The man of the hour is a living legend. And to be honest I feel a bit starstruck around him. During my time working with clothes I've heard people talking about this man in various occasions, always in a good note. We know many same people, but personally I'd never met the man before the Denim and Treasures pop up.
Kari and our friend Johanna were the organising power duo behind the Denim and Treasures event at Pluto. Where I had a pleasure of meeting this denim legend. During the event we shared some beers and got into talking about denim, vintage and what have you. And as a result we decided to organize another pop up, this time at our store. Kari has over 25 years of experience with denim and other cool stuff when it comes to apparell. So, I kindly asked him to sit down with me and share his story and what he's been up to since the last time we met.
G’day sir, how is life? How's Spain treating you?
Well Spain has been pretty good towards me so far. But, I’m still searching my place on the big rock that we live in. So, Spain is where I have 1 foot. Other is still in Finland. Maybe the best thing about Spain been learning the language, as my next adventure might take me to Mexico. I know already that I love tacos and my business would benefit from me living there. So it would be only logical, right.
Right, there's no a better food than tacos... Sounds like a good plan. You're a certified denim dude. Not to go too deep, but I'm curious and wanna know a bit more about your path into the denim world? And how did you end up here? Tell us a bit about your self, who is Kari?
Haha I’m bread and buttered into clothing business. Spend my childhood Summers in my grandfathers clothing factory sewing costumes to our plays with my cousin. Learned tailoring and pattern making as a journeyman.
Got into denim quite young as well. If you are yesterdays’ news like me or democracy in US, you might remember Levi’s outlets in Finland. I grew up in Vantaa and I think we had 3 of those in Myyrmäki. Imagine 50 to 100m2 stores full of one off’s from Levi’s. A heaven if you ask me. Or at least if you ask 10 years old me.
Around the same time there was a skate shop called Psycho Skate in Helsinki. A source for the sickest Vision Street Wear tees. You put those 2 together; Levi’s 501’s and Vision tees, add hair cut from young Tony Hawk. Then slap a flannel on top of that, and that is where my interest in style and in denim started. Oh! And of course Converse All Stars as my family could not afford to get me Airwalks.
Then comes snowboarding. But the stuff you could buy from Finland was nowhere similar to what you saw in the videos. Solution? Make your own riding pants and jackets. While at it. Start buying vintage & 2nd hand and modify those to your own liking. And then next step; start making clothing to your friends. After that I opened my own made to measure clothing business specialized in denim in 00? Or was it 99? Getting old, so can not remember!
After few years of sewing, I got fed up. Then one night in the legendary bar on Iso Roba (before moving to Freda) I was offered to work as a a store manager and buyer for a denim specialist store Union Five Fresh Male. From there I moved to a distribution company in and eventually opening a store for them in Punavuori. Did you actually know that Pace denim used to have a store in Punavuori? I had my finger in that soup.
Store was short lived as I moved onwards to work as a store manager and buyer for Helsinki10. After Helsinki10 I was hired to do sales for Cheap Monday in Finland, Baltic countries, Poland, Russia etc. I also did sales for Rogues Gallery and Indigofera for Europe. After few season I took over global sales for Indigofera. That was a fun ride! Lot of time on road in Europe and specially in US. Not a corner in that country that I have not visited!
Then come Covid and I was stuck at home office doing video meetings. No fun. I decided to learn bee keeping, then wine making. Pretty soon I learned that those were not my thing. So back to clothing business I went. Started hustling vintage & 2nd hand as a hobby.
Fast forward to 2024. I started my own agency SNTP. Global sales for handful of brands. But also consulting a denim legend who is behind some of my personal favorites. Fruit from that long consulting project will see a daylight this Summer. High quality menswear brand made in Japan, Gråbrodern.
So, in short, I'm a rambler. Restless soul. Always on a move, laughs a lot but never quite happy. Constantly looking for the next level in everything. Biker, hiker, thinker and stinker!
It sure has been a while, you've been doing jeans when we're still learning how to walk. What keeps you going after over 25 years in the game?
Same thing as in life in general. The burning for the next level. Therefore launching made in Japan clothing line this Summer.
That sounds so exciting can't wait to hear more about that. What you been doing lately?
Right now I’m into permaculture. So planting semi-tropical to tropical fruit trees, building ponds, collecting wild flower seed pods and planting them on to the meadows of my land. Oh and I’m part of launching a new menswear brand together with one of the living denim legends for SS26.
Seems like you have a good balance or a syombiosis with denim and nature. So, big things coming up I see. Has your interests within clothing shifted over time?
Darn right it has! But denim has always been in focus. Growing up I used to skate and I’m an old f*kker riding choppers. When I was younger the skateboard culture inspired me and the way I dressed. Then later on I got inspired by 60’s outlaw biker culture: Now old roomy farm wear. Comfort. Soft but durable fabrics, bleeds, double bleeds, box bleeds…
Hahah, the classic life cycle of a man's wardrobe. Do you have a favourite piece in your closet?
Worn out corduroy pants with lots of room on the top block & leg. I have rope that I use as a belt and my wife laughs at me looking like a bum in those. Could also be my ugly tattoo, wrinkled skin and dirty long hair. Who knows?!
That resonates, I wonder what is but with this line of work you end up eventually looking like a hobo. Do you still have some grails that you’d wish to find?
