raleigh denim

[Strombollii]

On a completely different note, I emailed them after looking around for slim fits and raw denim and finding none. They're excruciatingly nice:

Hi Christopher,

Thanks for your interest. I too am partial to the dry denim. Right now there are three raw styles available(Lincoln, Graham, and Wilkes. The Lincoln and Graham are selvage.) We are finishing up(actually today) a new stye called the Jones which is a thin leg(still straight from the knee down, but thinner) which will be available at Barneys in a few weeks, or you can come to our shop sometime and check them out. If you come by the shop I can take the leg in a little on any of the styles if you want. Feel free to give me a ring if you have any other questions.

Best,


--
Victor Lytvinenko
Co-founder/Designer

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by grooveholmes

It's VERY similar to that. Importing items does have an environmental impact. At the end of the day, there really is something to be said for keeping things local.
And then selling them to Barney's to ship to distribution centers to ship to Co-Ops... They're business people, not organic farmers selling to local markets. Let's not get confused here. They might be minimizing their impact but it's still $$$>mother nature.

Originally Posted by grooveholmes

Keep in mind the $315 price tag that is listed for the "limited edition" denim.
I'm going to ask one last time, what is so "limited" about the denim they are using? It looks like standard 14.25oz White Oak to me. I've seen their "regular" stuff before and it's the same that other similar brands are using.

 

[grooveholmes]

I don't think it's "limited" in quality so much as it is in production number or perhaps exclusivity (for Barney's only). And I'm not saying I personally buy into the idea that just because something is produced less that it is indeed worth more (it isn't to me), but I get that retailers would price it accordingly and consumers would be willing to pay more for it because it is "limited". It doesn't surprise or bother me that someone would put value into that. If someone is willing to pay $$$ for a Karl Malone rookie card, that's fine, but I think he's a turd and I could care less about the man, but I understand that it has a certain value associated with it.

I don't believe anyone here is naive enough to think that in a consumerist society that business people are only in it for the environment. If you've read some of their interviews, Victor and Sarah aren't deluding themselves into thinking that their vision of being environmentally conscious drives their bottom line. They're designers, in America, selling their goods through semi-luxe retailers like Barney's CoOp and Steven Alan. It's still refreshing to me to see that they're at least serious about what impact their work has on local economies and the environment and adds to it's appeal. If we're really serious about sustainability, then as someone stated before, we should all just hit the thrift stores and/or repurpose old items and that should be the end of things. But being a consumer, I'm ok with living in the tension between ecology, community and business. In other words, if I really were committed to ending pollution, or sustaining local economies I would have to sacrifice more than I am willing. I don't lose sleep over this, but am aware of it and am open and interested in alternative ways to bring those elements into closer harmony. It sounds a bit hokey, but I've learned a lot from studying some Japanese business practices. There are some really neat things going on over there.

Anyway, it's an interesting business model/experiment and only time will tell if it's viable or not. I can only wish them success.

On a somewhat related note to a post on here, I did just move into the area and shot an email to Victor after reading about them on newraleigh.com. He was just as warm and generous in his advice and was very cool to offer to hem my jeans (should I buy a pair through Barney's or otherwise) at their shop. They're good people.

 

[reidd]

I live in NC and personally went by their workshop in Raleigh and purchased a pair of "Edmond" raw denims.

They are really nice people and I love their jeans. They are the only jeans that I wear and I plan on getting another pair when the 2010 spring/summer collection comes out.

 

[grooveholmes]

Originally Posted by reidd

I live in NC and personally went by their workshop in Raleigh and purchased a pair of "Edmond" raw denims.

Nice. Any chance you can post pics?

 

[grooveholmes]

