From The Archive
Interview With Eiichiro Homma From nanamica
With this series, we look back on some of our favourite moments with the designers and creators behind the labels that make up the Garbstore roster. Here, we spoke to nanamica founder Eiichiro Homma ahead of the brand's SS20 collection, to find out about the key themes and influences that inform his work.
What was the concept behind nanamica when you first started the brand?
nanamica means the house of the seven seas. Nana = seven, Mi = sea and Ka = house. My hobby is to sail, and my co-founder Takashi Imaki also loves the seaside. He actually still lives by the sea despite the two hour commute to our office. Our clothes are for someone who likes the sea, without being overtly marine wear, with obvious nautical imagery. For example, our clothes are dry-feel and there is often white stitching even on a military jacket.
What is your inspiration for when you started to design the latest collection?
SS20 marks ten years selling nanamica internationally. We wanted to go back to our roots of mixing fashion with function - it’s all about the small details. Most items have multiple pockets inside, our traveller jackets have little pockets on the sleeve where you can put your oyster or contactless cards. There are a lot of hidden details everywhere, which is very Japanese of us.
A lot of the fabrics you use are very technical – could you talk these through with us?
We use ALPHADRY, GORE-TEX, COOLMAX to name a few… There’s a lot of technology even in our basics. The COOLMAX cotton blend in our tees makes them moisture-wicking and breathable. They look like normal cotton tees but actually have this technical functionality. The covering core yarn is a polyester core covered in cotton, so it feels good on your skin but it’s easy-dry.
Where did you shoot your SS20 Lookbook?
We shot our most recent lookbook in Wakayama, which is close to Osaka on the east-coast of Honshu. The weathered coastline with wind-swept sandstone doesn’t look like your typical Japanese beach. In fact, many people have been surprised that such landscapes can be seen in Japan.
Do you incorporate any sustainability into your designs?
Sometimes you use up more energy with recycled cotton. Our waterproofing is eco-friendly, but we don’t market it as such. We do not mention it in our product descriptions online for example. The most sustainable element of what we do is to make garments that someone can wear for years and years.
What is your favourite piece that Garbstore have chosen for SS20?
The ALPHADRY range is great as it is travel friendly. You can take it everywhere. In Japan it is important to be able to have office-to-evening attire, so you can wear this as a suit to meetings with a shirt and tie, and then wear it with a tee when you go out. It’s also great for long-distant flights as it doesn’t crease. Wrinkle-free and moisture-wicking capability make it the perfect suit.
You travel a lot with work - what is your favourite place in the world apart from Japan?
Usually, I’m away for at least quarter of the year in Europe or America for business. I would have to say Italy is my favourite country because of the food and the Italian seaside.
nanamica's latest collection is available now in-store & online.
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