Big in Japan?

[Olé]

Bristol City has an opportunity to carve out a huge extended following and ridiculous merchandise sales. I went down the rabbit hole on a fascinating sub culture and now you can too. 

 

1. A Japanese fashion designer called Hirofumi Kiyonaga worked with/for Paris label A.P.C. which is worn by a who's who of global celebrities and where a t-shirt will set you back £150.

2. He then went solo to found his own streetwear brand, Sophnet, 25 years ago, which now has 15 luxury stores across Japan and global reach across Asia as well as UK, USA, Canada.

3. Before World Cup 2002 in Japan he created a football sub-brand for his minimalist/luxury streetwear based on giving Tokyo's youth an authentic European club brand and experience.

4. He decided to make this club up. It is a collision of major European club names (FC .. Real ..) but is from Bristol because he loved Bristol music. The crest is a based on Massive Attack.

5. FC Real Bristol (FCRB) has now existed for well over 20 years, its' clothing and lifestyle range is huge and expensive (items, even in Europe, regularly sell for well over £100+ for a top). 

6. FC Real Bristol releases new clothing ranges every year like a high end fashion label and is so highly regarded in Japan it has done collaborations for Nike, Coca Cola, Casio and Sony.

7. As well as being obsessed by English football, Japanese young people are highly fashion conscious (you only need to see them over here in baggy streetwear and Balenciaga trainers).

8. Japan's youth aspire to visit the UK and be part of football, and spend their disposable income disproportionately on fashion (vs drinking etc) and where Bristol has huge brand value.

 

Now go and see for yourself:

• Current FCRB clothing range - everything from deckchairs to pants: https://www.soph.net/shop/r/rFCRB/
• A great summary on the history of FCRB: https://sabukaru.online/articles/when-sophnet-and-nike-created-the-worlds-first-fictional-football-team-fcrb
• Another summary of the clothing label: https://www.ultrafootball.com/blogs/ultra-mag/the-history-of-f-c-real-bristol-f-c-r-b
• Daddy G & DJ Milo - What is Wild Bunch (Bristol documentary produced for Sophnet): https://www.tctvfilms.com/what-is-wild-bunch-i-shot-this-documetary-for-japanese-clothing-brand-soph/

 

Reasons this could happen:

• Signing an exciting young Japanese talent from a country where young people are hugely fashion conscious and for a generation now identify with Bristol specifically

Reasons this won't happen

• The current standard of official clothing that the club itself produces has now reached the point that they want us to look like court jesters or off duty kitchen workers
   

Edited July 6 by Olé

[Maltshoveller]

Alphaville 

[robinforlife2]

Maybe, bringing in this youngster from Japan, has ulterior motive for SL, maybe, you named man, could be a said investor SL is looking to entice into the club. 

[Wedontplayinblue]

This all screams 4am in the morning and I can’t sleep rabbit hole 

[spudski]

Looking at the current clothing range shown, it wouldn't look out of place in Primark.

How is that range fashioned by design?

It's very very basic polos, shirts and trousers with a label attached.

Just goes to show how shallow some ' fashion' is.

You are paying for the label not the design. 

Granted I'd rather wear a plain polo than the trash Crayola turns out...but not at those prices. 

They'll be in TK Maxx in a couple years  

However...the OP has a point. 

Asia loves spending on Western culture. 

Agree...Opportunity there as he says.

[Davefevs]

I hadn’t even noticed that the shirt has diamonds / criss-coss and the shorts has squares. WTAF?

[spudski]

2 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I hadn’t even noticed that the shirt has diamonds / criss-coss and the shorts has squares. WTAF?

I mentioned this on the shirt thread. No credible designer would do this. 

[Philly The Kid]

Well Real Madrid didn't sign Beckham for his football prowess did they?
Apparently it was all about the shirt sales and merch....

[Sleepy1968]

57 minutes ago, spudski said:

I mentioned this on the shirt thread. No credible designer would do this. 

I'd like to think Occam's Razor applies:

HomeShorts5-sq.tem got added to the sign off package instead of HomeShorts5-ch.tem, and nobody noticed.

Otherwise I fear any 'official' answer (by which I mean, 'made up bollox') would blow my mind or make me spontaneously combust.

[mozo]

4 hours ago, Olé said:

Bristol City has an opportunity to carve out a huge extended following and ridiculous merchandise sales. I went down the rabbit hole on a fascinating sub culture and now you can too. 

 

1. A Japanese fashion designer called Hirofumi Kiyonaga worked with/for Paris label A.P.C. which is worn by a who's who of global celebrities and where a t-shirt will set you back £150.

2. He then went solo to found his own streetwear brand, Sophnet, 25 years ago, which now has 15 luxury stores across Japan and global reach across Asia as well as UK, USA, Canada.

3. Before World Cup 2002 in Japan he created a football sub-brand for his minimalist/luxury streetwear based on giving Tokyo's youth an authentic European club brand and experience.

4. He decided to make this club up. It is a collision of major European club names (FC .. Real ..) but is from Bristol because he loved Bristol music. The crest is a based on Massive Attack.

