Since the opening of our new luxury annex late last year, Lapstone & Hammer has been steadily growing our roster of designer brands. The latest addition is the influential Japanese label Needles. Needles is an in-house brand of Nepanthes, the Tokyo-based fashion distribution company founded by designer Keizo Shimizu. It grew out of Shimizu's love of the vintage American-made clothing he saw in catalogs as a child. 

Drawing on influences from American and Japanese films, actors, musicians and artists, the Needles aesthetic is a mix of campus-life Americana, psychedelic patterns, western workwear, street chic and traditional Japanese culture. The company has also spawned sub-labels that specialize in niche creations like Needles Sportswear, which makes the company's signature retro track suit with the butterfly embroidery. Then there is Rebuild by Needles, where Shimizu literally cuts vintage clothing into scraps and sews them together to create brand new pieces. It's a synthesis of avant-garde design with DIY culture that produces unique, one-of-a-kind items. Fusing the classic and modern is at the core of both Needles and Lapstone & Hammer, and we are thrilled to welcome them to our store.

Shop Needles SPRING 2018 collection here.

Photos by Evan Kaucher