KLEMAN x The Denim Mind in Japan

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A fusion of fashion and travel

Discover a unique space where fashion meets travel. Explore our blog dedicated to this bold fusion, where each article takes you on a sensory journey. Our products become true companions for those who share their adventures with authenticity. Immerse yourself in inspiring stories, where the discovery of new horizons meets our creations. Follow us as we weave together fashion and escape, for an experience that transcends borders.

Mathieu Peladan (aka The Denim Mind) at Kamakura, Japan

It was in March 2016, during my working holiday in Australia, that I set foot in Japan for the first time. It was an opportunity to discover this country that has always fascinated me with its culture and know-how. It was in a little street in Harajuku that I came across the Lantiki shop, where a pair of black shoes with thick soles caught my eye. At first glance, a seemingly ordinary shoe, but when I looked at it from all angles, it became special to me. It said ‘Made in France’ and the name KLEMAN was written in block blue letters on the underside of the sole. How was it possible to find this shoe here when, even though I was born in France, I didn't know this brand?

ARSENAL khaki beanie, Major V Colors Chocolate Tobacco

Major V Colors Chocolate Tobacco

Like any lover of fine products, I began to research the brand in depth. It was then that I realised that KLEMAN had supplied the SNCF, the military and even La Poste for many years, and that it was an integral part of the French workwear heritage.

Padror MD Bordeaux

It wasn't until I returned to France in 2019 that I finally wore my first Kleman, following an Instagram collaboration, a pair of black PADRORs, the same ones I'd seen 3 years earlier in the heart of Tokyo. This was followed by 3 years of collaboration in which I was lucky enough to work alongside the brand as a community manager. We stopped working together in this way a year ago. As I was moving more towards photography and content creation, I wanted to come full circle. The plan was clear: to take advantage of my return to Japan to create visual content for a brand made in France that I had discovered in Japan years before!