nanamica Has What You Need to Survive the NYC Seasons
The brand’s New York team joins us for a new Shop Talk to discuss essentials for unpredictable NYC weather, the mythos of North Face Purple Label, and why everyone is buying their selvedge denim.
WORDS BY NICO GAVINO
PHOTOS BY KYLE REYES
The Spring/Summer season is well on its way, but that doesn’t mean layering stops — especially in a city like NYC, where crosswalks double as the casual catwalks for stylish urbanites. Take it from the nanamica New York team, whose Wooster Street flagship stands face-to-face with Chanel’s SoHo boutique and Issey Miyake’s Bao Bao outpost. Inside, the brand’s fusion of perennial silhouettes and functional finishes offers a trove of staples ideal for surviving a steamy summer in the Big Apple.
During Hypebeast’s May visit to nanamica for our latest Shop Talk, store associate DJ Morita explained how the Japanese brand’s DNA filters into its approach: “Nana means ‘seven,’ and mica means ‘house,’ so we’re essentially the ‘House of Seven Seas.’” He continued, “The owners are all about the ocean, land, and the outdoors, and the store itself is built like a home.” However, aside from its Japan-exclusive North Face Purple Label Line, this outdoor inspiration is expressed less so in design aesthetics than in the material qualities.
Long before the rise of more recent players in minimal Japanese menswear, like A.PRESSE and Auralee, nanamica was founded in 2003 by designer Eiichiro Homma. Having worked at performance labels like Goldwin, The North Face, and Helly Hansen in his career, Homma’s label has carved out its own niche over the last two decades, producing top-quality basics and timeless menswear styles, all designed with a technical sensibility. This means you can find lightweight cotton pieces equipped with hefty water-resistant GORE-TEX, as well as more tailored pieces with innovative treatments like Alphadry, which helps regulate body temperature.
Indeed, if there’s one must-have in store right now, shop associate Natalie Roman says it would have to be an Alphadry piece. With “quick-drying, lightweight, and wrinkle-free” wear, Roman explained, “You can dress it up or down. It’s designed for all occasions.” The Alphadry lineup is discreet in its expression, featuring trousers, blazers, and work jackets that lean more towards sartorial styles than gorpcore. These qualities make the range ideal for multi-layer looks that don’t trap summer heat.
Ultimately, Morita and Roman both agree on nanamica’s selvedge denim as their favorite product. Offered in four different styles, the jeans are also “without a doubt” the store’s best-selling item, Morita said. While you might imagine selvedge denim as crispy or stiff, nanamica’s is slowly woven on a traditional shuttle loom, for a textured, relaxed feel that conforms to the body with wear. Showing the Vintage Wash pair he had on himself, he added, “It doesn’t matter if someone’s really into fashion or just looking for a reliable pair of jeans, everybody wants good denim.”
As part of Hypebeast’s Shop Talk series we caught up with the nanamica New York team to find out what pieces they’re wearing, what’s selling, and what a Spring/Summer in New York really requires when it comes to threads.
Hypebeast: What’s your favorite item in the store right now?
DJ Morita: Actually, what I’m wearing now: selvedge denim. We have four
different pairs.
Natalie Roman: Selvedge denim and Loopwheel tees. It’s basic, it’s light, it’s easy.
What’s the must-have item in the store?
Natalie Roman: Alphadry. It’s a signature material that we have every season. It’s quick-drying, lightweight, and wrinkle-free. You can dress it up or down. It’s designed for all occasions.
What are the New York spring must-haves?
Natalie Roman: Zyrtec, eye drops, a basic tee, and a sweater for layering. That’s the full list.
DJ Morita: I back that.
What’s the best-selling item in the store?
DJ Morita: Selvedge denim, without a doubt. It doesn’t matter if someone’s really into fashion or just looking for a reliable pair of jeans, everybody wants good denim. People walk in, and it captures their attention right away, they try it on, and that’s usually it.
What’s the hardest part about dressing for spring in New York?
DJ Morita: The weather is completely unpredictable. If you’re out all day, you have to be prepared; the right layering piece matters a lot. And it can go either way: overdressed or underdressed. Having versatile pieces that work across the day is key.
If you had to wear one item from the store for an entire year, what would it be?
Natalie Roman: This outfit right here: selvedge denim and the loopwheel tee. Whatever the occasion, whatever the weather, I just swap the shoes or add a jacket and I’m ready. It’s the perfect base.
Blue, black, or gray — what’s your go-to color?
DJ Morita: Black. It’s easy, it’s versatile, it layers with everything. My whole closet is basically black, or sometimes gray. You really can’t go wrong, and we’ve got both in the sweaters right here.
How do you pronounce the brand name — is it Nana-mee-ka or Nana-my-ka?
DJ Morita: Technically, both aren’t wrong, but in-store, we say Nana-mee-ka — it’s the Japanese pronunciation. Nana means “seven,” and Mica means “house,” so we’re essentially the House of Seven Seasons. The owners are all about the ocean, land, and the outdoors, and the store itself is built like a home. That’s the idea.
What’s your favorite button-up in the store?
DJ Morita: We just got some new ones. They’re inspired by old Hawaiian workwear shirts, the kind people used to wear in the fields to block the sun. It’s a plaid-style weave with a modern cut. Polyester-wool blend, navy and gray. Really solid piece, and the buttons are beautifully finished.
What’s the most-asked question you get?
Natalie Roman: “Do you carry North Face Purple Label?” We don’t, it’s only sold in Japan. We did carry it for the first three months we were open, but not anymore. If you ever get the chance to visit Japan, that’s the place to find it.
What’s the difference between the Nanamica New York and Japan stores?
Natalie Roman: They’re honestly pretty similar — same clothing, same team vibe, even a similar layout. The one real difference is that Japan has North Face Purple Label. Our content is slightly more adventurous here in New York, but for the most part it’s the same experience. We all know each other well.
If you could pick an outfit from the store for someone walking in right now, what would it be?
DJ Morita: Definitely going to start with selvedge.
Natalie Roman: Then add the loopwheel tee underneath, layer a button-up shirt over it, and finish with a jacket. It’s got depth, it works for the weather, and it’s the kind of fit that just looks right whether you’re on the street or heading somewhere nicer.
Head to the official nanamica webstore for more information DJ and Natalie’s favorite pieces, and a deeper dive into the SS26 lineup.
Visit nanamica New York at 123 Wooster St, New York, NY 10012.
