THE JOURNAL

The new arrivals you need this spring, from some of the country’s best designers.
Our friends in Japan tend to deliver their collections that little bit later than their counterparts in Europe. But as anyone familiar with their wares will know, they are very much worth the wait. Why? To put it simply: no one makes clothes like they do in Japan. Whether it’s about rich indigo dyeing, custom-woven selvedge denim, obsessively authentic vintage detailing or extraordinary craft processes, reinvented for the modern world, the Japanese brands we at MR PORTER love are all making rather special collections, crafted with integrity. What’s more, they tend to up the ante each season. (Hand-painted shirts? Absolutely. Why not?). As a fresh drop of Japanese products arrives on site today, we thought it high time you were reintroduced to some of the key players – scroll down, and prepare to fill up that Wish List.

CHIMALA
Chimala is a rather mysterious brand. Apparently named after a non-existent mountain in the Himalayas, it doesn’t have a website, and its designer, Ms Noriko Machida, doesn’t seem particularly fond of doing interviews. Nonetheless, its clothes speak for themselves. Drawing heavily from vintage denim designs from the 1950s-1970s, Chimala offers superbly worn-in clothing packed with authentic details. The above chore jacket is a case in point, with its asymmetric pockets, raglan shoulders and beautifully washed, indigo-dyed denim. Wear it with a pair of the brand’s jeans in an ultra-distressed finish.

ORSLOW
The mind-boggling fact about Nishinomiya-based brand OrSlow is that it not only uses fantastic Japanese fabrics, but that it weaves them itself using locally-sourced materials. This means there’s a particular kind of love in its textiles – amply demonstrated by this spring’s slub cottons. Get a handle on them yourself by pairing one of OrSlow’s summery beige chore jackets with a textured striped T-shirt – they’re simple, wearable and pleasingly tactile.
VISVIM
Unusually, Mr Hiroki Nakamura’s cult brand Visvim mounted a runway show for SS17 (the first it’s ever done), which took place in Florence last June at the Pitti Uomo trade show. Yet, unsurprisingly, this was one of our favourite collections of the whole season, so overwhelming in its range of eye-catching garments and artisanal techniques that it was difficult to finally tear ourselves away from the showroom. The products arriving this week demonstrate the lengths to which Mr Nakamura is prepared to go in his quest for the ultimate product – in particular, this rather eye-wateringly priced but undeniably spectacular hand-painted shirt. All you need to do is extend your mortgage slightly and you can wear it with this complementary (and sumptuously soft) suede trucker jacket.
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