Black Label [EN]: Chapter 18

Black Label 17

18. Fabric Purchase, A Familiar Name

“Ha, I still get nervous every time I come here,” Yeongguk said, pushing open the entrance to the fabric market. Jaeseung smiled faintly. “Just relax. Take it easy.”

The two were fully prepared, just as they had been on their previous visit.

To look as much like traders as possible, Jaeseung carried a loan shark’s money bag [a bag typically used to carry large sums of cash], while Yeongguk held a thick file.

As soon as they stepped into the market, the familiar scene unfolded: traders busily moving around and merchants attending to customers.

It was, in many ways, a place filled with the vibrant energy of people living their lives.

Jaeseung took the lead, walking towards the store where he had previously purchased cotton fabric.

Soon.

“Hey, boss! How’ve you been?” Jaeseung called out loudly. The store owner, who was sitting at a table inside, eating *jajangmyeon* [black bean noodles], turned to look.

“Oh? What brings you here after so long?”

Jaeseung grinned, rubbing his mouth. “Boss, you’ve got *jajang* all over your mouth.”

“Really? Is it gone now?”

“Yep.”

Jaeseung replied briefly, then casually took a seat opposite the store owner and continued, “I’ve been busy with design sketches.”

“Oh? So, have you come up with something now?”

“Yeah. I’ve pretty much finished the design sketches and concept. Came today to buy some fabric.”

Jaeseung gestured to Yeongguk. “Yeongguk, two coffees, please.”

While Yeongguk made instant coffee with a nonchalant expression, the store owner tilted his head. “So, what kind of fabric are you looking for today?”

“Do you have any ‘Coated Denim’?”

“Coated denim? You’re looking for something unusual…?”

“Yeah. It’s for the concept of the clothes I’m making this time.”

“Hmm, wait a minute. I don’t know if I have any left.”

The store owner flipped through his ledger. “Looks like I have a few types. I’ll show you the sample book first.”

He handed Jaeseung a sample book.

‘Let’s see…’

The concept for the clothes Jaeseung wanted to make this time was vintage.

You’ve probably heard the term ‘depreciation’.

The value of all things decreases over time.

Jaeseung had a grand plan to create clothes that completely ignored this ‘law of time’.

Clothes that increase in value as time passes.

No.

Clothes that only become more beautiful with time.

That was the concept.

After looking through the sample book, Jaeseung pointed to one of the fabrics. “Boss, what’s the price of this fabric?”

“8,000 won [approximately $6 USD] per yard. But I wouldn’t recommend it…”

“Why not?”

“Take a good look.”

The store owner rubbed the sample fabric with his thumb.

Soon.

“See how the coating’s already peeling off a bit?”

“Ah, yeah. I see.”

“You know there are two ways to coat denim fabric, right?”

Jaeseung nodded.

As the store owner said, there are two ways to coat denim fabric. The first is to finish the fabric and then coat the surface. The second is to coat the yarn itself and weave the fabric with the coated yarn.

The second method requires much more work, and the coating doesn’t peel off easily, so the price is much higher.

“This fabric is made by coating the finished fabric. The price might be good, but the coating peels off quickly. Look. I intentionally rubbed it hard, and it’s already shiny.”

As the store owner said, the area he rubbed had a subtle sheen.

“If it’s because of the price, I’ll give you the best deal I can. Coated denim doesn’t sell well these days, so I have a lot of dead stock [unsold inventory]. It’s better to make it with good quality fabric, right? Don’t you think?”

A word full of consideration.

However, Jaeseung politely declined. “It’s not because of the price. I need denim fabric that peels off easily.”

“Huh? Why…?”

The store owner looked puzzled. Jaeseung shrugged. “I want to make clothes that start as plain *black jeans* and turn into ‘leather’ as you wear them.”

“Ah!” The store owner finally understood the designer’s intention.

‘He’s going to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. A perfect change of perspective…’

The fabric’s coating is naturally prone to peeling off because of the poor processing method.

If you make ‘black jeans’ with this fabric, you’ll give a clean and plain impression at first.

But only for a moment.

Starting with the areas that are naturally subject to wear and tear, like the buttocks, thighs, and knees, the shine will appear.

That way, you can’t help but get confused about the material.

When light falls on the peeled coating, it will shine as if it were a black plastic bag.

That seemed to be the designer’s intention.

“You’re going to make clothes that can only be completed with the buyer’s effort. Right?”

Jaeseung nodded. “Yes. That’s right. The goal is to give the clothes a story. The story that these clothes will become much more beautiful over time.”

“Haha! That’s a really interesting idea!”

“But I’m looking for coated denim fabric that peels off easily because I don’t want it to take too long to complete the pants.”

Jaeseung smiled faintly. “It’s a kind of collaboration. A collaboration between the designer of Wallflower and the customer.”

The store owner was silent for a moment, then tilted his head. “How many yards do you need?”

“I’m only going to buy about forty yards today.”

“I’ll give it to you for 7,000 won per yard.”

Jaeseung widened his eyes. “You said it was 8,000 won per yard earlier?”

“That’s the regular price.”

“You’re giving me a discount of 1,000 won per yard?”

“Yeah. This is a special discount.”

The initial price of 8,000 won wasn’t that expensive, considering the fabric’s durability.

But a discount of 1,000 won was unusual.

“It’s also the price for hearing an interesting plan, and coated denim fabric doesn’t sell well these days anyway, you know?” The store owner muttered, “It’s practically dead stock…” Jaeseung bowed his head, expressing his sincere gratitude.

“Thank you so much, boss!”

“Only in words? Come often. I’ll give you a good price every time. But you have to use our fabric when you make it in the factory, okay?”

“Of course, of course. Thank you so much.”

The store owner waved his hand. “Okay, write down your address and go. I’ll have it delivered tonight.”

“Yes!”

Jaeseung wrote down the delivery address in the ledger—his home address. It was a large amount, but he could stack it in various places in the room and store the remaining fabrics on the veranda.

After paying for all the fabric with the cash he had prepared.

“Boss, I’ll be going now.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

Jaeseung and Yeongguk bowed their heads one last time and were about to leave when…

“Ah, that’s right. What about the ‘sample’ and ‘pattern’?”

“Yes?”

“Do you have a company to entrust the production to? If you don’t have a company yet, I’ll introduce you to a cheap place.”

It was common to entrust the sample and pattern to a company because the production difficulty was quite high and it took time.

Most of the sewing factories in Dongdaemun [a famous fashion district in Seoul] made samples and patterns.

Jaeseung shook his head. “No, I’m going to do it myself.”

“Huh? Yourself?”

“Yes. I have to save every penny because I don’t have much money.”

“Really?”

The store owner opened his drawer, took out a business card, and handed it to Jaeseung. “If you try to make it yourself and it doesn’t work out, give me a call. A close younger brother of mine runs a place, and the price is better than anywhere else.”

It was unlikely that making samples or patterns would not work out as he intended, but there was no need to ignore the favor.

Jaeseung said, “Thank you,” and looked at the business card.

-Taeyangsa

-CEO: Song Inhyeok

The name on the business card caused Jaeseung to sigh.

“Huh…?”

The familiar name.

Song Inhyeok.

It was Song’s real name, the man he had spent his previous life with, sometimes like a father and son, sometimes like a friend.