The North Face Purple Label Fall.Winter 2025/26 - Exclusive to Japan Lookbook

 

A trend that did indeed peter out in 2018 was the utility, mountaineering styles, and if you wore a gortex jacket (from a hiking brand), with street wear sensibilities in the mid 1990s, then you were way ahead of the trend.  With remnants of today, being the ubiquitous "Salomon" hiking sneakers worn by fresh out of University/College students, as a kind of thrift 'backlash' style, rather than any counterculture attire.  Regardless, the philosophical argument is, who actually creates a fashion trend?  What is worn on the streets by young adults in their 20s?  Or what is dictated by so called influences, then absorbed  back into the digital feedback loops?  The 'hipster' trend, which thankfully went out with a whimper comes to mind.  So, maybe it is, like everything else, what we see on our phones from a scrolling and doomscolling frenzy that shapes our visual reality.  Of course, at our own detriment.

So, can we rework fashion back to it source? By redefining it from the streets, without looking at our phones to see what everyone else is wearing?  Better still, try and reject what everybody is wearing and not care at all.  Can you do it?  Can we be inspired from the effortless ones, who aren't essentially trying to be effortless? Is that you?

Nanamica is very much that quintessential utility/streetwear wear brand, from Tokyo, Japan, to which the a lot of Japanese youth still like to adorn the mountaineering look, in all of its polished reflection.  Rather than hiking Mount Fuji, and looking wartorn, you'd be hanging out at "Club Harlem" in Tokyo, listening to a Japanese version of Memphis phonk hip-hop, while tripping on 'legal' LSD (you'll have to look that up).  The Nanamica collaboration with the North Face brand name, might just be the attire suitable for that night.

But, don't try to hard, and some advice, maybe start your, yes, legal LSD tab, to knock your ego the fuck out, and how you wanted to outdress the next person.  In fact, choose an outfit from the Nanamica x North Face collection, go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, before the club, turn off your phone and stare at the setting sun.  And think, that your lifespan to the age of the universe is no more than 20 seconds.

Enjoy the evening.

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(A.Glass 2025)