New Balance, USA

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Images

—01. New Balance factory in Skowhegan, Maine.

Words

Earlier this year we had the opportunity to visit New Balance's Maine factory. Not only did we get to see the process of the trainers being made, but Owen, Ken and myself got to join the STS33 line on the top floor of the Skowhegan factory. We each got the chance to stitch down a couple of uppers and line up a few N's on the 996 model that was in production. The people at New Balance were great, and the 2-day experience turned out to be one of the best trips we've taken. I was really happy with the final article too. These are a few extra shots I took while Ken was photographing the factory.

—New Balance Feature, Inventory Issue 02

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Leather Soul Hawaii Navy Suede Aldens

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Images

—01. Beautiful unlined suede.
—02. Plain toe boots.
—03. Deep navy with hints of grey
—04. On oiled flex sole

Words

By now it's pretty much common knowledge that Alden makes great shoes and the various options for customizing them is virtually endless. If not, one only needs to look at the great make-ups Leather Soul Hawaii continues to produce again and again. Just in time for the end of summer and early autumn, they've produced a great pair of plain toe bluchers with the nice lower profile oiled flex sole and the classic plain toe boot on a plantation sole. While the silhouettes of both pieces of footwear are great in basically anything, the deep navy suede really makes them. A great colour but just neutral enough that you can get away with wearing them with so much more.

&mdashAvailable at Leather Soul Hawaii

Yuketen Fall Delivery

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—01. Peanut suede Angler Mocs.

Words

Yuketen is definitely one of the brands we are most excited to see each season. The brand and people behind it are great, and the products are always exceptional. We just received our first fall delivery which includes the Melton wool backpack, with natural veggie leather straps and accents. It's a serious bag, made by hand and lined with red canvas with multiple compartments. The first shoe to arrive is the Angler Moccasin in peanut suede - a great shoe that's arguably better than the Ranger Moc. We are looking forward to the arrival of a couple more styles in the coming month, including an INVENTORY/Yuketen collaboration.

&mdashInventory Stockroom

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RRL

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—01. Selection of RRL items available at Present.

Words

One of the most mysterious brands, at least in the realm of the Internet, has to be RRL. The brand enforces strict rules against online sales, publishing of images, self promotion and generally all the things that help brands thrive and/or survive today. This means if you don't live in one of the few cities with a RRL shop, the brand hardly exists, and that's a shame because it's great. Sure, it's made mostly in China, but it's made well, with great fabrics which have been processed beautifully. For those of you in London, Present are now stocking a selection of items from RRL.

&mdashAvailable at Present

Nigel Cabourn Everest Parka

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—01. Orange parka.
—02. Waterproof Ventile outer.

Words

One of Nigel Cabourn's most iconic pieces is back this fall. The Everest Parka was originally part of his 2003 Edmund Hillary inspired Ascent collection, and has been one of the more anticipated jackets this season. Like many others, I didn't see the original collection in the flesh so there's a certain mystic to buy into with an item like this. The whole FW10 collection is very strong, but the stand out orange jacket is key to the Cabourn story.

&mdashAvailable at END

In Stock: Beams Plus

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Details

—01. Cotton twill sport coat.
—02. Wool bow ties.
—03. Candy stripe oxford.

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Words

In the last year we've made some great new relationships and one of the companies we're especially excited to be working with is Beams. After visiting company and Beams Plus director Kenny Kusano last fall, we were determined to bring the brand back with us. This fall, we are proud to present an edited selection from Beam Plus in our Vancouver shop and online store. Our buy is quite preppy, offering a classic aesthetic that fits very well with the other brands we carry. Beams Plus shops often feature the likes of Engineered Garments, Nigel Cabourn and Inverallan so unsurprisingly their products sit perfectly in the Stockroom. We're honored to be the first store in North America to offer the collection outside of Japan, and hope you like it as much as we do.

—Inventory Stockroom

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Last Few Months

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—01. Michelle Ford's camera, Monitaly editorial.

Words

Here's another set of images from the last few months. There's some behind the scenes shots from a couple of editorial shoots, some from our trip to Pitti, and some from the various studios, shops and showrooms we've visited. I shot all the photos on my Canon F1; some of them turned out a little nicer than others, but they all have a great feeling about them.

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The Real McCoy's Chino Pants

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—01. Blue Seal chinos.
—02. 45 Civilian chinos.

Words

A lot of people look forward to fall to start breaking in new denim, but the pants I'm most excited to put some wear into is the Blue Seal chino from The Real McCoy's. The cotton twill used is very tough and quite thick. The stitching, button fly and interior details are subtle and considered, and the straight cut combines really well with boots, a military jacket or thick knit. We have two versions available at the moment and both feel like they could stand up to anything come winter.

&mdashAvailable at Inventory Stockroom

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