PROGRESS MEANS SIMPLIFYING NOT COMPLICATING
“I love to travel, but hate to arrive.� Albert Einstein
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WE ARE NO NATIONALITY WE L OV E B R AVE P E O P L E We are a brand inspired by those who dare. People who are brave enough to discover the world though their own eyes. Those who walk their own paths, swim upstream in their own waters, and climb their own mountains. People who have the power to listen to their inner voices throughout life.
WE WA NT T O BR E AK TH R O U G H B O U N D AR I E S We meet these people everywhere during our journeys worldwide. On the streets of Paris, among nomads in Morocco, at restaurants in New York City, and under the Kenyan sun. To us, it doesn’t matter where they are, where they come from, or where they’re heading. In a way, we’re all the same. We wake up under the same sun, and we share the will to break through boundaries.
L IFE IS A J OU R N E Y It’s about realizing that there’s probably no goal at the end of the journey. The journey itself is what matters. To seize the moment and make a difference. To learn from all the inspiring people you meet. That makes us want to become better people. This is the story of our journey so far: the first six years.
NO BORDERS N O L I M I TS N O B O U N D AR I E S
AW14
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CONTENT NO NATIONALITY The year 2007
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Our catalogues and journeys
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The story behind the picture
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Reflections on our journeys
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Sharing our experiences
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Everyone has a story to tell
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Traveling with your taste bud(dy)s
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Our second home – Tokyo
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Behind the scenes
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DEADLY DEDICATED Originals make us happy
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A flying photographer
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Our man in the kitchen
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Martin and his denims
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The Oddbirds
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Københavns Møbelsnedkeri
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Our playground
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The people
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Some numbers
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Six denim details
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ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW Originals never die
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Our logo
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No black is the new black
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The importance of materials
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Simon
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Samuel
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The white shirt
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Marco
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Stories to tell
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Collaborations 70 The future
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NATIONALITY
na·tion·al·i·ty
[ˌnæʃ əˈnæl ɪ ti]
Noun Plural noun: Nationalities 1. the status of belonging to a particular nation by origin, birth, or naturalization. 2. a people having common origins or traditions and often constituting a nation. 3. existence as a politically autonomous entity; national independence. SYNONYMS: allegiance, body politic, 4. national character. citizenship, community, country, ethnic groups, nation, native land, 5. nationalism. origin, political home, race, society.
NO NATIONALITY The year 2007 Our catalogues and journeys The story behind the picture Reflections on our journeys Sharing our experiences Everyone has got a story to tell Traveling with your taste bud(dy)s Our second home – Tokyo Behind the scenes
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2007 MMVII A YEAR TO REMEMBER IN THE FUTURE A M ONDA Y IN 2007
(carrying up to 853 passengers) into the air.
The year when our journey began started on
The first flight was from Singapore to Sydney.
a Monday. There we stood with fresh tickets in hand: young, green, innocent. What happened
C R O S S-B O RD ER TALES
the year we headed on our biggest journey into
We celebrated the 100th birthday of Pippi
life? Not much. It was a rather uninteresting
Longstocking’s mother: Astrid Lindgren.
year with no earth-shattering events.
With pure lust, passion, and curiosity, she enriched the world with her masterpieces:
A FE W CH E CKE D OU T
Pippi Longstockings, Karlsson on the Roof,
A few souls checked out the same year that
and Emil of Lönneberga. Astrid is the world’s
we stepped in: Hans J. Wegner, a Danish design
most translated author; more than 140 million
legend, who created design classics we might
of her books have been sold. The day we sell
never come close to. Werner Vogeli, Swiss-
just as many Simons is a day we’ll celebrate!
Swedish chef, who, with a Swiss accent, promoted everyday Swedish fare. The voluptuous,
F R O M C O U NTRY TO CITY
headstrong Anna Nicole Smith accidentally
Another interesting 2007 occurrence from
overdosed. And Luciano Pavarotti, world giant,
a global perspective: the earth’s population
tenor, and epicurean exhaled his last tone the
became more urban than rural – a major demo-
same year that we shouted our first.
graphic milestone sometimes called the urban millennium.
M US IC The charts were moving and shaking with
W E AR E S TILL Y O U N G
songslike ”The Way I Are” by the Timbaland,
As we write this report we quickly realize
”Umbrella” by Rihanna, and ”Rehab” by
that we’re still very young. Six years,
Amy Winehouse. Britney Spears spent more time
heading towards seven. We look to the future
shaving her head instead of singing.
and hope for a long life that grants us opportunities to make our mark.
G IA NT IN T H E A IR
So going forward, people in the future
Airbus set a new standard for flying by re-
will remember 2007 that it was when NN•07
leasing the world’s largest passenger plane
was launched. A good year.
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
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CATALOGUES WITH REAL PEOPLE You can choose the way you work. Simply and routinely, safely and securely. That way, you know that you always get good results, and you can sleep peacefully at night.
OUR WA Y OF DOING TH I N G S
we find our “models”. Most people we ask
Every time you do something, you can also
actually say yes. Other times, we go to a re-
choose to plunge into the unknown to just
mote village or place where we know we’ll find
see where you land. Rather than staying home,
fascinating people. Nomads, the Maasai, or
hiring beautiful, expensive models and a
Icelandic fishermen. Every trip is a challenge.
trendy studio with flashing cameras, make-up
We’ve sat on New York’s Coney Island soaking
artists, and errand runners, we pack our bags
wet from rain, with two days left before our
and go on a journey.
return flight – and only one model in the bag. Instead of 18°C and sunshine, we got 7°C,
P L A CE S FOR E NCOU N TE R S
pouring rain, and deserted streets.
We usually bring about 30-40 kilos of clothes
But two days later, we flew home with photos
– depending on whether it’s summer or winter.
for an entire catalogue.
We go to places that interest us – places that offer something special – where we know
G E N U I N E C LO TH ES FO R REAL PEO PLE
amazing encounters will happen.
We take pride in making products for real people. Clothes for everyone. Not just for
R E A L L OCA T IONS A N D P E R S O N AL I TI E S
perfect models with needles stuck in their
Once on location, we try to find a place that’s
backs to smooth out the tiniest wrinkles.
very busy – preferably somewhat behind the scenes – behind the usual tourist traps.
We take pictures of real people who feel,
A place where you find the origin of a country.
laugh, and exist in reality – in our products.
If we’re in a city, then we sit at a cafe or
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N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
hang out on a street corner. With eyes on the
Our 12 unique catalogues document all our
lookout for distinctive personalities,
trips. And the journey has just begun. …
NN07_LabelAW0910.indd 1
5000 Handpainted covers AW 2008
5000 handprints SS 2009
Paris AW 2009
Morocco SS 2010
New York AW 2010
Sweden SS 2011
One day in Paris This is our catalogue number three. It’s a unique copy you are holding in your hand. We shot the covers of the catalogue in Paris the 14th of July, (French National day). From 5 AM in the morning, and all the way to sunset, we covered a big part of Paris with our camera. Our photgrapher got a sore triggerfinger, and our Art Director got aching feets. We met up with our friend Remi Laroussinie, who also is the model of this catalogue. Remi was our guide in Paris, and made us see the city with new eyes. We want you to do the same. See the world with new eyes! Welcome to our world!
One day in Life
W E T H I N K E V E RY B O DY S H O U L D LO V E E V E RY B O DY
2009
Limited Edition No
This is your personal unique copy of our catalogue, with individual covers. It’s catalogue
09-07-28 11.03.40
PEOPLE FROM
IBIZA
Russia AW 2011
Ibiza SS 2012
Tokyo AW 2012
Buenos Aires SS 2013
Iceland AW 2013
Kenya SS 2014
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
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THERE’S A STORY BEHIND EVERY PICTURE Just like life, things don’t always go as planned when we set off on our journeys. Sometimes things happen quite unexpectedly. That’s part of the joy of doing what we do, and it often gives us a new perspecive and a story to tell. Like when we went to...