5. FC Real Bristol (FCRB) has now existed for well over 20 years, its' clothing and lifestyle range is huge and expensive (items, even in Europe, regularly sell for well over £100+ for a top). 

6. FC Real Bristol releases new clothing ranges every year like a high end fashion label and is so highly regarded in Japan it has done collaborations for Nike, Coca Cola, Casio and Sony.

7. As well as being obsessed by English football, Japanese young people are highly fashion conscious (you only need to see them over here in baggy streetwear and Balenciaga trainers).

8. Japan's youth aspire to visit the UK and be part of football, and spend their disposable income disproportionately on fashion (vs drinking etc) and where Bristol has huge brand value.

 

Now go and see for yourself:

• Current FCRB clothing range - everything from deckchairs to pants: https://www.soph.net/shop/r/rFCRB/
• A great summary on the history of FCRB: https://sabukaru.online/articles/when-sophnet-and-nike-created-the-worlds-first-fictional-football-team-fcrb
• Another summary of the clothing label: https://www.ultrafootball.com/blogs/ultra-mag/the-history-of-f-c-real-bristol-f-c-r-b
• Daddy G & DJ Milo - What is Wild Bunch (Bristol documentary produced for Sophnet): https://www.tctvfilms.com/what-is-wild-bunch-i-shot-this-documetary-for-japanese-clothing-brand-soph/

 

Reasons this could happen:

• Signing an exciting young Japanese talent from a country where young people are hugely fashion conscious and for a generation now identify with Bristol specifically

Reasons this won't happen

• The current standard of official clothing that the club itself produces has now reached the point that they want us to look like court jesters or off duty kitchen workers
   

Love this @Olé, thanks for sharing mate. 

[54-46]

Looks like I ordered my Japan shirt from DH Gate just in time

Only been waiting 4 weeks for it to arrive so far mind

[San Fran City]

4 hours ago, spudski said:

Looking at the current clothing range shown, it wouldn't look out of place in Primark.

How is that range fashioned by design?

It's very very basic polos, shirts and trousers with a label attached.

Just goes to show how shallow some ' fashion' is.

You are paying for the label not the design. 

Granted I'd rather wear a plain polo than the trash Crayola turns out...but not at those prices. 

They'll be in TK Maxx in a couple years  

However...the OP has a point. 

Asia loves spending on Western culture. 

Agree...Opportunity there as he says.

That’s all fashion brands culture personified surely. Your Maxx t is made in exactly the same factory as your higher prove one - just with a different tag that informs people you paid 10 times as much. 

[San Fran City]

5 hours ago, Olé said:

Bristol City has an opportunity to carve out a huge extended following and ridiculous merchandise sales. I went down the rabbit hole on a fascinating sub culture and now you can too. 

 

1. A Japanese fashion designer called Hirofumi Kiyonaga worked with/for Paris label A.P.C. which is worn by a who's who of global celebrities and where a t-shirt will set you back £150.

2. He then went solo to found his own streetwear brand, Sophnet, 25 years ago, which now has 15 luxury stores across Japan and global reach across Asia as well as UK, USA, Canada.

3. Before World Cup 2002 in Japan he created a football sub-brand for his minimalist/luxury streetwear based on giving Tokyo's youth an authentic European club brand and experience.

4. He decided to make this club up. It is a collision of major European club names (FC .. Real ..) but is from Bristol because he loved Bristol music. The crest is a based on Massive Attack.

5. FC Real Bristol (FCRB) has now existed for well over 20 years, its' clothing and lifestyle range is huge and expensive (items, even in Europe, regularly sell for well over £100+ for a top). 

6. FC Real Bristol releases new clothing ranges every year like a high end fashion label and is so highly regarded in Japan it has done collaborations for Nike, Coca Cola, Casio and Sony.

7. As well as being obsessed by English football, Japanese young people are highly fashion conscious (you only need to see them over here in baggy streetwear and Balenciaga trainers).

8. Japan's youth aspire to visit the UK and be part of football, and spend their disposable income disproportionately on fashion (vs drinking etc) and where Bristol has huge brand value.

 

Now go and see for yourself:

• Current FCRB clothing range - everything from deckchairs to pants: https://www.soph.net/shop/r/rFCRB/
• A great summary on the history of FCRB: https://sabukaru.online/articles/when-sophnet-and-nike-created-the-worlds-first-fictional-football-team-fcrb
• Another summary of the clothing label: https://www.ultrafootball.com/blogs/ultra-mag/the-history-of-f-c-real-bristol-f-c-r-b
• Daddy G & DJ Milo - What is Wild Bunch (Bristol documentary produced for Sophnet): https://www.tctvfilms.com/what-is-wild-bunch-i-shot-this-documetary-for-japanese-clothing-brand-soph/

 

Reasons this could happen:

• Signing an exciting young Japanese talent from a country where young people are hugely fashion conscious and for a generation now identify with Bristol specifically

Reasons this won't happen

• The current standard of official clothing that the club itself produces has now reached the point that they want us to look like court jesters or off duty kitchen workers
   

I lived and worked in the southern island Kyushu capital city - Fukuoka - between 2001-2003. Population of 4 million and which is a modest score for Japanese major cities. Every weekend, I’d visit the 4-storey HMV music store, mainly only going to the 4th floor which was mainly European music. One Saturday I ventured up to my usual spot only to find the whole of the floor (football pitch size) completely dedicated to ‘Bristol sound’. At the time, magic mushrooms were actually legal to buy over the counter in Japan  at the few dope memorabilia shops pottered around the city and i can assure you that for the  first hour of that experience I genuinely felt like I was tripping my nut off. 
Point being, if the Japanese get into something, they properly devour it any which way.