I have a pair of jeans that I would love to get! Remember a California based brand Jack/Knife?
I think it has come up in our previous chats, tell me more?
Hand made denim with pretty OK looks and quality. I actually had a pleasure hanging out with thesis gangster at an event we hosted in Mojave Desert, Desert & Denim. They come to the 1st edition and closed down soon after that.
Anyway, towards the end of the brand they stopped making them by hand and instead outsourced the production. They still claimed that is made by them and asked high money. Well, another California based denim maker, one that was considered one of the most talented makers in game, got very upset about that. (I’m not gonna name him. As I’m one of the few that knows the whole story. I do not want to get him get f*kked about what he did)
So he opened an online store under the name of Jack/Knife. For that store he made truly amazing 5-pockets. He build up the online store well. Like a professional online store with back story and all. So, who ever bought Jack/Knife from his store actually got a pair of what few people that knows the whole story see as the holy grail of US made denim. Those I would want to have. Come to the event and ask me about this and I’ll tell you the whole story. But it should not be published.;)
Well, that's a grail for sure. Not imbossiple but hard as fuck to find in the wild. If you wouldn’t be working with clothes what would you do?
Porn maybe? I could see me being the next level Ron Jeremy. Or maybe I’d be in drug trade? I heard there is good money to be made there! Seriously, I do not know. I’ve learned mechanics & cabinet making. I would not do those for living. Or maybe I would build rat choppers? That would be fun. I’ve worked lot on bikes. But to be fair, there’s too much competition in chopper building and I’m not skillful enough.
There you have it. I see you have it all figured out, if the denim starts to rub you the wrong way. On that note, what's the best thing about denim for you?
1 best thing. Hhmm… button fly! Hah! I guess not the answer you were looking for.
No that's great. Polarizing favourite for sure, a good convo starter. Buttons over zipper, any day of the week. I know you being an hertiage guy, but you do dabble with vintage as well. Trying to keep it as a hobby. What’s the best thing about vintage?
The hunt! Definitely the hunt. Anybody with a thick wallet can buy a beautiful heritage piece made in Japan. But to find the piece that all these brands are copying. That’s rewarding.
Nothing beats the OG. Do you have favourite era that you like? Clothing-wise.
I would say 50’s to early 60’s. When denim was made well. Before moving to faster production and cutting corners. Even though my favorite fits comes from earlier decades.
So full on the early outlaw biker era. What is your favourite Levi’s fit and why?
1967 505 due it’s top block. If you buy those true to size, then the fit is outstanding due the balance of high back rise (I love when jeans sit above butt) and then again their front part curves down still keeping the from rise reasonable high. But still room for dad bod to hang loose.
But the true shocker is this; My absolute favourite fit is the 1st Levi’s Engineered fit. 001. Nothing fits more conformably than those. I might sell a pair in size 36/32” at the pop up. With hangtags and all. Waist is actually more 35" and length easily 33 to 34”.
That's something to be on the look out for. There is bunch of young guns getting into the Engineered lore. What is your all time best find?
That is yet to come. Like said earlier, best thing about vintage is the hunt.
But I did got the first was sample of LVC pull over denim shirt as a gift. This is from July 1999. Person that gifted it to me is the person who did that style for the collection. Same person I’m now launching a new brand with for SS26.
That's a nice shirt I saw you wearing it in the Denim & Treasures pop up at Pluto. That's a cool piece and I may have coped my self the Indigofera's version of that, at the end of the pop up. I can see some discreet excitement about this new project of yours, must be hard to try to keep it in the wraps. What is the worst/best thing about your industry?
This little niche that I work in? It’s hard work man! My day to day work is global sales for high quality brands. You need to offer the best brands and best pieces season after season and be where the buyers are and that changes a bit year to year.
Never stop madness. Do you have a favourite piece in the selection you are bringing to the store next month?
Many of the pieces are my favourites. I mean it’s partly me emptying my closet. Partly it’s dead stock items I have bought from brands and other agents. Some are vintage pieces I have bought from my travels. These are from my personal ever changing archive.
But to name some.. hmmm.. I’m bringing some 1933 501’s. That's my favourite 501 year. Valencia street LVC… Oh no! Now I know my favourite piece!! Is a custom made flight jkt! It’s the coolest vintage piece I have ever owned! So, somebody has asked tailor to customize vintage Swedish army WWII parka into the most warmest and beautiful flight jacket. I’ll take that with me!
Oh well that's a beauty! Any big things coming up? Somebody or something people should know or follow?
Well my agency carries boot brand called Unmarked. I had a massive global success with it last season. Keep on eye on that. It’s growing fast and the boots are truly beautiful and well made.
Check out Omoto. That was the most beautiful denim brand I saw last season.
And have a look at the brand I have mentioned about. The brand that is launching SS26, Gråbrodern. Not much info out yet. So be patient. We will start being a bit more loud this coming Summer.
Perfect, can't wait. And I think we've reached the end, but before we go wanna give some shoutouts?
Well obviously to my son who is just getting out of army! Also my beautiful, wild and free wife that roams around mountains on her white horse. Wearing red custom made cowboy boots and with feathers in her hair. Having the biggest smile on her face.
Don Denim aka Kari Salmela pop up on 4th and 5th of April at Mechelinkatu 4, Helsinki.
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