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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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.

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.

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.

Berlin designer Frank Buchwald’s Machine Lights series is comprised of 12 steampunk lamp designs that are handmade in extremely limited quantities and look like they could have come straight from the set of Dark City or Blade Runner.  The main structures are made of raw brass and steel, which are hand burnished to create a unique antique black and brown hue.  The industrial design aesthetic, complete with visible coils, filaments, cables, and flexible brass tubes, really lends these lights their edge.  Production time is at least four weeks depending on the model and prices are not for the meek (from $3,800 to $5,900, with Type 09 jumping all the way up to $15,500).  Buchwald will also entertain custom requests.

Back again is the ongoing collaboration between A.P.C. and (now based in Canadian K-Way only this time they’ve stayed closer to K-Way’s roots rather than going with the M-65 they dropped in March last year. We remember spotting the very first batch of this collaboration with very simple, nylon designs and being torn. K-Way brought back some nostalgia for us, and of course, our allegiance to A.P.C. is strong, however, at the time, we found it priced high for a light nylon jacket. With this most recent drop however, for whatever reason, we’re more partial to being able to justify this as a quality, affordable, A.P.C. piece rather than an overpriced K-Way. If history is any indication, brighter colors of this drop will be available in the coming months in Japan only. Available here.

This is more of just an FYI, but Coolhunting has an amazing interview with Steven Alan regarding the Ultimate Travel Bag, a product of social media suggestions directed towards the New Yorker in question.

Traveling to Australia for Inspiration, Steven Blogged about his trip, using the website to tap the Twitter community. The upshot incorporates crowd-sourced high function with a clean look accented by the designer’s playfully classic take on materials.

Read the interview here.

Here is the new version of the Skagway Denim Lo by Visvim, and this time it doesn’t come in a grimy, blackened look. The shoe comes in a clean black denim colorway with contrast stitching and an off white sole. Still made with selvedge denim, the Skagway features elk leather on the toe tip and the heel, velour details on the upper and the “VSVM” logo on the back. This is a much cleaner version of the Skagway Denim compared to the previous versions; I don’t think I dig the “already vintage” look on shoes anymore.

More images of the shoe after the jump.

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The Nigel Cabourn SS10 Collection has been garnering some well deserved attention as of late. Take note of Cabourn’s old British military art direction if you haven’t already. Once again, the collection is based on military designs from the famous Cabourn Archives, specifically, his father’s time serving in Burma during the Second World War. There are many pieces that each deserve their proper announcement, but this large-sized holdall immediately jumped out at us. Made from deadstock 1942 British army India khaki Drill cotton, as used during WWII and premium tan leather trim, the color combination just sets it off. On top of that, the addition of  Cabourn’s navy patch and INDIAN KHAKI DRILL – Limited Edition patch underneath, are both the perfect accents. Available here.