avant magazine | an anthology of american workwear - part 2

this fourth issue is once again dedicated to american workwear and is a sequel of the first issue, which was published in february 2019.

in it, we tell the story of chinese immigrants during the gold rush, the discovery of rare levi’s pants from 1880 in a california mine, and of these details which collectors love, like vents holes on work shirts, or the famous “chinstrap.”

levi strauss & co.’s former historian, lynn downey, also looks back on her journey, while taiwanese vintage aficionados explain to us why vintage is rising in taiwan.

we also converse with akira tsuchida, owner of japanese store mushroom vintage, and michael harris, the author of jeans of the old west.

each story lets us dive into the history of the united states and offers a modern perspective on the way these clothes have influenced the course of history and continue to interact with our society today.

stories & tales

• chinese immigration during the gold rush : here’s a focus on a part of american history which isn’t put forward enough.
• the first stronghold of workwear in los angeles : its iconic logo, its unforgettable mascot, and a name that rocks: stronghold is one of the most prized american workwear brands among collectors.
• underhill, the pride of colorado : the founding father of the denver based underhill brand, townsend j. underhill, enjoyed sudden, fleeting success. let’s look back on a slice of local history.
• the true story of the new nevada jeans : investigating the great history of the new nevada jeans, from their discovery in a mine to their arrival in the levi’s archives in san francisco.
• in taiwan, vintage is rising : the taiwanese new generation wants to prove that in terms of vintage, it can do as well as its japanese neighbors

interviews

• larry mckaughan and rin tanaka : these two legends of vintage clothing tell us how their books, king of vintage, have become cult.
• lynn downey : she was the archivist and historian of levi strauss & co. for 25 years. of course, she now has many stories to tell.
• akira tsuchida (mushroom vintage) : he sells the most beautiful and premium items. items that buyers from the whole world look at with envy.
• michael harris : jeans of the old west: a history is the most geeky and well-documented book about 1850s-1900s denim. michael harris is the author.

art & illustrations

• three horse power : unique cover painting by greg newbold made exclusively for avant magazine.
• real photo “past-card” : ten rppc from the archives of the late mike hersh and from the private collection of eric maggiori.
• private collection : rare pieces of american workwear from the collections of eric maggiori, alberto ulmi and wouter munnichs.

and more…

what is the ‘chinstrap?”- the history of vents holes on work shirts - preface by nigel cabourn.”

“we converse with tom gruat, the king of french workwear, but also with denis bruna, curator in chief of the musée des arts décoratifs in paris, and frederic marc marion, vintage dealer and collector of french workwear. we also talk with six experts of french workwear in japan, so they can explain to us how it’s booming right now in japan.

we visit euro costumes, a costume rental company in pantin, near paris, and we talk to its owner, pascale bourtequoi, who explain how she build a colossal stock of antique clothes.

we also teach you how to recognize buttons on a french hunting jacket, and explain what moleskin really is.

stories & tales

• miners and ‘bleus de travail’ : discover the great history of miners from the north of france and their outfit of choice.
• the firefighter’s ball : 19th century indigo linen firefighter jackets attract french workwear lovers from all around.
• le mont saint-michel, breton history : read the story of this legendary brand, who has dressed breton peasants for decades (and it's not done yet!)
• japan under the « french » spell : in japan, french workwear has experienced a real boom in the past years. six store owners tell us about this societal phenomenon.
• visiting euro-costumes : walk down the aisles of the largest costume rental company in france.

interviews

• tom gruat : when it comes to french workwear, he is the leading reference. his interview is a must-read.
• douglas gunn : founders of the vintage showroom, douglas gunn and roy luckett have published two books in which they highlight french workwear pieces.
• denis bruna : chief curator at the musée des arts décoratifs in paris, he has studied the evolution of working class clothing dating back to the middle ages.
• frédéric marc marion : founder of the bazar des poilus, he goes back in time to retrace his career.

art & illustrations

• la moisson : unique cover painting by geg newbokld made exclusively for avant magazine.
• douce france : a series of french antique pictures from the archives of tom gruat, romainville’s town hall, and the museum of bretagne.
• private collection : rare french pieces from the personal collection of tom gruat.

and more…

• moleskin jacket - animal buttons on french hunting jackets - what is indigo linen - la france travail, an beautiful collection of old books…