Many people to this day are doing themselves a huge disservice by still looking at the original Red Tab label within the confines of the 5-hundred series jeans. If last years collaboration with Robert Geller yielded no change in opinion on your end, a quick browsing of Levi’s Japan‘s site should shake up perspectives for you. Unfortunately, like a lot of brands with origins in America that have made their way over to Japan, many releases never make the return trip to their native land. For whatever reason, this is the case for a lot of amazing products we firmly believe could do really well in select markets. Here’s hoping this is the end.

Levi’s Japan is out with the recent introduction of its New Originals range for Spring 2010, consisting of several denim pieces – part of their Packable & Adjustable line. Consisting of denim jackets and jeans with colorful splashes of yellow and red, each piece sports unique characteristics in the form of waterproofing and/or several adjustable features such a zip-off pant legs. Every piece has the ability to pack itself into its own bag, making it useful for some of us, and just plain neat for the rest of us. Now available through the Levi’s Japan e-shop.

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Few luggage companies start their design process with the traveler in mind first, but that’s exactly what Amsterdam’s Travelteq has done with these, ahem, Trash briefcases. Made from Florentine Vacchetta leather which its makers claim is “the best quality leather they could find”. If the name sounds familiar, you’re no doubt well versed in women’s handbags. From the look of the rich leather exterior and waterproof nylon interior, each bag is handmade in Italy and built with the traveler in mind with a host of convenient slips and pockets. In total: 8 compartments, 3 of which are zipped, 4 of which are open, and 1 for a cigar tube, with enough room left over for a 15″ laptop. Our favorite little feature is the small colored exterior compartment for your passport, iPhone or whatever available in your choice of red, yellow and green. And it’s your lucky day, they happen to be on sale with free shipping. Available here.

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Patrick Molnar is a designer by profession, but at heart he’s a hardcore gamer. Together with fellow German Phil Penninger, a most impressive collection of Videogame Systems and early home computers has been assembled and made available to the masses. Spanning over 35 years, you’ll find all the classics from the US & Japan, complete with photos, original packaging and a biography -all available online and as a nice soft cover coffee-table book. From a pure design perspective, it’s brilliant to see how the gaming industry has evolved over time, and impressive to see how revolutionary the early-systems really were. Sure the games nowadays are insane high-def masterpieces, but nothing will ever beat the classic stylings of the wood-paneling on the Atari VCS.

It pretty much all began with the Magnavox Odyssey, a behemoth of a machine from 1972 that opened the door to a new type of entertainment, something that combined the social aspects of board games, with the new-aged technology of the digital world. There are some great classics in this collection, and some very interesting oddities; from the multiple Pong systems (which was almost an industry in itself), to the self-contained Vectrex which came with its own monitor, to my personal all-time favorite: the Sega Master System 1, which took 8-bit graphics to whole new heights. If you’ve got a few hours, go reminisce about your wasted youth here.

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Jack Wills is best described as the British response to the likes of American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch. The UK brand makes no secret of its target demographic: affluent University-bound, twenty-somethings with a penchant for varsity chic. Having been around for the better part of a decade now, I visited their Covent Garden location to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn’t terribly impressed, but the likes of Abercrombie & Fitch have never been my cup of tea in the first place so I wasn’t surprised. Some good came out of it, though, as I stumbled upon their spin-off brand, Aubin & Wills. Created in 2008, the brand is meant to cater to an older audience who have grown weary of contrived trends and are in search of something more timeless. Their knitwear is a great example of that versatility. Their collection is a tribute to classic regional outerwear, particularly inspired by the fishing industry. Pictured above is the Escomb Cardigan (left), hitting all the right notes with a chunky hand knit appearance, button fastening and a relaxed fit. The Arran Seahouses Funnel Neck (right) is a mighty popular look in the UK right now, coupled with dark denim and desert boots. According to their site the Arran knit pattern dates back 3000 years; you can’t get much more timeless than that.

When it comes to luxury sneakers, Lanvin is essentially in a league of their own.  There are very few brands who consistently release designs that combine the premium quality, supreme comfort, and fashion-forward elegance that Lanvin does.  Quite simply, designer Lucas Ossendrijver hits way more than he misses.  Here he brings us his classic high-top shape with a design that combines metallic print leather with suede.  Metallic leathers are a look that have been somewhat abused in sneaker design the last few years, but Lanvin tastefully incorporate them here with more basic suede and leather inserts.  All the typical Lanvin features are there: 100% calfskin, a wide, cushy rubber sole, quilted ribbing on the upper, and reinforced metal eyelets.  They are available in bronze and steel colorways here.

