East meets west in Japanese streetwear label Human Made’s latest Storm Cowboy Denim capsule collection. The range, which contains just two denim pieces, sold out immediately when it debuted Saturday.
Featuring the Storm Cowboy Denim Jacket Type 1939 and Storm Cowboy Denim Pants Type 1939, the collection includes garments made of “neppy” selvedge denim fabric with a textured finish and high-quality details such as chain-stitched finish hems, Human Made-branded red heart-shaped buttons, and a button fly. The baggy fits and unique light wash were inspired by the vintage denim that the brand’s designer, Nigo, has collected over the years.
The unisex items were made of 100 percent cotton and available exclusively on the brand’s official online store, with jackets priced at 49,500 yen ($430) and jeans priced at 33,000 yen ($285). Jacket sizes ranged from small to large and jeans sizes ranged from 28-34.
More denim pieces are likely on the way for the brand, which noted on its website and Instagram page that these were the first pieces in the Storm Cowboy Denim collection.
The label’s first vintage-inspired denim collection arrives at a strategic time for denim, as the industry is slated for a $76.1 billion future. According to a report from Research and Markets, the global jeans sector will reach that valuation by 2026. Retail intelligence platform Edited underscored the report’s assessment, showing that denim sellouts were up 10 percent in 2021 from the previous year, and denim sellouts were up 27 percent in the first week of 2022 compared to 2021.
Vintage-inspired pieces are the subject of new collections, including Mother’s “Snacks!” collection of jeans that feature ’80s and ’90s denim influences, including the decades’ signature rigid composition and voluminous shapes. The range features seven different retro fits and three washes.
Offering smaller collections at a higher price point is also in fashion, as brands large and small begin to narrow down their assortments and offer them at a premium. In a Q4 2021 earnings call earlier this month, Kontoor Brands president and CEO Scott Baxter detailed the success seen with higher AURs for both the Wrangler and Lee brands in recent months. The premiumization of both labels has helped elevate them in the eyes of consumers. Also earlier this month, British retailer Marks & Spencer unveiled a circular denim collection for men, women and children consisting of just five items.
