Why Japanese Fashion Brands REFUSE to Sell in the West | THELIST.

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  • Опубликовано: 27 окт 2024

Комментарии • 79

  • @Djl472
    @Djl472 2 месяца назад +33

    Some sales associates at Japanese clothing stores are really well trained. You can literally walk in and ask them to find clothes that match your aesthetics and put together an outfit for you. If Japanese size fits you, shopping in Japan is a joy. They have great observation on what might interest you and are so helpful. It’s not just the product, it’s also the customer service that makes you feel your money is 1000% well spent.

  • @PcePilgrim
    @PcePilgrim 2 месяца назад +28

    Makes sense. Some Japanese brands sometimes have stockists in the west that are usually individually owned and are community focused, intimate, similar to how they do it in Japan

  • @jomni
    @jomni 2 месяца назад +11

    You mentioned it an I agree. In general, we chases trends and as a result, the brands are like chameleons which change their offerings every season. In Japan, you have your steady "go to" brands for the style you are looking for. They're forever there whether or not they are trendy or not.

  • @MiltonTheMouse
    @MiltonTheMouse 2 месяца назад +6

    Another banger from Reggie! Loved hearing the philosophies and quotes behind their reasoning. Great visuals and kept it interesting the whole way.

  • @hnguyen218
    @hnguyen218 2 месяца назад +11

    I'm glad majority of Japanese brands outside of Kapital/Visvim/UC are gatekept. Having said that, they can be acquired fairly easily and modestly priced if you do your research.

    • @skaterboiijes
      @skaterboiijes 2 месяца назад

      Exactly, I have a lot of Undercover pieces from their runway and their collabs with Supreme, Skoloct, etc. but it’s so true, I’m glad that Undercover is underrated and that’s why I love Jun Takahashi pieces, found his pieces in amazing prices and couldn’t say no when prices were hefty but my whole closet is all Undercover at the moment. I even got an Undercover pants for $19 and I did research and found that Kiko Kostadinov wore them in along with the Undercover David Bowie sweatshirt!!

  • @indigo_died6910
    @indigo_died6910 2 месяца назад +7

    Muji in Australia has been using their japanese sizes until recently, where they introduced Australian sizing (XL to L) etc. I believe Uniqlo Australia first came here with Australian sizing, I distinctly remember Uniqlo in japan being about a size smaller.

  • @teoleno4019
    @teoleno4019 2 месяца назад +5

    It was like this in the 90s too. The difference is, Japanese economy was doing amazing in 80s, 90s, but it's not anymore.

  • @Aluenvey
    @Aluenvey Месяц назад +1

    Not sure if it's the same with Japanese fashion, but what I found is you have to research into certain art styles and traditions in Japan, and then look specifically for materials from said artistic tradition, and find specific manufacturers that will ship to the US. But you wont get a lot of advertisement for those, like you would with soft pastels.
    You have to know someone or willing to look up what Sumi ink and Callligraphy brushes are.
    So I may have an uphill battle with certain fashion brands in Japan. But on the flip side, I also got recommended a lot of Japanese artists like Takashi Murakami now.

  • @michaelk7007
    @michaelk7007 2 месяца назад +10

    Want to believe they aren't trying to be rude, but when I took my niece as a grad gift to Japan, being told by shopkeepers at Shibuya 109 after we took a single step in their non-walled stores that nothing would fit, that really hurt her. Man, we said hello at the most before being told they had nothing there for her.

    • @Djl472
      @Djl472 2 месяца назад +4

      Shibuya 109? Yeah..they are all doll size clothes, and most are one size only.

    • @DebShops-e3v
      @DebShops-e3v 2 месяца назад +1

      Awww I am sorry to hear that. They tend to be direct in their communication so please do not take offense. I am half Japanese and half black 5’7. My husband is black and is 6’4. We are hard core “shoppers and go there twice per year to shop. Was just there for 2 weeks and in a few stores they just looked at him and said the same. They just do not want to waste your time. However this isn’t as much of an issue at typical luxury shops in Ginza for example as those have western sizes. Hey but even for me at 5’7 140 lbs….I’m getting a large in Japanese brands as many do not have XL so I’d say size 8 or less for ladies. Everyone else…focus on the handbags, shoes, and try some of the unisex street wear.

