Bobbin and Katy's STORY mfg.

[bels]

Will the denim generate vegan fadez?

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

River denim is hand loomed, and natural indigo x natural indigo is powerloomed (and heavier weight). Those prices are almost wholesale though, and just for early birds - actual retail will be higher.

[odradek]

who else do these mills serve? for such a niche product in what i imagine is a pretty 3rd world wage area, how is it that they're able to charge a price for minimums that make a 300 dollar jean wholesale? they must be able to produce much higher volumes but that would mean someone's buying

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

We use two, the colours of nature and Arvind. Arvind is actually one of the biggest mills in the world, and the client list is enormous. They do produce much more cost effective denim, but that's not what we're about.

We wanted fabric that other brands stayed away from because they're too niche or expensive because we see all these great denims at trade shows that just remain concepts as proof of what's possible.

The hand loomed models are the price they are because they're hand loomed and the workers get paid well. Its not just about artisan care and quality, but social outreach. The weavers, dyers and hand spinners that we met all elevated their living standards by being involved in the project and we were feverishly taken for tours around extensions families had put on their houses with the profits.

We have underplayed the social help element of some of what were doing because I'm conscious about attitudes towards this kind of thing. This is a premium and beautifully created and finished product, not a hippy excersize in guilt and conscience. Likewise with having no animal products because it seems to invite ridicule- though we feel strongly that its important to us and we can deliver a Jean that is superb without a leather patch.

What I say about the prices is half true. The river denim type models wouldn't shoot up too much at retail, but the natural indigo x2 model is priced way below other similar items in the market (natural indigo, 13oz, copper metal, made in England, tiny batch runs). The prices online are for early birds who help us finance our run. After that we're selling to retail and won't see as much profit per Jean.

So in short: yes the mill can make and sell the same fabric, but they are not cost effective options for most brands (at all). The colours of nature did a collab with Levis a while back, but they were not handloomed and the focus was not on indigo.

But the real price in all of what we're bringing is time. The time it takes to make any of the denim fabrics we offer is astronomical comparatively. I just don't think a larger company could deal with how slow every part is - and they probably couldn't see the point.

[bels]

You're making me want blue jeans.

[smiles]

what kind of time difference are we talking about bobbin? days vs. hours?

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

The denim fabrics which are hank dyed take time to prepare, hank them, dry them, hank again (sometimes up to 16 times) then dry. In the case of the Hank 2 and Hank 8 the dye baths have a capacity and they have to be given time to 'rest' before they can be used again. Some then get sent to be hand loomed where a weaver can turn around possibly enough for one pair in a day.

The rope dyed and powerloomed models are faster to make as they're industrial, but as they're natural indigo x natural indigo both the warp and weft yarns have to be rope dyed several times to get them a deep deep indigo. Natural indigo is a harder beast to deal with, so research, patience and care has to be taken when dealing with it, and we've been totally blessed that we are getting what we are.

Then they're sent here to England to be made.

Everything about it is slow. It drove me up the wall to start with - we decided to make a jean in June or thereabouts, and the thought it'd take more than a couple of months seemed ridiculous. We could have had one in a month if we chose the path well trodden - but the slow maturing process of what we've done, and everything within, is now comforting. I must admit though, that it pangs a little when we talk about developing our own denim and we get told that the soonest a sample yardage can be made - at full speed - is 3 months.

In any case - "SLOW MADE" is now our motto.

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

Exciting news!

We have a new factory, and its basically the grail British denim and work wear factory. Biggest, most bestest brands use them.

Mail out imminent.

[smiles]

Are you going to have limited sizes for each fabric? Like only 3 29" for example

[katy katazome]

No, dont worry. We're taking pre-orders (on like, friday!) and are asking people to email us their required size after perchasing. That way we can make just the right amount! We're doing them all with a 35" inseam too so you can get them tailored to the perfect length too. God we're good to you guys!

[katy katazome]

Sknss - OK OK NO NEED TO RUB IT IN! What size inseam do you buy?

[germinal]

hi i wear a size 29 in apc a size 30 in dior homme a size 34 in acne a size 32 in topman a size 26 in nudie i am 198cm tall and weigh 86kg i run a six minute mile my left foot is slightly longer than my right the first girl i ever kissed was catholic i am one eighth welsh and i own miss congeniality on dvd. what size do you recommend i wear in story denim jeans? TIA

[katy katazome]

Forgot you guys were such a bunch of funny buggers. Thats it. You're all barred.

(Sknss, I still like you)

[odradek]

yesssssss

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

I reached out to a couple of you saying we're taking pre-orders today but we probably can't open up until this time next week because banks are less organised than we are.

I was bummed about it but it doesn't change anything really.

[katy katazome]

This is what STORY has made me become. I'm the girlfriend who spends Sunday evenings CADing designs for vintage cotton acetate glasses and super-imposing them onto Bobbin's face.



(also just dicovered spoilers)

[katy katazome]

!!!!THE SHOP IS OPEN!!!!!



A few of you have already ordered and we love you so much.

[McOdsen]

I think I'm gonna make a purchase from you guys for my birthday :^]

The stuff looks great!

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

Amazing!

It's my birthday on Tuesday. Joint party?

[katy katazome]

We just got snap chat! Yeah! We're so hip!

storymfg

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

We're doing an AMA now!

http://bit.ly/NKwagN

[smiles]

In the AMA you said something about doing a scent?? Exciting stuff. Will it smell like indigo?

Fragrances is definitely something I'd like to learn how to produce.

[can-]

I love story MFG

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

Thanks !!

Sorry I left ' question hanging - him and I spoke straight after and I didn't think to come here.

It's true we are working with a fragrance.

Katy and I from the start tried to think of ways to make the story of each collection more engaging. Telling the story is one way, as is taking photographs and videos - then you have the final touch and feel of the product. What you don't have is that olfactory sense, so we pulled scents from the journey and collected essential oils made naturally in the region to make a scent.

It's a work in progress and we don't know where it sits right now, but it's something we are working on.

I don't know if people who have bought want to be "outed" but a fair few c-t ers have and you're the best and won't be disappointed.

We've had a massive amount of interest in our jacket too so we're more than likely making a 10pc run in red. It's a lot more than it looks and this weekend we should have more info. Places are being reserved on the run for that via email.

P.s. Thank you all for the birthday wishes. We are giving everyone that has ordered or orders in the next 24hours an extra secret gift as a birthday treat from us to you.

[CleanThug]

Storymfg's snapchats are the greatest

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

Here's one pair of our frames - without markings and a few adjustments. These are our first ever collab with one of the last remaining handmade English frame makers and it's super freaking cool.



These are from his archive, but they're incredible and we all agreed they're perfect. The other pair (which I'll let Katy post the CAD of) are a new design with some vintage features added by him.

[bels]

More like STORY OMFG

[smiles]

...would you be able to do a coolmax lining on the time jacket?

Some kind of stealth tech? Or is that too far from the story image?

Zip in variable linings would be sweet.

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

It's not too far away - there's a lot of ways we can innovate. Being mindfully free of any brackets eg 'heritage' gives us a load of room to innovate. The time jacket will have a button in liner added to upgrades at some point (this was actually the first upgrade we imagined).

There are a lot of ways to do stealth tech and I'm all for it. We're already looking at 'techwear' built out of odd natural fibres.

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

P.s. little spoiler of the development of the "Spite House" spectacles. The top you may have already seen but the bottom model is now being made up in black and transparent. Spending a day a week almost working with the craftsman until May to work on these - obsessively working on shape, texture and methods.