Avant Magazine is a biannual magazine founded by Eric Maggiori. It focuses on the relationship between clothing, history and its impact on our current society. 

This fourth issue is once again dedicated to American Workwear and is a sequel of the first issue, which was published in February 2019.

In it, we tell the story of Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush, the discovery of rare Levi’s pants from 1880 in a California mine, and of these details which collectors love, like vents holes on work shirts, or the famous “chinstrap.”

Levi Strauss & Co.’s former historian, Lynn Downey, also looks back on her journey, while Taiwanese vintage aficionados explain to us why vintage is rising in Taiwan.

We also converse with Akira Tsuchida, owner of Japanese store Mushroom Vintage, and Michael Harris, the author of Jeans of the Old West.

Each story lets us dive into the history of the United States and offers a modern perspective on the way these clothes have influenced the course of history and continue to interact with our society today.

STORIES & TALES

• Chinese immigration during the Gold Rush : Here’s a focus on a part of American history which isn’t put forward enough.

• The first Stronghold of workwear in Los Angeles : Its iconic logo, its unforgettable mascot, and a name that rocks: Stronghold is one of the most prized American workwear brands among collectors.

• Underhill, the pride of Colorado : The founding father of the Denver based Underhill brand, Townsend J. Underhill, enjoyed sudden, fleeting success. Let’s look back on a slice of local history.

• The true story of the New Nevada Jeans : Investigating the great history of the New Nevada Jeans, from their discovery in a mine to their arrival in the Levi’s archives in San Francisco.

• In Taiwan, vintage is rising : The Taiwanese new generation wants to prove that in terms of vintage, it can do as well as its Japanese neighbors

INTERVIEWS

• Larry McKaughan and Rin Tanaka : These two legends of vintage clothing tell us how their books, King of Vintage, have become cult.

• Lynn Downey : She was the archivist and historian of Levi Strauss & Co. for 25 years. Of course, she now has many stories to tell.

• Akira Tsuchida (Mushroom Vintage) : He sells the most beautiful and premium items. Items that buyers from the whole world look at with envy.

• Michael Harris : Jeans of the Old West: A History is the most geeky and well-documented book about 1850s-1900s denim. Michael Harris is the author.

ART & ILLUSTRATIONS

• Three Horse Power : Unique cover painting by Greg Newbold made exclusively for Avant Magazine.

• Real Photo “Past-Card” : Ten RPPC from the archives of the late Mike Hersh and from the private collection of Eric Maggiori.

• Private Collection : Rare pieces of American Workwear from the collections of Eric Maggiori, Alberto Ulmi and Wouter Munnichs.

AND MORE…

What is the ‘chinstrap?”- The history of vents holes on work shirts - Preface by Nigel Cabourn.