    • @brandonmcneil3555
      @brandonmcneil3555 2 месяца назад

      Was just there myself with my daughter. Not my cup of tea, but 109 has been a hotspot for years! I think a couple of things are going on: I'm assuming they were saying this in English, and English isn't their first language, so the way a message is delivered isn't as subtle as you or I would say it. Also, the sheer volume of people who are in there day in day out, all day long is insane. Like, how crowded is that building? Super crowded! Every day!
      It's a blunt message for your niece, and I'm sorry that she had a bad experience. For you guys, you are feeling like "what? I just stepping in here!" but for the staff, you are probably the 200th person that day that is trying to buy things in a language they don't speak and in sizes they simply don't stock.
      FWIW I had the same problem with shoes. It was dissapointing for sure to be told no over and over again, but they simply didn't have my size. Cant' be helped, unfortunately. The good news is 109 isn't the only shop in Tokyo! Hope it didn't spoil the trip.

  • @philippeholthuizen
    @philippeholthuizen 2 месяца назад

    Supercool video Reggie, very good insights also for a western brand that wants to access the Japanese market and understand the audience there. Thanks for keeping us well informed dude!

  • @Geemeel1
    @Geemeel1 Месяц назад

    was more a doc and very interesting and learned a lot!! 👏🏾

  • @lisajackson9279
    @lisajackson9279 2 месяца назад +1

    Thank you so much for making this video....I have a brand which we make in house and supply two shops in the UK and we have a very loyal following, do no marketing and adopt a lot of the strategies in your video. The stability is a massive draw, we offer life time repairs and gifts for our loyal customers, we never go on sale and only make as much as we can sell. Word of mouth is massive for us.....I used to work for other businesses , luxury and mass market and am quite anti fashion now. We only sell through our own stores and so can control our margins as we are vertical but also a big increase in sales would be very difficult for us to finance and risky, also we adopt a lot of hand techniques which are very time consuming so steady growth is preferred.

  • @reshnel9540
    @reshnel9540 Месяц назад

    Great video. Keep ‘em coming

  • @skaterboiijes
    @skaterboiijes 2 месяца назад

    This is very informative because I always tell people how I get my Undercover piece because I can wear size 2, 3 or 4 depending how I want to wear it but for their pants is size 3. Undercover also one of the most sought out here in Los Angeles and I have so many of his pieces, runway and collabs. Undercover has grown so much with me over the years and his pieces don’t even miss because when his new season collection drops or collabs with Supreme, Vans, it always sells out so fast!! Just love how Jun Takahashi does this punk, luxury, street and high end into one. Favorite collection at the moment is of his Twin Peaks for this FW24 season, SS23 Undercover Supreme, FW21 with Evangelion Neo Genesis but of course his SCAB, Paper Doll, and Arts and Crafts are his top 3 best runway of all time!!!

  • @dennyfung5661
    @dennyfung5661 2 месяца назад +2

    You can buy some Japanese brands in Haven or SSense but the prices are doubled as they were listed in Japan.

  • @serpentlaw5961
    @serpentlaw5961 Месяц назад +1

    Japan knows how to make money...Exclusivity makes the same amount of wealth, as mass production. It is also low-risk! Imagine having producing 1 million un-bought articles only to sell discount and lose overheads.

  • @Viviano_Magami
    @Viviano_Magami 2 месяца назад +2

    With modern business in fashion, fast fashion and high fashion are no longer different, they use the same operation and marketing

  • @Exjapter
    @Exjapter 2 месяца назад +2

    "Japanese culture doesnt tie social class to brands."
    Um, Japan is the first place I have lived where flashing brand labels seems to matter. I think what is actually true, is most American bumpkins dont want to pay top dollar for fashion.

  • @cap4life1
    @cap4life1 2 месяца назад +1

    For your third reason, it’s not that the western market (e.g US market) is unteachable it’s that the market doesn’t value attention to detail to the same degree that you find in Japanese enthusiast communities. Even if something is excellently made down to the stitch, most Americans won’t spend their money on it. Clout + lower price > craftsmanship + higher price.

