Pop-Up News, Show Highlights, and a My Next BMW?

It’s Friday again, and I’m sitting here at my desk with a bit of a “trade show hangover.” This isn’t the kind you cure with greasy food and painkillers (I only had three drinks in Munich this week, which is basically an achievement for me).

This one’s different. It’s what happens when you spend two days giving a lot of yourself, being fully present, talking with people from morning to night.

Some folks—my wife included—actually get energy from that kind of social buzz. I’m wired the other way. For me, it takes energy.

I got back on Wednesday evening, and yesterday felt like a blur. Overstimulated, drained, but also grateful—because it usually means I’ve had good conversations and soaked up a lot of impressions worth sharing.

Before I look back at what happened this week, I want to talk about something that happens next week:

Weirloom Pop-Up at Brund on Sep 11-13

From Thursday to Saturday next week, Weirloom will be popping up at Brund in Copenhagen—the first time for my brand to be in a retail environment.

The pop-up runs from Thursday morning when the shop opens at 10:00, and on the first day, we’re celebrating with beers and snacks from 16:00.

This is the first time you can actually try on Weirloom in person before you buy: I’ll bring the WL-001 ‘Second Edition’ jeans and the new T-shirt.

Show Recap: Inside Bluezone’s New Chapter

This week I was in Munich for the September edition of Bluezone, the denim-focused part of Munich Fabric Start. I’ve been going to this show for almost a decade, and it always reminds me why I love this industry. Sure, it’s about the fabric and the jeans—but it’s also about the people. The laughs, the conversations, the little denim gang that gathers every season.

This edition was different. Bluezone has now moved to the centre of the MOC alongside the rest of the show. That makes things more convenient and efficient, but it also changes the feel of the space. Some of the “denim spirit” of the old halls was missed, but the trade-off is that exhibitors are easier to find and logistics are smoother.

Highlights included the Homegrown Legends installation (with Ruedi Karrer, Erwin Licher, and the Levi Strauss Museum), Tilmann Wröbel’s Trend Zone, and a seminar programme that hit a sweet spot—I even hosted a talk on denim and social media with Wouter as my guest.

From the conversations I had with exhibitors and visitors, the mood was constructive. Everyone knows the market is tough, but the exhibitors showing here are betting on the platform. They want more denim identity, more energy, and a little more soul. And I think Bluezone is listening.

Oh, something else that happened at Bluezone: On the morning of the first time, I met up with Wolfgang, a Weirloom customer from the Frankfurt area. By coincidence, he was in Munich the same week, so I hand-delivered his pair of jeans.

We even managed to convince the staff at the door to let him into the show, where he became my “intern of the day.” He helped me shoot some reels (including the one above about Ruedi exhibition and it was just a really good time; one of those unexpected moments that made this Bluezone edition especially memorable.

“Why is there a hashtag on the patch?”

On the @weirloom Instagram this week, I shared more of the story behind my brand; a video the patch on the WL-001, and why it has that little “hashtag”-looking weave mark. (Spoiler: it’s not a hashtag, but a nod to the fabric itself—watch the reel if you missed it.)

There’s also been some fun community action: Will Halbert posted a shot in his pair, and Grant from the Arcuate recreated it down to the pose and outfit—a perfect side-by-side tribute that put a smile on my face.

Moments like that are exactly what I hoped for when I started Weirloom: jeans that people actually wear, enjoy, and make their own.

Robin Reminded Me of Something I Have to Do!

One thing I hadn’t expected at Bluezone was how much time I got to spend with Robin (aka @robindenim).

We’ve known each other for years, but he’s a busy guy—besides running his content business and his brand Realign, he’s got a full-time job—so having that time together was a really nice surprise.

We shared experiences, compared notes on how we each run our projects, and those conversations got me thinking about something I’ve wanted to do for a long time:

With Weirloom finding its rhythm and fewer consulting commitments on my plate right now, I finally have the space to do it.

I want to go deeper into brand-dedicated guides and also branch into categories I haven’t covered before.

I’m not making promises—things change, priorities shift—but my plan right now is to start working on new guides next week. One guide, one week at a time.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a pair of jeans, a denim jacket, a shirt, a T-shirt, or basically anything else in this world of raw denim, start your hunt here:

Was My Next Car Revealed Today?

Today, something else happened that I couldn’t resist mentioning:

BMW revealed the new iX3 Neue Klasse, and as a longtime BMW guy, I’ve been waiting for this one.

My first car was a 2005 320d with 250,000 km on the clock when we got it. It was more of a handful to keep running than I’d expected, so we only had it for a year, but since then I’ve had a few different BMWs—an X1, a 1-series, a 5-series, and my favourite of them all, the i3.

Our i3 is from 2013, the very first production year, and it’s loaded with equipment: sunroof, Harman Kardon speakers, adaptive cruise control—the works.

It’s a joy to drive, and (knock on wood) it’s been exceptionally reliable and cheap to run. The only real drawback is the tiny first-gen battery. On a good day, we’re happy if it makes 100 km on a full charge.

That’s why I’ve been eyeing what’s next. The new iX3 goes on sale later this year. With everything I’m putting into Weirloom right now, I won’t be buying one anytime soon—but if things go to plan, maybe in a few years I’ll be able to park one in my garage. (Don’t say I’m not ambitious and have goals 😉)

Thanks for reading,
Thomas