The Less 2011 fall/winter video lookbook utilizes a theme of “going out” as a jumping off point for inspiration. The Taiwanese-based retailer showcases brands including Norse Projects, Bleu de Paname, Garbstore, Penfield, Carhartt, Pointer, 9five, Less and Lafayette. For information on the availability of the finely-crafted garments, check out lesscrew.com or visit them in-store at the below address.

Lower East Side
No. 116-B1, Yijhong St.
North District, Taichung City
Taiwan

From Peters Mountain Works comes a new vintage-inspired bag called the Overlook Rucksack. The bag comes in a rugged, lightweight fabric made by Cordura as well as two different colorways: khaki and navy. The rucksack has adjustable shoulder straps, a front pouch with zip closure, and open pouch pocket with adjustable fastening. It also features some great contrast taping in orange and purple (on the khaki) model and a small “Made in the USA” tag on the front pouch. And for those who plan to use the bag for daily use, it features an internal padded pocket perfect for a laptop. Currently, the bag is available exclusively at Garbstore, at the price of £95 GBP (approximately $150 USD).

For the holiday season, London’s Garbstore holds true to its billing of unique drops. The lineup consists of in-store product highlighted by an old Ministry of Defense sign taken from Britain’s Aircraft Carrier Fleet. Amongst the goods, you will notice a variety of more casual items, most of which highlight an earth tone color palette, and are versatile enough to be dressed up or down. Head on over to Garbstore to further investigate some new releases available in-store.

Fred Perry is pleased to announce its second drop of the “Friends of Fred” Fall/Winter 2011 collection. This particular project involves some of the finest British labels and craftsmen that share Fred Perry’s vision for simple lines, classic colors and getting all the details right. Chosen collaborators include John Smedley, Garbstore and Alfred Sargent, each offering a particular piece for the capsule. These exclusive pieces are available now through Fredperry.com.

With an extensive knowledge of the industry and a background in design, it’s no wonder that Ian Paley has repeatedly been given accolade for his UK-based menswear brand Garbstore. Focusing on heritage styles that are produced in Asia from some of the highest quality materials, the label is able to manufacture garments that are unparalleled in craftsmanship. We caught up with Paley at (capsule) New York to discuss the brand and talk about the upcoming collection.

Tell us a little about the collection for Spring/Summer 2012. What was the basis behind it?
The title of the SS12 line is “FOE workers,” which means one of several things to us: FOE (“French or English”), FOE (“Friend or Enemy”), or FOE (“Faux”) meaning false workers. These three concepts pretty much rule our constant ideas – the old rivalry between the English and the French, the similar tastes in workwear and historical garments, the idea that things can be faked, and that people don’t always get along. This collection of garments references all of these points in a way that is seemingly hidden but means something personal to us.

The entire premise of the Garbstore collections are, essentially, to take old heritage products and reproduce them. How do you manage to find the right balance between retaining the authenticity of these garments while also finding ways to update them for the modern customer?
I think the main point of difference is that we don’t do reproduction, we do imagined reproduction – garments that could have existed or have been adopted and altered to create a new idea. Most of our ideas come from text, phrases, lyrics – we try to create the feeling and the environment first, and then imagine what the clothes of that era would be like, referencing original style, trims and fabrics. We reproduce the elements but the final idea is new.

Unlike some brands that commonly overlook the presentation of their collections, Garbstore has found a way to set itself apart from other retailers by releasing some very unique and creative lookbooks. How did the idea come about to place more focus on this particular element?
I think that it comes from us being free enough to be spontaneous with this part of what we do. It’s never really planned that well in advance and I often tend to wait until we actually have the product out in order to feel the mood of how that book should be so that we don’t guess too far in advance.

Although the label is well-known for its Japanese-produced products, for the Fall/Winter 2011 collection Garbstore relied heavily on domestic manufacturers. Why did you decide to do this and what kind of response did you receive from loyal followers of the brand?
I always keep our manufacturing doctrine simple: we make in the place that will benefit the garment most. Over the years we’ve made a lot of goods on our doorstep, we just haven’t felt the need to shout about it as that is what your brand can quickly become about. Soon the clothes have become secondary and the dumbing down of your idea really shows in what can become horrifically basic items. For us it’s just about going wherever we need to go in order to remove the limitations of developing our ideas in full. It’s funny, we actually see no difference in reaction from our customers to goods that we make here in the UK.

