Bravo to Natori & hours of artisanship!

For many, Natori inspires images of glamorous women in floor-skimming caftans, sipping cocktails well before dinner. There was plenty of that at the launch of their fall collection at Salon de Ning to celebrate the label’s foray into ready-to-wear and the opening of their new space at Rustan’s.

Glittering, bejeweled women in Natori strode about the cocktail lounge — and those were just the guests.

Many familiar with Josie Natori’s history, one of the first women to make great strides in the finance industry in New York, are aware of her talent at the piano. A lauded concert pianist, she surprised guests with a performance of Minamahal Kita on piano, while her husband Ken Natori proudly watched.

Models lounged about in select pieces from the fall collections. Sprinkled in were couture caftans, which Josie flew in from New York especially for the show.

“Those are not for dressing down,” she says, laughing. “The couture caftans are special collectible pieces that took hours and hours and weeks of artisanship — really spectacular work made in the Philippines inspired by authentic pieces in my archive.” She adds: “They’re works of art.”

That evening and the following day, those same caftans were snapped up instantly.

“I don’t want to reveal the numbers but I was surprised by the number of couture we’ve sold,” Josie says coyly. “It’s not just older women. I saw someone in her late 20s who purchased a couture gown.”

The following day, at a personal appearance in Rustan’s, a reported P1 million worth of Natori flew off the newly designed shelves during Josie’s three-hour appearance.

“We’ve had such a gratifying response,” she says. “It’s surprising.”

PHILIPPINE STAR: For a customer unfamiliar with Natori ready-to-wear, what elements of the loungewear can be found in the RTW line? And how has the RTW line evolved from the original loungewear and lingerie line?

JOSIE NATORI: The RTW collection, the spirit of it, is a natural progression from Natori’s loungewear. They’re easy, they’re soft, they’re not constructed. Like loungewear, they’re comfortable. It’s really a concept of timeless pieces you can throw together that go from day to night. The fabrics are all easy care. And they’re feminine and glamorous.

The concept of loungewear is you can wear it out. But for our RTW, you can wear it to work, go out in it. Whether it’s for dinner or black tie or meetings with colleagues, it’s sportswear.

The philosophy is no different from our loungewear — you can be comfortable and still be glamorous. 

It’s funny to note that from lingerie and loungewear, Natori expanded to other avenues, like home accessories, before opening an RTW line. Were you waiting for a particular moment before debuting a collection?

(Laughs) It’s true. The real RTW opened only a couple years ago, whereas home began about five years ago. It’s really a matter of timing. The kind of attitude Natori represents is what women want today. It’s not about wearing constructed jackets and trying to look like a man. We’ve always believed it would only be a matter of time that we would be doing RTW since people have been wearing us out for years. Our customers are savvy like that.

At the event, there were plenty of Natori women in Salon de Ning and they all seemed to be affluent women of a certain age — ladies who lunch who wear caftans at home. Do you think the Natori RTW line speaks to the same kind of woman? Or has the Natori woman evolved over time?

Quite honestly, the event could accommodate only so many people so we had to be selective, but there were young people there! (Laughs) And the ladies who lunch wear Chanel, you know. (Laughs) Our RTW caters to career women. And, of course, ladies who lunch! But our prices are so reasonable; the line speaks to a broader audience, who appreciates our aesthetic. It’s not just for lunching ladies.

A modern harmony of East and West, a sensual palette of color and texture. That best describes a Natori creation

The accessories were a standout, boldly Asian and contemporary. What else can we expect from the Natori accessories line? Will the full complement of accessories, including sunglasses, be made available here?

Sunglasses are already available; the belts, necklaces as well. It’s been selling so well, such a gratifying response.

I’m excited about the fact that the accessories are all made in the Philippines. I worked with an artist here. The accessories really enhance the clothes, give a bold statement to our simple shapes. It’s clearly a category we’re going to develop in the coming season. We’ve been doing accent handbags as well, which you can see in the full catalog. It’s a very sculptural bag made from abaca. By spring 2013, we should have a full accessories line, from shoes to bags.

When we met last year, you were telling me that this collection you previewed at Salon de Ning was about powerful figures.

Yes, for fall we were inspired by the samurai and the geisha.

You referred to spring 2012 collection’s influences as French Indochine to Style.com. What in particular were the elements of Vietnam that inspired you?

For spring, we’ve done long pieces, tunics as well as short dresses. I love the spirit of the Vietnamese. They’ve very mysterious. Must be the French influence. They’re also very sexy. Quite inspiring: the vibrant colors of the Mekong river, the vivid greens, which translated to our high collars, lush colors.

You once said in a New York Times interview that you experience the world through shopping. As a regular traveler, what country will inspire your following collection? And were the shops to your liking?

Fall 2013 is really Eastern — Mongolia and a certain Chinese dynasty. It’s just fun to kind of go from culture to culture, country to country. In the end, it’s always the richness of the country, whether it’s architecture, objects or scenery. I have quite an archive collected over 40 years, which is a big source of inspiration. That’s a lot of shopping.