Nice Things, Nice People
Exploring Haven’s SS25 Interval Coat, emerging Japanese label Tohnai, the rise of Sono, plus my search for a new bag.
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Field Research (feat. Haven)
Sometimes in life, the gods smile upon you, my friends.
Last week, I was lucky enough to receive the Interval Coat from Haven’s SS2025 collection that dropped this past weekend. Before diving into the review, I must confess — I’ve haven’t actually owned a practical coat since 2014. Despite living in Vancouver, aka Raincouver, the idea of wearing something designed for our climate never really crossed my mind. I’d pick up literally anything else before buying a raincoat, or even an umbrella.
The Interval Coat, a refreshing take on the iconic Car Coat, is made from a 3-layer GORE-TEX PRO — both lightweight and durable — offering great protection against wet and colder conditions. Personally, I’ve always been hesitant to wear GORE-TEX jackets and items due to either its weight, structure, or I’d find it difficult to style. Thankfully, the team at Haven have created a coat that’s breathable, comfortable, and stylish — all while staying true to the brand’s ethos.
Here are my notes:
Duchump’s Findings
Weather Conditions: Rain
Temperature: 8 Degrees
KMs walked: 3-4KM
Notes: For the first time, I felt invincible. Despite wearing jeans and a MAN-TLE shirt that highlights any moisture, the Coat kept me perfectly dry and warm during a heavy downpour. Comfortable, functional — didn’t have any limitations with mobility, and pockets were perfectly levelled for my long-ass arms. They didn’t overcomplicate the coat by adding any unnecessary pockets, unlike other brands releasing technical coats and adding enough pockets to store everything in your life.
I’m definitely giving Detective/Private Investigator, but in 2025. I’m not very good at sleuthing, so please don’t hire me unless you want terrible results. I appreciate that they’ve added a button-closure compared to a classic zipper, though the latter is also included if that’s your preferred choice. All in all, it’s very much a Car Coat, but modernized from a technical perspective.
My only critique? A button closure at the collar, similar to a stand-collar coat or shirt, would have been a nice, elevated touch. Regardless, the coat is fantastic as is.
With their latest collection, the brand added a Washed Japanese Cotton Canvas, akin to a Carhartt-style of workwear. This will give each garment a more natural and realistic workwear look, while utilizing other materials like Primaloft insulation and GORE-TEX, providing additional “under-the-hood” functionality.
Arthur and Daniel Chmielewski, the duo behind the brand and shop, have been actively pushing their in-house line, recently showcasing it in both Paris and New York. I lost count of how many people I know who tried to snag a pair of their recent collaboration with ASICS, which sold out in minutes. During Men’s Fashion Week, I remember chatting with people who were hoping to see the brother-duo come through to their showroom to see their collection.
They’re firing on all cylinders. After looking at their SS25 collection, I can confidently say they’re doing a stellar job.
Additional Picks: Logger Overshirt, Tempo Jacket, Logan Vest, Spectre Jacket, Harbour Zip Knit.
What I’ve Been Loving
One of my favourite pasttimes is watching Japanese fashion vlogs, and though I can’t understand what’s being said since Youtube doesn’t translate Japanese text to English, I’m still satisfied, and inspired, after every watch. During an excursion through this side of Youtube, I stumbled upon a new and exciting brand from Japan — Tohnai.
Hiroshi Tonai, founder of the Japanese brand, has worked in design and material development for heavy-hitters like Margaret Howell and Y’s for Living. There isn’t too much to cover, as the brand is still in its early stages, releasing only a handful of collections since 2023. However, despite the limited amount of work, I can say that their garments have piqued my interest, as they’re intended to be worn every day due to the airiness and comfortability felt through the fabrics they’ve used such as linen, ramie silk, and one that I learned today, Shukuju.
Shukuju is a Japanese textile that originated in the 1990s, blending wool and nylon, and creating a more durable garment. Additionally, with the use of Shibori — a traditional Japanese technique of resist dyeing — the garment will unpredictably, and beautifully, change with every wear. A favourite of mine by Tohnai is their Washed Wool Parka Coat, made from the Shukuju fabric, and as mentioned in the production description, is “a coat that conveys the legacy of our ancestors to future generations.”
