Manabu & Keiko Okada have created a handsome brand with their hand crafted, detail focused, utilitarian bag and accessory line. Aside from being one of our clients they are also dear friends as well as incredibly kind and passionate people. Launched in 2008, Manabu had spent many years prior, working in his father's company making leather goods for the horse racing industry in Japan, before deciding he wanted to develop his own line. Together with his wife Keiko, they now construct each and every component for Southern Field Industries within their tiny workshop adjacent to their house in the hills of the Saitama Prefecture.

Last summer, we were commissioned to create and shoot their Spring & Summer 2013 look book, highlighting some of the new designs, colours and details. All materials– from the rivets to the leather to the waxed canvas is all sourced from within Japan, a standard that Manabu is adament about sustaining. The Tote has evolved subtly to include a small internal button closure while the Rucksack is now available in the same colours of waxed canvas as the Totes and Haversacks. Select shops will be taking stock of their inventory over the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out. We will also have a nice selection available as well.

I was lucky to be able to meet William Kroll about three years ago, around the same time that he successfully launched his first collection of a modest four items at Tender Co., and it's been interesting to watch as his brand develops and evolves. Just last week he launched an updated site for Tender, which takes the visitor on an in-depth journey with hands on images and a wealth of information, all of which is a large part of the brands story and history.

Though the brand is primarily based around his love and appreciation for British Workwear, he also includes a nod to various historical garments of England, especially at the time of the Great British Steam Age. I asked William to share a little bit about his newly updated site, what is important to him and what his day-to-day involves.

"The plan with the web site is to give an idea of all the areas that Tender now covers. The navigation's taken from the train indicators at Earls Court tube station, in London, and over time the grid of images will grow and adapt to show what's going on, but also record how the brand has developed.

Putting together the content for the new site has been really nice- collecting photos which represent the various aspects that now comprise Tender's identity has been a reminder of how the brand's developed over the past 3 years, and also the extent to which the original ideas are still in place. Just as in the first production, Tender's manufacturing process is all carried out in England, and I still personally check and pack every piece myself. The research and design process still centres around historical garments and ideas, but it's developed beyond a focus on workwear into other, more varied, historical avenues. The range has also grown a lot, from a pair of jeans, denim jacket, Tshirt, and belt in the Autumn of 2009, to the wider span of a pretty full clothing and accessories collection with objects made specially for the Trestle Shop. Three years feels like a long time, in some ways, but in others it feels like the brand is just starting to settle in- there are quite a few new things coming up on the horizon for Tender at the moment, and the new site will allow us to show these in the context of what's happened so far."

Four Horsemen Shop here in Victoria has become a West Coast staple, building their shop carefully while championing a great mix of Canadian, local and international brands alike. They have collaborated on a few items in the past with different brands but this overshirt represents their foray into a private label within their shop. Last week Guy Ferguson, shop manager, buyer and a good friend of mine, approached me about this new series which just launched this week. Crafted by a local tailor with over 30 years of experience, this overshirt was conceived with top notch construction and exquisite detailing at the helm of the project. Each and every seam on this overshirt from the cuffs and placket to the yoke and collar, all tells the story of great passion for extraordinary tailoring. They've utilized a beautiful deadstock wool/cashmere blend with a unique and subtle geometric herringbone pattern that is easy to wear from the fall all the way through to the spring. I find myself thinking about this overshirt since spending some quality face time with it last week. It's now available in extremely limited quantities in shop and online. Below, Guy has shared a little bit more about this overshirt with us.

"This whole project came about through our relationship with a local tailor. She has over 30 years experience in her craft and has literally worked all over the world. She produces some of the most meticulous, highest quality garments we have ever handled and has an amazing eye for fabrics so we began a conversation about working together on some pieces for the shop. We started looking at materials and this Italian cashmere blend immediately jumped out at us. Not only does it feel amazing, but it has this intricate striped pattern and happened to come in this perfect black/grey/burgundy colour combination. It's a deadstock fabric, so we bought what we could, but once these are sold it's not like we can just make more. We've always liked overshirts and they are one of the few items that can truly be worn all year round, so we thought it was a good fit for our first product together. The difference between this and our prior collaborative pieces is that we were really able to have complete creative control on every level, rather than working within the confines of a specific product or material. We are extremely pleased with the final product and would happily put this piece up against anything else in the store. It's the start of an exciting project for us and we've already got a few more pieces coming along shortly. The goal is to put out some truly interesting and unique pieces at the absolute highest quality we can afford. We hope you like the results as much as we do."

