A Cut Above the Rest

What makes a cult favourite? TAN MIN YAN discovers the appeal of Japanese artisanal label 45R in Tokyo.

To assume that Japanese clothier 45R – which set up its first Singapore store at Capitol Piazza late last year – plays by the same fashion rules as others in the industry would be to misunderstand the core of the brand.

“What does 45R do to stay trendy to attract the younger customers?” I asked Yasumi Inoue, the 62-year old executive director, head designer and co-founder of the label, when we met at the brand’s headquarters in Tokyo.

She frowned slightly, as though confused by the question, and asked our translator for clarification. The question and translation were repeated, and still, her brow remained furrowed.

Then, as she started to explain in her gentle lilt, I realised what had her confounded: There just isn’t anything the brand does in particular to “be cool”.

“We do not chase trends – the material always comes first,” she explained. “For us, a trend and a material have to work together to form the garment. That’s what 45R is all about.”

A symbiotic relationship