... MOROCCO – to do our first, and probably
days and learned all about the seventh spice
the most crazy trip without models.
of Morocco (as they call it). Sand. In everything we ate and drank, grinding sand kept
Traveling for more than 48 hours, by car,
our teeth clean. We drank liters of sweet tea
plane, and camel to get into the middle of
to wash it away.
the desert – hoping to find models. We did. A week later when we returned to Casablanca
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N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
Fantastic people with a life far from our
and found a hotel that served beer, we were
safe, warm houses filled with furniture and
very happy! Yes, thank you. May we also have
electronics. We stayed with them for a few
some peanuts – without sand please?
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THERE’S ALSO STORIES ABOUT WHEN WE WENT TO.. . .. M OSCOW
and decided to take photos
... SWEDEN’S
dark forests. We had
where we had to take a late-night
on Red Square. But we wanted to do it without
been traveling for five days with a cool and
picture. While eating lunch, we met the
tourists or other people. So we went there
slightly confused musician and a happy car-
wonderful Victoria at the beach. She didn’t
around 4 in the morning – just us and two
penter who took quite a fancy to the ladies.
have time for a photo shoot during lunch time
police officers in a car at one end of the
Our idea was to celebrate the qualities of
but said that she’d loved to pose later in the
square. Everything went well. We shot the
small villages and life far away from the
evening. We decided to meet at that same spot.
photos, and even if the police eyed us suspi-
bright, big-city lights.
ciously, they left us alone. Until we got the
Time passed; it got later. And later. And
bright idea to shoot a tribute to Mathias Rust
We had great weather and fabulous roads that
later. We were in a bar and the later it got,
who landed a plane on Red Square in 1987.
meandered through the countryside. We went to
the more we drank. Finally Victoria showed
a rockabilly festival, swam in the ocean, and
up. Of course we bought her a drink.
The sirens of the police car blared, and they
stayed in a haunted house guarded by a crazy
To finally take these fantastic photos, we
stopped with screeching wheels in front of us,
“Cujo” dog.
had to wade into the water with cameras and
jumped out, and started to scream in Russian.
flashes. We were on our way to take the last photos
Naturally we had problems standing upright
Shit! We got a quick translation from our
at a cabin in Västergötland – in the middle
because the waves kept rolling in.
friend Iris who speaks Russian. His inte-
of nowhere. But there, out in the sticks,
And repercussions from the drinks interfered
pretation went something like “You’re not
we ran into a handyman in his truck. Bang!
with our balance. Wearing just t-shirts and
allowed to make fun of the Russian govern-
underwear we shot the pics without getting
ment. You’re actually not allowed to even
He was probably in a hurry to kick off the
totally soaked. Then we bought another round,
have fun here. You’re going to get arrested
weekend with a cold beer and barbeque.
kissed Victoria goodbye, and slept very well
if you don’t move out of here immediately!”
We crashed into each other, and our first
that night.
company car – an old, 1963 Volvo Amazon – was
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... IBIZA
What can we say? We left and enjoyed our
history. Only the cows kept us company that
breakfast that morning with a smile.
early Friday evening.
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
... NEW YORK CITY
where we spent
. . . AR G E N TI N A
and Buenos Aires. We had
most of our time at different restaurants.
been shooting photos in town for a few days
The day before departure we had lunch in the
when we decided to go to a market where,
nice spot Freeman Alley.
according to rumors, we’d find true gauchos.
She caught us off guard - in the middle of chewing and raucous laughter that made beer
Of course we wanted to have these Argentine
dribble from our mouths - as she stepped
cowboys in our photos. But fate intervened.
through the threshold flashing a smile to die
When we were almost there, our art director
for. Hedda from Norway.
got a gander at something in a very shabby café on a street corner. Stop – shooting time!
With her boyish haircut and big eyes, we knew we just had to photograph her. We only make
We ordered some beer and wine and sat a
menswear, but hell, we knew she’d look great
short, appropriate distance from the corner
in it. We begged – a short while – and the
on rickety plastic chairs outside the café.
meeting was set up with her the next day at
It didn’t take long before we got what we
the classic Chelsea Hotel, where we were
were looking for. They were wondering why
staying. A classic beauty in a classy pose,
a bunch of pale ”tourists” ended up in their
at the legendary Chelsea Hotel.
neighborhood – at their favorite joint on a Sunday afternoon. We explained what we were doing and let them check out our clothes. After nearly three totally fantastic hours of music, songs, wine, and new friends, we broke up camp with amazing pictures, a soundtrack for our film, and unforgettable memories. The photo of the singer - who was a larger version of Ernest Hemingway – even inspired artist Shai Dahan to paint a picture with him as a motif. It didn’t go as planned. But we ended up with totally amazing photos and recollections.
12.28 AM
... CRAZY ICE L A ND
3.46 AM
8.52 AM
We stood in our thickly padded jackets
So what can we say? We’re impressed.
actually a bit zany – and wonderful.
and froze, but they never said a word about
Fuel up and get going. Like they did when
Who’d choose to live on a remote island in
being cold.
we were at a farm at the foot of Hekla,
The people are
a volcano.
the middle of the ocean, where the weather rarely exceeds 15°C?
On the other hand, when it came to drinking,
In the middle of the night, we observed a
We realized they’re tougher than we are.
we’ve never seen anything like it either.
chain-saw race, axes, and samurai swords.
No matter how harsh the weather was and how
They’re probably inebriated most of the time,
A visit to the sheep shed and some strange
thin the shirts or sweaters we put on them,
because they party until 6:30 AM and we
fussing about with a plastic snowman.
they never complained.
started the photo shoot around 8 AM.
Unconventional Iceland. Lovely Iceland!
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
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REFLECTIONS ON OUR JOURNEYS Emotions control mostly everything we do. We always want to convey feelings from our journeys in our catalogues. One way to do so is to select the right materials, textures, surfaces, designs, and typographies – to reflect the journeys.
P L A S T I C A N D V E L V ET
So we printed 5000 images of restaurants and
Flashy plastic charter-trip chairs on Ibiza
bars on the catalogue covers.
yielded a shiny travel catalogue with a
Our Icelandic catalogue featured a fiery set-
feeling for Ibiza and the 1980s. A kitschy
ting because of all the volcanoes that are
yellow sticker on the front. Moscow is heavy
active. We burned one corner of all the in-
and red; obviously velvet and gold.
troduction letters so that the smell of fire permeated each catalogue, whose cover had Ice-
JAPANESE FINESSE
land’s silhouette embossed in heavy cardboard.
In Japan, you write from top to bottom, and scroll back (compared to what we’re used to in
AFRICAN C R A FT S
the west). So naturally we set the text from
In our most recent catalogue from Kenya, we let
top to bottom and reversed the order of the
the pictures speak for themselves. Coated con-
catalogue. The Japanese are also masters at
struction paper conveys the colors and joy. We
beautifully wrapping things, which is why our
bought 5000 specially made beaded bands from the
catalogue cover was made of rice paper and
village in which we took the photos. These are
sealed with a Japanese-inspired red dot.
unique bookmarks and a reflection of the craft.
N E W YO R K T O U G H , ICELAN D HO T
This is how we are. Nothing is left to chance,
New York is rather rough – just like the paper
and no detail is too small to highlight.
in our catalogue. NYC is home to restaurants
As with our clothes, we’re deadly dedicated to
that serve some of the best food we ever had.
the details in everything we do.
Every catalogue is made in only 5000 copies. Everyone unique and numbered.
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
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WE LOVE LIFE, WE LOVE TRAVEL, AND ENJOY NEW EXPERIENCES Since we think you think like we do, we’d like to share some of our golden spots with you. For example, when you’re in:
captivating. Get a jeep and drive up into the Atlas mountains. Take a camel-ride tour in the desert and call on the nomads. Go to the mosque of Hassan II in Casablanca.
P ARI S
Cuisine is crucial during
And why not grab a bite at Rick’s
SWED EN
Café Américain? Nope: it’s not the
sun is home to many superb spots
original bar from the Casablanca
that we love to visit. Most of all,
film, but it’s worth a visit for
we enjoy the magnificent outdoors.
excellent fare and atmosphere.
Get a convertible, nice company,
The land of the midnight
visits to Paris. We love originals.
and drive through the countryside.