Well, after all this time, I finally copped a pair from Barneys. The denim feels like butter. I e-mailed Victor again and he was very enthusiastic and invited me down to the shop. I had to work until 5pm pretty much this entire week, and fortunately he was willing and able to accommodate (very cool of him). Anyway, it was very refreshing to meet someone who is very passionate about what they do, and is committed to making a quality garment. He showed me the different rolls of denim and told me about a special fabric they're working on exclusively with Cone Mill. Out of necessity (because newer machines are $$$), but also his own admitted nerdiness, they make everything by hand and old machines. It was interesting to see how some of the older machines weave tighter button holes or create more interesting patterns. I know some people hate the back pockets, but he showed me how the stitching is evidence to the fact that they're handcrafted and sowed on by an individual behind the machine. (Still, you either like or hate the look, which is cool.) Apparently, they've "grown" from just 2 people to about a 10-person outfit. He also showed me a old, old Union Special that was in almost pristine condition, which was very cool. I can definitely vouch for the quality, though I'm sure the opinions about the aesthetics will continue. After the tour, Victor finally got around to hemming the jeans which took all of 2 minutes. He used a red thread for the hem which I think is a nice detail (some other brands use this detail, too). He even offered to fix up my Simon Miller jeans (the button flap is effed up- manufacturer defect) if I brought them in. All in all, it was a great visit, and Victor was very generous in giving his time and energy-- just a cool guy who feels very lucky and thankful to be doing what he loves. Sarah was there too, It was definitely educational for me, as I'd never witnessed the jeans-making process before. I'm sure if any of you are in the area and have some time, they'd love to have you swing by.

I'll try to post some pics in a few weeks.

 

[Man in Black]

I just picked up a pair of Raleigh's at Barneys, in the Camden style, Fog wash, which is a grayish white. The cut is thin, and fits me like a glove. The fabric is amazing, like butter. It has a touch of spandex, which makes them really comfortable, and helps with the fit.

I loved the use of red chain stitch on the inner side of the hem, so I had my tailor cut and reattach the original hem, and he did a nice job. It would have been even nicer if the mill could have cut them to measure, and given me an original hem in my length.

These are cool jeans!

 

[Johnny5]

Well I have a bit of a mixed review about raleigh denim. I emailed them asking if they could customised anything and Victor is not able to help out and they are really stopping any custom made pairs now due to supplying to the big boys in the fashion industry which is cool.

Pretty prompt responses until I requested if I can just have a pair tapered and weeks (or months) later a reply came asking me for measurements, i emailed back promptly and weeks later.. till today still no response yet.

Well I bet if Barney email them they would reply in a heartbeat.

I do know about pioritizing their work but without individual supporters like us they couldn't go on to the bigger game they have today and I don't see how much time they need to reply my email even if its a No.

ya I might be bitching about small things like responses but compare to Gordon, Kiya, Mauro, Jay etc... I don't think Raleigh gives much damn about individual overseas customers...

 

[grooveholmes]

My email correspondences with them have been VERY sporadic, too. When I met them, I didn't get the impression that they were very forum-savvy like many of the e-tailers on this site. They of course have heard about sites like SuFu and SF, but definitely aren't contributing members like Mike, Jay, Mauro, Kiya, Gary and the like. I think it's difficult for anyone to balance business with craft. Not an excuse, but certainly the fact that they design and make their product themselves as well as manage the business aspects could be a factor in their inability to correspond with any frequency.

And if I owned a small business, I would definitely prioritize answering business calls/emails before others. Also, it just might be a really busy time for them. I know when I saw them about a month ago they were preparing to show their line up in NYC (coincidentally, for the "big boys", as you stated).

 

[grooveholmes]

Here are some pics of the "Elliot" jean from RD. A month and a half of steady wear, zero soaks and washes. The jeans are very comfortable and apparently made from Cone Mills black seed cotton-- really nice material. It's getting close to stanky, and I'm of the opinion that if it stinks, it's time to wash. I really like the details-- the back pockets (they've grown on me), the red chain stitch thread, the plain copper buttons, and the "x-ray" pockets signed by founders/designers/makers Sarah and Victor Lytvinenko.

 

[edubs01]

Has anybody bought a pair of these recently?

Thinking of picking up the Nash straight leg...
http://www.barneys.com/Straight%20Le...efault,pd.html

 

[Listi]

http://www.barneys.com/Halifax%20Por...efault,pd.html This is a nice colour.

 

[blake]

We just received these and I have to say I am throughly impressed. They remind me of early Rag and Bone when they were small (which is not a surprise since the jeans were originally made in NC). They are very clean and the fits are impressive. I will post some pics in our own thread for you to view.

 

[whatever123]

Originally Posted by blake

We just received these and I have to say I am throughly impressed. They remind me of early Rag and Bone when they were small (which is not a surprise since the jeans were originally made in NC). They are very clean and the fits are impressive. I will post some pics in our own thread for you to view.

cool. look forward to it. they look fantastic with great attention to detail.

 

[edubs01]

For any owners of the Nash cut in the 12.5oz denim, do these bleed a lot?