Cult Japanese indie fashion brand 45R reopened at Paragon Shopping Mall with a bigger and brand new concept store that is a blend of modern finishes and traditional Japanese aesthetics, from hand-carved Naguri shelves to a bamboo wall crafted from bamboo sourced from the Kyoto prefecture. Not altogether new to the Singaporean market, the brand first opened at Capitol Piazza in 2015 before relocating to Paragon Shopping Mall in 2018. The reopened 170sqm concept store stocks the brand's total collection including the men's, women's and unisex lines.
Although mass market appeal has never been what the apparel maker is about, that didn’t stop GQ magazine from hailing it as one of the 100 Best Stores In The World to shop at. Their wares that run the gamut of deceptively simple designs executed in figure-flattering fit and outstanding craftsmanship have attracted a steady stream of style enthusiasts. Averse to in-the-face marketing and not one to partake in flash in the pan trends, what makes the brand appealing to this small but fiercely loyal fan base? The label is built on slow fashion, quality that lasts and utilitarian designs that one can wear forever, and it goes about it all with the utmost dedication, turning the making of apparel into a craft.
Its “materials first’ approach, in which it sources for raw materials and makes all its fabrics in-house, and then uses them as the guiding point to each of its designs is particularly alluring for sartorial purists. If and wh.