And we don’t like to walk the same
Stop at the small villages. Enjoy
path as everyone else. So skip
a classic fika (e.g., coffee and cin-
Mr Eiffel and the other musts.
namon buns). Head west to where the
Enjoy an original Parisian spot.
road ends. Get a room with a view and
La Procope (founded 1686) is a
order some fresh crayfish directly
traditional restaurant in the Saint
from the ocean. We recommend the
Germain quarter. Go there, and enjoy
NEW YORK
the fresh shellfish, steak tartar,
experience: hop on the subway that
or some foie gras and a glass of
heads south to Coney Island. Get off
champagne. Did we say we like the
at Brighton Beach, the second-last
original stuff?. Bon appétit!
stop before the end of the line.
For an atypical NYC
Strandflickorna i Lysekil hotel. Ask for the ocean atelier and enjoy.
Here, you’ll find yourself outside the U.S. and in Russia, because it’s almost more Russian than Moscow.
MO SCO W
Stroll the streets and enter a
get a room at Metropol, where we
restaurant to enjoy solyanka (soup)
captured some great memories during
and a shot of vodka. Buy some
our photo shoot in Moscow. It’s
Russian caviar and then take the
close to Red Square, which you must
tram back to the U.S., 45 minutes
visit. But first, start your day
between east and west.
right with live harp music during
When in Moscow, try to
breakfast. Lunch? Dinner? No problem:
M ORO CCO
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Don’t just stay in
grab a cab and head for the White
town. While the fantastic Moroccan
Rabbit restaurant, where you’ll have
cities have much to offer (e.g.,
a fantastic view of the city – and
bazaars), the countryside is
Moscow’s fancy people.
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
morning. Surrounded by buzzing traffic with bikes, trucks, and people, you’ll see restaurant chefs selecting the day’s fish for sushi. It’s like a theater. If you feel like a steak instead of fish, then check out the Park Hyatt hotel, which is famous from the Lost in translation film. Go to the New York
I B IZ A
What’s great about Ibiza?
Grill on the 52nd floor, order real
We were probably the only visitors
Kobe beef, and enjoy the view and
under age 60 who’ve been there with-
feeling of being a part of a movie.
REY K J AVIK
Icelandic people
don’t sleep too much, and they do like to party. (We learned that pretty fast in Reykjavik). It’s a small city filled with lots
out visiting a night club. So we
of friendly people who’d be delighted
can’t tell you anything about its
to point you in the direction of
crazy night life. But we can recom-
all the watering holes. We suggest
mend that you get your body up to
that you leave the city behind a few
the top of the castle. Early in the
days and get some fresh air. Visit
morning, put on your sneakers and
the Skogafoss waterfall, go to the
go for a run through the narrow
Black beach and Hekla, and stay at
alleys and aim for the top. Once you
the Hotel Ranga about two hours from
arrive, you’ll see a splendid sun-
Reykjavik, where you can enjoy great
rise and all the people who aren’t
food and say hello to a giant polar
sleeping yet. Couples making out (most of them probably just met),
B U E N O S AI R E S
trying to seduce each other with
Don’t miss the old La Boca. The city
a view of the sea and lots of sweet
is a tad touristy, so we recommend
talk. Amusing.
that you do something totally dif-
A vibrant city.
bear in the lobby.
ferent. For example, every Tuesday night, stakeholders in the fashion and media industries gather at San Bernando – a small, rough, old-school bar. Why? To play ping pong and pool.
TOKYO
No doubt about it: this is
a big – no, sorry – huge city. Tokyo has various districts to visit, so we recommend that you spend at least a week there. We won’t point out a certain district that’s better than others, although we like Harajuku a lot. Don’t hesitate to visit the Tsukiji fish market early in the
The party usually continues until
K EN Y A
4–5 AM. Kind of sporty, right?
in Kenya. We stayed at the very fine
Visit Restaurante Don Julio for the
Lion Hill Lodge beside the gates of
best steak, and sign your own wine-
Tsavo East National Park. During
bottle and place it among the other
morning coffee on our first day,
thousands of bottles on shelves all
a spectacular sight welcomed us – a
along the walls.
herd of about 25 elephants. Stay in
The big five: almost a must
the tent bungalows, and fall asleep to the monkeys babbling around the corner, and wake up to the roar of a lion – if you’re lucky. Oh, and don’t forget to visit our friends in the Wangala Maasai village when you’re in the area.
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
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EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL We love meeting people. Encounters with others often lead to self-growth. We’ve met unforgettable characters on our travels and found ourselves in fantastic, unusual situations.
S T R E E T A R T IS T IN P AR I S
et corner in a neighborhood that doesn’t get
Hanging out for a glass of wine, a cool dude
a lot of visitors. We spent many hours there
passed by – Remi. We jumped up from the café
with our new-found friends who offered wine,
table and asked him if he would be our model.
music, dance, and unforgettable moments.
It turned out that he was a street performer
One photo of a singer inspired artist Shai
and artist. A soul mate, who was happy to
Dahan to paint his picture – a portrayal and
oblige us and at the same moment became our
interpretation of our photo.
new friend.
K E N Y AN M AASAI A M E R ICA N V IKING I N S P AI N
In Kenya, songs, sheer delight, and wonderful
In Ibiza, a bearded viking strolled toward
people greeted us during our most recent trip.
us. Leif. Born in southern Sweden – the son of
The people in this Maasai village called Wangala
hippies who emigrated to California, where
own practically nothing. Yet they gave us more
he grew up. Leif gladly agreed to be a model.
than anyone else we’ve ever met – songs of joy
When we met up with Leif about a year later he
and laughter. These types of encounters enliven
told us that he had been living in a cave on
us. For real: they make us stop and reflect.
the beach and was totally broke when we met him. Nevertheless, he didn’t ask for a single
M O R O C C AN MO U N TAIN N O MAD S
cent in compensation for helping us.
Our trip to the nomads in the Moroccan desert was unforgettable – not least the family of
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N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
NE IG H B OR S IN A R G E N TI N A
mountain nomads we met on our way back over
We were heading to a Buenos Aires market,
the Atlas Mountains. They live in an ice-cold
where we hoped to find some gauchos. Instead,
cave along with their goats and dogs that help
we landed in a tiny, shabby bar on a stre-
them stay warm.
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
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TRAVELING WITH YOUR TASTE BUD(DY)S A P A R T OF T H E C U L TU R E
a cramped sushi bar in Tokyo’s Ginza district.
Food is a big part of a trip and a significant
Our taste buds have done somersaults and
part of a country’s culture. We usually
cartwheels. We’ve turned our stomachs, and we’ve
search for the smallest, local restaurants.
taste tested. Whale sperm in Japan. Sandy tagine
Crossing our fingers with hope that our stomachs
stew in Morocco. Grilled lomo in Buenos Aires.
can cope with yet another experience. It’s
And bear meat in Moscow – what else?
enriching and satisfying to taste a country when you visit it.
TO E N JO Y LIFE That what it’s about. Sometimes going all
NE W B L E NDS A N D F U S I O N S
the way – permitting new experiences.
