THE REAL MCCOYS: EXCERPT FROM TYPE 7 VOLUME 5

The Real McCoys: Excerpt From Type 7 Volume 5

Hitoshi Tsujimoto invites us into the headquarters of The Real McCoy’s to witness his unique manufacturing hub and car collection.

‘If I really could, I would love to time-travel.’ Hitoshi Tsujimoto speaks softly but with a serious look in his eyes. He’s the owner of one of Japan’s most beloved handcrafted fashion brands The Real McCoy’s, and he has been deeply in love with the ‘73 Carrera since he was a high school student. Now he has the exact car that graced the cover of his favourite magazine back in the day, and he still can’t hide his excitement about it.

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In a sense, it’s only a drop in the ocean; Tsujimoto-san’s collection is of such a different calibre that we lost track of time when speaking with him. He once owned Steve McQueen’s 911S and currently owns a DB5 used in James Bond. All of this is contained in a repository that feels straight out of an Indiana Jones film, under the roof of a 100-year-old warehouse on the wharf at the Port of Kobe.

The Real McCoy’s, which offers exquisitely crafted flight jackets and other US military items, is now an indispensable ‘American casual’ fashion brand that is attracting attention not only in Japan, but around the world.

In fact Tsujimoto-san is not the founder of the brand. He emerged at a young age at an American and European vintage clothing shop based in Osaka area, and was later a key figure in distributing The Real McCoy’s in Japan. Then, as the brand went bankrupt in early 2000s amidst a broader downturn across the country, Tsujimoto-san acquired and reimagined what the brand could be.

Tsujimoto-san’s collection is of such a different calibre that we lost track of time when speaking with him. He once owned Steve McQueen’s 911S and currently owns a DB5 used in James Bond. All of this is contained in a repository that feels straight out of an Indiana Jones film.

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He is quick to list the growing global value of vintage fashion and the rise of social media changing the perception of fashion, but ultimately it seems to be their deep commitment to manufacturing in pursuit of authenticity to the point of excess. Each piece is made in Japan with a high degree of craftsmanship; the attention paid to leather and natural materials is so great that they surpass the originals. All manufacturing and sewing is done in-house, and soon the company will be producing its own weaving fabrics – a rarity in today’s fashion industry.

The full, feature length story on Hitoshi Tsujimoto and The Real McCoy’s is printed in Type 7: Volume 5, available now to purchase from our online shop.