Warehouse & Co.

The youngest of the Osaka 5 at just over 30 years old, Warehouse & Co. has spent that time doing one thing extremely well: producing faithful reproductions of vintage mid-century American denim and workwear with an almost archaeological level of commitment.

The Shiotani brothers, who founded the brand in 1995, have been known to pull apart original 1930s Levi’s denim banners to analyse the yarn and weave before attempting to replicate them.

The result is a signature ‘banner denim’ – a 13.5oz fabric that sits at the lighter end of mid-weight, supple and natural in texture with fades that develop gradually and authentically over time – alongside a range that extends to heavyweight flannel shirts, loopwheeled sportswear and even sneakers. The range is primarily menswear.

Jeans run from around ¥29,700 for standard models up to ¥40,000-plus for special editions, with the pre-washed ‘2nd-Hand’ series sitting around ¥33,000. Prices are premium but fair, and staff have detailed knowledge of the history behind each product, making for a very different shopping experience from a standard denim retailer.