Bit of a sidenote, but I was reading an article today by Ashley Ogawa Clarke titled ‘What Is Japanese Style Today?’ Immediately, there’s one quote that stood out by Hirofumi Kurino. He says, “A friend said to me recently that Japan will become a benchmark for a post-consumerist world. In the West and in emerging Asian countries, people still buy, buy, throw away, waste; but in Japan, that feels like nonsense. This idea of not wasting, we call it mottainai. It’s in our DNA to care for things more.”
Since starting my Substack, I’ve made it a goal to build a wardrobe that’s free of clutter and filler pieces, and developing one that’s more intentional, practical, and less wasteful. Whether this is mottainai or not, my appreciation for fashion has greatly improved to a healthier state because of this. I’m 30 and have reached this point, but for those younger than me, I encourage you to practice mottainai. Care about what you’re wearing, and less about who you are wearing.
Similar to: Comoli, Yoko Sakamoto.
Additional Picks: Wool Poplin Belted Coat, Knit Cardigan, Silk Regular Collar Shirt, Wide Pleat Trouser.
While perusing through shops, I saw that C’H’C’M added a new brand to their brand list that’s caught my eye — Sono. Founded by Stephanie Oberg and Simon Homes, the London-based label is laser focused on sustainability by creating garments from both practical and ethically conscious perspective. On their site, they’ve listed their fundamental values such as:
Only supporting organic agriculture.
Carefully sourcing every element as local as possible, developing long-lasting relationships with suppliers who care our same philosophy of respect.
Using wool from suppliers that respect animal welfare.
Avoiding all plastic and petroleium-based solutions.
It’s refreshing to see how labels list exactly what their values are, being informative and detailed with their approach to their design. I’ve been intrigued by the brand and their collection, seeing several pieces I’d love to own, like their Tucker Trousers and Cat Coat — both made from Organic Cotton Gabardine. They’ve developed a “precise weave tension” that’s breathable and should age wonderfully the more you wear it, which is lovely to hear. Owning something that will change and evolve over time, giving it new life.
Their collection is meant to integrate seamlessly with each other, but also with your current wardrobe as well. They’re focused on designing for the everyday, which is why the majority of their collection is of a fairly straightforward design, but impeccably made. To learn more about their values and design philosophy, take a peek at their website.
Similar to: Gabriella Coll, Unkruid.
Additional Picks: Sol Snowpant, Della Dustercoat, Shanti Shorts, Huckle Hoodie.
I’ve been obsessed with Lemaire’s Belted Hobo Bag. Actually, before we dive into this — what’s our stance on the word ‘Hobo’ being used?
Anyway, after first seeing their Belted Tote Bag at Neighbour, I’ve been searching and searching for a cheaper alternative, but truthfully, I regret not picking up the one I saw. I’m turning 31 this year, therefore, I must find a bag that’s sexy and sophisticated, rather than using one of many tote bags given to me after a purchase or, well, I don’t actually know where most of these came from. Am I producing tote bags in my sleep in some Severance-esque way?
Though made from cotton/poly canvas, and my desire for a leather bag, I’ve still got my eyes set on the Belted Tote. However, there are a few alternatives by Lemaire like their Flag Hobo Bag and Medium Gear Bag that are quite nice, especially the latter, but the price-tag’s got me sweating. What’s impressive, however, is the chokehold Lemaire has on so many of us right now. While the brand continues expanding the universe they’ve created over the last few years, it leaves me wondering — are we nearing an inevitable fall-off soon? Their prices continue to rise, with some of our favourite pieces increasing in price by 20-30% over the last few years. Plus, you see more and more brands trying to dupe Lemaire; releasing pieces that give “we have Lemaire at home” vibes.
Anyway, the search for a new bag continues. As always, my findings will be shared with you, and readers like you. Thank you.
