EKSPRESFORSENDELSE MED 365 DAGES RETURRET
CALI FAM #10
For this Cali Fam we spoke to a real
CALI OG - lillDavid!
We went deep on the love for JAPAN
culture and streetwear!
Read more about his favorite brands and some restaurant recommendations!
You’re a real CALI OG, do you remember your first Cali purchase?
I’ve gotten so much stuff from Cali over the years so it’s kind of hard to remember, haha. I know I had bought a few t-shirts prior to this, but I think one of the very first proper Japanese thing I got at Caliroots was a pair of Sugarcane Hawaii jeans. This must’ve been back in ’06. It is an amazing product that I still break out of the closet every once in a while. These jeans are made out of natural indigo dyed, 50/50 cotton/sugarcane fiber narrow loom fabric, and packed with a myriad of cool and intricate details.
Stuff like this is why I always thought Cali was one of the coolest shops in town, and why I ended up working for Caliroots for over 11 years.
Where did your interest in Japanese brands come from?
I think I had already read about some of the Japanese streetwear brands in fashion magazines like ID and Bibel and thought it all looked pretty cool, but a trip to London in ’00 is where I got a sense of what it was really all about. Another early influence for me was this amazing store on a side street in Södermalm called Beneath. they were the first in Sweden to carry Neighborhood and Visvim (when it was still just a footwear brand), brands that really caught my attention. The CDG Guerrilla Store was influential to me too.
I eventually found this Japanese bookstore on Tegnergatan, (which is unfortunately closed since many years) where I signed up for a bunch of subscriptions for Japanese magazines like Smart, Popeye, Cooltrans, Free&Easy etc. and tried to learn as much as I could about the various brands their products and founders, even though I couldn’t read a single article, haha.
Forums like Gunborg and Superfuture were a great source of information too.
There’s just something really special about brands like NBHD, Liberaiders, Visvim and the products they put out. The extreme attention to detail, the wonderful quality fabrics, the impeccable styling. I can’t really explain why, it’s just better somehow. I’m naturally drawn to it.
Which is your favorite Japanese brand and why?
It’s tough to choose, so I think I will have to go with both Neighborhood (and Wtaps) and Visvim. NBHD because of the innate coolness the brand and their products possess and their historical value as being one of the first brands to come out of the Ura-Hara scene. Visvim because of the incredible quality fabrics and beautiful natural processing they use. Sure it’s expensive, but once you really get to wear a Visvim piece repeatedly you understand why it costs so much.
Best and worst purchase?
Another tough one, There’s just too many special purchases. A Goros necklace, the first pair of FBT’s I got, the Loopwheeler sweater that I wore to pieces… I guess one of my very best purchases in recent history would be the WTAPS 992’s. They were a crazily limited release which I was lucky enough to get.
There’s been a lot of shitty purchases over the years too of course. If we keep it strictly Japanese I have a couple of Japanese proxy purchases gone bad because of sizing issues. I remember being stoked about getting this really nice Bedwin & The Heartbreakers shirt, but when it arrived it was like three sizes too small for me. Luckily it wasn’t so expensive, but still…
Do you have something in your Japanese-collection that you particularly care about?
I do indeed! The Visvim 101 Jacket that my fiancé got me for my birthday some years ago. It had been a grail-jacket for me forever so it’s basically one of the best presents I’ve ever got. I also love my WTAPS Jungle LS shirt that I got at the GIP Store on a particularly hung-over day, and I’m super happy with the Neighborhood tee’s I’ve acquired over the years.
One of my most prized possessions however is the Goros necklace. Getting that was quite the experience. There’s just the one shop in Harajuku, and it’s so popular they have to keep a very strict cue-system. This means you gotta show up on time outside the Goros shop before they open, I mean like really super early, in order to even get in before they close. I ended up cueing from around 06:30, for a good 7 hours, before I finally could get in to the shop and get my necklace. Good thing there’s a konbini just next to them, haha!
Your favorite Japanese restaurant in Stockholm?
The best Japanese food experience I’ve had here is at Sushi Sho. What Mr Ishizaki and his team create really is culinary art, both in terms of flavor and presentation.
A way more affordable and humble, kind of forgotten gem, is a curry shop called Nagano, just next to the Rådmansgatan metro station. They serve an excellent katsu-curry, a great lunch alternative if your in the neighborhood.
When I’m up for ramen, which is most of the time, I tend to hit up Totemo, Sin Ramen and Kapybara. I really have to find the time to visit Tengu soon too, heard so much good things about them.
Your favorite Japanese dish?
Either a super deep bowl of bone broth miso ramen, or a perfectly cooked tonkatsu; the Japanese version of a Pork schnitzel, delicious in all its simplicity.
