If you’ve ever wondered how Nanamica came about then our man in Ulverston Joey Barker from Working Class Heroes has all the details on the origins of this incredible Japanese brand…
How Eiichiro Homma came to found Nanamica
To anyone in the know-how, specifically meaning fashion and outerwear nerds, the name Eiichiro Homma carries great weight in the industry. An absolute veteran when it comes to design and innovation, Eiichiro’s career began way back in 1982, where he worked in merchandising, planning and design, specifically for sailing clothing. The 80s saw a decline in interest when it came to athletic sports, and a more general and wholesome outdoor vibe became more of Japan’s cup of tea – and the garments which were designed for this lifestyle weren’t just constructed for activity, but for day to day use as well.
As Eiichiro’s story went on, he climbed higher and higher in the market, working for the Outdoor Sportswear Division of GOLDWIN INC. where he worked as a designer and marketer, developing technical gear for companies such as The North Face, Helly Hansen and Macpac. This rich experience in technical fabric and construction fueled a passion and in 2003 he established his own label, based in Tokyo, entitled ‘Nanamica’ – translation: “house of the seven seas”.
I guess the nautical premise from the beginning of his career followed him all the way to 2003, and from countries all over the world he took classic utilitarian designs and silhouettes and reworked them with contemporary notes and modern materials such as GORE-TEX. This perfect blend between classic outdoor fashion and more functional outerwear can be seen in this season’s selections with a lightweight bomber jacket made from nylon taffeta, a range of t-shirts which use CoolMax fabric (just in time for heatwaves) and naturally a GORE sailing jacket named the ‘Cruiser’.
Shop the Nanamica SS18 collection at Working Class Heroes here.
