropriate their iconic pieces, first by importing them, then by reproducing them in turn.

And that's where the magic happens: over the decades, with their sense of work and rigor, they develop know-how that can't be found anywhere else in the world (and believe me, I I searched a lot). So much so that the copy surpasses the original.

This is particularly the case for fleece: their expertise and slower knitting allow them to obtain magnificent grains and textures.

One of the big names in Japanese fleece is Toki and its machines that are as old as they are rare. I was lucky enough to be able to meet them in 2018.

For this new hoodie, we found a cotton thread specially developed by them, with the famous irregularities which give this “signature” heather of theirs.

This allows you to have a truly unique heather in the fleece, specific to this 100% Japanese know-how (spinning AND knitting in Japan).

On a piece as timeless as a gray zipped hoodie, it was important to me to have exceptional, very dense fleece. I really wanted us to find this spirit of the typical American hoodie revised and corrected by the Japanese.

For the most curious, the weight is 430 g/m2, which is more than enough to give a really comforting hoodie feeling when you wear it. With that soft hand that we appreciate so much.

The details that change everything

Japanese manufacturers are not only exacting on the material: they refine every detail of a garment so that the overall result has nothing to do with those we see every day. It's work that I admire a lot and that we find (in addition to the material) among very high-end Japanese brands whose prices sometimes exceed €300 for a hoodie.

I wanted you to be able to taste this level of quality without going too far on the price. Thanks to assembly in Europe (cheaper than in Japan) coupled with our economic model without intermediaries, we were able to do this while keeping the price at €180.

€180 for a hoodie spun and knitted in Japan with...

A double YKK Excella zip

This was a detail that I was very keen on: this hoodie has a double zip, meaning you can also open it from the bottom, which can be practical when sitting down, or simply for have fun with it for style.

The zip itself is an Excella, the top of the range from the famous supplier YKK. It is a metal zip, for a beautiful and durable finish, with a glide that will only improve over time.

The color is a matte silver, and I think it goes very well with the heather of the fleece.

Cleanliness strips

Inside the hoodie you will find two neck bands sewn on each side of the zip. It's more beautiful and upscale.

At the collar, there is also a neck strip to protect the seams from chafing.

A lined hood

If you look at the hood, you'll see that the inside looks the same as the outside: that's because we've lined this hood, so it has two layers of fleece.

This gives it more structure, more hold, a nice color harmony, and... gives you warmer head if you are cold!

These finishes and the material were assembled in Bulgaria by a workshop audited by ICS social (management, working hours, remuneration, discrimination, occupational health, forced labor, etc.) and having obtained an A grade.

That's it for this presentation. I hope you will enjoy wearing this piece as much as we enjoyed developing it (that moment when we receive the final prototype and snuggle into it...). And share your Insta looks with us with this hoodie! We can't wait to see.

See you soon,