Details:
• 60% Wool & 40% Cashmere
• Deadstock Geometric Herringbone Pattern
• Lambskin Elbow Patches
• Two Front Diagonal Lower Pockets
• Double Pleated Cuffs
• Made in Victoria BC Canada

Regardless of whether you're just going for a weekend away or a week or two off somewhere nice, a good duffel is a great asset to have, to be able to carry all your gear in. Originally a name given to any large cylindrical (typically cloth) bag closed with a drawstring, the name duffel has more recently been expanded. Now a duffel refers to a large and still cylindrical, heavy cloth bag that can either be zipped or closed with drawstring. The names origin comes from the Belgian town Duffel, where the original duffel cloth was created for repairing ship's sails. Scraps of said fabric were utilized by the sailors to put together sturdy, waterproof bags and thus the original duffel bags were born. Evolving from sail cloth in the 17th century to today's sturdy canvas, waxed canvas, leather, blanket lining, nylon and numerous other fabrics, the one thing that the duffel has always kept constant is a firmly planted stake in utility. With so many different options in today's market, we decided to highlight some of our favorites for you, including an all leather offering from J.W. Hulme, a unique take on the classic Filson duffel in collaboration with Sebago, my personal favorite on here, the Tanner Goods Nomad bag and the Swedish Fjallraven waxed canvas option.

Nº2 – Nomad Duffel
 We've seen a lot of growth in the well crafted, leather goods world recently, and one of the brands that has pushed through the masses with flying colors is Portland's Tanner Goods. Interestingly, they've moved away from leather in some of their pieces lately, with their recent line of canvas based bags. One standout in that line is the Nomad Duffle. Designed as a versatile carryall that will look as in-place outdoors or in the back of your jeep as it will sitting next to you in the first class lounge in the airport, the Nomad is built from a waxed 18oz twill canvas, wool, felt and Horween Chromexcel leather and secrued with solid brass rivets, studs and buckles. If you're in the market for a rugged yet handsome bag, this offering from Tanner Goods is certainly worth a look.
Details:
• Made in Portland Oregon
• Dimensions: 22" x 9.5" x 10.5"
• Exterior Zippered Pocket
• Inside Felt Lined Open Pockets
• Inside Leather Lined Open Pockets
• Waxed 18 oz. Filter Twill Canvas
• Premium Wool Felt
• Horween Chromexcel Leather
• Solid Brass Rivets, Button Studs & Buckles
• Heavyweight Leather Handles
• Field Tan/Russet

Nº3 – Classic Small Duffel
The further we get into Fall, the more I find myself thinking about quick weekend trips out to a cabin on the sea, on the far west coast of the island, to relax and recharge. For some reason relaxing tends to happen in the cooler months for me more than any other. That's where JW Hulme Hulme Co. comes in. This Classic Small Duffel is one of those investment pieces that will last you decades while becoming even more personalized with every trip or vacation you carry it along for. Another draw to this beautiful duffel is that it's backed by the JW Hulme Co lifetime guarantee, which in a nutshell, means everybody wins.
Details:
• Dimensions: 20"W x 11.5"H x 10"D
• U-Shaped Zippered Main Entry
• Rain/Dust Flap & Three Buckles
• Exterior Zippered End Pocket
• Secret Interior Pocket
• Rolled Leather Handles with Snap Grip
• Riveted Leather Zipper Pulls
• Detachable/Adjustable Leather Shoulder Strap
• Leather Luggage Tag
• Solid Brass Hardware
• Fully Lined in Rip-Stop Nylon
• Optional Personalization with Embossed Monogram
• Made in the USA
• Guaranteed for Life