  • @dangwhatarethose9179
    @dangwhatarethose9179 2 месяца назад

    Ive learn so much from this video 🙇🏻‍♂️🙇🏻‍♂️🙇🏻‍♂️

  • @vejscvetkovski2679
    @vejscvetkovski2679 2 месяца назад +3

    Love them for it :)

  • @czxr_8
    @czxr_8 2 месяца назад +1

    Funnily enough, these are the reasons why I prefer Japanese fashion to western brands

  • @jouwenlee7829
    @jouwenlee7829 2 месяца назад +1

    Even for watches which doesn’t have size or fitting issue, they have models only for Japan or only Asia Markt. Example like Seiko, they have JDM or made-in-Japan models at entry or mid-tier pricing though some are actually desired out from Japan/Asia in the west.

    • @brandonmcneil3555
      @brandonmcneil3555 2 месяца назад +1

      For sure, man! Grand Seiko does it, (but they also have overseas only models as well so make of that what you will), I know G-Shock does it with some of their watches as well. I'm sure there's an upper limit to the amount of any given product that can be produced at a standard they want it made. With that in mind, if there's a strong domestic market, what's the point in exporting it when it can all be sold domestically?
      The flip side is some brands like Iron Heart have international only cuts like the 888 which aren't available in Japan because it's a cut that is more suitable for non-Japanese I suppose. They have the 888 in like one weight and fabric, but not like it's available internationally.
      Japanese manufactureres keeps all the best stuff for the Japanese market for sure. I get it though, and Reggie has outlined why very nicely in the video.

  • @simonefoletto1335
    @simonefoletto1335 2 месяца назад

    Great video, I’ve been following the channel for a year end an half now, and through it I’ve been falling in love with japanese fashion (I’ve alweys loved japan culture, but not the fashion aspect until i discovered you). Next week I will finally be going to japan and I would love to make the most of this first trip shopping some unique (but not super expensive )pice, but i don’t know what to go for. I mainly have “surf culture brand clothes” (like billabong, element, etc) and some uniqlo and baggy/oversized stuff (living in italy it’s hard to find clothes with loose and baggy cuts like in japan, I tryed my best to match the siluette and confort)
    I thing I’ll buy a kimono at fdmtl, but other than that I don’t really know, any suggestion would be amazing.
    (Thanks for everything you’ve been doing )

  • @hannah60000
    @hannah60000 2 месяца назад

    It’s not just the fashion brands.
    However, some Japanese companies are being “forced” to look outside their “coveted” Japanese market. The population and consumer market is diminishing. We will see what the next decade holds.

  • @shuksan12
    @shuksan12 2 месяца назад

    hey man.. I love your videos. Please make videos more about John Bull, Betty Smith, Blue Way, In the Attic, Spellbound, Domingo. Blue Way has a standard, especially on fabrics.

  • @teamskdm1
    @teamskdm1 2 месяца назад +2

    ive been wearing ksubi jeans exclusively for years , and want to get into some japanese denim that are in the same vein , primarily black heavily distressed slimmer jeans or even a more punk/gothic style. any recommendations?

  • @malih7777
    @malih7777 2 месяца назад +1

    Great question. They stay true.

  • @petergreen1994
    @petergreen1994 2 месяца назад +7

    I think you forget to mention the ergonomic reason. In average, Japanese people or Asian people in general have shorter legs compared to other races. Which makes hard for us to find pants that made by western standards to fit us. That’s why Korean and Japanese fashion designers tend to design things that fit us, which can’t really fit other racial groups. I am Asian and my girlfriend is not, I am taller than her by a few inches but she wears pants that’s longer than mine, if this helps.

    • @frankelse745
      @frankelse745 Месяц назад +1

      Everything you said is true but women tend to have longer legs relative to their size compared to men.

  • @johnleblanc1243
    @johnleblanc1243 2 месяца назад

    DOGSTAR is designed and manufactured in Australia specialising in Japanese style womens clothing. The designer is Japanese/Australian
    check it out but not for the faint hearted.