Sign him! 

[spudski]

5 hours ago, San Fran City said:

That’s all fashion brands culture personified surely. Your Maxx t is made in exactly the same factory as your higher prove one - just with a different tag that informs people you paid 10 times as much. 

Well...yes and no in this instance.  There are many brands that actually design something different. Something that looks different and stands out..

This offering is plain bog standard with a label on it. No effort to actually fashion a design. 

And yes you are correct. Some will pay through the nose for it, others will buy it at a reduced price in TK Maxx and others will buy knock off versions...all to be seen with the label. 

And yes that happens pretty much with all brands. 

The point you make about ' informing people you paid 10 times as much' is true....but often not the case. 

If you got off your yacht in Monaco wearing it, you probably paid for all original.

If you are sat in the pub in south Bristol with a pair of Primark jeans, Adidas trainers and a FCRB polo shirt on, then it's likely a knock off, mates checking the label etc...whats the point...who are you kidding? Yourself and everyone that knows you. 

I guess as you imply...many want to be seen as being wealthy. 

 

[Jackson Lamb]

9 hours ago, Philly The Kid said:

Well Real Madrid didn't sign Beckham for his football prowess did they?
Apparently it was all about the shirt sales and merch....

It was. Between Beckham and Real Madrid it was 50:50 split of profits.

Was nothing more than a brand signing for Real.

[Rob k]

1 hour ago, The Coach said:

It was. Between Beckham and Real Madrid it was 50:50 split of profits.

Was nothing more than a brand signing for Real.

Beckham was more than a brand signing - he was a very good player 

[Jackson Lamb]

2 minutes ago, Rob k said:

Beckham was more than a brand signing - he was a very good player 

Not saying he wasn’t. But at the time Real didn’t need him. He was signed more to boost sales than his ability (which was still great).

[Rob k]

13 minutes ago, The Coach said:

Not saying he wasn’t. But at the time Real didn’t need him. He was signed more to boost sales than his ability (which was still great).

How much did Madrid make from Beckham after his 25m signing fee and his 4.5m a year wages? 

[Jackson Lamb]

32 minutes ago, Rob k said:

How much did Madrid make from Beckham after his 25m signing fee and his 4.5m a year wages? 

Much more if you do a bit of research. Revenue doubled within a few years alone for Real. Doesn’t take into account the sponsorship success around Beckham during his time at Madrid and the benefit Real took from that.

[SydneyCity]

I bought one of their kits a few years back for five-a-side.

If anyone is tempted to buy anything, the sizing is Asian so you'll need to size up quite drastically.

**Side rabbit hole to the original rabbit hole… there is also an LA based basketball fashion brand, inspired by Japanese street wear, and Bristol: https://bristol-studio.com/

[ExiledAjax]

8 minutes ago, SydneyCity said:

I bought one of their kits a few years back for five-a-side.

If anyone is tempted to buy anything, the sizing is Asian so you'll need to size up quite drastically.

**Side rabbit hole to the original rabbit hole… there is also an LA based basketball fashion brand, inspired by Japanese street wear, and Bristol: https://bristol-studio.com/

Make it the away shirt now.

[Port Said Red]

On 07/07/2024 at 07:42, Rob k said:

How much did Madrid make from Beckham after his 25m signing fee and his 4.5m a year wages? 

Watch the Beckham documentary, it's a real eye opener seeing the greatest names in football at that time all saying they had never had so much attention when they played around the world.

[Jackson Lamb]

51 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Watch the Beckham documentary, it's a real eye opener seeing the greatest names in football at that time all saying they had never had so much attention when they played around the world.

Crazy when Real Madrid went to Asia and it was all about Beckham.

[bcfcredandwhite]

On 07/07/2024 at 08:17, The Coach said:

Much more if you do a bit of research. Revenue doubled within a few years alone for Real. Doesn’t take into account the sponsorship success around Beckham during his time at Madrid and the benefit Real took from that.

Let’s sign an Indian and a Chinese player too - HUGE merchandising market - as long as they make an appearance at 80 minutes when we’re comfortably winning that would satisfy……. 

[mattjb]

11 minutes ago, bcfcredandwhite said:

Let’s sign an Indian and a Chinese player too - HUGE merchandising market - as long as they make an appearance at 80 minutes when we’re comfortably winning that would satisfy……. 

When are we ever ‘comfortably’ winning at 80 minutes! 

[Jackson Lamb]

44 minutes ago, mattjb said:

When are we ever ‘comfortably’ winning at 80 minutes! 

Or at 93