Where East Meets West | Sabukaru's Guide to Functional Clothing Stores
We previously listed of some of our favourite designers working in the field of functional apparel and footwear, so this time round we decided do something a little different.
In the following guide, you are guaranteed to find some of the best-curated stores of a functional nature from East to West but mainly transfixed in Europe and Japan. We have done our best to approach the theme of functional design in the broadest sense possible so that there is some variation throughout. The stores won’t be limited to just apparel so it’ll go beyond that to footwear and accessories as well.
Before we really dive into the nitty-gritty, it’s worth us outlining what we mean by ‘Functional Clothing’, in this sense, as it’s a term that is often thrown about. We won’t be going by a strict definition but more so a blanket that covers products of a functional nature which could be due to their ability to possess an element of usefulness and practicality, all whilst serving a specific activity; for example, a lightweight, packable shell jacket that can be just as easily be put on when the weather turns south as it can be stowed away when not in use.
Location: Liverpool + London, United Kingdom
Address: Units 72-73, Coal Drops Yard, London
2 Slater Studios, 5-11 Slater Street, Liverpool
Gear Overview: Camping Equipment, Technical Footwear, Fleece Pullovers.
Key Brands: La Sportiva, Snow Peak, CAYL.
Standout Item: Snow Peak Entry 2 Room Elfield Tent
Flying the flag for outdoor-related goods in the United Kingdom, Outsiders Store is home to a whole host of gear that will see you through a number of testing environments from the concrete jungle to unnerving trails. What originally started as a retailer for outdoors-oriented products like camping equipment from Snow Peak has begun branching out into more of the technical apparel scene, welcoming in names like CAYL in recent years alongside mainstays like Klattermusen and Nanga. When browsing through Outsiders, you can rest assured that, like many other of the stores on this list, the pieces have been procured for a specific function.
“In a few simple terms, we look for technical, durable and functional stuff. Maybe things need to be a minimum of two of the three. I’ve never used that as a measure exactly, but I might now. We like clothes. We like gear. We like going out and doing stuff. So we just try to have all the stuff that sits with what we like and that you need to do things outside.” Josh Rothery, Outsiders Store.
Location: Berlin, Germany, Kollwitzstrasse 51, 10405 Berlin.
Gear Overview: Utilitarian Accessories, Technical Legwear and Bandanas.
Key Brands: ARYS, CCP Japan and Norda.
Standout Item: CCP Full Face Windbreaker Jacket.
Boasting a pre-existing retail presence in stores in Fukuoka, Osaka, Sendai and Tokyo, ARYS returned to its native roots and opened a store in Berlin back in February 2021 which is where ARYS Store Berlin comes into the picture. Home to a carefully curated arsenal of brands including CCP, ATID, Oakley, BYBORRE and others, they are merging established names with up-and-comers - the curation is really second to none and one we are happy to shout about! The impression that we get from a store like ARYS is that they are creating a space where they can host gear from brands they really appreciate. Rest assured, though, that each product has been selected for a specific purpose with a varying degree of function possessed by each.
“The concept of the ARYS Store follows the idea of curating items that are perfect for users living in the urban areas but, from time to time, want to clear their minds and enjoy time in the outdoors. We believe that a product's value lies in quality over quantity, minimalistic design and functionality.”
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom 2nd Floor, Tanzaro House, Ardwick Green North, M12 6FZ
Gear Overview: In-House Collaborations, Outerwear, Bottoms
Key Brands: District Vision, norbit by Hiroshi Nozawa, GOOPiMADE
Standout Item: This Thing of Ours x norbit by Hiroshi Nozawa ‘Insect Shield’ Jacket
Leading the charge for carrying some of the hardest to source labels from the East and bringing them to the UK, This Thing of Ours, established in 2019, is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s near enough impossible to find another independent retailer - we need to emphasise independence here because that is vital - that stocks the calibre of brands they do, from CAYL to meanswhile and Tilak. Their curation is very precise and their offering is so consistent throughout the calendar year.
One of the key aims of This Thing of Ours is to introduce more obscure brands from a host of nations including the USA, Japan and South Korea, to a wider landscape of people, making such wares more accessible. It means that we can get our hands on outerwear courtesy of F/CE and Nanga, as well as waterproof and breathable jackets by CMF Outdoor Garment.
Lastly, throughout recent months, they have begun to become more multi-dimensional, branching out into designing exclusive garments with the likes of Mackintosh - the UK-based heritage outerwear manufacturer that coined the term ‘Mac’, a staple coat - and norbit. Expect to see more from This Thing of Ours, especially with the recent launch of their creative outlet dubbed ‘This Thing’.
“This Thing Of Ours is an independently owned store that believes in bringing you a highly curated mix of brands and products perfectly suited to an Urban/Outdoor lifestyle. We are firm believers in quality over quantity; each brand and product is carefully selected for its own unique attributes. You can expect a heady mix of hard-to-find Asian brands, weather-beating outerwear and Americana-inspired comfort.”
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, 5 Alford Place, Aberdeen, AB10 1YD
Gear Overview: Military-Inspired Smock Jackets, Athletic Eyewear, Luggage
Key Brands: Engineered Garments, and Wander, Ten C
Standout Item: Snow Peak 2L Octa Cardigan
Home to a cornucopia of apparel, accessories and footwear centred around utilitarian and function-forward design, Kafka Mercantile stands as one of the longest-operating stores on this list. Located in Aberdeen, Scotland, the retailer provides a diverse array of globally-sourced artisanal and technical labels from Kapital to and Wander and Snow Peak, juggling an eclectic but rather well-thought-out curation.
