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Spotlight on 'Button Works': Where American Vintage Buttons and Original Items Create a One-of-a-Kind Vibe
Buzzing in the fashion world, Button Works puts the spotlight on American workwear from the 1910s and 1920s, especially its buttons and hardware. The brand combines extensive vintage knowledge with authentic "Made in Japan" quality. They offer not only genuine vintage buttons but also faithful reproductions, parts, and original items chock-full of vintage flair.
We sat down with Atsumi Kosuge, head of B,S&T Co., the company behind Button Works, to dive into the wonderfully niche and cool world of vintage buttons.
From Importer to Button Maker
Let's start by hearing about how Atsumi Kosuge first got into American vintage buttons and ended up launching Button Works."I originally started out handling imported apparel brands and wholesaling items I sourced in the U.S. to boutique shops across Japan. I'd hit up flea markets and malls, bringing all sorts of items, especially vintage pieces, back home. On top of that, I was also designing and wholesaling my own original clothing.
But back in those days, if you wanted to create vintage-inspired clothing in Japan, the selection of buttons and hardware was really limited. You just didn't have enough options. So, with a little nudge from a friend, I had an idea: 'Why don't I try recreating vintage buttons myself?' In 2008, I left my jobs in importing and clothing design to start Button Works."
What Are Vintage Buttons?
With Button Works up and running, we asked Kosuge to show us some examples to help us understand what makes vintage buttons so special."The first thing I want to show you are these 'Carhartt' buttons. They're from around the 1920s and include change buttons, pins, and promotional pin-back buttons. As many of you probably know, Carhartt is a brand with a very long history, founded in the late 1800s. These vintage buttons are precious artifacts that tell a piece of that story. We intentionally display them in the shop without a price tag."
"Another piece I'd like to show you is a button from 'Sweet Orr.' It's a workwear brand founded in 1871 in New York State, and this particular button is from around 1910. This is another incredibly rare item that you'd be hard-pressed to find today, so it's also not for sale."
The Go-to Shop for Designers
While Button Works certainly attracts the general public, it's also a hotspot for designers and production managers from various clothing brands."Many come searching for buttons with a unique twist, or ones that capture the right historical feel for the item a designer is crafting.
When I launched Button Works, I started by gradually collecting vintage buttons. I'd study them to understand things like, 'So, this is the structure,' or 'This is how it was finished.' It was a genuine process of trial and error, involving talks with artisans and countless prototypes of my own.
My passion for vintage parts was the main driving force. Designers began to use the reproduction vintage buttons I created, and they would order original, vintage-inspired buttons. Word slowly spread throughout the fashion industry, and our clientele grew.
One of the first items I tackled was a button reminiscent of those on 1920s work shirts. Back then, they were made from metals like iron. At a time when most buttons were resin, plastic, or natural shell, metal buttons were a rarity. Their rugged look and the unique patina they developed over time gave them a charm perfectly suited for workwear.
I started by producing the two-hole 'cat-eye' work button, crafted from brass. While vintage workwear often featured iron buttons, they had a tendency to leave rust stains on shirts, so I opted for rust-resistant materials like brass and aluminum.
The aluminum version, being nearly as light as a resin button, was particularly popular. Additionally, shirts and coveralls from the 1910s to the mid-1930s often featured 'change buttons,' which attach to the garment with a double ring on the back. We recreated these, too.
The Button Works store is brimming with vintage parts and trinkets. I find that having this extensive collection of vintage buttons on hand helps spark inspiration when we're creating custom designs for clients. Vintage buttons are known for their intricate patterns, and we draw on their design and engraving techniques for our own creations.
Most of the vintage buttons in the shop are no longer for sale. We mainly use them as reference samples to confirm colors, sizes, designs, and specs. We believe having this tangible library to draw from is crucial for our creative process—it’s much better than designing in a vacuum."
Popular Original Accessories
Beyond buttons, Button Works also offers a popular line of original accessories. We asked them to highlight a few standout pieces from their collection."We started creating accessories about 10 years ago. Our most popular original pieces include the 'BW \"HORSESHOE\" Iron Ring' and the 'BW \"Double R\" Brass Ring,' both of which are double rings engraved with our brand logo.
They were the first non-button items we ever produced and have since become some of our signature bestsellers. The 'BW \"HORSESHOE\" Iron Ring' is especially inspired by the horseshoe motif used in advertising by the brand Sweet Orr, which I mentioned earlier, during the 1910s and 1920s."
Bottom: BW \"Double R\" Brass Ring, ¥1,650 (incl. tax)
"Additionally, our keychains are very popular, including the 'Button Works x VENICE DESIGN8 You Pay Spinner,' the 'BW Brass Line Fishhook Shackle Key,' and the 'BW Brass Line FISH HOOK Key Chain.'"
Middle: BW Brass Line Fishhook Shackle Key, ¥5,500 (incl. tax)
Bottom: BW Brass Line FISH HOOK Key Chain, ¥6,050 (incl. tax)
They say that once a vintage piece passes the 100-year mark, it becomes an antique. The buttons in Kosuge's collection have truly crossed that threshold, becoming genuine antiques. Likewise, the buttons he creates today possess a tangible quality, suggesting they are destined to become the vintage treasures of tomorrow. This unique approach is something that can't be replicated elsewhere, and we look forward to seeing what Button Works does next.
PROFILE
Atsumi Kosuge
President of B,S&T Co.
After launching his own company, B,S&T Co., and gaining experience in apparel planning and importing, Atsumi Kosuge turned his unique perspective and sensibility toward the world of workwear buttons. Building upon his extensive vintage knowledge through dedicated research, he began recreating vintage buttons with the help of skilled Japanese artisans, launching Button Works in 2008. Today, he supplies buttons and metal parts to numerous clothing brands.
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