INTERVIEW: PANCHO AND LEFTY
In a market that is heavily dominated by trends and profits, finding quality garments has become some sort of a challenge, especially in the small coastal town of Östhammar, Sweden.
Having moved to Östhammar from the fashion conscious and diverse city of Stockholm, the future Pancho and Lefty founder Mikkö Engström felt the same void and ultimately opened his shop to supply the local community and international customers with the best products he could find.
Heavily influenced by their love of Japan and the outdoors, Mikkö and his business partner David source garments and products from all around the world, laying a meticulous emphasis on quality, durability and ultimately aesthetics.
TNO sat together with the two shop owners and talked Japan, originality and the most exciting brands on the market.
TNO: Hello David and Mikko, could you please introduce our audience to Pancho and Lefty, what makes your shop so special?
David: I would say that the shop is a perfect reflection of our respective style sensibilities, there’s not a single item we carry in the shop that hasn’t been discussed between the two of us, both once and twice, before we decide that it is the right fit for us. Which means in the end that every item is something that we both could see ourselves wearing proudly. This is very important to us; I’d like to think that this genuine love for what we do shines through in what we represent.
TNO: What’s the story behind the name Pancho and Lefty?
Mikko: The name comes from a Townes van Zandt song. Been a fan for a really long time. Townes was one of the best American singer-songwriters who ever lived in my opinion.
Before I opened up Pancho and Lefty I had another store called Mr Mudd and Mr Gold, which also got its name from a Townes song. It felt natural to follow along the same theme.
TNO: What is the ethos of Pancho and Lefty?
Mikko: Our ethos is still the same as when I first opened the shop; Our goal is to present artisanally designed and crafted objects to the world the way we feel these objects should be presented. We view fashion retail as an art form, and this is what we try to express with Pancho and Lefty.
TNO: What made you guys want to open a store specifically in Östhammar? Why not Stockholm?
Mikko: I actually ran a store in Stockholm 10 years ago, Mr Mudd and Mr Gold. The idea behind that shop was similar to Pancho and Lefty. I closed Mr Mudd and Mr Gold when I moved from Stockholm and left the big city life for good ;), but the store follows me wherever I go. It felt right to reopen under the new name to sort of signal the change of scenery. Right now, we’re enjoying life in the countryside near the ocean here in Östhammar. It’s only an hour and a half drive from Stockholm. “Not Far” as Tokyo citizens might say?
TNO: How important is originality within the retail sector?
David: I think it’s crucial, if you’re not original, then the whole purpose of operating a shop is lost. You’re never alone with the brands or items you carry. I mean there will always be competitors that present some of the same stuff as you do, so I’d like to believe that what you get when buying from us is a piece of the Pancho and Lefty universe, not just the specific item you’re after. I think that smaller independent players like us is quite an important part in keeping retail interesting and original.
TNO: What specific aspects do you guys find fascinating about Japanese garments? When did the love for this kind of clothing start? Was it something that you guys discovered on your first trips to Japan?
David: I actually didn’t get a chance to visit Japan until 2014. My first real encounter with Japanese streetwear was on my first trip to London in ‘00 when I finally got an up-close and personal look at some of the brands I’d only read about and drooled over in magazines like Popeye, Smart and Cooltrans, through shops like The Hideout and Duffer of St George. Although I’d already developed an interest in brands like Bape and Goodenough, I was really blown away by how well made and cool this stuff was in real life. Roughly three years later things started cooking here in Stockholm too; Beneath opened as the first shop to carry Visvim shoes and the CDG Guerilla store came to town. These shops got me completely hooked. I could spend hours on this online forum called Superfuture to learn as much as I could about the brands, and their affiliates and more importantly, how to get this stuff shipped from Japan. The long-lost days of Rakuten and Google Translate ;)
Mikko: For me, it also started around ‘00 with Japanese Streetwear and Japanese denim. I read loads of Japanese magazines back then, opening my eyes to brands like Visvim, Neighborhood, Evisu and BAPE. I was always searching for these kinds of brands on my trips to Paris, London and LA, which took me to beautiful stores like Colette, Union and The Hideout.
I really love the attention to detail, quality/fabrics, the craftsmanship that Japanese brands often tend to have. However, the brands we sell here at Pancho and Lefty doesn’t HAVE to be from Japan. It’s not a must. We simply tend to end up there since Japanese designers and makers always seem to provide the kind of items we look for.
TNO: You guys seem to have a special affection for Kapital. Why is that? Why does it resonate so well with Pancho and Lefty?
Mikko: Been a fan of Kapital for many years now. And getting to know people like Eric Kvatek and Kiro Hirata is truly a privilege, such amazing guys. Having been invited to help them out on a couple of catalogue shoots is a true blessing. Things like this, getting close with the people behind the product, makes my love for this brand even stronger. Denim rooted, with a modern twist and humorous elements taken from pop culture and music, just the way I like it!
