Flotsam Books is known as one of Japan’s best places for books and zines on fashion, art, and photography. Despite its popularity, they only have one shop, and it’s located in Tokyo. Fortunately, they have a fantastic on-line shop, and, once or twice a year, they host pop-up shops in Osaka. This January, I visited their pop-up at the Hibi clothing store in Nakatsu.
From the outside, Hibi Omise looks like a typical Akiya house, but a slightly opaque fluorescent green plexiglass door sets it apart from the surrounding buildings. Upon entering, the shop appears to be a cross between a gallery and clothing shop, but with a few books and antique jewelry mixed in. I briefly acknowledged the shop assistant and made my way upstairs to where the books were. There was a small selection of mostly used art books mixed with newer zines, but with lots of variety.
Soon the shop assistant came upstairs and struck up a conversation. He was, in fact, a co-owner.
You look pretty young for an owner!
It’s actually my second shop. Our first is next door. It’s called Fome. It’s a vintage shop. It was opened in 2021. Hibi was opened last year. This is a 100-year-old house that was abandoned. I’m Rintaro.
My partner is Kosei. I met him in Jyuku (cram school.) We realized we both loved fashion, so we decided to work together.
I have loved fashion since I was 13 years old.
Are you from Osaka?
No, Hyogo. I came to Osaka for school. I went to Kindai University to study business.
Was it useful for starting the stores?
The curriculum wasn’t so good, but my professor was great and he helped me a lot.
What are you wearing today?
The t-shirt is Archivist Addendum. They combine art with fashion. We are featuring their clothing at the moment. We like to collaborate with artists who mix many disciplines.
What are some other collaborations you’ve done, and how did you make contact with the artists or designers?
We’ve collaborated with designers like edition.nord, flotsam books, and Aya Yamanaka. I made contact directly to start the process.
Aya Yamanaka makes bespoke clothes from towels, and we will have her works in the summer.
This curtain was made by Kiyoshi Izumi who is a designer and musician. He also owns the Soma curry shop up the street. He’s very talented!
The jacket is YMC (You Must Create) from the UK. The pants, dress shirt, and shoes are vintage, but I don’t really pay attention to the brands. I just know the shoes are by Mephisto.
How do you choose the brands you sell?
By feeling.
So Fome is vintage? Where do you get the vintage clothes to sell?
We get almost all of them in Europe.
Do you go overseas to buy merchandise?
Sometimes. I’ve been overseas about five times. We usually just contact overseas businesses.
Which brand is your favorite?
BLESS!
I’m looking at the website now. German? It looks like it’s not just fashion, but a complete lifestyle.
What are some difficulties you’ve had selling fashion in Japan? What are the positives?
No difficulties at all. Luckily, there are many fashionable people in Osaka!
