PROCESS: Concept & Sampling with Reigning Champ

It wasn’t long ago that the idea of wearing sweats was inconceivable to sartorially-minded guys, but with the rise of structured, tailored versions like those made by Reigning Champ, they’ve become an accepted — and even essential — part of our everyday wardrobes. For a closer look at the ins and outs of creating an impeccably-made and incredibly comfortable pair of sweats, we headed to Vancouver, British Columbia, touring Reigning Champ’s headquarters for the latest installment of our PROCESS series. The CYC-owned label emphasizes quality, design, fit and details in its garments, and is known — along with wings + horns — for some of the best fleece currently available on the market. Seen here is a glimpse of Reigning Champ’s latest and coziest designs as they make their way from the drawing board to the factory floor.

The process — as shown to us by Kenta Goto and Doug Barber — begins each season with fabric selection. Working with advance orders, materials are divided up by weight, after which pieces are hand-sketched for the creation of a tech pack (a digital layout with comprehensive specifications). Orders are then placed for hardware and trims and the tech pack is passed along to Reigning Champ’s pattern-maker for a full-sized pattern of each design. Following the arrival of the fabric, thread is chosen and the final pattern and finished tech pack is sent to the factory for production.

Take a peek above and stay tuned for a look at Reigning Champ’s sampling and production methods in our next episode of PROCESS.