Toronto-based JUZD Bamboo Answers Some Questions
Every so often at my blog, I get requests in writing about a new designer for sake of promotions. But as I’m still in the course of developing a certain point of view, I decided to put one of them to the test by asking some more serious questions. I get tired of run of the mill “So what’s the name of your brand? How did you become a designer?” yadda yadda, they can sum that up in a nice little biography for all I care.
After being happy to find out about my Ecco sandals’ provenance, I wanted to know if clothing brands would do the same in revealing where their clothes were made and what were their ethical standards.
Well, Toronto-based JUZD (pronounced “joost”) Bamboo is a particular case - it’s an unknown urban street wear designer that has been recently picked up by Holt Renfrew. I asked them a couple of serious questions and I was surprised by the thorough responses and learned a thing or two, it gave me some hope that there are brands out there who aren’t afraid of answering questions that are really relevant to the fashion industry. Jing Liu, Chief Designer of JUZD, happily answered my questions. Read on:
Q: Where are the clothes made (in Canada? China? India?)? And if you’re outsourcing overseas, is JUZD upkeeping labor law standards and why not keep jobs (and quality control) here in Canada?
It is made in China. China has the most advance textile technology and spends a lot on research and development. In addition the supply and qualityof bamboo is plentiful in China. It is made in a city that is rated as one of the ten best cities in China. However a lot of the assembly is here in Canada and all the staff and contractors (excluding some designers) are here in Canada.
Vegas, California, Zoran and Alaia
My trip to Las Vegas was wrapped up by taking a stroll around the ritzy hotels of The Wynn and The Palazzo. Both were highly luxurious hotels to stroll in with the biggest names in the industry with some unique boutiques such as Oscar de la Renta, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Van Cleef & Arpels, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin. Needless to say, all the stores were out of my price range, but still walking through these beautiful hotels was worth the trip.
It’s a beautiful smoggy morning in sunny California
Yes, smog is a huge problem in the state of California. An hour away from LA I could already see the smog hazily hanging over the rolling golden California mountains. The traffic is incredible, I’ve never seen so many cars in one area. However, spending much time here can easily make you forget that there’s smog in the air since you have to really be on the outskirts of the city to see it.
The Gazette’s article on knock offs - finally! (and a word on Bape)
That once in a blue moon when the local English newspaper publishes a meaningful fashion article is indeed a special occasion.
Flattery or Fakery? talks about the dicey situations about the knock off industry and how legal pursuits in Canada are long and drawn out processes. Here’s an excerpt of what Daniel Drapeau, a lawyer for Ogilvy’s, said about companies profiteering of the knock offs:
What he doesn’t like about the “cheap chic merchants” is that “these guys kill true innovators,” he said, citing Montreal’s Salvatore Parasuco as a design innovator. “The Zaras of the world are killing that. Should we be encouraging people like that? What are they contributing to society?”
Though knock offs have propelled some fashions to spin out into their own subculture (like Hip Hop/urban fashion), very few actually become cult-like and command a loyal following.
There is something you can spot especially on the Bape hoody with diamonds. Look carefully and you will see the difference. Take a close look at how the diamonds are placed. The real Bapes have the diamonds “on” the letter. The fake ones have it “around” the letters. Also the quality of the material of the real Bapes does make a difference. The designs look cleaner and clear, while the fakes ones look slightly faded or a little lighter than the real ones. Take a close look at the diamonds!
Here’s a useful site for any of you Bape aka A Bathing Ape fans out there looking for the real deal. How to spot a fake Bape gives you image references as to what makes a piece real or a fake. After being thoroughly brainwashed by a single request from a cousin of mine to purchase a Bape hoodie in Tokyo (where the brand originates from), I’ve come to believe that high end urban apparel do exist. Perhaps it may not be that they’re made of cashmere, but the Japanese know how to package and execute their products flawlessly. My experience at the Bape store in Tokyo was so entrancing, I’m seeing Bape stars and camouflage when I think of urban apparel. If I had to say so myself, if I were to wear urban streetwear, it’d be Bape.
Btw, I’ve actually seen Bape apparel in Chinatown right next to La Maison Kam Fung restaurant in the shopping mall. Most likely they’re fakes, but I haven’t had time to go look and see. If they are, please don’t support the fakes and buy them. Authentic clothing always feels better on you if they’re real right? Why spoil the fun?
Image and text credits: nigobape.com
Las Vegas: Never Trust The Weather Channel
Having heard news that there were chances of thunderstorm in Las Vegas, I was prepared to spend my stay in dreary rainy weather. But no. What kind of meteorologist says that it’ll rain…in the desert. Take no heed to anyone who says it’ll rain in Las Vegas. Today I baked and toasted under the hot desert heat like an omelette on a grill.
I arrived yesterday to our modest but rather very large hotel 15 mins off the strip at South Point Hotel Casino & Spa. The rooms are large and comfortable, very clean, huge plasma screen and a great view over the hotel’s pool.
But enough about hotel and comfort talk, let’s talk fashion and shopping in Las Vegas.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Las Vegas is building CityCenter on the Vegas Strip right next to the Bellagio Hotel. It’s slated to open in 2009 and construction has already been underway and had progressed much faster than I had anticipated. This patch of land already has the infrastructure to a near completion, a few of the buildings are already halfway through putting on the glistening silvery windows. CityCenter will definitely stand out in the Strip as I noticed many other buildings may be flashy with lights, but many are covered in gold mirror like windows. CityCenter will be all silver mirrored.
CityCenter: Las Vegas 2.0
I’m going on a trip to Las Vegas, LA and San Francisco next week, and hopefully I’ll have enough time to properly blog this time. My trip to Japan was great, but I didn’t have any energy left to blog since I was exhausted of the 5hr walking trips I’d take every day.
Had I known that Las Vegas had signed a whopping $9 billion deal to create perhaps the most luxurious retail space in North America, I would’ve postponed my trip til next year. According to WWD, CityCenter is an 18 million square feet of commercial space that will include over 70 retailers, a 61-story, 4,000-room gaming resort; three luxury nongaming hotels, and a 5000 square foot “flower carpet” where flowers will be changed daily. CityCenter will feature The Crystals - 500,000 square foot of retail space. And I thought our H&M’s 15,000 square feet of space was big. Perhaps there’s a reason why I’m not in architecture right? Most of the well known luxury brands will take up space in this new project including a 10,000 sq.ft for Tiffany’s, and the second largest Louis Vuitton store in North America. Nevermind that many of these retailers already have several store locations in the city.
Frankly, I’m split two ways about it. One is that I’m majorily curious as to what these fanciful places look like (so far they all look the same either in the US or in Japan’s Ginza district). Plus, will they make a profit from all this construction? Second, $9 billion dollars? Is it really necessary to have a repeat of the same luxury retailers? Do you know where all that good money can be used for to help poorer countries? This is what’s contradicting of the luxury world, you have all this money, and you’re always seeking more of it when you very well know you could perhaps donate a few dollars - ok, thousands, hell, millions of dollars - for charities and such.
We will see next year. For now, I will be making rounds in Vegas and dutifully make observations on the shopping experience. I haven’t been to Vegas since I was 12, and back then I was confined to the Circus Circus arcades where I wasted many hours of my youth fending for raffle tickets that would get me at most a toy water gun. I was even told by my mum that the Golden Strip “didn’t exist” when I had asked her about it.
San Francisco should be lovely as I heard so many good things about it. My stop in the LA area would be more so on the beaches of Santa Monica, I’m not really interested in LA to be honest. All that Hollywood gossip is such a turn off.
Image credits: CityCenter (artist rendition)
