Jeans from North Korea

Friday, December 4, 2009 - 4:36 PM Share

Today, Sweden's Noko Jeans is launching a line of designer denim manufactured in North Korea. The company claims that these are the first 1,100 pairs of jeans to ever be produced in North Korea.

One of the founding partners, Rauden Kallstigen, explains the motivation behind their project to produce denim in the "Hermit Kingdom":

"'It was a way for us to contact the country ... Our interest for North Korea goes way back because it's just a black spot on the map."

Despite reservations of supporting the present regime of Kim Jong Il, the Swedes decided to pursue their fashion venture, which has been in the works since 2007. After downing an entire glass of Swedish vodka during a visit to North Korea, these three entreprenuers, with no international fashion or trade experience, and the North Koreans agreed: "There would be jeans."

Noko Jeans are only available in black. The designers claim this is because "blue jeans" are stigmitized in North Korea due to their historic association with American culture. Regardless, jeans have been banned in North Korea for years, according to a recent Associated Press article, making it unlikely for North Koreans to enjoy the newest fashion craze.

Flickr/Cecilie

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GRANT

11:48 PM ET

December 4, 2009

Normally I can understand

Normally I can understand that companies need to do business with unsavory countries and use factories with hiring/work practices that would get them closed down in seconds in the U.S. I don't like it but I can accept it until I can change it. That said, this is pushing it. North Korea isn't just another poor nation ruled by the military that lashes out at the first hint of political criticism. North Korea is a poor nation that survives by aid from multiple other nations including two of its worst enemies, has policy of providing food and money to the military first with the civilians as a very distant second, even after multiple famines still hasn't made any effort to reform, has attacked the only functioning markets in the country because they aren't under the control of the country*, and has a long history of kidnapping Japanese and South Koreans to train agents. This isn't Pakistan, Bangladesh, or even Zimbabwe. This is just in poor taste.

 

MONEYINABOX

1:49 AM ET

December 5, 2009

Agreed. Kallstigen's

Agreed. Kallstigen's nonsensical rationalization notwithstanding, Noko chose to manufacture the jean in NK because they knew it would be CHEAP! No doubt these will be popular with hipsters-without-a-clue and should fetch over +100USD a pair.

 

GRANT

3:03 AM ET

December 6, 2009

In an update, the store that

In an update, the store that would have provided space for sales of the jeans has pulled it. The jeans themselves will apparently remain for sale via the web.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8397629.stm

 

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