Lifestyle & Travel
Ida Torres on May 20 2013
Have you always wished for a store that will sell nothing but special, high-quality handkerchiefs for men? Well, if you live in
Tokyo and are into this kind of specialized shopping, then your wish just came true because handkerchief-maker Old Fashioned just opened their store, "H Tokyo". This is part of the latest trend of so-called "geek brands" for men, where detail and craftsmanship overrides mass market luxury.
Japanese retailers who sell luxury goods and items are being forced to keep up with the times, as a highly digital and
Internet-savvy market is making traditional selling strategies obsolete. This is according to a report by the McKinsey consulting firm about
luxury products in Japan, which reveals that the nation’s shoppers are becoming more and more discerning about the products that they buy.
Top Italian luxury sports car makers
Ferrari are slowly being convinced that business will grow in Japan, in light of the sales numbers early this year. Supported by a weakening yen, the global luxury vehicle brand saw almost twice growth in the Japanese market compared to the larger and more consistent U.S. market last quarter, and all this with European sales weakening and the decrease of demand in China.
76-year-old designer
Hiroko Koshino featured a collection called “Floral Memories” at the Japan Fashion Week yesterday, which centered on clothes for autumn and winter 2013-2014. It was a showcase of eastern and western
fashion fusion that featured leather, fur and of course flowers. Her signature look of draped and folded fabrics was highlighted with the accents she had chosen for the year.
The effects of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s monetary policies are starting to be felt more and more, with sellers of
luxury items constrained to raise their prices to keep up with the weakening yen. The likes of Tiffany & Co. and Harry Winston are getting ready to follow the steps of Louis Vuitton Japan, who have
already increased their prices, as they were faced with a dilemma—if they raise prices, sales may likely lower; but if they don’t, they will lose out on millions of dollars in profits.
Soccer superstar Lionel Messi has probably won a lot (and will win more) of Golden Boots in his career, but a Japanese jeweller has decided to make his a literal golden foot. And you can own this exquisitely crafted piece of football memorabilia; that is, if you have $5.25 million.
Business
Ida Torres on Feb 20 2013
While the weakening
yen has definitely pleased Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party, this new development will surely incense luxury brand shoppers.
Louis Vuitton raised the prices at an average of 12% at its flagship brand in Japan.
American preppy-luxury fashion brand
Kate Spade chose Japan to debut its latest, lower price-point store ‘Saturday.’ The brand will have its worldwide launch through a Japanese e-commerce site and a flagship store in Tokyo's
Omotesando neighborhood. An online store in the US will also be opened in Spring 2013. Saturday offers apparel, beauty, and home decor at more affordable prices than the usual Kate Spade line, targeting younger consumers aged 25 to 35.
Both jewelry dealers and shoppers in Japan will be headed to
Tokyo this week, as Wednesday begins the
24th International Jewellery Tokyo exhibit, hosted at the Tokyo Big Sight center. From January 23rd to the 26th, nearly 1,050 companies will be showcasing some of the finest jewelry and watches in the world. With Japan being seen as the world's 3rd largest jewelry market, this year's show is expected to see 35,000 buyers.
Japanase automaker
Nissan Motor Co Ltd expects to be manufacturing more than half of it luxury line Infiniti models outside Japan come middle of the year. After more than 23 years since the launch of its first car, the Q45 luxury sedan,
Infiniti remains to be primarily a U.S.-centric brand have very minimal sales overseas, and none at all in the Japanese domestic market. All that is about to change.
