I’ve long admired the clothing of Japanese brand visvim, with their commitment to unique expressions in clothing. In the past, they’ve drawn inspiration from vintage Americana, Japanese Edo period garments, French workwear, Amish patchwork fabric, Native American clothing, the Alaskan outdoors, and Finnish Sami tribe culture.
Last week, they announced the opening of a new shop in Carmel, California, a small town near Monterey. It’s a super charming town that values small businesses over chain stores, so visvim founder Hiroki Nakamura decided to set up shop, saying he was “drawn to the ideology of creating a life of their own and taking pride in the culture and history of the city.”
The shop, previously a grocery store, is beautifully detailed, with a hand- carved countertop for purchasing goods, as well as snagging an espresso. The displays are also made of wood, nicely tying together the elements. I’m a big fan of a river rock floor, it gives such a tactility when you walk around a space, and the seafoam green carpet in the back ties in nicely to the waters of the Pacific Ocean, which lie only half a mile west. I’m also gagged by that hi-fi setup. You know they’re going to throw the best kickbacks there. If you’re in the Bay Area, it might be worth you time to take a day trip out of the city to check this out.