Step into the Marrakesh market and immediately
It’s something we try to achieve now and then,
notice blended aromas of spices and barbe-
for example when we threw a party in early
cued lamb lying on coal beds. The rug sales-
2013 to share our experiences from our
men’s cologne fuses with street dust to yield
journeys. We put together a menu that summed
a rather exotic smell, reminiscent of old
up our travels so far.
glue. Interesting. The result? An evening in which the food,
WH A L E S P E R M O R B O U R B O N
beverages, and music formed a fantastic
Or sit in a dark bar in New York’s meat-
totality that we’re sure no one will forget.
packing district and nurse a glass of smoky bourbon. Then you eat raw sea urchin at
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N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
Bon appétit.
paris, france F O O D
Fresh Oysters D R I N K
Pol Roger Champagne M U S I C
Edith Piaf “No, je ne regrette rien”
F O O D
Dried salted fish D R I N K
Gull, an Icelandic beer. M U S I C
RUSSIA
Legend ”Violence”
F O O D
Grilled skirtsteak with grilled vegetables D R I N K
Trapiche Malbec 2010 M U S I C
Argentinian Tango
F O O D
Rye bread, topped with smetana, honey, and pickled cucumber D R I N K
Vodka straight up M U S I C
Red Army Choir “Russian National Anthem”
F O O D F O O D
Prime rib sliders, bread, lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, bacon
D R I N K
Brooklyn lager
M U S I C
Frank Sinatra “New York, New York”
Herring open-face sandwich with sliced potateos, egg and butter. Beer and aqvavit Evert Taube “Änglamark”
F O O D
Sashimi topped with wasabi-mayonnaise and sesame seeds D R I N K
Warm saké. M U S I C
Alphaville “Big in Japan”
D R I N K
M U S I C
MOROCCO F O O D
Slow-cooked chuck roast spiced with cumin, khobz bread and hummus
F O O D
D R I N K
Candypowder, pills, and sweet candy. Served on a mirror with a straw to suck up the powder*
M U S I C
No drinks needed
Sweet Moroccan tea Mohammed Rahal “Matcheki fiya”
D R I N K
M U S I C
Any heavy house music
* No, we don’t encourage or glorify drugs or anything like that. But the fact is, the chef, who prepared our dinner, surprised us with dessert in the shape of pills, powder, and other sweet stuff that looked like drugs (made us laugh a bit). So we just had to tell you about it. When visiting Ibiza, the hardest drug we tried was red wine.
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
23
THIS IS WHERE OUR HEART IS: THE START – TOKYO T H E J OUR NE Y’S STAR T
above all else, home to excellent, distinct
Our journey began at a restaurant in Copen-
style and fashion sense.
hagen. It continued on to Tokyo from which we drew inspiration, desire, and a feeling for
DIVERSITY, MADNESS, & POLITE PRIDE
our first collection.
You’ll find everything here – from austere
We have just as many anecdotes as ideas and
black Yamamoto personalities in Ginza – to
inspiration from our first trip. We literally
punk rebels hanging out in Daikanyama and
plowed through Tokyo. Everything from the city’s
amazing little girls with too much makeup and
pulse to the people, food, and fabrics made us
fake eyelashes that make them look like dolls.
tick in a way that we’ve never done before.
We can’t help but love this diversity and madness. The Japanese people also are the most polite
M A S T E R S OF DE T A I L S
we ever met. At the same time, they demon-
The Japanese are masters of detail. To refine
strate enormous integrity and put great pride
something to perfection and not to let chance
into everything they do. A sense of perfection
control anything. We love it. Our unadorned
and dedication we brought back home with us.
Scandinavian aesthetic is the perfect fusion
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N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
with Japanese perfection. So we always return
Regardless of where our travels take us, we’ll
to Japan – and preferably to Tokyo – a bust-
always have a place in our hearts for Japan.
ling, simmering hot spot of good taste and
The place where we found ourselves.
N O N AT I O N A L I T Y
25
These are the pictures you didn’t get to see
BEHIND THE SCENES On a normal shoot, we take 5000–6000 photos, and we use about 100. For one reason or another, the rest don’t get published – mostly because they’re not good enough. But some of them are good, just a tad inappropriate. Here are a few photos that we’ve kept from you throughout the years.
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27
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DEADLY
dead·ly [ded-lee]
SYNONYMS: fatal, lethal, mortal
adjective, dead·li·er, dead·li·est. 1. causing or tending to cause death; fatal; lethal: a deadly poison. 2. aiming to kill or destroy; implacable: a deadly enemy. 3. like death: a deadly pallor. 4. excruciatingly boring: The dinner party was absolutely deadly. 5. excessive; inordinate: deadly haste.
DEDICATED
ded·i·cat·ed [ˈdediˌkātid/]
adjective 1. (of a person) devoted to a task or purpose; having single-minded loyalty or integrity. “a team of dedicated doctors”. SYNONYMS: ardent, committed, devoted, dyed-in-the-wool; whole-hearted, earnest, enthusiastic, single-minded, faithful, fervent; informal card-carrying, firm, hardcore “a dedicated socialist”, keen, loyal, passionate, resolute, staunch, steadfast, true, unwavering, zealous.
3
DEADLY DEDICATED Originals make us happy A flying photographer Our man in the kitchen Martin and his denims The Oddbirds Københavns Møbelsnedkeri Our playground The people Some numbers Six denim details
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ORIGINALS MAKE US HAPPY We salute the dedicated and the different.
That’s why we never ever leave anything
We love collectors. Aficionados who are so
untouched. We know (and we love the fact) that
passionate about something – vintage beer
perfection takes time and effort. We discuss,
cans, watches, shoes, or navel fluff - that
feel, touch, test, and select. We change, we
they dedicate part of their lives to it –
regret, and we do it all over again. We do it
constantly refining and improving a collection
by hand, by heart, and by gut feeling.
as much as themselves. Everything it takes to get things the way
30
We’ve learned that it’s all in the details
we want them. To get another item – our way –
– the small things that sometimes make a big
into our collection.
difference. The difference between a single
A small item that makes us happy – and even
item – the original – and a worthless
more dedicated. One more reason to never get
duplicate. We make the originals.
tired. So let’s face it. We are nerds.
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
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D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
A FLYING PHOTOGRAPHER Say hello to Patrik. A man who does what he wants – because he can. We know him well. He shoots the photos for all our catalogues. He’s the only photographer we know who succeeded in shooting a photo in fewer than 30 seconds – the exact same speed as the wind speed on a stormy beach with 110% humidity. We don’t know very many photographers who are willing to risk a fall from a 40-meter-high cliff – just to get the correct angle for a photo. Patrik is dedicated to what he does.
WH O IS P A T R IK J OH ÄL L ?
at 6 PM tomorrow if you want to go
The world’s smallest photographer.
on a delightful journey.”
YOU OP E R A T E S UP E R S TU D I O , WH A T DO YOU DO?
YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF NN•07? Whoohoo, what a great pair of chinos!
Simply put, we’re a bunch of creative people – an extremely flexible team of photogra-
W H AT I S TH E WO RLD ’ S BEST PH O TO ?
phers, retouchers, graphic artists, designers,
The picture of my family.
directors, filmmakers, computer experts, and other left-brain types.
WH A T IS A G OOD P IC TU R E ? A picture that breaks the rules and pokes you in the eye a little. And everything gets better with backlight, smoke, and fire.
P A R T NE R S H IP WIT H N N •07, H OW DID IT S T A R T ? On a cold November day five years ago, I got a phone call: “Show up in Stockholm
W H AT’ S W AS Y O U R WO RST AN D B E S T A SSIGN MEN T? Best: an opportunity to work with film director David Fincher and The girl with the dragon tattoo film. Worst: working with David Fincher.
TH E W O R S T AN D BEST AS S I G N M E N TS WITH N N •07? Best and worst: taking 5000 photos during France’s National Day. Five thousand photos are a LOT of photos...
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
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D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
OUR MAN IN THE KITCHEN Jens is a great chef. Odd, and a bit experimental. We love him for that. His total passion and dedication brings flavors to life – crossing borders and creating new things. Jens fixed the food for our NYC-theme party when launching the NYC catalogue. He also created the cuisine for our Christmas catalogue rollout when we invited some friends, threw a real party, and served suckling pig, roasted potatoes, mulled wine, anchovy-infused potatoes au gratin, and much more. So let’s get a gander at the man behind the stove.
W H O IS J E NS B YL IN ? Father of two beautiful kids, a good husband, and obsessed with food and drinks.
W H AT’ S TH E MO ST D ISGU STIN G TH I N G Y O U CO O K ED ? Some would say popcorn herring. Joking aside, it’s a tossup between cold avocado
W H A T DID YOU DO EAR L I E R ? The last 15 years, I worked only in highstandard venues: Restaurang Mat & Vin, Sjömagasinet, Swedish Taste, and Pensionat Styrsö Skäret. Now I’m the restaurant manager at the Bogesund Hotel.
W H A T IS G OOD FOO D ? Good food is cooked with love, humor, and obviously selected ingredients.
soup that I made for my wife and a tea-smoked rhubarb sorbet that I rather forget.
