The series "HEIGHTS VISIT," which contains the history of the brand in the Heights Store and things that others did not know, is a content that visits the brand office in person and introduces it.We met with three directors (Kim Jin-ho, Shin Hee-taek, and Ham Dong-soo) of the brand Demil MFG, which is based on vintage archives, and conducted our first office tour.Demil MFG aims to create the best products that can be made from the perspective of producers, out of reach from patterns to sewing.

hello. Please give us a brief introduction about your brand.

Demilitarize, which means demilitarization, has been shortened to Demil, which means that old clothes are unraveled to fit the current era.

I'm curious about how the three of you launched the brand.

Director Dong-soo Ham, who has a history of running a personal brand in Japan, and director Jin-ho Kim, who enjoyed collecting vintage clothing, met and decided to 'make a product as high-quality as Japanese selvedge denim'. After that, director Shin Hee-taek, who had been developing a brand specializing in handmade chino pants, joined, and it became a three-person system.

Are there any brands you would like to work with?

Ham Dong-soo: Nike, LEVI'S Korea, Naechon Carpentry Shop located in Hongcheon, Gangwon-do.

Jinho Kim: Defense Science Research Institute (ADD). I would like to make a maintenance uniform and give it to you.

Shin Hee-taek: LEVI'S Korea. It's a brand synonymous with denim, so I really want to collaborate with them.

There are many vintage sewing machines or machines in the office. How did you collect them?

Some were personally owned by director Kim Jin-ho, and some were purchased directly from Thailand and the United States. I bought products online that I couldn't see in person. Union Special 43200G was purchased to maximize the puckering of the bottom hem, and Union Special 35800G to maximize the puckering of the yoke and hip.

I heard that you also offer a hemming service, but I'm curious about how it works.

If you fold a product that needs to be repaired into the desired length, fix it with tongs or tape, and send it by prepaid courier, we will repair the length accordingly. Demil Atelier (handmade) products are repaired once free of charge, and other products are repaired at a certain cost.

Union Special 35800G

What do you think about the most while working?

In fact, there are times when I don't think about anything when I'm doing repetitive work, but when I do overlock work, I think I need to concentrate more than when I do other work, so I think 'I shouldn't be wrong' the most. Overall, I always think that even if it is a simple repetitive task, I am progressing little by little through this series of practice.

Have you had any difficulties while working recently?

There is a fabric that has been planning since November 2021, but it took time for 1 years due to fair issues. We are preparing a collaboration project with a designer brand with the fabric, but we are having some difficulties because we are sewing denim pants with a design that is out of the existing shape, but we are working hard to produce a product with a high degree of completion.

What are the current interests and hobbies of directors?

Ham Dong-soo: Before going to work, I read books in the fields of history/philosophy/humanities. The history of various fields is closely related to clothing, so I am reading it interestingly these days.

Kim Jin-ho: I collect images and purchase information on vintage clothing and sewing machines, or I enjoy watching videos on repairing a sewing machine on Instagram or YouTube.

Shin Hee-taek: My biggest concern these days is parenting, and the next biggest concern is the YouTube 'OATT' channel with employees. I'm running YouTube because I need an activity to ventilate in my repetitive daily life, but recently everyone has been busy and can't upload well. I often think about what kind of video I can show more useful content next time.

Do you have any projects or plans in mind?

In April and May of this year, we plan to open an offline shop with clothing producer group 'SCHEMA (圖式)' and local brand 'RTBP ALLIANCE' based in Yeongdo, Busan. A caravan (pop-up) of the local brand 'Onomichi Denim Project' will be held at the offline shop.

Lastly, would you like to say something to people who like DEMIL?

I feel a lot of positive energy thanks to the people who send me letters or support me. Recently, middle-aged customers in their 50s and 60s came to watch YouTube, and they are the driving force for us to work harder. We always appreciate your interest, and we will become a brand that introduces good planning and products using our knowledge of denim and our experiences in the production process as weapons.