  • @Mazzah96
    @Mazzah96 2 месяца назад

    Strong episode.

  • @PhotoRam405
    @PhotoRam405 Месяц назад

    Quality over quantity!

  • @lingfengge6666
    @lingfengge6666 2 месяца назад

    Uniqlo, Mizuno, Muji, and Asics are all Japanese brands you can find in western countries.

    • @arlevalin
      @arlevalin 2 месяца назад

      He is talking about underground or homegrown fashion brands that do not mass produce. The brands you mentioned successfully cultivates a design aesthetic capturing the Japanese spirit while becoming global brand.

  • @JeuneF
    @JeuneF Месяц назад

    Do you guys feel the same about Korean brands ? Or do you think it’s specific to Japan ?

  • @chocodesu
    @chocodesu 2 месяца назад +1

    Always struggling for my God Selection, Bounty Hunter, and TWIM drops 😩

  • @tengoodquestions
    @tengoodquestions 2 месяца назад

    This is fantastic news

  • @memopinzon
    @memopinzon 2 месяца назад +1

    B A K A G A I J I N B O Y S

  • @kakaiyu
    @kakaiyu Месяц назад

    If you are medium or big, don't DARE get your hopes up in Japan. It hurts. They don't care. You're too big for them, boo effin hoo. If you need a reminder, this is not NORMAL or HEALTHY. As a woman, I've had other women LAUGH AT ME for walking into an establishment. (It was a used clothes store in Osaka so I wasn't on 100% copium)

    • @kakaiyu
      @kakaiyu Месяц назад

      I would be thrilled if you made a critical video about this because those mean girls need a reality check. (we don't need a reality check the other way around - that's just the NORM)

  • @koningklootzak7788
    @koningklootzak7788 2 месяца назад

    Because the West is tricky and deceptive ,Japan prefer not to deal with them😂

  • @tzegoh333
    @tzegoh333 2 месяца назад

    Kenzo sold to LVMH.

  • @robertbidot4912
    @robertbidot4912 2 месяца назад

    I would love for the brand SAPEur to make it out west 😪

  • @FAC321
    @FAC321 2 месяца назад

    as long as Visvim do i am not really bothered.

  • @artSFCA
    @artSFCA 2 месяца назад +2

    In addition----price. Americans in general won't spend $$ on specialty item unless it's in a department store with a brand name they recognize i.e. North Face. Americans (in general) are not interested in style.

    • @THECASUALco
      @THECASUALco  2 месяца назад

      This is a very astute point. While the winds are changing in small circles in the US, Japanese consumers tend to be less enthralled by brand names.

    • @jomni
      @jomni 2 месяца назад

      First time I travelled to Japan, my first impression of clothing prices was that the Japanese don't shop often and will keep their clothes longer. Prices even for unknown brands are above average.

  • @commonwealthcommunitywatch6036
    @commonwealthcommunitywatch6036 Месяц назад

    ain't nobody wanna wear a fishing net on their head, let's get real.

  • @Chinatown18
    @Chinatown18 2 месяца назад

    The Casual proxy service soon? 👀

  • @Hotsauce1984
    @Hotsauce1984 2 месяца назад

    Rather keep em safe from all those resellers😂

  • @lozoft9
    @lozoft9 2 месяца назад +1

    You know what is really dumb about this? Fashion entrepreneurs from other parts of the world are taking this latent interest in Japanese fashion and artistic sensibilities that have percolated through other cultural exports like anime and J-pop, and yes even K-pop (due to cross-pollination), and churning out pleasing but inferior products online based on Japanese fashion, and people are buying them. You've probably run into these brands through ads on Facebook and Instagram. American consumers have also been moving in directions similar to Japanese ones. People are starting to minimize and curate their wardrobes more and the secondhand market esp. is really taking off. These brands are leaving money on the table and an opportunity to change US consumer behavior.

    • @justinj2
      @justinj2 2 месяца назад +2

      Your last point, I don't think they care as much about the money "left on the table" as western companies do. That's part of their ethos. Exactly why they would be opposed to mass production because they're aware that would mean a drop in quality that they can't justify with their hardcore demo.