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It’s kind of difficult to go wrong with a bike messenger bag both in terms of design and acquiring one. For us, the little thought out details and design go a long way when influencing our decision and to this day, the and Visvim Ballistic E-Cat 18L Messenger Bag and Incase Skate Messenger Bag are both pretty much the tops in terms of functionality and aesthetics. On the Visvim, it’s the rubber coated hardware and on the Incase, we have to give it up to all the ingenious storage devices for everything from a bike pump, bike lock and skateboard attachment. All this to say, Bedoin’s Barbary Messenger Bag above, is definitely on to something – Constructed from waterproof 12 ounce ‘Rhinowax’ waxed canvas and top grain leather with a handprinted cotton drill lining. Other technical aspects include the world’s strongest Austrian Cobra buckles, seatbelt grade nylon webbing with a quick release buckle system, and a heavily padded webbing set-up on the shoulder. Best of all, worksmanship and materials are guaranteed for life. Available here.

The wait is finally over. The all new Apple iPad was finally revealed at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco by Steve Jobs. It’s essentially a 0.5-inch thick, 1.5 pound, 9.7-inch tablet with integrated speaker and microphone, Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G, compass and accelerometer. Coming in 16, 32 and 64 GB Flash storage options, it remains to be seen whether or not this truly revolutionizes technology like the iPhone, or if is just an example of the power-house marketing machine Apple has become. Other features include: a 10-hour battery life and a month of standby, compatible with a new keyboard dock accessory for desktop use, syncable with your existing Mac and will be iPhone App compatible.

The Apple iPad will be available for $499 for 16GB, 32GB for $599, and $699 64GB. Adding 3G costs a $130 per model. The WiFi-only model will ship in 60 days, whereas the 3G models will ship in 90 days.

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If you love the look of a Leica, but can’t afford the massive pricetag that comes with it, Pentax has just released your dream camera. The compact point-and-shoot I-10 is obviously inspired by classic film SLRs of the fifties and sixties, complete with a leatherette body in either black or cream to add a classy touch to the retro body. While not a high-end camera, it boasts some great features: 12.1 MP sensor, a large 2.7-inch LCD, face-detection, 720p video-capture and Triple Shake Reduction technology that allows for crisp images in low-light situations. Coming in at only $300, it is the perfect option for the not-so-savvy photographer who’s big on style. Available here.

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In theory two great brands coming together generates one extraordinary result, but if we’ve learned anything from the CDG x Nike collaboration, its always easier said then done. Sometimes, less is more. In the case of Shofolk and Edwin, it’s all the in the details. Taking Shofolks very popular Armstrong (right) and Alaric (left) models, Edwin has added Japanese raw denim accents to both while maintaining their original integrity. The navy suede Alaric’s are lined in leather with some subtle denim stitching whereas the Armstrong’s are leather inside out with the exception of Edwin’s denim pull on the heel. Aside from the luxurious materials, the soles stand out the most for me. I prefer a flat to a heel and finding them on a suede pair is becoming more of a rarity as of late. Available here.

Even with all the Olympic hoopla, Vancouver-based Lifetime Collective still manages to be the most interesting story to come out of BC as of late. Their Fall 2010 collection, which is set to preview at Class (San Diego, February 3-4) & Project (Las Vegas, February 16-18), is inspired by the sobering peaks of the northern mountains, an inhabitable piece of the nature that is both awe-inspiring and deadly. Triangles representing those peaks make an appearance throughout the collection, while close attention is paid to the contrasts between urban & rural living, form & function. From classic tailored silhouettes, to unique cut-and-sew pieces, the overall collection’s heavy influence from the powerful surrounding environment that is the majestic Rockies shines through to reflect the balance between the style you look for, and the functionality you need to survive the elements.

READ MORE for our favs from the Fall 2010 Collection.

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If you were paying attention to the amazing Tommy Ton photos from Milan Fashion Week, then you recognize that smart layering is a big key to looking dapper.  One obvious solution to layering is choice knitwear, particularly cardigans, and one of our favorite brands Folk deliver their best with the ‘Cozy’ cardigan, which debuted in Autumn-Winter ’09 and is back for this season.  The button up cardigan, made of a merino and cotton blend, is mid-weight with an all-over square texture and side seam pockets.  The wooden buttons are six hole and spell Folk in the way they are stitched.  We love those hands-on details that Folk always deliver.  Available here.