David: I think that the quirkiness of Kapital’s designs combined with the beautiful, handcrafted nature of the pieces and amazingly good pre-distressing is what does it for me. Just like Mikko I have a background in denim shops, I think that the denim roots of Kapital still sort of shines through and really resonates with me and my schooling in this business.
TNO: Talk us through your first visit to Japan? How would you guys describe the experience?
David: It had been a long time coming for me to finally get to visit Japan in 2014. Japan and more specifically Tokyo is everything I’ve ever imagined and then some. I was truly overwhelmed the first time coming to Tokyo, I remember vividly feeling like the city had this coolness I hadn’t experienced anywhere else and I was taken back by the innate hospitality and friendliness of the people; That sales clerk in Beauty And Youth who spent a good 15 minutes helping me set up the free WIFI account from Lawson, the guy we asked for directions from who walked with us about a kilometre all the way to where we were going…
There are so many amazing things to see and do and eat and even though I’ve visited once a year up until Covid hit, it still feels like I’ve only explored a small fraction of the city and barely anything of the country. I keep desperately longing back!
Mikko: I always travel alone, so it was really overwhelming and a bit scary for me the first time I went to Japan, haha! I didn’t know anyone, couldn’t speak a word of Japanese and didn’t have any WIFI on my phone… To say I did my research before going there would be an understatement, you wouldn’t believe the number of maps I printed out before that first trip. And the heat! Wow! I came to Japan in July and I had never experienced such a humid and warm climate before. Really sweaty and also super exciting, of course. To finally meet up with all these Japanese brands was a dream come true. Not to mention the food and the wonderful people, the huge contrast between mega-cities and beautiful nature… To me, Japan really has it all.
TNO: Are there any parallels between Swedish and Japanese culture in regard to the culture and way of living? If so, what are they?
David: Maybe. I believe that we share a sort of timidness and politeness with the Japanese, both nationalities share a deep respect and love for nature, and I think that some design sensibilities are similar too. That said, I think it’s perhaps easier to spot the differences between our cultures, haha.
Mikko: I agree with David. We share a lot with the Japanese, but there are a lot of differences as well. Sometimes it’s a bit of a cultural clash, even though there are obvious similarities, I still think we can learn a thing or two from each other.
TNO: Did you guys experience any shifts in the clothing industry in recent years and are there any predictions for the years to come?
Mikko: Unfortunately, I feel that it is getting harder and harder for small independent stores like ours to survive and to get the attention that many of us deserve. There are a lot of big “giants” out there that are really hard to compete with. I really hope that large successful brands out there start to care and show more interest in these small independent shops. Fingers crossed.
David: The biggest difference I think is how everyone has been forced into figuring out how to primarily work online. There are of course a whole lot of benefits with this, both financially and convenience, so I’m pretty sure that online will remain the norm. That said I really can’t wait until we get a chance to travel and to place our orders in person in the showrooms again, miss seeing our extended brand family!
TNO: Are there any exciting brands or people within the clothing cosmos of late that you guys would like to share with us?
Mikko: I’m really impressed with the work of Emily Bode. Would love to get a chance to see those wonderful BODE garments in real life after this Covid nightmare. The whole atmosphere feels wonderful to me. I’m also very impressed with the mysterious Mr HIDDEN. It’s really impressive how he’s made such a fantastic business out of his Instagram mood board. To me he seems like an overall great guy, I’m really happy when stand up guys like him do well. Swedish denim brand INDIGOFERA JEANS is always worth mentioning. A solid, classic denim brand. One of the best around.
David: Can’t really think of anything super new, but I keep finding myself scrolling through the feed from UNUSED. Really dig their aesthetic and how they style the collection. I think that BRU NA BOINNE is pretty sick too, and ADVANCEDRESEARCH is a new Instagram mood board that I think is quite cool.
TNO: What is your favourite item in the store currently and why? What’s the story behind it?
Mikko: The Kutani Choemon Teacup. I start my day with some herbal tea that my late mom used to drink. I love the juxtaposition of these cups being a sort of “heritage” product, still made by hand pretty much the same way as when Choemon opened for business in 1879, but in a funny and contemporary design.
David: I think the Choemon cups are great too, but instead of tea I get coffee in mine ;). It’s really tough to choose a specific product, I think there’s so much good stuff in the shop right now. But an essential item I use in my daily life is the Peanuts carabiner. It’s always clipped onto my pants, without it I’m sure I’d never been able to find my keys, haha.
TNO: If we are ever in Östhammar, what other sights should we visit besides Pancho and Lefty?
Mikko: There are a lot of picturesque mill towns in this region. I recommend visiting them for an outside lunch, cooked with delicious local produce. The archipelago is a must of course. Go for a swim in the cold water between wonderful small islands. Very refreshing.
