I wanted to ask the community a very specific question. What western brands are there that you think rival the Japanese, who historically and especially in recent years, have dominated, in both the heritage and post-heritage scene? Post heritage is a phrase I first heard from my friend [slowfashconnoisseur](https://www.reddit.com/user/slowfashconnoisseur/) essentially referring to heritage *inspired* garments that are not strict repros, rather are more fashion oriented, while still maintaining *some* degree of heritage construction.

Two Japanese post-heritage brands that immediately pop into my head are Kapital and Kaptain Sunshine. Both are heavily influenced by historical workwear and military, but prioritize other non tangibles such as fit, wearability and obscure details (especially for Kapital) over pure 1:1 reproduction accuracy and durability (compared to a brand like Buzz Rickson's or Real Mccoy's which I consider *true* heritage brands).

I've been bitten by the Japan bug as hard as everyone else, and there's no doubt that pound for pound, they are putting out better clothing than any other country or region in the world. Still, I think there are a few juggernauts in the West, that don't just compete, but surpass the Japanese in this realm.

My first example is Mister Freedom. He is clearly vintage inspired but none of his garments are true reproductions. They are all products sold through a lens of fictional historic characters and have some of the best branding, story-telling and details I've ever seen compared to any traditional heritage brand. Christophe hand-draws all his artwork and logos, and his blog on [ChristopheLoiron.com](http://ChristopheLoiron.com), is a treasure-trove of obscure, absurd historical fiction and nerdy diatribes about garment construction. Of course, he is no stranger to Japan (first having a vintage store there in the early 90s, and then partnering with Sugar Cane later on). I also think Nigel Cabourn (RIP), sits in an upper pantheon of western brands that not only can go toe to toe with the Japanese, but in many respects, surpass them. 

Curious to hear your thoughts. Also if you have any interest, I dropped an inspiration album dedicated to Christophe and his vintage inspired brand artwork on r/threadtalks.  

Western "post-heritage" brands that rival the Japanese? [Discussion]