{"title":"Needles","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou might have noticed, a certain, comfy looking tracksuit featuring a distinct stripe patterns down the side and a butterfly logo on the front. The, previously, less known Japanese brand, Needles, maker of said tracksuit, has seen a great surge in popularity in recent years, especially, after being championed by the likes of A$AP Rocky and NBA legend Allen Iverson.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeedles was founded by Keizo Shimizu in 1997 alongside Daiki Suzuki (designer of Engineered Garments). By then, the two had already collaborated on an unconventional fashion company called NEPENTHES, founded ten years prior. This company started out operating a wholesale store in Japan. In the store you would find garments sourced from, and made in, America, something that, at the time, was very rare in Japan. They helped bring brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Levi’s, staples of casual American apparel, to the country, in a time where American culture, had started to become more accessible and sought after by Japanese youth. Throughout their teenage years in 1970’s Japan, Shimizu and Suzuki had been obsessed with Japanese magazines like Made In USA and POPEYE, that revolved around American lifestyle and apparel. This inspired the refined taste, for American fashion and lifestyle, they relied on when seeking items on their road trips through The States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I wanted things that we couldn’t get through import; something that could be made in Japan based on items we’d seen—simple but with a little twist.” Keizo Shimizu - Founder \u0026amp; head designer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a while, it became harder to find “U.S made” products that were appealing to Simizu. Therefore, he decided to make something of his own. He started by creating a simple, mature, and rather small collection of casual menswear, on Japanese land, but in true American spirit. To this day Shimizu claims American fashion to be, almost, the sole source of inspiration behind his designs. Needles is the ultimate outsider take on all things Americana, mixing Cobain-era 90’s grunge and relaxed casual cuts with the ivy league aesthetic and a Japanese design approach. In the end, after finding success, selling Needles and Engineered Garments in NEPENTHES Japan, Shimizu and Suzuki decided to export their store concept to London and of course, The Big Apple, claiming their own place in the country that inspired them immensely. Crowned “New York’s Last Great Independent Boutique, a Hidden Gem of the Garment District” by GQ Magazine, Needles, Engineered Garments and NEPENTHES, seem to have all been cemented in the culture they sought to interpret.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/stoy.com\/en-jp\/collections\/needles.oembed","provider":"Stoy","version":"1.0","type":"link"}