Releases from Taiga Takahashi T.T & Collaborations with Tricker’s
This week, we have a curated selection of cult collectibles from T.T and a resurgence of Tricker’s collaborations that advance the icons. As the world becomes more synthetic and overproduced, everything seems to be made with less intention for more attention. We and our goods have always been a counterpoint to trends, micro and macro. The divide deepens, and now there is a gulf between what our makers and we do and the momentum of everything else.
There are many ways to communicate our niche: slow fashion, quality, legacy, heritage, handmade, and other terms brands have co-opted that are closer to major-market attributes than to what we provide exclusively. Increasingly, our goods are artisanal compared with the standards in apparel and footwear manufacturing. Our manufacturing brands and material producers are alarmingly small and slow, and they prioritize quality. They use old-world machines and techniques to produce goods that last. While refined over decades and sometimes centuries of knowledge, the end products are traditionally made. By every metric, what our brands make would be twice as expensive and considered ridiculously inefficient by the apparel and footwear industry at every level, from fast fashion to luxury designer houses and everything in between.
By nature, our goods are a luxury. Not defined by marketing but by inputs. Taiga Takahashi and Tricker’s are perfect representations of our principles, from developing specialty denim in Okayama that is as close as possible to 1930s workwear while being enhanced at every stage, to Tricker’s signature brogues, introduced in the 1920s, that remain true to the original style and purpose and are taken to the next level of leather. All these pieces, from style to technique, were inspired by an era of drastic change, when everything had to serve a workwear purpose. A century later, that utilitarian sensibility remains, though it may look quite different in application. If we are still fortunate enough to grasp and preserve it, this luxury is hard-earned and hard-worked.
Taiga Takahashi T.T
As a profound achievement in his life, Taiga Takahashi created one of the most informative vintage archives. This remains the central reference point for any piece produced, aiming to get as close to the original inspiration as possible while refining every aspect, from fabric and fit to design details, construction, and trims. T.T denim is an exquisite example of this, made in Okayama from yarn to garment. Their fabrics are made on antique shuttle looms and are unique in every respect, from the thread architecture to the fiber-spinning formula to the length of the slab.
Their denim uses a ring-dye method so the indigo does not fully penetrate the core fibers, and it features a sepia-grey unbleached weft, meaning the denim fades quickly and in an aesthetically unique way. Their denim is historically relevant, with a drastically improved sensibility. Applied to archival pieces, T.T creates garments so considered that you can easily feel the quality and intent.
Tricker’s x Division Road
Tricker’s was the originator of the country boot, known as England’s outdoor footwear with brogue detailing, ideal for water resistance in marshes and bogs. As the core of their manufacturing remains unchanged in the “new” factory from 1904, a Tricker’s is a piece of footwear history still accessible today. The Stow and Bourton are the most identifiable trademarks of the lineage, and once felt and styled, one can readily appreciate the specialness of this maker. For a one-and-done limited edition, we sourced Tempesti’s famous full vegetable-tanned Elbamatt Liscio recipe to replicate the most iconic Tricker’s brogues using a premier method. This luxurious full-weight leather has a tight, stout, and pliable grain that is hand-finished at Tricker’s with a subtle burnish, revealing a deep, multi-layered patina over years of wear.
While the appearance of a Tricker’s country build is proportionally sound, the internal components and craftsmanship are uncompromisingly workwear. A thick 5mm oak-tanned, constructed leather insole, an equally thick in-house cork compound with a wood shank, and a 5mm leather midsole are all 360-degree Goodyear welted to a full-weight upper and outsole. This means your foot sits atop over an inch of natural material that conforms to your foot over time for a bespoke fit. Precise clicking, punching, stitching, lasting, trimming, sanding, welting, outsole, and finishing produce a dress-level product, yet a Tricker’s is still very much made for a lifetime in the outdoors and for recrafting for a generation. These Tempesti Tricker’s x DR collaborations represent the finest of historically made goods, relevant for today and tomorrow.
