Brand spotlight: Kapital - Topic of the day 12/29/23
Today's spotlight topic is all about the brand Kapital. What do you think of this brand?
59 Replies
Opening this up with a shit across the bowl: the brand is sometimes super fun and sometimes super racist. They cannot stop printing totally problematic shit, ranging from the ever-so-classic appropriated and rose tinted native american imagery to just straight up swastikas, and they know they're being edgy gamers.
The smiley heel socks and elbow sweatshirts are SO fun. Some of the bandanas are SO silly and/or joyous.
Totally agree with this! Kapital makes some of the coolest things I’ve ever seen but also some of the “worst” designs I’ve ever seen. Based on what I’ve seen the good designs heavily overshadow the bad designs.
Japanese brands, Kapital included, have a serious problem appropriating from native American art. Definitely a conversation worth having
Agree with Zach here. Kapital is one of the most toxic love affairs I’ve ever had. On the one hand, I think their reinterpretations of classic americana is super fun. On the other hand, some of the best photography work they’ve done for a campaign was a for a collection that was inspired by Neo-Nazi punks. The appropriation of native art is a whole other can of worms.
That being said, I adore this brand. I think it's solely responsible for hooking me on Fashion™️
Kapital has so many iconic pieces. Century denim, boro jackets and jeans, bandanas (esp the double Fuji one) compressed wool scarves, all their bone stuff, list goes on
I have an ainu spiral fleece from a few years back, and a leopard fleece from a bit after and they’ve both been my favorite thing to grab for some time. I like that you can tell its kapital at a glance for the majority of the things they make, and even then the plain things just look good.
Yeah the fleece jackets are sick too, I'm wearing my damask rn
Im with you, I love my century denim, but romantizing shit like this is not cool https://www.instagram.com/p/CZBE2u8hyeF/?img_index=2
kapitalglobal
"FUKKIN KOUNTRY"
#kountry2016
#kountry
#NYC
#boro
#centurydenim
#反骨
#denim
#lostboys
#kapital
#fukkinkountry
photo by @eric_kvatek
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specifically slide 2
some people have said the quality isn't great but they are miles above anything I've felt at or below the price point. And they look sick as a bonus
YIKES
Don’t forget about the Katsuragi Ring Coat and Kamakura Military Anorak
Sucks because if it weren’t for all the swastikas this campaign and collection would be sick as hell
Like, they could have just been inspired by non-Nazi punks
My take away is that they simply dont care. Its not about supporting or not supporting some movement, they take the position of the luxury expensive brand who just does whatever for fun with no worry about the implications because it dosnt matter to them. Same thing with the "Free Tibet" stuff, and all the Native American appropriation
Everyone is missing the actual deep philosophical references in that season…
Yeah some people infantilize Japanese designers by saying “maybe they just don’t know” but I think it’s like you said that they just don’t care and look at the aesthetic rather than the movement that these people stood for
Another thing I realized is that they appropriate everyone rather than just one culture. Don’t know if that makes things better or worse
Using Nazi symbols was weirdly big in punk music when it was starting in the 70s which may be the angle they were attempting to go with but also Sid Vicious and Siouxsie Sioux looked lame when they did it originally so it’s a wild thing to harken back to
It looked lame back then because from the outset, most punk scenes were predominantly pretty antifascist
I personally think that’s a good mentality, better to just piss people off than try to walk on eggshells from their standpoint
hmmm, or you could just, idk, make cool clothes without blatantly pissing people off. The only eggshells are there of their own design
There’s a big difference between not making blatantly culturally insensitive things and walking on eggshells lmao
That said I would like a pair of century denim
I don't think the people at Kapital stand for any of the things 70s punks did lol
They're just doing it for the same reason they copy native American art, it looks cool
Yeah I’m not saying they do lol there’s a difference in punks being provocative, for better or worse, and a capitalist company just copying it with zero intent
Agree with you there
I was just trying to say they may be referencing those punks who were leftists who did it than actual neo-Nazis
Either way a dumb thing to do
Fair point
Can't believe I forgot the ring coat
Take away my reg role
See also: Makanai Fleece jacket, Rider Fleece jacket, Souvenir Pillow jacket, and Quilted Bivark Dragging Coat
Still not really sure what the best way of buttoning the ring coat is.... I know its supposed to be "whatever" but the material which makes up the hood always bunches up funny
I’m no designer, but I imagine there are tens of thousands of ways to design something without problematic racist undertones or straight up swastikas.
I would love a ring coat but I'm confident I would have no idea what to do with it
I love the patchwork quilted sweatshirt, but don’t own it because price + no idea what sizing to get + don’t need another sweatshirt
Become a Jedi
Ive also got some neat bandanas, but I basically need to make up reasons to ever use them
kapital makes some great stuff. They don't really make much that's "dogshit". They excel to my eye when they go down a path similar to miharayasuhiro -- classic americana dropped into the vat that made the Toxic Avenger and taken out at various times in the mutation.
The most hyped things end up super Canoe Club Coded, which is incredibly boring * (see Fleeces, Century Denim, Trucker Hats, Bone Knits, plain-ass chore coats) *
A lot of the best stuff is reasonably priced. The make of everything except the hats is pretty damn good, don't know where comments about the make sucking is coming from. It's not 45rpm tier, but I'd peg most of what I've had as far more interesting and complex in construction than a competitor like Orslow
Kountry universally rocks. The pillow souvenir jackets rock. The bootcut jeans rock. The feather jacquard fabric is beautiful.
