Japanese Lessons – Style

After the departure of most major brands from the Russian market, Asian fashion received a new wave of popularity. Japanese clothing has always had a large following because they are reliable and stylish items that will definitely stand the test of time. Many brands from Japan were inspired by the heritage of American work and military clothing, which, together with the high quality of production, gave world fashion a separate milestone. We have selected several Asian brands that can be found in Russian stores and are definitely worth paying attention to.

Advice that is relevant for many things from Japan: it’s better to try it on in person first. Authentic Japanese brands produce most items for the domestic market, so sizes may vary greatly from European standards. After the second or third purchase, you can already switch to online shopping.

Liberaiders

Liberaiders founder Mei Yang was born and raised in China. After entering the university in Kyoto, he moved to Japan, where he remained to live. Young traveled widely throughout his life, and his main interests were photography and rock and roll. Actually, these are the three pillars on which Liberaiders, founded by Young in 2017, is built. The name itself is a combination of the words Liberate (liberate) and Raiders (invaders). The brand’s collections consist of basic items: hoodies, long sleeves, trousers, shorts, shirts, as well as outdoor clothing for travel.

Neighborhood

Neighborhood is a brand that emerged from the aesthetics of American vintage clothing, punk culture and bikers. Having founded the brand in 1994, designer Shin Takizawa transmitted his own cultural codes in the Neighborhood collections: Mr. Takizawa remained an avid collector of vintage motorcycles and an admirer of alternative music. The brand’s style is based on references to American clothing – heavy denim, varsity jackets, hoodies, trousers and even hockey uniforms. In addition to clothing, Neighborhood also features home goods and accessories in its lines.

visvim

Perhaps the brightest brand on this list. Founded in 2000 by designer Hiroki Nakamura, visvim is inspired by Americana, Native American aesthetics, patchwork and European workwear. The brand’s collections include both items in bright colors with exotic prints, as well as basic wardrobe items. Most visvim items are hand-dyed using natural dyes (such as indigo). The high price is explained by the individual approach to each item, many of which are made by hand. In addition to clothing, you can also find reliable and durable shoes in the visvim collections.

orSlow

For those who collect a basic wardrobe from reliable and durable items, orSlow is definitely suitable. The brand was founded in 2005 by designer Ichiro Nakatsu. Nakatsu has had a lifelong passion for vintage American clothing (mostly jeans) and military uniforms. orSlow collections consist of the simplest possible wardrobe items: jeans, shorts, shirts and a minimum of accessories. The brand name itself refers to a leisurely approach to creating clothes: every seam, button and silhouette is carefully checked at all stages of production.

Buzz Rickson’s

Buzz Rickson’s is part of Toyo Enterprises, which owns several large Japanese brands (for example, Sugar Cane). The peculiarity of Buzz Rickson`s is that this brand exactly reproduces American things of the mid-20th century. And it’s not just about the design and silhouette – Buzz repeats every detail down to the smallest detail, right down to the seams. The fabrics are also sewn “as they were then” – for this, the brand turns to weaving factories that work using ancient technology to preserve the texture of the fabric. By the way, the name of the brand is the name of Steve McQueen’s character from the film “War Lover” (1962).

Ilya Petruk