The Nihonmachi collection consists of 3 outer garments we like to call "dress for the day" pieces. The wrap front allows you to go from the studio to a formal night out without missing a beat.
The sophisticated design symbolizes the preparation for any situation. The front wrap detail represents the togetherness of a community. A detail inspired by Japanese traditional garments, but more so Portland's original Japantown (Nihonmachi, in Japanese). The Portland Nihonmachi, which disappeared after the Pearl Harbor Attack and Executive Order 9066, was several blocks of Japanese owned businesses. These businesses included restaurants, doctors offices, new paper publishing house, laundry and bathhouse, and a hotel, which was the heart of the of Nihonmachi. At that time the Merchant Hotel, which went by the Teikoku Hotel, was the heart of Nihonmachi. Today our brick and mortar resides within the Merchant Hotel, within a never revived Nihonmachi, but a legacy not forgotten.