I agree that the brand is really fuckin racist. I give a little pass because Eric Kvatek (seems) to walk a pretty thorough ethical walk from what I've heard from friends in the industry and he's been working with the brand forever. Seems the type that if there was any genuine Hate in the brand that he'd walk away
Yikes
I really like Kapital, definitely one of the brands that got me into capital-F Fashion. The only things I have now are a ring coat and some bandanas, but I really want some of their pants, and the canvas drunk stripe setup from 2019. Oh and smiley boots but good luck with that...
That said Kapital is reaaaaly hit or miss for me. I agree with algoresky that the "mutant americana", where they mostly play with the cut and silouhette is where they shine. I'm less into some of their louder print/patterned stuff, just feels a bit kitchy for my taste.
Some examples of things I like just to illustrate
And some that aren't for me
if someone could grab me these that'd be great
I love the double Fuji bandana, used it as a pocket square recently
The only thing left to say about this brand is the US/foreign mark-up is unreal. You will pay 2x or more the original Japanese price. A local shop left the Japanese price on theirs for example (39380 yen is ~$280). Proxying is almost always the best option for this brand, especially if you are US based.
Any of their hype pieces are also basically impossible to buy used as well, as they are consistently duped. Basically not worth even bothering to look for.
Otherwise its really cool when its not being racist.
I love Kapital greatly as a brand and their creative work around denim, but i find myself less and less enamoured with their recent works.
IMO century denim, boro work and compressed wool are timeless. I’ve yet to pickup a smiley piece (except a short stint with the smiley hiking boots - those rocked), trucker cap or bone print item since getting into them years ago. At one point they felt along the lines of Visvim. Certainly their current direction is unique, but I don’t know if that speaks to what I look for in my clothes.
Also worth mentioning some of the controversies around their workers. IIRC there were some old discussion in styleforum with Bandana Almanac around their treatment of workers which is questionable. Sure it is a one sided account, and I’m glad we got makers like Proletare Art coming out of it, but yeah that bummed me out a bit.
I have a pair of Monkey Ciscos and I really like them, but man Kapital's sizing is really annoying. I bought them size 32 at first because the size chart I consulted said they were TTS. Come to find out other size charts say they go as low as 29.9 waist on a size 32. So I end up returning them and exchanging them (shout out Blue in Green for being really helpful and quick with this) for a size 34, which is closer to a 32 or even a 31.5
I suppose I understand vanity sizing in the OTHER direction. I get why you would want to make people feel like they are wearing smaller clothes. But Kapital's sizing makes no sense to me.
In terms of aesthetics, I think Kapital is a brand that I just have to take on a case by case basis because sometimes they hit home runs and sometimes they strike out. Rarely ever do I see a Kapital piece and not have a strong opinion. Also very valid points raised about Kapital's problematic uses of certain cultures and political movements.
Lots of discussion around how Kapital could do cool shit without the weird provocative shit, and I feel like that's just 45R.
45R feels a little more self-serious than Kapital though
It’s like a more “grownup” vibe
agreed! some of it is still a little 'out there' https://45r.jp/ja/collection/aishokuniniroiro45_2023winter
Also this crazy jacket from 2017 https://www.styleforum.net/threads/45rpm.546545/post-9021317
Styleforum
45rpm
With time I've realized that I have a mostly utilitarian view of craftsmanship, in the sense that I value it mostly for achieving some aesthetic goal (i.e. looking nice). Sometimes though, I do get caught up in the romance of the craft itself, which is why I have a few things with a high degree...
Okay this shit goes hard
Similar vibe to Kapital boro, but less in your face
yeah, some of these are using sakiori weaving instead of sashiko/boro techniques
you've probably seen sakiori rugs before, where people recycle scraps of fabric and weave them together
Yes I have! I have an aunt who’s Japanese and she is very into sakiori rugs
this guy also makes sakiori clothes that i saw at Context Tokyo and they're verrrry cool https://www.instagram.com/tomo_kishida/
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The shirting looks incredible
The texture 😍
Holy moly
Re: sakiori, Kuon Tokyo makes a few items including their sakiori jacket (my profile pic) and used to have sakiori patches in their pants. Recently they seem to have switched though to leather
All that said, sometimes you just want boro or sakiori with a bit of whimsy
I was expecting the wizard robe
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When i read “crazy coat from 2017”
if you showed me that after a few drinks I would probably impulse buy it instantly
I really want a ring coat 😭
no need to rehash what has already been said, but imo once kapital stopped producing print lookbooks (2020), the brand started losing its appeal to me
viewed from a rosier colored lens: i wouldn't be so into clothes if it wasn't for this brand. the pieces i've kept have remained synonymous with my personal style and i still look for their older pieces + kountry line on Y! auctions
Curious what pieces have stuck for you
really small collection of the compressed wool scarf, smiley boots, drunk stripe suit, and the boa rider’s jacket. have a bunch of socks and bandanas too
the drunk stripe suit is so dope
absolutely, probably my favorite piece