My favorite designer is Hiroki Nakamura, the founder of Japanese clothing brand Visvim. Visvim focuses on handmade sustainable high quality products that are made to withstand the test of time and become better with age. Visvim makes clothing in the Japanese Americana style, which combines American western wear, traditional Japanese denim, and vintage sporting goods. Nakamura ensures to use natural materials that are produced with quality and handled with care. Some common materials that are used in many pieces are vegetable tanned leather, indigo dyed cotton and denim, and mud died materials. Nakamura uses high quality materials that are all made by hand in house, he aims to create comfortable everyday pieces that people can keep for years. Personally my style matches up with a lot of the inspiration behind the brand, and if I could afford Visvim I would definitely wear it. Since Visvim upholds such a high quality, it also comes at extremely high prices with hoodies priced at $500+, and specialty pieces coming in at over $15,000. Below are images from the Old Visvim Never Dies Collection, which highlights many pieces that are over 5 years old and have aged nicely.
These pieces give a great overall idea of what Visvim has to offer. Where many pieces resemble an american overcoat, or wide legged pants. But what sets these clothes apart is the material and hand stitching. The video below shows how indigo cotton is naturally dyed and then woven into the garment.
Another piece that uses quality materials are the moccasin sneakers, which take inspiration from traditional Native American footwear. The piece is elevated by combining it with a more comfortable and stylish sole of a sneaker.
This kind of creative rethinking and reinterpretation of classic vintage pieces makes the work of Visvim timeless. I think this is my favorite aspect of how Hiroki sets his brand up for success by creating clothes the way he wants, by making designs that last. In the video below Hiroki talks about everything he is trying to accomplish with Visvim.
Overall I think the work of Hiroki Nakamura is extraordinary, and unlike any other brand that I have seen. These pieces are made of the highest quality handmade materials and are meant to be worn. I think that it is very important that the pieces are made to last as they are worth the investment, however due to the expensive price most pieces are not obtainable.
Citations:
[1] ‘Old Visvim Never Dies Collection’, Visvim, 14 Febuary 2023
[2] ‘VISVIM – INDIGO COWICHAN – THE METHOD OF INDIGO DYEING’, Vimeo, 21 October 2011
[3] ‘Hiroki Nakamura – Visvim’, Vimeo, 2012
5 Comments. Leave new
Do you feel that the prices for these pieces are fair. Does handmade, high quality clothes justify a $15,000+ price tag. I love supreme
This is interesting. I don’t doubt these will physically age well. They seem to be well made. But I do wonder if they will age well aesthetically.
I’m really interested in how we perceive what gets to be “classic.” I know in architecture, there’s a sort of trailing, but generally unchanging timeline of perception. New designs are exciting but when they get 40-50 years old (think 70’s and 80’s architecture) we see them as old or even trashy. But then they hit another cusp and we start to appreciate them more. (and call them vintage)
The timeline is different for every field of design, but I believe to some extent it exists anywhere we make aesthetic value judgements. So taking something “vintage” and blending it with something “new” may to someone in the future appear less like an interesting blend of styles, and more like a classic style sullied by trashiness. And perhaps some classics even have an expiration date.
I’m curious what you think goes into making something improve with age and stand the test of time.
Hi Anna, I would say that these pieces are very safe on the side of being timeless. Most of the pieces are a rework of traditional cuts and silhouettes. The clothing is designed to last physically and stylistically so I would say that someone could wear a piece for 10+ years and not get bored of it.
I never heard of Hiroki Nakamura or Visvim, but I’m glad I know now! I love the idea of making clothes that are both practical and fashionable, especially with the amount of time and care Nakamura seems to put into every one of his designs. After watching the videos, his high prices make a lot of sense! How did you come across his brand? Are you planning on saving up for one of his works?
Hi Sam, I first found out about Visvim from the moccasin sneakers in 2013 when a lot of celebrities were wearing them. I was very intrigued by the combination of the raw suede tassels and the sole of a sneaker. Personally I don’t think I would consider buying from Visvim because it is so expensive. I would consider saving up for a piece from another japanese brand like Kapital or Needles.