Needles Nepenthes

Copywriting

Needles has become a pioneering phenomenon of the 21st century. A brand built on re-defining stereotypes with permanent spirit and standards has attracted a global audience into the world of Keizo Shimizu and fashion company Nepenthes.
 
Since his early teens, Keizo Shimizu – head of Nepenthes and Needles has shown a profound affinity to clothing. This came through early shopping trips with his parents that ultimately ushered him towards the fashion world, but it was sharing a room with his brother that started his interest in American fashion. When a copy of Men’s Club magazine was left on his brother’s desk, Shimizu was attracted to an article about ‘Ivy Style’. Laden with photos of Ivy league students, he was transfixed labelling them as “extremely cool”. There was no internet at this time, so the Men’s Club Magazine was Shimizu’s only access to information on men’s fashion and it became a bible for him, until he moved to Tokyo at the age of 19.
 
Shimizu’s fascination started to grow, as well as his hunger for the Men’s Club, he became interested in movie magazines his father bought and subconsciously connected on screen fashion and style with what he was reading at the time. It was when Shimizu became familiar with a book entitled “Made in U.S.A catalogue”, he was opened up to a whole new world. Levi’s Jeans made up the cover with thousands of other garments, work boots, sporting equipment and furniture, all of which hailed from America. This was the catalyst in developing his love for all things American and a starting point to begin searching for American labels in his native Japan.