Born from the rocks of Yosemite, California in 1982. Gramicci has become associated with various cultures over the years, with skaters, surfers, and hippies favouring the brand, perhaps due to its reliable specifications and laid-back vibe from the West Coast. Outdoor activities and climbing are at Gramicci's roots and core, but they are only one aspect of the brand. The other is its subculture. In this piece, Gramicci Japan met with the owners of 108WAREHOUSE, an Australian select shop.
What does Gramicci mean to these men, who stand firm in their attitude and mindset?
The three original members, twin brothers Edwin, Edward, and Jacinto, opened in Sydney, Australia, in 2019. The store stocks a wide range of items, curated with a unique aesthetic sensibility, from used items and local brands to Japanese and international brands.
-Thank you in advance. Could you tell us about the origins of your shop?
Edwin: Nice to meet you! I'm glad you reached out to me. 108WAREHOUSE was started in 2019 by Jacinto, myself, and my twin brother Edward. At first, it was just a used-only online shop selling our own wardrobe. The three of us were friends from college, and we'd been buying and selling clothes through internet bulletin boards since our student days, so it just kind of became our own online shop and then a physical store.
-In your store, it seems like there is a whole range of items, in all different styles.
Edwin: I think it's because we're creating a store by collecting things that each of us likes. There are a lot of items that are categorized as street style, but we don't have a strong commitment to that. I think the selection is the result of trying to stock items that will properly support our lifestyle, and that are functional and durable.
-I see. So you also sell second-hand clothes in your store?
Edwin: Yes. 108WAREHOUSE is made up of several selections, which can be divided into used items mainly from Japanese brands such as COMME des GARÇONS and Needles, new products from Australian local brands such as Pseushi and Agaric Fly, international brands such as Gramicci, and original apparel from 108WAREHOUSE. There is also a coffee stand (108CoffeeStand) in the store, where we sell our own roasted coffee beans and tea.
-It's a great store. 108WAREHOUSE also carries new Gramicci products and a selection of used items, but what does Gramicci mean to your team?
Edward: It's definitely one of the essential brands for 108WAREHOUSE. When we first opened, we only handled small, niche brands that only a few people knew about, but after we started stocking Gramicci, everyone who came to the store knew about Gramicci, and we were reminded of how well-known and big the brand is. We wear Gramicci ourselves, so we're really happy to be doing business together like this, and we're also really happy to receive good feedback from our customers.
-Gramicci is a brand with roots in the outdoors, but 108WAREHOUSE stocks a lot of clothes that are more urban, so I thought you must have a unique philosophy behind the items you stock. Could you expand on the process?
Edward: It's true that we're not very familiar with the outdoors. But of course, we understand that Gramicci's focus is on the outdoors. So we think about it in a broader framework and see it as a lifestyle brand that can be worn every day. It's a brand that can be safely recommended to customers, offering comfortable pants and high-quality clothing at reasonable prices that can be easily incorporated into both casual and dressy outfits. Also, because it has a long history, it's perfect for us who like buying vintage items. We're always looking for vintage Gramicci shorts and have a lot of them in our store.
-How does 108WAREHOUSE recommend curating a Gramicci outfit?
Jacinto: We especially like the wide-fitting GRAMICCI PANTS, which are only available in Australia. We like the loose and relaxed style, so they are easy to match with everyday styles. They go great with a simple, fitted T-shirt, and depending on the weather, you can also pair them with a technical jacket. What's great about Gramicci pants is that they are comfortable to wear, but also easy to match with any outfit. You can even wear them on a date night by pairing them with leather shoes and a button-down shirt.
[EXCLUSIVE] WIDE PANTS
These pants are the widest silhouette in the brand's lineup, updated with a modern twist from Gramicci's archive. While retaining the functionality of the climbing scene, which is the brand's roots, the pants are made voluminous around the hips and thighs, and from the knees to the hem, making them suitable for modern fashion. Available exclusively on the official online store.
-What is the culture that underpins 108WAREHOUSE? You have a diverse team, and each of you has your own interests and influences, but I wonder if you all have something in common?
