Shanghai now

Following a fresh, minimalist ready-to-wear collection for spring, Natori segues into fall with a throwback to the bold, decadent East — rich colors, rich fabrics, rich everything. At The World of Natori fall/winter 2013 show recently held at Buddha Bar, Josie Natori, the iconic woman behind the fashion house wore a black lace cutout dress and black statement earrings from the collection. Pre-show, while she waited for her freshly painted nails to dry, The STAR chatted with the soft-spoken, refreshingly candid designer.

“The fall collection is inspired by chinoiserie and very much inspired by Shanghai in the ‘30s. It’s just very glamorous. I’m wearing this kind of very intricate lace that really reflects the spirit of Asia, but from a very European point of view,” she said. For a minute I forgot that she was the Josie Natori when, in the most patient tone, she explained that Shanghai is like the Paris of that time. “Chinoiserie is the way it is seen from the eyes of the European. Our shapes are very modern, but the glamour is very ‘30s Shanghai,” she added.

“The fabrics are jerseys and jacquards and cutouts — like this lace — and gold and amazing prints. We have a whole series of intricately embroidered and beaded caftans. And prints — we’re known for our prints. And certainly the East-West sensibility of Natori, which is very much our signature, our trademark, and so you’ll see that all the prints are very vibrant and very rich,” she said, referring to the ready-to-wear, lounge wear and accessories collections for fall.

Despite having been in the business for 36 years — that’s more than a hundred fashion seasons and possibly thousands of looks, Natori has stayed true to this unique, wearable exotic aesthetic and remains an exciting, relevant brand. “As you know, being in fashion, you have to keep evolving. There’s no stopping. You have to keep giving something new so there’s a reason for the customer to want to buy something new. There must be a reason we’re still around 36 years later. Whether it’s shapes, prints, a new idea, a new concept — give them something new,” she said.

As part of this evolution, Natori has recently expanded to other areas like home accessories, which, according to the designer, will be available in the country very soon.

I asked her if she ever experiences “designer’s block”: “Oh, you mean if I ever get stuck?” she laughed. “I’m very blessed to have a wonderful team. There’s so much to get inspiration from every day. The number one way to get inspired is to listen to the customer, understand what the customer’s life is like. At the end of the day, fashion is a business, so you need to be inspired and make the customer want to buy something. That, to me, in itself, is inspiring — to understand her lifestyle, what she’s looking for, whether it’s something casual or something dressy, or this shape versus that. If you’re always interested and always curious and always learning, it’s impossible to have a ‘block.’”

In terms of creating new looks season after season, the designer said, “Natori is about bringing art to life with an East-West sensibility. We can go from culture to culture, from country to country, but there’s always a consistent thread to that — but this doesn’t mean it’s always the same thing and that’s what fashion is about. You don’t know what you’re going to come up with!”

As Natori launches its fall 2013 collection, they are also working on fall 2014, while getting ready for spring 2015. “Right now, we’re working on three different seasons all at the same time,” she said.

In the house of Natori, there’s no room for such things as getting stuck or having a block. “You have to love the business of fashion if you want to be in fashion. And if you love it, you’re constantly inspired.”

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In the Philippines, The World Natori is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-La.