NEPENTHES" has been gaining enthusiastic support for its unique creations. Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the brand's founding, and its momentum continues unabated. And recently, "NEPENTHES LONDON" opened its second overseas store, following the New York store. The store stands in a corner of London's oldest arcade, Warbourne Walk, built by architect Thomas Cubitt some 200 years ago, and radiates an unobtrusive presence. The interior of the store is a calm space based on a wood-grain tone that exudes a sense of dignity. The street is lined with independent stores with black-painted exteriors and contrasting white windowpane. We interviewed Mr. Keizo Shimizu, Representative Director of Nepenthes, and Mr. Hideyuki Kataniwa, Director of Nepenthes London, about how they decided to open a store in London as a new window to Europe amid the turbulence caused by Britain's exit from the EU (Brexit) and their future outlook.
(Left): Keizo Shimizu / Representative of Nepenthes
He is one of the most talented designers of his generation, leading Nepenthes, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. He is also the designer of "Needles," which is attracting attention from around the world.
(Right): Hideyuki Kataniwa / Director, Nepenthes London
He has been involved in buying for Nepenthes for many years and spends his time traveling around the world. He is the key person in the London store.
You are celebrating your 30th anniversary. Why did you open your second overseas store following New York? Why did you choose London as the location?
clear (pure) waterOne of the reasons is that it has been about 10 years since the opening of our first overseas store in New York, and that store is gradually getting back on track. Also, I had always wanted to do something to mark the company's 30th anniversary, and at first I had the idea of holding an event, but something about that naturally led me to this second overseas store. From a certain stage, I had already decided that London would be the next place to open a store, so the timing was just right.
When exactly did you have the idea for the London store?
clear (pure) waterFor a long time, I had wanted to open a store in New York, London, and other cities like LA and Paris. I considered opening stores in those places from time to time, but in the end I decided on London without much hesitation.
single gardenWhen we were going around Europe on a buying trip, we didn't find many select men's stores that we wanted to shop at.
clear (pure) waterYes, it is. Originally, "Nepenthes" has a strong menswear element. But I think the main reason is that I love London.
Why did you choose a location slightly outside of the commercial area of Euston? I think it is typical of Nepenthes, but I think some local residents might ask why.
clear (pure) waterI have been coming to London every year for the past 15 years, staying in this area every time, so I am familiar with this area. I looked around at various places before opening the store, but in the end I thought this street would be good, and a vacancy came up at the right time. As is the case with Tokyo and other stores, I would like to have a place where people understand the Nepenthes brand and come to visit us, even if it is not on a main street or in a prominent location. The New York store was also a bit out of the center of the city, and originally there was nothing there at all.
single gardenI like the atmosphere of this street and the appearance of the buildings because it is something you don't find in the center of London. The fact that there are arcades and other London-like features was also a deciding factor.
You had an office in London itself for a time starting in the 1990s. What function or role did the London office actually play?
clear (pure) waterAt that time, I was mainly engaged in buying, and the rest was original planning and production.
single gardenIn the future, while also doing purchasing, I would like to develop a little more from there, not simply selling, but also promoting the world view and concept of "Nepenthes".
What is the biggest change you feel between when the office was established and now in London?
single gardenI think the men's selection in department stores has changed drastically since then. Also, East London was highlighted for a while, but it settled down after the London Olympics, and I feel that the scene surrounding men's clothing, especially casual wear, has changed. A decade ago, I had the impression that many people were wearing skinny jeans, but I think there is more variation now.
clear (pure) waterI think it is a worldwide sign, but it does seem more homogenized.
How will you differentiate between what you sell in your own store and what you wholesale?
clear (pure) waterAlthough there are some brands that we purchase, there is not much difference since our main brand is originally our own brand. We plan to discuss the basic framework of the product lineup between the two of us.
single gardenWe would like to increase the number of products, including not only products but also projects, that we transmit from our own company in the future. We are strongly aware that we are approaching a stage where we will be communicating from Japan to the rest of the world what we have been communicating from overseas to Japan.
Who are the people who work at the London store?
single gardenWe have two floors, so there are currently eight people on the team. Most of the applicants came in through direct messages from the Nepenthes Instagram. They know a lot of things, they give me ideas, and I have a very good impression of them when I interact with them. They are very attentive to details, and we are also stimulated by their sensitivity.
In our previous interview, we asked you about the relationship between Shimizu-san and Ohki-san, and we would like to ask you about your story with Kataniwa-san.
single gardenThere is no anecdote worth mentioning; it seems that the relationship was built naturally before I knew it.
clear (pure) waterWe often go abroad together on buying trips. I think we are almost always together when we come to London, including Europe. Through our longstanding relationship, he understands things that other people don't understand, so I thought I could entrust him with the launch of "Nepenthes London. I think it is significant that he understands our sensory preferences or tastes.
Looking at the current fashion scene in London, is there anything that "Nepenthes" can do, or anything you would like to do in the future?
single gardenWhat I want to do is "the retail", so I hope to create intersections of people and things. I hope that each staff member can create different intersections and enrich the triangle of people, things, and markets. We do not intend to grow too large in scale, so we would like to grow the store so that people will find it quaint, interesting, and fun. Although e-commerce tends to be the focus of attention nowadays, I believe that the most important thing is to go back to the basics of the retail business and create a solid store.
With Brexit just around the corner (February 2019 at the time of the interview) and the world in chaos, I think opening a store is a challenge, but why did you dare to choose this time of year?
clear (pure) waterI guess it was just a coincidence (laughs). I wasn't really conscious of that. It was just that this was a good time for Nepenthes to open a store in London, as we were celebrating our 30th anniversary. Engineered Garments is gradually gaining recognition, and recently Needles is also becoming well known. In fact, we distribute Needles to about 40 stores in Europe, and we have many customers in England.
I understand that the next issue of your in-house catalog "INPRINT" will focus on London. What will the contents be like?
clear (pure) waterWe plan to make it our own biased London issue that will not appear in other media (laughs). (Laughs.) I think it will be something that local Londoners will enjoy as well.
single gardenThe "Warbourne Walk" where the store is located is also very old-fashioned London-like, like an arcade or downtown. The unique scene surrounding this area will also be introduced.
Finally, please tell us specifically about the things you will focus on in the future.
clear (pure) waterI still want to do things that look British.
single gardenYes, I would like to start a new label. I would also like to start a London label as soon as possible. I have done a little before, but I feel that I can do something at a different stage now than I did then.
clear (pure) waterAfter opening the London store, I have not yet decided on the next step, whether it will be a store or a brand. However, I believe that the most important thing is to open a store, so if we open a store, it could be in the U.S., Europe, or Japan.
