CNY SALE

Of the many different traditions of Chinese New Year, our favourite is definitely making special effort to dress up in a new set of clothes. This also means that it's the perfect time to fully welcome the New Year with a brand new style. So chuck those over-worn Oxfords and trade up your old wardrobe for something K.I.N. has to offer, especially with our awesome CNY sale commencing today (Fri, Jan 21)!

Moscot Titanium frames at KIN

Those who are fans of Moscot Original frames can celebrate as we add three new styles to our existing collection. The Miltzen-T, Nebb-T, and Lemtosh-T.


These frames are basically a modern spin-off from Moscot's famous and favourite frames. They are made from nickel-free hi-tech titanium which makes each pair significantly lighter and thinner. Sleek, durable and most importantly stylish, the frames are priced at SGD559 per piece.

BAG'n'NOUN : available at KIN

BAG'n'NOUN bags, made from an unprecedented combination of materials, are perfect any destination or activity. Originally from Osaka Japan, the label is well-known for their simple, well-crafted, and streamlined designs.





The bags are made from extremely durable Cordura nylon and canvas material, which has an excellent tear strength and boasts water-resistant characteristics. Come on down to K.I.N. to check out the variety of Bag'n'Noun haversacks, totes and slings.

New shoes: PF Flyers

PF Flyers are the new shoes we've brought in for all you sneaker junkies. The line of casual footwear is a splinter line manufactured by sportswear giant, New Balance. Each pair of PF Flyers is carefully crafted with a special insole technology that sets a new standard to sneaker comfort.




We currently have two unique styles in a variety of colours. Read more on how the Posture Foundation insole technology works here .

Jakarta R&D - Day 1 in-depth and sifr 2011 : holistic design 0.2

These trips aren't fun. I'm usually loaded with things to do that were discussed in previous meetings with the guys in Singapore.

For this trip, lots to do such as;

1) Post-CNY (Chinese New Year) Product edits/changes/confirmations that were previously commented on

2) Dyeing exploration (process of seeing what type of dyeing they are able to do)

3) Distress exploration (process of going to distressing company and seeing what they are able to do)

4) Exploring visual cues/visual signifiers (this is tough because it's got to resonate the brand's ID as well as be aesthetically viable. (to my team and the rest; read on to see whether I was successful in trying the visual signifier for the new product)

5) Sifr Essentials production plan for March Delivery. (This will include long sleeve versions of your favorite pocket crews and v-neck tees)
6) We've also ordered a tonne of trims that we're trying to implement in the next batch of production.

Diving straight in, today started out with POST-CNY Product edits. No time was wasted at all. My team in Singapore should be happy to hear this!

Just FYI, it's always necessary to have a reliable fit model that you fit your sample garments on. In our case, we have one of our MVP's who don't seem to gain or lose any weight at all. He's the perfect fit model who frees me of any such obligation. What you see below is actually a garment that we're working on for the Post-CNY (Chinese New Year) program. This was fitted on our MVP in our studio. It was then photographed, commented on including changes and improvements, etc.

In our case, I bring the edits and comments to the patternmaker and merchandiser and they subsequently make all the changes to the garments. The issue we're having now is trying to get them to make sure they meet our deadlines for the next batch of goods.

I didn't have time that day to focus on distress and dyeing. That is done out of our industrial complex. I did however, have time to focus on something the guys told me to explore;

-----Visual Cues-----
\\\\\Visual Cues/////
___Visual Cues___

Remember that a visual cue is quite important in every garment/product/etc. We use the Fred Perry example a lot at the office but the embroidery on the chest is quite important in that even if you're not physically interacting with the person across from you, you're most likely indirectly interacting. That embroidery says a lot about you, what you stand for, etc. With that said, we're working on a signifier for both essentials and our main line that will speak to your neighbor in a subtle yet meaningful fashion. Next time you see someone with one of our garments from the new batch, you'll probably be able to identify what team he plays for.

We have in our factory a lot of beautiful gross grain to work with. Before leaving to Jakarta, we had come up with a few techniques we could employ to create a visual cue that is subtle, not over bearing and not overly thought-out. It had to also make technical sense.


One of the more interesting ideas was to create a braid out of 3 strips of gross grain and then somehow attach it to the matching colored garment to ensure it's subtlety.



What you're seeing above is the gross grain strip being slotted through a folder. A folder is a metal piece that folds the piece of fabric into the required. This is usually used to create strips of fabric or for binding a seam, etc or even for clean-finishing a garment.


As soon as the folder's done with one long strip, it's then cut into 3 strips and braided. After braiding comes attaching.



Next time you see someone wear a braid on their right side seam, could be a sifr product. The only problem with this was that the gross grain was already quite thick and 3 strips folded 3 times made for a pretty sturdy braid. This was unfortunately a no go but who knows (sorry guys at the office, you can discuss alternative options after your meeting tomorrow), maybe next time if someone hasn't already read here and decided to use it. We'll just have to opt for thinner string.

Best,

- ssm

sifr 2011 : holistic design 0.1

We are going to be releasing a set of unedited anecdotal videos from our production trips in Jakarta, sourcing trips in Japan, to our day to day operations in Singapore. In this series of posts & videos we will be touching on everything from production based techniques to things we learn about in our visual merchandising that we've picked up over the last two years and employing in our brand today. Hope you enjoy the footage!

In this video Suraj is touching briefly on "stitches per inch" something that is integral in constructing any garment. SPI has a direct impact on the strength of the seam, the appearance of garment, and can affect the elasticity on certain fabrics and seam puckering. Seam strength depends on several factors: fabric weight & type, stitch & seam construction, stitches per inch, the type of thread and its size, and balancing the tension between stitches. SPI differs from garment to garment, fabric, weight and so on.

Consistency is also mentioned in the video something that resides in our design process but is visually distinct once the garment comes into reality.

Jakarta R&D

Above are some photos from the last trip. I'll try to be more up to date in the future.

Back again in Indonesia for more sifr related R&D.

Now that we're up at CK Tangs level 3, it's been a real game-changer. Distribution to a boutique and to a department store are two different playing fields.

With great exposure comes greater scrutiny. Therefore, we're required to make sure that the floor is constantly filled with good product.

With that said, we're back in Indonesia doing more R&D as well as making sure the upcoming merchandise is sailing through the production process smoothly.

I'm at the factory and will be here till next Thursday so feel free to let us know what you want us to feature in the comments section.

- ssm

K.I.N. makr pre-order

hello,

we are doing a pre order for makr carry goods that will go on from today till next week thursday. goods will be delivered into singapore mid march.

-please view the pre-order catalog below/
-please read over the terms and conditions of the pre-order/
-once you've decided what you want to order please download the word document below and fill out the order form/
-email it to firdauz [at] knowitnothing [dot] com/

or alternatively...

-you may place a pre-order in person at the store/
-over the phone @ +65 6392 5475/

have a great weekend!

kind regards,
k.i.n.

PRE-ORDER FORM DOWNLOAD

makr january 2011 pre order

a tale we could wag

The newest addition to a tail we could wag belts in store is the Classic - Red, White and Blue design that is, like the rest, brilliantly coloured and made with quality craftsmanship. The leather finish adds a touch of ruggedness and earthiness - pertinent to those who are a fan of the great outdoors.





Available sizes range from waist 30" - 36"