Jacinto: If we had to talk about something we all have in common, it would be that we're all very relaxed. We try not to take things too seriously. I think the most important thing is to do something that you like and that you find fun, and I think this is reflected in the curation of 108WAREHOUSE. Music, food, coffee, art, books, comfortable clothes...these are all things that stimulate us and are a source of inspiration. 108WAREHOUSE can't be defined by a single culture, but is a collection of the interests and hobbies of the three of us and the people who support us.
-That's true, I think that stance is well reflected in the selection of items in your store. You also carry Japanese brands, which made me feel proud as a Japanese person.
Edward: The three of us have always been interested in Japanese brands and the stories and culture behind each brand.
-Was there a particular reason that this happened? Information about Japan, a country so far away, doesn't come to you naturally, does it?
Edward: I learned about the Ura-Hara movement through a book. After that, I became interested and started to research Japanese brands in depth. From street brands like A BATHING APE and CE to designer brands like UNDERCOVER, COMME des GARÇONS, and ISSEY MIYAKE. These brands were quite expensive for us as university students before we started 108WAREHOUSE, so we often bought them second-hand. When we first visited Japan in 2017, we bought a lot of second-hand COMME des GARÇONS (laughs). Second-hand shopping is really exciting! You never know what you'll find. Our style developed from finding unique preloved items.
-COMME des GARÇONS items have a particularly wide variety.
Edwin: We are big fans of COMME des GARÇONS! We enjoy their various lines: HOMME, HOMME PLUS, SHIRT, Tricot, Robe De Chambre. Our favourites are the COMME des GARÇONS HOMME from the early 1990s to early 2000s, when Keiichi Tanaka was the designer. You can tell they are from this era by looking at the silver label. The shirts from the time of Tanaka's design are very interesting because of their unique fit and comfort. They are well-tailored, classic and easy to wear. It's also exciting to see how simple items can be elevated by making changes to them.
-I see you're interested in "second-hand" items, not "vintage".
Edwin: Yes. We think of "vintage" and "second-hand" separately, so that we can appreciate and enjoy all clothes from different eras equally.
-That's true. So how do you distinguish between "vintage" and "second-hand" items?
Edwin: The clear difference between "vintage" and "second-hand" is that "second-hand" includes current items. We call them "second-hand" simply because they were owned by someone in the past, but regardless of when they were made, we will buy items from 5 years ago if we think they are interesting, even 2 years ago. If we were to curate only "vintage", we would have to limit our purchases to items that were made at least 20 to 30 years ago, right? Having such a limited perspective goes against our stance. We like current items and new items, so I think that by curating them together, our customers will be able to understand what we value.
-The love the three of you have for second-hand goods is very evident.
Edward: When we started the store in 2019, we only sold second-hand items. But we had a bigger vision, so we made our own original apparel and asked our favourite brands to sell their products at 108WAREHOUSE. Second-hand items are often limited and time-consuming to source. We also wanted to show our style through original apparel. So, the mix of styles symbolizes the progress of 108WAREHOUSE and the development of our style. We have always believed in our own sensibility and use it as the standard for our selection and purchases.
-What is a “big vision”?
Edwin: For us, who started with an online store, the first big vision was to create a physical space. You could even call it a community. We thought it would be nice if 108WAREHOUSE could become a base for people who think like us. The second was to display current brands in the store that would complement the quality of the second-hand goods that we love. And the third was to display our own original products next to them.
-So, all of this has come true! I think that's amazing.
Edwin: Thank you! Having our own space allows us to host our friends and the crews of the brands we do business with, and it also serves as a place to showcase their amazing work. I'm really happy about that. Creating our own brand was also a great experience for us. We were able to fully express ourselves and create items that we love, which allowed us to connect with cool shops all over the world. It's really great to see our original items being carried in shops that we respect! In Japan, we have them at WAKE in Sapporo and On The Way Store in Yokohama. I hope we can continue to have them in various stores in the future.
-Collaboration is one of the joys of running your own store or brand.
Edwin: We value collaborations very much. I don't think we would have been able to collaborate if 108WAREHOUSE had not been firmly established as a brand. We started by collaborating with local artists, cafes, and restaurants, and now we are able to create collaborative items on an equal footing with international brands like NEW ERA. Collaborating with like-minded friends is really stimulating, and it's always exciting no matter how many times we do it. 108WAREHOUSE's big vision for the future is to continue doing business with many brands.