Comme des Garçon’s Contracting Universe
Written by Edward Luetkehoelter
For a label that has become known for unwavering commitment to, in the words of Creative Director Rei Kawakubo herself – “making clothes that have never been seen before” – I am starting to feel like I am seeing clothes… that have been made before. I mean this twofold – one, that Rei is starting to double back on herself, despite the insistence of newness – and two, that CdG, Noir Kei, and Junya have, for at least the past few seasons, and definitely this season, all felt extremely similar. And I get it. I get that these are all Rei’s proteges, flying the nest and building their own worlds, Noir Kei focusing on a melange of sea creatures and bondage, Junya pulling and pulling from Americana/Punk-like silks from his sleeve. I get that, to some degree, every fetish-anemome dress and carefully reimagined biker jacket will have a common thread. I understand these things.
We saw Junya present new arrangements of creatively structured, sculpturalist biker jackets, which felt very similar to his creatively structured, sculpturalist non-biker jackets from AW2024. Sure, this was pretty different from his last show SS2025, but that show felt extremely similar to his AW2023 collection.
The parts of Kei’s show that felt like Kei, glowy, cage-like dresses, had been there since his standout AW22 runway. The parts of Kei’s show that didn’t feel like Kei – swoopy, sculptural headpieces, for example – just felt like mainline CdG.
Speaking of, the CdG mainline show, while feeling very similar to Rei’s other work, was good. That it was good is a given at this point – Rei is a generational talent – but her newest techniques of creating “new clothes” have ironically driven her into similarity. For the past few years, the silhouettes have changed little, each runway composed mostly of hulking dresses. They’re great dresses! But the lines between each collection are fading, especially when there were such clear reference divides between back-to-back shows like AW2005, aka the ‘Broken Bride’ collection, and SS2006, which dove headfirst into an interpretation of Vivienne Westwood’s work. Now? There’s always funky hats. It’s never quite clear what you’re looking at, but it looks nice. It’s never quite clear if I’m looking at Comme, or looking at Noir, or looking at Junya. But it looks nice.
L of the Week
Let’s go back to a bygone era when everyone was holding hands, listening to artists that we cannot mention today as their fall-off continues, and at a much more rapid pace each day it looks like. From 2015 to 2016, the state of fashion was one for the ages dominated by brands like Fear Of God, Gosha Rubchinskiy, and OFF-WHITE.
As for me, well, any photos from that period are sealed and confidential, never seeing the light of day. However, I can admit that I, too, was wearing everything listed above (except for OFF-WHITE), but began experimenting with looser silhouettes towards the end of 2015 after purchasing a sweater from [REDACTED]’s own line. That was my favourite purchase until I picked up the OG black JJJJound Ballcap. I loved Justin Saunders, the Montreal legend, and everything he released — from their stationary products to the random accessories I didn’t need, or even the whole-ass bike that was way above my price-range.
For those that don’t know, JJJJound had their start being a moodboard on Tumblr, posting and reposting a beautifully curated selection of images; creating an aesthetically pleasing blog that everyone tried to replicate. There, Justin’s status only grew which led to working with some of fashion’s biggest names like Virgil Abloh, Heron Preston, Matthew Williams — being a part of an art and DJ collective formally known as BEENTRILL. He [Justin] was celebrated for his exceptional taste in art and fashion, dressing relatively simple, yet still tasteful. The thing is, in a period where we’re returning to simplicity and demanding for well-made menswear without all the hoopla — why isn’t JJJJound a part of this? Is JJJJound really a brand, or an ongoing Duchampian body of work (e.g. Fountain by Marcel Duchamp) stamping his name on everythin?
On March 19th, a friend sent me Justin’s latest collaboration with, and I never would’ve expected this, Plasticana. If you’re familiar with his work, then you already know where this is going. Once again, the man did the absolute least amount of work possible, slapped the JJJJound logo on the now-classic Gardana, and called it a day. Of course, these will sell out despite the fact that you can pick up the exact same goddamn shoe at its original cost via a number of shops.
It’s 2025 and my JJJJound Ballcap remains in my rotation, wearing it almost on a daily basis. I’ll catch people looking at my hat and silently muttering the brand’s name, leaving them wondering what is this brand, thing, or person with four Js in its name.
But, here I am asking myself the same thing — what exactly is this thing with four Js in its name?
Thanks for reading!
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Love ya.
- Chris
Would you have examples of japanese fashion vlogs that you’re watching? I’m curious to learn more as well and feel the vibes
I jjjjust wanted to say, well done. Another great read