Collaborative production of The SG Shochu uniforms
SG Group (Representative: Shingo Gokan), which operates bars in Japan and overseas, and GLADHAND have collaborated to create a uniform exclusively for The SG Shochu, a new concept shochu jointly developed by SG Group and three major sake breweries.
*The general release date is currently undetermined.
Shingo Gokan is the most sought-after bartender in the world today in the bar industry, with close ties to GLADHAND as well as WOLFMAN BARBER SHOP and THE FAT HATTER.
The SG Group, a bar culture company led by its founder Shingo Gokan, boasts numerous accomplished bartenders who have excelled in global and domestic competitions, including Atsushi Suzuki (winner of Chivas Masters 2017 World Competition) and Kazuhisa Arai (winner of Jameson Bartender’s Ball 2016 World Competition). The company develops and operates bars with new concepts that transcend traditional bar boundaries, both domestically and internationally, and holds the record for the most wins at The World’s 50 Best Bars.
[Web] https://sg-management.jp/ (SG Management Inc.)
L. and Shingo Gokan resonated with each other's worldviews, and numerous ideas are currently being planned.
L. also designed the logo for El Lequio (Okinawa), SG Group's fifth domestic store, which opened in March of this year.
The long-conceived uniform for The SG Shochu has finally come to fruition.
The concept dates back to the early 20th century, a "beer suit" consisting of overalls and a jacket, which were worn to prevent soiling while drinking beer.
This American item was worn when college graduates drank beer together and was also called a beer jacket or memorial jacket, where students would sign each other's jackets.
With shochu as the theme for the uniform, L. and Shingo Gokan envisioned a vintage-like white fabric, an apron and jacket set.
Using cotton herringbone twill fabric with a weathered feel, the apron features leather reinforcements, a luxurious specification found in vintage pieces. The buttons are neo-bova buttons, which were used in workwear around the early 1900s.
The design incorporates the logo of The SG Shochu, composed of historical lettering, and symbols representing the three types of shochu – rice, sweet potato, and barley – finished with a special print that allows for aging effects like painted-on marks.
The jacket uses the same fabric and buttons as the apron and was carefully sewn in Okayama Prefecture, known for its expertise in workwear. The shape is taken from 1950s beer jackets, incorporating period details into the design.
The back features the lettering design of The SG Shochu, embroidered with a chain stitch by artisans, giving it an authentic vintage feel.
The front features a monogram design in felt, which designer L. created as a symbol of The SG Club.
The SG Shochu, nurtured in Japan and expanding into global bar culture, will be launched this autumn in four US cities (N.Y., Chicago, L.A., and San Francisco), where the uniform will also be unveiled.
Press release