Although most people tend to assume (mistakenly) that producing a product overseas has a negative impact on its quality, there are plenty of factories located abroad with far more advanced technologies than ones in the U.S. or the UK. How are these newer, more sophisticated technologies affecting the garment industry in terms of high-tech fabrics and materials and what impact do they have on your design philosophy?
It’s really having a huge impact for the bigger ideas. For example, we just came back from Berlin where we showed SS12 and in a room of 70 brands. Not a single one of them is using or even has access to the more cutting edge technologies that should move us away from the heritage trend. It was all 100% cotton all the way. It’s not such a bad thing, but the mix required to push the market forward at the moment is limited to larger companies who can afford to shoehorn niche development lines onto the back of some pretty large mid-market production. I hope that, somehow, the smaller facilities will offer smaller brands an opportunity to grow their knowledge base as this would make for a pretty exciting time ahead.

What plans are in store for the brand over the coming months?
It’s time for heads down. Our plans aren’t grand; just to get on with what we do is enough for us.

London’s retail shop and in-house brand Garbstore present a quirky albeit alluring collection of looks in this mid-season lookbook. Favoring inanimate model figures to exhibit the retailer’s new releases, so too were intricate and detailed replicas of the original garments concocted. Garbstore conceptualizes a lineup of relaxed looks that utilize a bevy of solids and patterns presented on the typical spring-fare of shirts, shorts, pants and blazers.

The versatile “Billy” chukka boot from Garbstore features a grey suede upper with tonal laces, contrast stitching and a small “GNO” motif embossed on the back of the heel. The boot also has a thick white outsole for added comfort that’s accented with a bright blue color around the base of the shoe. Priced at $2,200 HKD (approximately $280 USD), the Billy chukka is available for purchase through Kapok.

Kapok
G/F. St. Francis Yard (near Star Street)
Wanchai
Hong Kong

Photography: Hypebeast

Combining the culture of London and Tokyo, British retailer Garbstore has collaborated with Japanese label BEDWIN & THE HEARTBREAKERS on this limited edition canvas messenger bag. Inspired by one of BEDWIN & THE HEARTBREAKERS’s previous messenger bag styles, this one features a large, bold print with the word “LNER,” referencing London’s railway system. With the name of each label branded on the shoulder strap, the messenger bag retails for ¥58,800 (approximately $720 USD) and will be available through Garbstore.

Source: honeyee

Although highly popular in London, Garbstore has quickly emerged as a favorite in the states and worldwide. Focused on re-engineering styles of the past while still remaining relevant to the garments of today, the brand has gained a solid following and plenty of respect through the past few seasons, most stemming from its admirable owner Ian Paley. We took some time to catch up with Ian as he spoke about the upcoming season as well as his solid collaboration with K-Swiss, which is surely one of the nicer designs we’ve seen coming from the camp this year.

Director: David Gallardo
Photography: Hypebeast

In August 1938, a representative England baseball squad hosted a five-game international series against Team USA. Matches were played in Halifax, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool and Rochdale, and England took a commanding 4-1 victory. The host team, which consisted mainly of players competing in a domestic league in the northwest of the country (the Yorkshire-Lancashire league), had two shutout victories over their opponents, including a 3−0 win in front of 10,000 spectators at Wavertree Stadium in Liverpool. Team USA, who were preparing for the 1940 Olympics (which were planned for Tokyo but were canceled because of World War II), featured players picked at the National Amateur Baseball Trials in Lincoln, Nebraska. The International Baseball Federation later designated the series as the first official baseball world cup. Since England subsequently came to compete as part of Great Britain, the record books show GB as the first world champions. Fittingly, the shirts that England wore were adorned with the British Union flag, rather than the English cross of St George. In honor of this unfamiliar moment of sporting history, Ian Paley and Nick Schonberger present an exacting replica of the champion’s jersey, produced by Seattle’s Ebbets Field Flannels. Complementing the shirt, Paley and Schonberger also share images from the original program from the fifth and final game of the historic series. Available at Barneys New York and Garbstore.