W H AT I S Y OU R FAVO RITE FARE? Confit of all kinds, foie gras, lobster, and steak tartar.
C AN Y O U TRU ST TH IN CO O K S? Yes, dammit, and I’d like to be one.
D O Y O U H A VE AN Y D REAM PRO J ECTS?
H OW DO YOU T R A NSL ATE A BR A ND INT O FOOD?
I lived my dream when I ran Mat & Vin with
Be sensitive, let the products inspire you,
similar but in a different way.
my wife. The next dream project is somewhat
and create the same feeling on your plate as on your body when wearing certain clothes.
W H AT’ S I T LIK E TO WO RK WITH N N •07?
Use colors and textures to enable reflection,
I’ve been fortunate to be their main chef.
and don’t forget to surprise and let gut
Working with those crazy, intense creatures
feeling guide you.
is lots of fun.
Selected pages from our Christmas cook book that we made with Jens’ recipes.
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
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WE LIVE IN OUR CLOTHES SO DOES MARTIN Dedicated people might be considered weird, or at least “different” if you ask the general public. For us it’s just fantastic that these people exist and make the world more colorful and interesting. Martin, who works in the Ted Bernhardz clothing store in Gothenburg, is one of those guys.
Martin bought a pair of James jeans from our
H O W O F TE N D O Y O U WEAR TH EM?
very first collection. A pair of raw selvedge
On average, 200 days a year. The first
denims. He’s been wearing them since then.
8-9 months, I wore them almost every day
Often. And with a great pleasure.
to get them properly weathered.
S O WH O A R E YOU?
H O W O F TE N H AVE Y O U WASH ED TH EM?
A 32-years-young man who enjoys life, Liver-
Never, except involuntarily in the wet
pool FC, and the people I love. I live with
Gothenburg weather. But now I bought another
Kajsa and our cats (Alva and Nala), and I come
pair, so the first pair will soon go into
from a big family. When I’m not reading books
the machine.
or playing football, basketball, and games, I like to travel and eat — in addition to wearing
W H AT W AS TH E MO ST FU N Y O U ’ VE
timeworn jeans, of course. Thailand, New York,
H AD TO G E THER WITH Y O U R J EAN S?
and Liverpool are nice. I love big cities. And the food, especially Thai and hamburgers.
DE S CR IB E YOUR FA S H I O N S TY L E .
We were at Anfield and saw victories and defeats and visited New York for NBA games and pursuit of the perfect burger. We moved, helped pals to move, and I became an uncle.
Always jeans, unwashed in various phases.
We’ve been to music festivals and spent many
And shirts – Oxford or denim.
pleasant evenings and nights with people
I don’t contemplate my style too often;
I’m very happy to have in my life. We’ve
I just wear what I really like.
been living life together. Who knows what awaits us around the next corner?
WH Y DID YOU B UY A P AI R O F JAM E S ? We were going to purchase the NN•07 denim
H O W D O Y O U FEEL ABO U T N N •07?
collection for our shop, and I was somewhat
NN•07 makes the clothes I want to wear.
skeptical. But it was love at first sight.
No in-your-face details – just love for
I pulled them on, and they fit me to a T.
fashion. Fingertip sensitivity that’s visible
I texted the NN•07 people and told them how
in the material selection, buttons on a shirt,
much the model and details impressed me.
or fabric. NN•07 takes its own route - just
I really like the minimalist look of the
like me. Nothing is done half-heartedly, and
back pocket and the Kaihara denim fabric.
you buy the clothes to wear for a long time.
It’s good shit!
It’s fun to anticipate reactions from those who haven’t discovered NN•07’s greatness.
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H OW L ONG H A V E YO U H AD TH E M ?
Lying low, waiting and watching for others to
Since February 2011.
discover what they’re missing. I like that.
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
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COLLECTIVE CREATIVITY Oddbirds is the name of our partners in crime when we need creative solutions for shops and showrooms. A bunch of birds and one dog, Harry. A creative group renowned for outside-the-box thinking and extraordinary skills.
WH A T A R E ODDB IR D S ?
of cloth and sticks, dressed mannequins with
Oddbirds is a flock of creative individuals.
layers of clothing, hung clothes on long
We function as catalysts, inspirers, interior
lines, and packed Moroccan spice sacks with
decorators, and carrots – plus stylists,
garments until store inventories were empty.
technicians, window dressers, designers,
Or maybe even more crazy was our Tokyo tour
and stagers. Simply put: we’re the ones
for NN•07. When we checked the car’s mileage,
who get things done; we make things happen.
we had been driving a stretch equal to a trip around the moon – twice!
H OW DID YOU CON N E C T W I TH N N •07? A good friend and colleague had been working
W H AT’ S GO O D D ESIGN ?
with NN•07. When the time came for creative
Something that makes you happy and feels
retail solutions he recommended us.
like a dear friend. Good design is nice to Mother Nature and human beings; it creates
H OW DOE S A P A R T N E R S H I P O F C R E ATI VE
something worth inheriting.
S P IR IT S FUNCT ION ? It’s amazing to work with imaginative folks;
WHAT CREATES A SUCCESSFUL INTERIOR?
something new and unexpected always happens
Really good interior decorating reflects a
when you boil soup together. A combination
personality and tells a story. Success occurs
of diverse cooks, who enjoy being together,
when color and materials harmonize with each
often adds up to this: 1+1=7.
other – when the whole feels genuine.
WH A T ’S YOUR DR E AM AS S I G N M E N T?
F U TU R E HO MES? WH AT’ LL WE SEE IN 50
To decorate a hotel with a no nationality
Y E AR S ? F LY IN G CARPETS? WIRELESS
theme - without limitations on us. Everything
P U TTY ? O R LIK E RIGH T N O W?
is tailored and personalized – and inspired
Hopefully, we’ll see our lives as a totality
by assorted characters. A comfortable, crazy,
in which we focus on living sustainably inside
delightful experience.
and outside. Probably totally connected but still much more aware of what’s really valuable.
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D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
YOUR WIL DE S T A SS I G N M E N T?
Over-consumption is utterly out.
We’ve had many crazy jobs throughout the
What we acquire will be durable and of good
years; the craziest might be our first tour
quality. Genuine, living materials dominate
with NN•07. The theme was Morocco, and we
in our homes as we cherish and safeguard our
drove around the country to places and people
stories and traditions. Back to basics.
we’d never visited. We built Bedouin tents
Back to the things that matters.
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
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D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
KØBENHAVNS MØBELSNEDKERI We’ve said it before and will say it again: great minds think alike. Being neighbors and discovering that you both have the same passion for material that becomes more beautiful with time – a sense of craftsmanship and a desire to change yet preserve.
first met Kim in his workshop. Now we’ve worked
W H AT D I D Y O U TH IN K WH EN Y O U FIRST M E T TH E NN •07 GU Y S
together for X years and things are moving
I was already a huge NN•07 fan before I
forward. We posed a few questions to Kim Dolva,
met them. We’ve worked in close cooperation
who runs this small, unassuming joinery – with
during the past year, and I really respect
big visions – in the heart of Copenhagen.
them. Even if we run two completely different
It was almost like falling in love when we
companies, we have a lot in common: our
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AS A JOINER?
pursuit of perfection.
I was trained as a guitar builder and worked for at it for five years, building and repairing guitars. Then I studied to be a graphic designer but missed the wood, so I started as an apprentice in furniture carpentry. During my apprenticeship I met Soren; for seven years, we’ve been running Københavns Møbelsnedkeri together.
W H AT I S T H E BEST TH IN G ABO U T W O R K I N G WITH WO O D ? What I love most is that each piece of wood is unique and bears its very own history. Even if two chairs are exactly alike, they can look completely different.
W H AT H AVE Y O U BU ILT TH AT Y O U ’ R E M O ST PRO U D O F?
WH A T IS YOUR P A SS I O N , Y O U R VI S I O N ?
