The Secret Shopaholics Thread #6

[castorpollux]

nike - air huarache (I had these when I was a kid)

nike.com

 

[softgrey]

Love it, but it looks like undergarments would be a struggle

I have no idea why you think that...
loads of bras all have wide set shoulder straps...
most of mine do...
i find them infinitely more flattering...

 

[softgrey]

i just ordered these from Steggman

https://www.stegmannusa.com/collections/womens/products/womens-ecowool-clog?variant=14653661577268

 

[MulletProof]

@runner hey runner, didn't know where to ask this so I'll ask here because why pretend this doesn't come from aimeless shopping habits haha: several years ago, I read that Muji's Labo line, designed by Margaret Howell, was being discontinued. However, it doesn't seem to have ever really gone away. I assumed they were just getting rid of whatever they had left but I saw some stuff yesterday that is new and looked and felt like MH. Is she still designing this? it's so hard to find cause I'm like a toddler on Japanese fashion websites (a. can't read anything to save my life and b. I have no idea what I'm doing, basically just click on the pictures + everything and nothing ).

 

[runner]

what I found is muji labo first season supervised by MH ( anglobal, currently known as TSI, strictly speaking) was SS 2012. and then, from SS 2017 menswear by daisuke obana (of N.HOOLYWOOD), womenswear by taro horiuchi. these are all official information.

according to the muji apparel department manager, ryousuke yamauchi, from 2019 either one of them was doing both because muji labo decided to be a totally unisex line. it seems that they like our mind being in a state of uncertainty. but I guess from the design it's taro horiuch that had been doing it.
and if you just saw something new that looks like MH, there is a possibility it's her stuff now, again.

along the way I found that in the shining jack nicholson was wearing a corduroy jacket by MH.

 

[MulletProof]

^ haha random at best. Love these old-school MH bits. I remember MMA sharing some fun facts about the label in the early 80s.

And yes! the Labo line is surrounded by secrecy, I actually learned from someone who went to Tokyo for Muji training that initially it was designed by Yohji and the idea was to rotate designers (that's what got me wondering- who's designing for it right now?). Anyway, their new stuff is yummy.. I actually wish Taro was behind it since it would just.. keep things more fresh but never say no to MH and this looks like it to me!

Thanks for the research!

 

[softgrey]

hey- well...
i didn't know any of the above so thx to @runner and @MulletProof for sharing...



guess i'll have to pop over and check this stuff out...

 

[runner]

some more details if you are interested

1992 - 2002 yoichi nagasawa as director in charge of muji clothing line

2002 - 2005 kunio uehara as menswear chief designer
2002 - 2008 FW ( until 2009 spring) YY inc for overall supervision

2003 jack henry as art director for muji europe, womenswear and mens ( before JH it was wim neels, if I remember rightly, but could not find that info online)

muji labo was launched in 2006.
extensive renovation in 2012, and I think that was when they first publicized the name of the designer (that is, MH). maybe they needed to shore it up.
muji means "not high profile but attractive products" basically. so the involvement of YY was not announced officially back then (it's yohji himself that confirmed it afterwards). muji was originally a saison group (seibu, etc) -related project. so he could not decline the mission.

" There was one person who encouraged me to meet Kawakubo, Kazuko Koike. Koike is a famous creative director who participated in the launch of Muji with Ikko Tanaka and others under Seiji Tsutsumi, who was the leader of Saison Group. We were able to open shops at Seibu Department Store and Parco, thanks to Koike's support."

Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons: Yohji Yamamoto (14)

 

[MulletProof]

^ 'friendly rivalry'.. he puts it in such a calm and sincere way that it's almost aspirational (to have that kind of person in your life ).

I can't believe I'm FINALLY reading an official confirmation and learning that it wasn't just an urban myth!

The integrity of Muji is still astounding to me, especially now that even Rei has caved into catering to the more vulturish, social media-fueled consumer. They could try the Uniqlo approach, and yet they protect their collaborations from evaporating into the unsustainability of hype and marketing at all costs. In a time when you want to unlearn things from brands AND people because.. you never asked for the bombardement, they still manage to maintain mystery and probably/accidentally, something more personal and way less cluttered than when you're admittedly considering a purchase influenced by advertisements.

 

[lucy92]

Are they working with well known industrial designers for the Muji home items? Or is it possible that YY and others more well known for fashion were trying their hand at designing home items?

 

[Deleted member 157665]

I hope I'm not the only one who - after the first year of pandemic - went kinda bonkers with some good, old retail therapy. The amount of football jerseys I amassed makes me wanna party like it's 2003.
I like to mix them up with some rock and punk clothing, I've always liked that look.

 

[runner]

Are they working with well known industrial designers for the Muji home items? Or is it possible that YY and others more well known for fashion were trying their hand at designing home items?

muji has a broad range of things, but has to have a unified feeling, certain cohesive image. in this regard, yohji was involved in overall product direction because yohji (himself, not YY inc) was a member of the the advisory board (consisting of 4-7 specialists, depending on year) along with naoto fukazawa etc. the meeting took place in the morning once a month.

with muji's own apparel team placed under YY inc, clothes, sneakers, whatever were being done.

I believe it's not like YY inc was designing specific home appliances etc.



shirt by YY and CD player by naoto fukazawa from muji

catch-a-wave

 

[MulletProof]

^ I remember that CD player! and that shelf! haven't seen that in years! I wonder if he was also behind the shower-friendly music player! that was a dream! (never got it but glad someone was active in the small pleasure of showering with music!).

Runner, can I drop another trivia just because it's killing me not being able to remember! : some years ago, Muji use to sell this line of tableware in the US, it was handmade or something, way more expensive than their regular tableware, and it was fabricated in one specific region in Japan and 99% sure it was named after it as well? I haven't seen it in at least 5 years. Ryuji, Ryoko, Ri... yu..

 

[runner]

I cannot seem to find out if he did the shampoo friendly player. here are some of his products for muji. but I'm sure they are just small part of what he did.
Naoto Fukasawa

Ryukyu ?
#133 琉球ガラス　Ryukyu Glass | Found MUJI | 無印良品

his bluetooth speaker for muji


blog.goo.ne.jp

 

[MulletProof]

^ RYUKYU!!! yes!!! and yes it's FOUND (more thematic [world travel] rather than regional). Oh my god. Runner, you.. read our minds.

Did FOUND just.. exit the US market?

 

[runner]

I don't know ,but it used to be available at muji hollywood etc? if they don't have it there, it might have exited.

 

[MulletProof]

^ Muji exited California when they filed for bankrupcy during the pandemic! (my Found scanner is now East Coast-focused haha!).

 

[runner]

oh another ruthless history

 

[softgrey]

i know Found MUJI~!

i went to a Found MUJI store while in Tokyo...
i remember lots of wood and natural materials...
i bought a hand carved wood nut press...lol...

i also got a reusable bag which was complimentary because it had launched recently and i use that bag consistently...
it is one of my fave things...

also got a chambray workwear jacket at the time...
*note to self* wear that more often...

the bag is printed to look like woven burlap or something like that and says :

Found
MUJI AOYAMA 2011.11.11 OPEN

 

[softgrey]

I cannot seem to find out if he did the shampoo friendly player. here are some of his products for muji. but I'm sure they are just small part of what he did.
Naoto Fukasawa

Ryukyu ?
#133 琉球ガラス　Ryukyu Glass | Found MUJI | 無印良品

his bluetooth speaker for muji
View attachment 1219840

blog.goo.ne.jp

I am officially impressed by all those designs posted to Fukasawa's website...
not a bad one in the bunch~!