As we have grown our following through the years, we have had the privilege of building relationships with some of the biggest Visvim collectors in the world. Some have either consigned with or sold us extraordinary Visvim items. Here, we review 5 of the rarest items on our website!
FW19 Sanjuro Kimono Solitaire IT (0119205014008)
This is one of those pieces I didn't know existed until I saw it for sale. When you Google this jacket, you get no results; a good indicator of how rare it is. Using my sources, I got some more info about it. It retailed for ¥572,000 which equates to about $5245 in USD. It was likely double the price in the U.S.A. due to import fees and the notorious Visvim markup. It came in three colors including green/white, red/navy, and beige/brown. I also found that this one was a pre-order exclusive, meaning only those who attended that season's trunk show could order it. As for the quantity they made, I don't have an exact number, but it's estimated to be one per size per color, totaling 15. I think it's less than that, but that might be the Kool-Aid talking. So let's say this is the only size 5 in existence, I'm happy with that.
I got it from a "Lost and Found Sale" the founder of Camp High Collective, Greg Dacyshyn, was doing. He's a long-time Visvim collector who gravitates to the more eclectic items they produce. The fact this was from his collection is pretty neat.
It's made from an argyle-esque patterned patchwork design of multiple panels of goat suede. Let's take a second and explain what that means. A goat hide can average about 8 square feet of raw material, versus cowhide which is generally around 50 square feet. As you can tell, making something with goat suede/leather will cost exponentially more than cow leather due to how little raw useable material goatskin provides. Generally, you rarely see goatskin being utilized in leathers, because it's not practical or cost-effective for companies to use it. With that being said, this jacket uses goat suede but it's not cut using the usual paneling of large uninterrupted sections like the sleeve, body, etc. This is cut using small diamond-shaped panels of two colors, creating the pattern shown. Each panel is hand-sewn together using a small-scale whipstitch, which can only be done by high-quality, experienced artisans. No wonder they made so little.
FW12 Adventura Down JKT IT (0112205014022)
Here is a rare example of a non-leather item from Visvim's IT collection (Made in Italy). This is a consignment item and when the seller reached out about selling it, I didn't think much of it. But when I got it in hand, and did some research on it, I realized how special it was.
This one comes with a signature tag signed by the founder, Hiroki Nakamura. If you're familiar with Visvim, you know the signed pieces are what Hiroki wants to highlight. They usually are items seen as a step above the rest when compared to the other items produced that season. The signature includes a product ID number and the number in production that the specific signed item was made (this is number 13 of the Adventuras).
So what makes this so special? The shell is a triple-layered waterproof material consisting of polyurethane-coated cotton from a time-honored Italian fabric maker. Once constructed, the jacket was soaked and dyed in iron-rich mud from local Amami-Ōshima rice paddies in Japan, resulting in an incredible color variation and worn-in character throughout. The body, pocket, and hood lining are constructed from a natural indigo-dyed, hand-block patterned cotton/linen blend fabric. It also features some typical details like specially processed brass buttons, Swiss RIRI zippers, various custom Visvim branded adjusters throughout, and filling made from Polish White Goose Down. The best detail, in my opinion, is the removable hood fitted with a coyote fur trim attachment– something very unique to feel in person. It's probably the closest I'll ever get to a coyote, and I hope to keep it that way.
FW12 SPOT Hoppiland Jacket IT Navajo Blanket (0112405014002)
This one has the coolest story of them all. The story goes that this was made for Eric Clapton, but ended up being too small for him. So, they sent it to Sante Fe for the exclusive Visvim @ Shiprock Santa Fe Exhibition they did back in 2012.
It's 1 of 1 which is crazy enough, but the blazer itself is remarkable. Visvim sourced a vintage early 1900s Navajo-inspired wool blanket from Beacon. Beacon was once the world's largest blanket manufacturer that produced blankets for four generations. The company was founded in 1904 by Charles D. Owen. Production began in 1905 with wool fibers woven using Jacquard looms from France and often featured Native-American-inspired prints. In 1924, the company switched to cotton-based fabrics as it was as soft and warm as wool, but less expensive and easier to clean. Because of this, collectors pay upwards of $500 to $1,000 for early Beacon blankets that utilized wool and Native American designs.
It was shipped to Italy to get cut and sewn at one of the most renowned tailors in the world. The paneling is intricate, especially the symmetry along the sleeves and body. Of course, Visvim does what it does best and added vintage silver concho hardware for the front closure and U.S. nickels from the early 1900s for the cuff hardware. Too bad this didn't fit Clapton, but I'm glad. It means a lot to share this one with the wider Visvim community.
Item #4: SS15 SPOT Granger Blazer (N.D. Check) (0115305013006)
This is another 1 of 1 unique from the Ron Hermon Zushi Marina store opening. Ron Herman is a Japanese department store that has worked closely with Visvim for several years. It is limited to only 3 pieces made worldwide: 1 in Green, 1 in Yellow, and 1 in Blue; all different sizes. They were made using leftover fabric created for the SS12 Collection. The woven fabric uses cotton yarns of varying fiber lengths which are individually natural dyed to create a textured check pattern with hues of indigo, pink, and yellow.
Item #5: FW11 Indigo Cowichan P.O. (VS1939)
This pullover was knit by hand using Japanese Shetland wool fibers. The fibers were indigo rope-dyed using natural indigo before construction resulting in a rich deep and uneven indigo hue. It features this wonderful elbow detail using brain-tanned, natural mud-dyed German deerskin patches that were hand-stitched to the body. Of course, this features a signature tag signed by Hiroki Nakamura himself, but this isn't like the rest. This was the very first one produced of the lot -001. The first example of these signature pieces is usually reserved for Hiroki's archive or significant clientele.