A clothing cabinet in Brazilian rosewood
I try to create things that can be inherited –
for my daughter during my journeyman test.
timeless furniture when it comes to design and craftsmanship. We create high-quality furnish-
W H AT D O Y O U D REAM ABO U T CREATIN G?
ings, while many other furniture companies pro-
I would like to design and decorate a house
duce their furniture abroad to keep prices low.
from scratch, where I get to decide everything from windows to furniture and lighting. We’re
WH A T ’S YOUR FA V O R I TE M ATE R I AL S
well underway, and we’re now increasingly
I like to work with a combination of wood,
working with major projects such as bathrooms
metal, and leather.
and full kitchens.
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
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D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
WE DON’T HAVE AN OFFICE; WE HAVE A PLAYGROUND Some of our greatest idols are small.
together – something we can learn from.
Kids inspire us and teach us. They’re natural;
We have no problem with being a little
they know no limitations like those that we
childish. We look forward to each new day with
adults always face sooner or later. They can
anticipation. That’s why we don’t go to work.
be naive enough to truly believe in fantasies
We go to our playground in which possibilities
and dreams until they finally become reality.
are endless, where inventive richness has no
Children perceive the world with totally
limitations and where we’re free to test crazy
different eyes and with open, inquisitive
ideas. Nothing wrong with that – some ideas
minds. They find new friends everywhere –
are more right than wrong. Occasionally it’s
regardless of whether or not they speak the
like one big day-care center, and we realize
same language. They play and build things
that we’re actually only 6.5 years old.
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
43
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE BRAND Who is the skier, the sushi-eater and who dreams of Galapagos and who listens to Depeche Mode? Here’s a short presentation of people behind the brand. Who we are. We’d like to get to know you, too.
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D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
Ulrik Jörgensen. Finance. Training freak at the gym. Can eat loads of food, but prefers foie gras. Training for the Iron Man!
Mette Elbro. A very nice and happy mother on full-time parent leave at the moment.
Birgitte J. Jensen. Our knitwear pro. Loves knitted stuff. Used to live in New York. Mother of three. Loves Thai food and books. Dreams of Paris.
Morten Christensen. Sales in Denmark. Insanely dedicated to sales – never gives up. Loves lobster, Sugar Puffs, golf, and Nirvana.
Thomas Agerskov. Finance and logistics. Loves Italian food and truffles. Enjoys soccer and dreaming of the Okinawa islands. Lives in his James 1541.
Desirée Therese Schüller, Another super-nice and happy mother on full-time parent leave at the moment.
Christina Espersen. Pattern designer. Former model who used to live in Paris. Loves sushi and riding Icelandic horses.
Anders Lykkegard. Sales in Denmark. Knows how to hit a golfball – hard. Could be better at the other parts of the game. Eats sushi and wears chambray shirts. Travels to NYC.
Tommy Holte, our CEO. Wears Oxford shirts while listening to heavy metal or Cohen. He is a mathematical genious who dreams about Kilimanjaro.
MaiBritt Bak Holder. Sales team manager who enjoys Italian food while she listens to Robbie Williams and dreams of Galapagos Islands.
Erik Lind. Sales in Norway. Thoughtful indigo and U.S. lover. Eats meat and collects vinyl, retro video games, and films. Loves the nerds.
Ulrik Pedersen. Founder and ultra, mega-creative dude. World record holder in take-away food orders.
Heidi Kristensen. Sales coordinatior who loves raw fish, old synthpop and would bring a little black dress on a vacation to the Maldives.
Anders Frost. Our technical nerd. Dreams of skiing on all continents. Jacket maker and footballer who listens to Depeche Mode.
Tomas Myrberg. Sales in Sweden. This man likes raw meat, ice hockey, and heavy metal (his proper appearance doesn’t reveal this).
Victor Lindh, founder and a nerd for quality and details. Loves to compete and is the only Swede at the head office.
Natascha Stockfleth Coester. Takes good care of our customers, listens to Coldplay and dreams about traveling to New Zealand, Australia, and Bali.
Fredrik Berner. Purchasing assistant. Our other technical nerd who loves fabrics and skiing. Eats Italian food. Supports Arsenal.
Kamal Huda. Sales in Sweden. Dedicated man with a passion for traveling. Huge heart. Loves women.
Pär Johansson. Our art director who does all the traveling for our catalogues. Passionate about people, food, and travel.
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
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SOME NUMBERS FROM OUR BRAND
February. That is the date our brand was founded in 2007.
Retailers are our friends and sell our items around Scandinavia and other spots in the world.
Bottles in our limited edition of our “Argentina� fragrance, which we produced.
120 The number of retailers we had our first year in business.
times Victor has been to Tokyo since the start in 2007.
Hours of sleep is all that Ulrik got during his first four-day production trip to Turkey.
Catalogues made so far. Including two Christmas catalogues.
Number of chinos strung together and hanging from the ceiling in a 22-meter-high sculpture made for the NK department store in Stockholm in 2009.
millimeters is the diameter of the top donut button in a pair of James.
Number of chinos sold one season by one shop. Retro in Bergen is the record holder! Congratulations!
Laps around the moon. Thats the stretch our frineds at Oddbirds drove one of their shopdecoration tours a few years ago.
Is the approximate turnover our first year in business.
Was the street number on our first office at Vimmelskaftet in Copenhagen.
Is the amount of boxes we packed our first orders in, which we had to carry down the stairs one by one, since the elevator broke down.
Is the number of rivets put into a pair of James. Photo of the Eiffel tower out of 5000 photos taken during our 14 July photo shoot for the Paris catalogue in 2009.
We only make 5000 copies of our catalogue each year. Not more. Not less.
The approximate number of pairs of Simon we’ve sold since the start 2007. mojitos was what we drank on our first sales conference in LeLe in Copenhagen.
Days were spent on a company trip to a ski resort a few years ago.
Persons in the gang that drank 57 mojitos the night of our first sales conference.
Hours is the amount of time Morten Christensen spent in the slopes during the trip.
SIX DENIM DETAILS What transforms a pair of jeans into a great
Fit and feeling. Character and comfort.
pair of jeans? For many that’s a very personal
A sense that they have that little extra
issue. You need to live with the jeans – be-
something. With these things going for you,
cause you don’t know from the start that just
chances are that you and this particular pair
that pair will be your favorite.
of jeans will become life-long friends. We put
In other words, you put part of your life into
a lot of effort into the details. To give our
jeans. And that’s what makes them personal,
jeans the right features and functions.
what makes them your favorite. At the start
The right sensations. To make them personal
of your relationship, some things might affect
from day one. Here are some denim collection
you in certain ways: Fabric quality and texture.
details that we like to boast about.
“I wish I could invent something like blue jeans. Something to be remembered for.” Andy Warhol
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D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
1 2 3 4 5 6
OUR LEATHER PATCH. It might seem like a small detail, but for us it’s very vital – our name and logo embossed into a sturdy piece of leather. With the same shape as our chinos but bigger. Our signature sits above the jeans’ back pockets to illustrate that we’re proud of them – like parents are proud of their kids. DONUTS. They’re so-so, but we love donut buttons. These originals were used long ago – in the early days of denim. We like to dig around in old archives, so when we found this little rascal, we knew we struck gold, uh ... brass. TINY DETAILS make big differences. We assume you concur. Our jeans’ copper rivets proudly bear our name. Mr. Strauss applied the rivets concept in the second half of the 18th century. We believe you know his first name ... ZIPPER OR BUTTON FLY? We like both. Of course the button fly is the original; the zipper is more convenient. Mr. Whitcomb L. Judson, a mechanical engineer from Chicago, invented the zipper in the late 18th century. Lots of stuff happened then! THE FIT. The look you get when wearing a pair of NN•07 jeans. How they fit your butt, hold your legs – and the way they drape on your hips and rest on your shoes. It’s crucial that they’re comfortable and attractive. And we know why: you’ll probably meet your future partner in a pair of our jeans. So it’s important that you look and feel good. Do you agree? THE SELVEDGE. When we started to make jeans, we only used selvedge. Now we have a greater variety of denim fabrics, but we still love the original denim. It’s woven in Japan at old mills that originated in the U.S. The real deal. Old-school. More expensive, harder to do. And we adore the red edge down the selvedge.
