Fashion

Lost Dessau, sold by high-end Japanese fashion boutique chain Nano Universe, which is based on Meiji dori in Shibuya, is just a stone’s throw away from its major competitor Tomorrowland.

This season its collection is awash with the nautical theme and Monocle particularly loves this pair of shorts – like the boyish bottom half of a sailor suit. Playfully decorated with navy-blue prints of ship’s anchors and naval badges, they will inject some gentle fun into balmy summer days. Wear insouciantly with a sharp linen blazer and espadrilles in coastal playgrounds, or with plimsolls and a Schiesser ribbed tee in town.

The San Carlo dal 1973 boutique in Turin is a rare thing. Not because it hosts photography exhibitions, runs music concerts and stocks ethnic handcrafted clothes from India, alongside Italian super-brands Gucci and Prada. But because it is a female-run business, with founder Giorgina Siviero firmly at the helm.

Siviero has built the women’s and menswear business up over the past 40 years. She used to travel solo to Paris, armed with just an empty suitcase and a keen eye. Now the San Carlo boutique is one of the most respected and popular shops in Turin. By our estimation, it may well be one of the best one-stop fashion shops in the world.

Situated on the 17th-century Piazza San Carlo, the menswear and womenswear departments are located in two separate buildings. Both are designed by architect Roberto Baciocchi, ex of Prada shop interior fame. They are light, airy spaces, punctuated with slivers of unexpected colour and texture. The Verner Panton chairs help with any shopping fatigue.

Siviero is still responsible for the entire running of the store, from buying through to merchandising, but her daughter, Elena Cecchi, now helps out as her sole business partner. “We are a female family business. There is myself, my mother and my aunt who also helps out on the shopfloor,” says Cecchi. She rubs her pregnant belly and smiles. “My mother was so excited when she found I was having a girl. Imagine. A girl and all this,” she says, gesturing to the expansive retail space.

Indeed, the glittering clothes, handbags and shoes are surely any junior fashionista’s dress-up dream come true.
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Men’s Bigi’s brand-new rainwear range has been designed in collaboration with British heritage label Raincheetah, famed for its durable and eternally stylish waterproofs. If you are militant about looking good, step out in this understated army-style olive khaki coat.

Over the past five years, this Japanese label has re-branded itself from cheap to chic with price tags to match. Its speciality boutiques stock high-end fashion labels as well as its own branded line. This grey knit jumper is as soft as a brush of pure silk on the skin and the blue and white striped linen shirt is an elegant take on the classic rugby shirt. The Tomorrowland label and its subsidiaries have been going since 1978 – now all they need to do is take their act on the road and go global.

Last year, luxury Italian leather accessories makers Daniel & Bob brought the world the “Jasmine”, which doubed as a tote and a shoulder bag and was hailed at Pitti as the “post-tote”. Now, the Japanese Beams has collaborated with Daniel & Bob to create this stylish cream canvas version.

“Sammler” means “collector” in German and Kenji Teramoto, the mastermind behind this menswear label, is just that. An avid scavenger of vintage fabrics, he scours the world for quirky items that catch his eye. This season’s collection is all about patchwork and this shirt is a collage of badges from French Navy uniforms of the 1980s. The embossed gold buttons are original fastenings of coats worn by French huntsmen. Der Sammler Solo launched in 2006 and can be found at style hub United Arrows.

Outside exclusive whisky bars, Japan is not where one expects to encounter aromas of lowland Scotland. It is, however, where you might have to go to find a Glenroyal bag – and experience the whiff of handpolished bridle leather from Ayrshire. Founder Peter Pattison was trained in product design and established Checker Leather – which deals with Glenroyal among others – in 1979. Using only the finest quality pit-tanned hides, each piece of leather is cut by hand, and no two bags are the same.

Rei Kawakubo has finally opened a stand-alone Comme des Garçons store in Hong Kong after more than 25 years of doing business in the “Pearl of the Orient”. She describes it as the “Comme des Garçons castle – a white box, a pure and monolithic structure,” which customers enter via the old-world market thoroughfare of Zetland Street. Find an edited mix of Comme brands and exclusive one-off pieces.

Established two years ago by Swedish sisters Kristina Tjäder, Karin Söderlind and Sofia Malm, Dagmar epitomises old-time glamour. But while the muse behind the label is indeed the founders’ eponymous granny, Dagmar is a million miles from tweed. So inspired by her glamorous style were her descendants that they wanted to recapture it. The result, offering fine handiwork and feminine tailoring is enough to satisfy the Garbo in every woman.