2024.11.30
The Resurgence of a Phantom American Brand in Japan: What Makes the "Christy Vest" from Rocky Mountain Featherbed Special?
Founded in the late 1960s in Wyoming, USA, "Rocky Mountain Featherbed" features a signature leather western yoke icon and is highly regarded among cowboys for its down wear.
However, the brand disappeared in the 1980s. It wasn't until 2005 when Japan's 35summers revived it, leading to its rising popularity starting from Japan and expanding worldwide, including its home country of America.
To shed light on the process behind the brand’s revival and the attention to its products, I spoke with one of the key figures in the revival, Jun Nobuoka from 35summers.
However, the brand disappeared in the 1980s. It wasn't until 2005 when Japan's 35summers revived it, leading to its rising popularity starting from Japan and expanding worldwide, including its home country of America.
To shed light on the process behind the brand’s revival and the attention to its products, I spoke with one of the key figures in the revival, Jun Nobuoka from 35summers.
Recreating from Vintage Collections
Although the brand disappeared in the 1980s, it was revived in 2005 by Kinji Teramoto, a leading vintage collector and the representative of 35summers. While it has now become one of the coveted outdoor brands, Nobuoka shared the challenges faced since the brand's revival.
"Regarding 'Rocky Mountain Featherbed,' the founder did not leave any records, so we had zero information. By the 1990s, it completely vanished, so it was presumed that the brand ended in the 1980s.
"In order to recreate the brand, we had to rely solely on examining actual vintage items. Our representative, Kinji Teramoto, who is both an importer and collector, used his longstanding collection as the basis for samples."
"In order to recreate the brand, we had to rely solely on examining actual vintage items. Our representative, Kinji Teramoto, who is both an importer and collector, used his longstanding collection as the basis for samples."
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