D E A D LY D E D I C AT E D
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ORIGINAL
o·rig·i·nal [əˈrijənl/]
noun / plural noun: originals 1. something serving as a model or basis for imitations or copies: “The portrait may be a copy of the original”. 2. an eccentric or unusual person. “He was one of the true originals”. SYNONYMS: eccentric, free spirit, individual, individualist, maverick, informal character, nonconformist, oddball “he really is an original”.
TOMORROW
to·mor·row
[tuh-mawr-oh]
noun 1. the day following today: Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny. 2. a future period or time: the stars of tomorrow. adverb 3. on the morrow; on the day following today: Come tomorrow at this same time. 4. at some future time: We shall rest easy tomorrow if we work for peace today.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW Originals never die
The white shirt
Our logo
Marco
No black is the new black
Stories to tell
The importance of materials
Collaborations
Simon
The crystal ball
Samuel
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ORIGINALS NEVER DIE Many people dream of creating a new brand. Building up their vision and translating it into clothes or other products. Many succeed. Many more do not. We believe that we fall into the first category.
OUR V IS ION
in exchange for clarity and mutual respect.
Six years ago when we started, our vision was
We believe the best, longest relationships
to do something that others didn’t do. Like
are based on this – as well as loyalty and
excluding black garments from our product line.
involvement with suppliers, colleagues,
We decided early on to be true to our feel-
business partners, and customers.
ings and our own ideals in everything we do – yesterday, today, and tomorrow. If everybody
W E AR E S URVIVO RS
else goes left, we go right. A statement we
No, we’re not cockroaches. But we have enough
tattooed on our consciousness.
survival instinct to cope with most things. When the economy rages, we stand firm. Because
L ONG E V IT Y – L ON G-TE R M AP P R O AC H
we live up to our expectations. And yours.
We reference the same motto when creating our
We hold our course no matter which direction
collections, making our store materials, and
the fashion winds blow, and our direction is
designing our catalogues. They are still done
made clear in our dedicated efforts to create
in the same format as the very first. In ex-
original quality garments.
actly the same numbers. And with exactly the same team we started with. Just like Simon
That means we intend to be there,
and Samuel – our big sellers. They’re still
in the future, for many years to come.
with us. Because we believe in continuity. Daring to take a stand and daring to opt out
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ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
W E AR E THE O RIGIN ALS O F TO MO RRO W.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
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ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
OUR LOGO OUR BRAND We’ve written about it before. Inspired by Japan, handpainted and the same for 6 years. The importance of daring to choose, daring to stand firm, and not being swayed by the trend winds that sometimes sweep over us. This also applies to our brand, our logo.
OUR V IS ION, IN B R IEF
times when we wished we had a more reserved,
We had a clear vision of our brand when we
straight logo with fewer colors. There have
started. Patrik, who designed our logo,
been moments when we tampered with the rules
summarized our feelings with four characters
and made small adjustments that must be made
and a red dot; the look and feel of hand-
to the logo to keep up with the times.
crafted clothing, inspiration from Japan, and a unique approach to things.
B AC K TO O UR RO O TS
Hand-painted with distinct brushstrokes and
But the whole time we strove backward. Toward
text with a dark blue hue. A contrasting red
our roots. Being true to our first vision for
dot that is a distinctive symbol of Japan and
the brand. Our vision hasn’t changed. As long
below that, an explanation: No Nationality.
as we can stand for who we are, so will our logo. Whether it is embossed in leather, printed
T IM E FL IE S
on fabric, or embroidered on a shirt.
A lot has happened in our company during
We are proud of our logo, which means we are
the first six years. There have been many
proud of our brand and believe in what we do.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
55
NO BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK Daring to forge your own trail. Selecting paths that very few have taken. That’s when you discover and experience new things and places. Things no one else has seen or done; places no one else has visited. A small part of the philosophy we apply as we work.
NO B L A CK CL OT H E S
and anyway, the world is full of others who
Daring to say no is about taking a stand.
make black garments.
Having the courage to choose. When we started, everyone and their brother made minimalist and
N AVY I S O U R CO LO R
black garments.
We love blue. All shades of it. We love navy
We decided from the start: we wouldn’t be doing
most of all. We will never tire of it, and it
the black, impersonal, and bland. If everyone
will always be right. So much more full of
else goes right, we go left.
life and somewhat of a challenge to work with. Navy is not a single color. It is hundreds of
There’s never been a black garment in our
shades, temperatures, and emotions.
collections. Stupid? Stubborn? Strange? Not to us. We know exactly what we like,
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ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
SO WE’RE NOT SORRY ABOUT BEING BLUE.
MATERIALS ARE IMPORTANT TO US ORIGINALS: a word that’s a part of our brand platform. That makes it very easy for us when it comes to selecting materials. A cheap copy doesn’t stand a chance against an original.
Several of our fabric mills have been around
Using a single, weft thread that spans the
since the 1800s, which suggests that they
entire width. Most of the time, it has typical
deliver high-quality products and take a long-
red and white edging that does not fray - one
term approach when it comes to their opera-
of the reasons for using selvedge denim.
tions. And most important: their products are timeless and will remain so in the future.
Throughout the years, we’ve been working with classic British tailoring companies such as
One of our suppliers is pretty picky about
British Millerain (waxed fabrics) and Harris
who they work with. We really had to prove that
Tweed. Companies with a long heritage and
we were serious enough to cooperate with Cone
a quality approach that has made them world
Denim Mills in Greensboro, North Carolina.
leaders in their sectors.
This company doesn’t sell its premium White Oak Selvedge denim to anyone. We like this serious
When we need a really unique cotton fabric,
approach. And we like the fact that we’re among
we contact Albiate, an Italian company that’s
the few who received a stamp of approval.
been in business since 1830. Every time we use Albiate products, its expertise is undeniable,
We use Japanese Selvedge denim that’s woven on old-style shuttle looms.
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ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
and our shirts look and feel outstanding.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
59
SIMON THE FIRST ORIGINAL Six, maybe seven-hundred thousand pairs of our Simon chinos. That’s a lot of chinos. And that’s somewhat the number of Simon chinos that we sold from the start in 2007. We admit that it makesus proud parents of our first born.
Simon is the Greek form of the Hebrew name
jeans – in fit and quality. A weight and tex-
Schimeon or Shimon and is usually translated
ture to the fabric that makes them better and
as “response to prayer.” It has roots in the
better looking every time they’re washed. A fit
Greek word simos: “the strongest”.
and a silhouette that makes everyone feel comfortable and cultured in chinos. We think that
NO CH INOS WE L IKED
we succeeded because Simon is still with us.
We say “yes, that’s correct. Simon is strong
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and he’s the answer to many people’s prayers.”
Simon will probably go down in history as
There were chinos on the market before us of
our first success. One proof of that is that
course, they’ve been around for decades and
many have tried to copy him, but no one has
are classic, historic garments. But we didn’t
succeeded. He is the original. We know that.
like any of them.
You know that.
CH INOS WIT H A DE N I M F E E L
Today Simon comes in 16 different sizes and 14
We wanted our Simons to feel like a pair of
different colors. Just choose your favorite.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
61
SAMUEL – HANGING AROUND SINCE 2007 Fourteen seasons: that’s how many Samuel has survived. Like a proud old scarred veteran, he still stands straight and tall and bears his buttons with pride. He is one of the very first products we made. But he still feels young and vital.
A S UR V IV OR
contrasting striped band that makes you feel
Some products become real long runners.
he’s a little special. Or is it the breast
The difference may indeed be in the small
pocket that sits somewhat askew that slightly
details, and sometimes the shirt just isn’t
stimulates the senses? Banded collars weren’t
as perfect as we want it to be when it comes
that common when we launched Samuel, and we
to details, fabric, or cut. We’re the first to
worked extra hard to get the stitching just
admit that all our garments aren’t big hits.
right for a more masculine look.
It would be strange if they were. But Samuel
Maybe it’s the post on the placket, finished
is a survivor. And one of our favorites.
with a button we flipped over. Or it could be the overall look combined with really
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S M A L L DE T A IL S , B IG D I F F E R E N C E S
comfortable fabric, a perfect fit, and stylish
We’ve looked Samuel over, and maybe it’s that
colors that’ll keep Samuel hanging around for
little curve of the cuff, some of them have a
a long time to come.
