Beautiful denim from ANCELLM. | ANCELLM

 

The first shipment of ANCELLM 2022 AW arrived as scheduled.

It is currently July. It is midsummer.

Of course, I haven't really felt the change from autumn to winter yet.

But don't worry. The first item on our shelves is a masterpiece that is synonymous with ANCELLM.

" 5P SELVEDGE DENIM PANTS USED "

I'm sure there are many people who have been waiting impatiently for this. I have been waiting impatiently for this.

By the way, this article is "Chapter 2".

This article focuses on 5P SELVEDGE DENIM PANTS USED.

This article alone can stand on its own, but if you want to know more about ANCELLM, I recommend you start by reading the first chapter, which was released last night. It's quite long, though.

Chapter 1: Notes: "Anselm the Brand and Me"

These denim pants from the first collection of SS2021 are sure to sell out.

When COELACANTH opened its brick-and-mortar store in November last year, even though the store was barely known by anyone, with only about 300 followers on Instagram, it sold out immediately after it was posted online. (Incidentally, this is how I got to know Watanabe-san from çanoma.)

Both the 21AW and 22SS items were apparently sold out at all stores that stocked them, and we received numerous inquiries even after they were sold out.

I haven't been able to buy it for a long time either. I've always wanted it. I've always given up.

I'll say it in advance: I'm going to buy it this season. I can't take it anymore. I can't stand it.

The excitement of finally getting the clothes you've wanted and finally being able to wear them.

My excitement has not yet died down, so I decided to go ahead and write an article about it with the same enthusiasm.

ANCELLM designer Yamachika doesn't give much explanation of his items even at exhibitions.

Even at the AW22 exhibition, there was no sales pitch based on an explanation, I just tried them on lightly, and then we spent the rest of the time on the roof smoking and chatting about trivial things. (It may be my fault for not listening though...)

In fact, not much is said about ANCELLM on its official website.

What I heard afterwards was that they wanted people to see, touch, wear and feel the products, rather than just talk about them. I think. I was at a drinking party so I don't remember it well.

But, I see, that's true. I feel like a brand that shows off all that effort and shows off how amazing it is and how great it is isn't cool.

Well, it's unusual for Yamachika to tell me a lot about this denim, so I'll write about it with the feeling that I'm speaking on his behalf, or maybe writing on his behalf.

I want all of you, the precious few who are reading this blog, to know this.

Let's start with the dough.

ANCELLM makes full use of its production background in Okayama, the global denim mecca.

This denim is woven on an old-fashioned shuttle loom in order to create the selvedge.

Shuttle looms weave slowly and carefully at a slow speed, which makes production inefficient. In addition, the use of the fabric is limited by the presence of selvedge.

The reason they use old, outdated machines, which cannot even be called modern, is because of the texture of the fabric.

By weaving the fabric slowly over time, a rough, uneven surface is created, revealing shadows.

The fine shadows create a deep expression and result in beautiful fading over time.

And the used finish will catch your eye at first glance.

The most common way to fade denim is to either bleach it to remove the color or sandblast it away in one go.

After the color is removed, the denim is soaked in a dye bath to even out the color. This is the production process for most of the distressed denim on the market today.

In the case of ANCELLM, the fading process involves a craftsman hand-rubbing each piece, one by one, to remove the color.

In the coloring process, spray each area one by one, varying the concentration of paint for each area to achieve a balance.

Needless to say, even stains and damage are processed by hand, and this full-hand processing creates color spots that look like gradations, further enriching the depth of the expression.

By spending a lot of time discussing with craftsmen, perfecting the design, calculating the balance, and conducting numerous tests and prototypes, we are able to create a unique ANCELLM look.

When I first heard this story, I was very surprised and, to be honest, a little put off.

"What? You do all of this by hand?"

Used, distressed, vintage. There are many types of denim pants in the world.

Before I saw ANCELLM, I had the impression that processed denim was "unfashionable," "shiny," or a "vintage imitation."

But ANCELLM wiped that image away in an instant. Or rather, it was something completely different.

The knees are torn and there are small scratches here and there. It has also been stained.

But the overall picture gives a feeling of cleanliness.

A beautiful wide tapered silhouette, a light length, and a pale color with a gradation fade.

It's scraped, stained, and torn, yet beautiful. It's refined.

What I'm trying to say here is not that "effort and value are proportional," or that it's amazing because we've put in so much effort.

After all, the most important thing about clothes is that they look good. Personally, I don't think that value is determined solely by skill or effort.

However, it is only because of this uncompromising craftsmanship that these beautiful denim pants have been made possible.

Without going to all these lengths, these amazing denim pants would never be possible.

And a product that has been put into this much soul inevitably captures people's hearts.

Everyone who has purchased from COELACANTH wears the shoes often and tells us with a smile that they are glad they made the purchase.

I am truly happy.

This is a special denim that feels more like late summer than autumn-winter, and can be enjoyed all year round and for many years to come.

It's a fantastic item even without knowing the background, but I hope this article will touch a deeper chord with you.

Just like last night, this ended up being as long as ever.

This article took me about five hours. If you add in the first chapter from last night, it's easily over ten hours. It was enough effort to have to work overtime until the last train every day.

I wonder if my efforts were proportional to their value. If it were viewed as a piece of writing, it would probably not be appreciated.

Still, I feel such a strong attachment to ANCELLM that I feel that way, and there is something even more wonderful about it. I know this is a poor piece of writing, but I would be grateful if I could convey my passion.

We hope you will experience the greatness of this denim in store or online.

Thank you for reading this far.