Noko Jeans

Noko Jeans Logotype.

Noko Jeans is a fashion company. Founded in 2007 by Jacob Åström, Tor Rauden Källstigen and Jakob Ohlsson. It is the first foreign company to have produced and imported jeans from North Korea^[1].

Criticism

When Noko Jeans launched the sales of their first collection December 2009 a storm of criticism was aimed at the brand because of the sourcing of Jeans from the North Korean dictatorship. The founders of Noko Jeans defended themselves, saying that they themselves had been present at the factory during production and documented it to guarantee that no child labor had been used and that workers had working conditions that were in compliance with international standards. The controversy prompted the Swedish retail store "PUB" to withdraw the jeans from their shelves, the PUB spokesperson stated that they did not want anything to do with politics.

Design

The two unisex models were designed in collaboration with fashion designer Julia Hederus^[2]. Both models are designed based on the Noko Jeans story.

Kara Slim Fit is a tigther model with a regular waist.

Oke Loose Fit is more baggy, with a drop-crotch. Oke Loose Fit has a regular waist.

Production

The production were made by a mining company in Pyongyang during the summer of 2009^[3] In total 1100 pieces were made.

Museum

The pants are sold through Noko Jeans' online store, as well as the Noko Jeans Museum^[4] in Stockholm. The Noko Jeans Museum was opened in Stockholm, Sweden December 5, 2009, when the PUB department store refused to continue selling the Oke and Kara jeans, worried that they would become involved in the current public debate regarding the ethics of selling clothes produced in the country of North Korea^[5]

About two weeks later, on December 18, 2009, Noko Jeans opened their own department museum on Södermalm, Stockholm. It was only available for a limited time and the doors finally closed on February 6, 2010.^[6]

External links

• The Guardian — “Denim diplomacy: North Korea exports jeans to Sweden”
• New York Times — “North Korea-Made Designer Jeans Launched in Sweden”
• The Huffington Post — "Denim Diplomacy"
• Official Website
• Official Photo Gallery (Flickr)

References

1. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34288450
2. ^ "Refinery29". Refinery29. http://www.refinery29.com/north-korea-by-way-of-sweden-d.php. Retrieved 2010-02-01. 
3. ^ "North Korea Launches "Noko" Designer Jeans". Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/swedes-convince-north-korea-to-launch-noko-designer-jeans-2009-12. Retrieved 2010-08-08. .
4. ^ "Noko Jeans Museum". http://www.nokojeans.com/museum. Retrieved 2010-02-02. 
5. ^ "BBC World News". BBC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjQYI3zw9kk. Retrieved 2010-01-18. 
6. ^ "Noko Jeans Museum". Noko Jeans. http://nokojeans.com/museum/. Retrieved 2010-02-08.