THE CLASSIC WHITE SHIRT Some garments are immortal. The white t-shirt. Jeans. The shirt will never disappear. We love shirts – not least, the classic white, which is an essential piece that lifts any man who wears one to well-dressed heights.
The white shirt was one of the components
As recently as 1871, the first button-down
of humanity’s very first basic wardrobe.
shirt appeared in public – “the new-age
Since ancient times, white shirts covered
garment” for which a patent was applied.
nearly everyone: laborers, generals, royalty – as underwear. That is, of course, until
Since then we’ve introduced all variations
Charlemagne (King Charles the Great, 742-800)
of the shirts: with and without collars
came up with a better idea. It all started the
and ruffles, fitted, baggy, long, and short.
day he met some people dressed only in white shirts and linen pants. And with that idea,
The white shirt is available in all styles for
shirts become everyday garments and the
all occasions. We offer a new shirt collection
word trendsetter became an everyday word
in the finest 2-ply cotton – a tad dressier.
(or at least, the meaning of the word).
Still with details like the collars and high quality buttons, which signal that you’re wearing an original NN•07 shirt.
It didn’t take long before men and women were flaunting their white shirts for all to see on city streets – something that was
Besides the shirt, a man needs a few other
previously taboo. Back then, Charlemagne and
items in his basic wardrobe. Below, you’ll
his fashion-conscious supporters drew the
see some of the key items that you definitely
shirts over their heads (pullovers).
should make sure you have in your wardrobe.
AN D O TH E R K E Y I TE M S I N A M AN ’ S CLO SET
64
CHINOS
JEAN SHIRT
RAW SELVEDGE JEANS
WHITE T-SHIRT
CLUB BLAZER
LIGHT BLUE SHIRT
BERMUDAS
DUFFEL
V-NECK LAMBS WOOL SWEATER
DOWN JACKET
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
65
HELLO, I’M MARCO, YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND CH INO DE V E L OP M E N TS
lighter fabric with one big feature: STRETCH
Progress means simplifying. Not complicating.
(280 grams, made from 99% cotton and 1% Lycra)
That’s the strategy
for comfort. Marco is washed down to become
which has guided us for
years. With such great success when creating
super soft. The slightly higher waistband has
Simon, it’s not easy to develop from there.
metal buttons and below the band, you’ll find
But we’ve done our best. And now we’re sure
a zipper fly rather than the button fly that
we’ve arrived. Meet our new friend.
Simon has. Overall, Mr. Marco is a more “dressed” chino that gives an elegant impression.
L IG H T S T R E T CH FA B R I C
66
Marco is a new chino. A more slim, rather
We created him in seven (what else?) very nice
sophisticated friend of Simon. He showed up
colors, so for sure, you’ll find your favorite
at our office with a slimmer fit and a well-
among chalk – khaki – cognac – army – navy –
dressed kind of attitude. He’s made from
washed red – dark grey.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
Samuel 2008
Cable knit 2008
Ringo 2009
Aki 2010
Angus 2010
James 2012
James 2013 Nocciola 2013
Jarl 2010
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ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
AFTER A WHILE THE CLOTHES HAVE THEIR OWN STORIES TO TELL Great clothes have a story to tell. Just because they’ve been around - a part of your life. Every fade in color, every wear mark, stain, or ripple in the fabric tells you something. Memories, happy moments, bad luck accidents that become stories to tell. Here are some of the old garments we found in different closets around our countries.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
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ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
ORIGINAL COLLABORATIONS We’ve always taken our own path. But sometimes other paths crossed it. The like-minded. The same mettle but perhaps not always the most obvious. We like the expression “great minds think alike”.
CONV E R S E
watch movements. We made a limited edition
When Converse asked us if we wanted to do some
with only seven watches made – with special
shoes based on our way of looking at life,
leather and our own red dot on the dial.
we didn’t have to think about it very long. We got to sink our teeth into the Jack Purcell,
S M E L L S L I KE N N •07
a classic shoe that came out in the 1940s bearing
Fragrances are serious stuff, so we turned to
the name of John Edward “Jack” Purcell.
the best when we created our own. A perfume
A legendary badminton player from the mid-1900s.
rooted in Grasse, Provence. Where else? We commissioned a small woodworking shop to make
DE DICA T E D P A R T NER S H I P S
200 corks in teak. They polished, oiled, and
That was the first of many partnerships.
milled with absolute precision. Delivered in
All have since been undertaken with the same
handmade cardboard boxes with copper plates.
dedication and devotion to doing our own thing.
Sold in carefully selected boutiques.
Being true to ourselves even when doing something together with others.
A W O O D Y C HRISTMAS GIFT We wanted to make a very special Christmas
J UG G L ING B A L L S
gift. Our friends at The Københavns Møbel-
The idea for doing a limited edition of jug-
snedkeri custom built a cupboard for liqour
gling balls was born when we met Remi, a street
and smokes in four different types of wood
artist from Paris and our first street model.
and with loads of gadgets such as a built-in
We produced our own balls, burned our logo
humidor and automatically moving drawers.
into the leather, and packaged them in handmade boxes with hand-stamped, numbered copper
C U S TO M I Z E D SH O P PRO PS
plates. They were made in a small limited
Our friends at Oddbirds decorate our stores
edition that was sold by NK and was included
with custom-made props. For our New York
in its ”Carefully Selected” edition for 2009.
restaurant theme, they had beautiful cushions, napkins, and placemats custom made from our
T IM E WIT H S T YL E
fabrics. They even commissioned a small number
We work with watchmaker Sjöö Sandström – an
of specially designed aprons that were proudly
operation that makes some of Sweden’s finest
worn by selected chefs.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
71
THE FUTURE IS NOT VERY FAR AWAY No one knows what the future will bring. And we think that is good. But sometimes we like to look into our crystal ball just to try to guess what’s in the future. And maybe try to see if we can make a change in any way.
As of this writing, we’ve just started a
and professionals. To constantly develop
new year. As always, we have expectations
is important to us. We should. We can.
and big plans for the next 12 months, while closing the books on the past year.
C R O S S I N G MAN Y BO RD ERS
What will the new one hold?
In a world that’s increasingly polarized with varying camps of people, oppression, prejudice,
T H E FIR S T S IX YE A R S
and injustice, it’s easy to lose hope.
If you read this far, then you’ve shared our
We know that we’re just a clothing brand and
journey. The first six years. Next time, we’ll
that offering a pair of chinos to the world
be seven. It’s a number that means a lot to
doesn’t change things. But perhaps the wearers
us: seven deadly sins, week days, wonders of
of those chinos will do it. We hope that through
the world, and rainbow colors. A magic number.
our travels, we can create many encounters, increase understanding, and demonstrate
UNCE R T A INT Y IS NI C E
differences and similarities among humans.
We can only speculate about what’s next.
If we can change our world a little doing
We’ll pay attention to our own seventh birth-
things our way, then we’ll gladly do it.
day; we know that much. We’ll continue our journey forward, discover new places, and meet
TH E G O AL S ? TRAVEL, FU LFILLMEN T
new people. There’s something lovely about
As we dive into new projects, we’re deter-
uncertainty. Adapting to life events, and not
mined to have fun. To feel the joy and desire
planning everything in painstaking detail.
on the run-up to creation. The day we wake up
Wonders along the way often embellish life and
without the urge is the day we’ll have to find
ensure that we encounter new things.
a different route and do something else. But we’re still childishly fond of what we
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B E COM E B E T T E R A T W H AT W E D O
do and know that it’s a privilege to work
We know some things. We want to be better at
with what we love. To take a new step in our
what we do – and not necessarily just increasing
journey – every day. We’d love to have you
sales and expanding product lines.
follow along, and we hope we never arrive.
It’s even more important to grow as persons
For the journey is our goal.
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
ORIGINALS OF TOMORROW
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AND THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
info@nn07.com +45 33 37 68 00 www.nn07.com