    • @ZeroFunctional
      @ZeroFunctional 2 месяца назад +1

      So be it. Clothes are meant to be worn, not viewed through a screen.

    • @Enrico-
      @Enrico- 2 месяца назад

      But that's the thing: you think being niche means being dumb. They don't. You have an idea of how business should be run that's very different from them. They don't want to have an IPO and sell they stuff to every white-fenced cul-de-sac house in the world.

    • @ysworkaccount
      @ysworkaccount 2 месяца назад

      Yeah I do feel this too, I speak both Japanese and English, and am currently working on creating a brand that brings garments using traditional Japanese sewing techniques and silouhettes to a wider worldwide audience. The information about these traditional styles are only passed down in Japanese, and really hard to find "authentic" Japanese culture since you would have to actually talk to old people in rural areas in Japan.
      It's not cultural appropriation that these western entrepreneurs are doing, but I would just like to communicate a more authentic "Japanese style" to people all over the world.

    • @kogarashi3369
      @kogarashi3369 2 месяца назад

      @@ysworkaccount what is your brand?

  • @TVSOUNDSYSTEM
    @TVSOUNDSYSTEM 2 месяца назад

    9 RULAZ

  • @AJHarperwriter
    @AJHarperwriter 2 месяца назад +2

    Unfortunately, my take away from this is if you are interested, yet taller, don't bother😥

    • @brandonmcneil3555
      @brandonmcneil3555 2 месяца назад

      To a certain degree, yes. Fatter is more of an issue that taller in my experience. I'm thinking specifically jeans. I'm 6'2/180 and have very few problems buying stuff in Japan outside of shoes (size 10/27cm is pretty much the upper limit in most stores). I see people on Reddit complaining about how they can't find a pair of IH/TCB/JBL etc etc in like a 44 waist. It's simply a matter of supply and demand. If they are already selling their current stuff(both domestically and internationally) and have trouble producing enough as is for the existing rnarket, why would you make additional sizes?

  • @MultiBuck23
    @MultiBuck23 2 месяца назад

    They can keep it 😂😂😂 we’re good 👍🏿

  • @bball3048mmfr
    @bball3048mmfr 2 месяца назад

    Just like Abercombrie & Fitch is an exclusion brand.

  • @davidthom7127
    @davidthom7127 Месяц назад

    🤮

  • @Justcetriyaart
    @Justcetriyaart 2 месяца назад +9

    Not just fashion. Japan just not into the export game much.

    • @Donnyputrax
      @Donnyputrax 2 месяца назад +10

      Not just fashion? Their automobiles, electronic stuff are literally everywhere.

    • @DigiAloe
      @DigiAloe 2 месяца назад +4

      what are you talking about? Japan's exports of goods reached around USD 746.9 billion - 916.90 billion in 2022 making it the number 4 exporter in the world Japan has a very significant export economy
      yea sure they "defo aren't" into the export game

    • @Justcetriyaart
      @Justcetriyaart 2 месяца назад

      @@DigiAloe other than cars and some electronics, they don't export much of anything else or their versions of things. Nor is it that easy to just order what ever from japan and ship to the states. Thats why there's so many 3rd party exporters or mail forwarding. Its much easier to order korean toasters or french skin care or island snacks direct from the company and have it shipped vs most goods in japan that even after you figure how to translate, once they get your order and see the address, they'll cancel and say they can't ship.

    • @Justcetriyaart
      @Justcetriyaart 2 месяца назад

      @@Donnyputrax thats pretty much it, and not as much variety as they have in japan nor make it simple to order and ship direct.

    • @jamespohl-md2eq
      @jamespohl-md2eq Месяц назад

      I know. You can barely find a Honda, Nissan, Mazda or Toyota in the States. Same for Japanese motorcycles like Kawasaki and Yamaha.
      Speaking of Yamaha, they make a wide variety of products like musical instruments that aren’t available to the west.
      I remember looking at the gram and being so envious of all the Japanese and their Sony Walkmen. So many great electronic brands like Onkyo, Denon, Sharp, etc that we just can’t get.
      And don’t get me started on all those cool video game consoles.