“The concept has always been pretty straightforward, we like to offer our customers clothing that we like ourselves. We have always been big advocates of the buy less but buy better philosophy and like to think that over time the end-user will get great value from things bought in our store. We also enjoy supporting the more artisanal brands that we offer as they are helping to keep the skills of handmade going which in our opinion keeps some soul and honesty in our marketplace.”
Location: Munich, Germany, Reichenbachstr. 38Munich 80469
Gear Overview: Hiking Boots, Technical Outerwear, Lightweight Bottoms/Shorts
Key Brands: Klattermusen, Houdini, Arc’teryx
Standout Item: NORDA 001 M-22
Standing by the mantra of ‘Modern Outdoor’ wear, Munich-based Deru Store caters to the new-age urbanite who is looking for apparel that can function as well in metropolitan settings as it can outdoors on the trails. Like many of the names on this list, Deru Store juggles outerwear from nanamica alongside technical footwear from Arc’teryx, designed for traversing trails and concrete alike. Their approach is a little bit outdoorsy and function-focused than some of the other stores they sit next to, but there is still a good amount of balance there.
“Sexy Outdoor sums it up pretty well. Rather than approach it as a fashion store that is playing with “outdoor” because it's on-trend and will change as soon as something else comes up, we see ourselves as an outdoor store that doesn’t ignore form or function.”
Location: Bergen, Norway, Kong Oscars Gate 18, 5017 Bergen
Gear Overview: Outerwear, Shorts, Outdoor Equipment
Key Brands: F/CE., Goldwin, EASTLOGUE.
Standout Item: Goldwin GORE-TEX Act Field Coat
Founded in Bergen, Norway, LOT333 is a store whose curation is informed by the extremes of the country’s weather whereby the summers are often warm and the winters are rather nippy, to say the least.
Not subservient to the frequent passing trends of the fashion industry, LOT333 has forged an identity of its own in Norway, offering a fine array of both European and East-Asian brands in men’s and women’s styles. To name a few, we see Scandinavian-inspired outerwear from Norse Projects coexist with labels like F/CE. and Goldwin - each of them would likely be difficult to source in the country without LOT333 taking the reigns.
If you’re looking for a fun piece of trivia, the opening of LOT333 was financed by the owner, Marcus, who sold two pieces of Banksy art that he procured in the early 2000s as a thank you from the British street artist for showing him around Bergen, Norway. Wild!
Japanese Stores
We have also collated a handful of retailers from across Japan to accompany some of the Europe-based spots, including names like COVERCHORD, Wonder Mountain and Eliminator, as well as three other stores.
Residing in some of Japan’s metropolis, you must be geared to tackle the sudden changes in weather with humidity and rainfall being part and parcel of the situation. At the same time, people are often looking for a day-to-day uniform that can transition between commuting, the office and post-work activities, for example, going for a hike, so all situations are considered.
Gear Overview: Tents, Footwear, Technical Shell Jackets
Key Brands: White Mountaineering, nonnative, Tilak
Standout Item: and wander SCHOELLER 3XDRY STRETCH JACKET
One of the most multi-faceted stores on this list, COVERCHORD is split into Men’s, Women’s, Home and Outdoors categories that display a whole host of fantastic brands including DAIWA PIER39, and Wander and F/CE. alongside those we already mentioned. For the functional side of things, their Outdoors section is of most interest to us where they supply footwear from Altra amongst sleeping bags by The North Face and tents by Pre Tents allowing for customers to browse outdoor goods, footwear and apparel in one place. This seamless blend of labels like Maison Margiela and more tech-heavy outdoor wear would be hard to replicate in a country besides Japan.
Location: 2-23 Funamachi, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture
Gear Overview: Lightweight Shell Jackets, Bags, Shorts
Key Brands: Veilance, Klattermusen, Peak Performance
Standout Item: Tilak Raptor MiG Jacket with Expander
Boasting a sturdy online presence as well as a store in Japan’s Hiroshima Prefecture, Wonder Mountain has managed to fine-tune its selection down to a sight of envy. Juggling brands from all across the spectrum, when you bring labels like Klattermusen and Veilance into the picture, Wonder Mountain’s technical prowess starts to shine through into a league of its own marrying down insulated jackets with sleek, ergonomic designs by Veilance.
On the digital side of things, alongside This Thing of Ours, Wonder Mountain has its styling and social media imagery down to a tee. Each piece has been paired with care and purpose and each image does enough on a visual level that allows for few words. Lastly, they even have a dedicated Instagram account to such images, dubbed Wonder Mountain Styling which does as you can imagine.
Location: 1F Grace Daikanyama, 26-13 Sarugaku-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan ZIP 150-0033
Gear Overview: Collaborative Items, Technical Bottoms, Footwear
Key Brands: White Mountaineering BLK, Nemen, Salomon
Standout Item: Salomon Advanced Skin 12 (Black)
Located in the heart of Daikanyama, Eliminator offers one of the finest selections of functional and classic brands all in one place but, of course, we are only here for the former of the two. Functionality remains at the crux of what they do in-store and online, whether you’re in the market for footwear, outerwear or accessories - each brand and item has been curated for a reason.
On their website, there is a dedicated ‘About’ section which is almost a manifesto in the sense of how in-depth and articulated it is, reeling off a speel of where they derive inspiration from and what they want Eliminator to achieve now, as well as in the future for years to come. Some of the things we picked up on was the idea of ‘Three Timelines’ whereby the past, present and future all play an integral part, particularly in the brands they source whether they are upcoming designers/brands or more established ones. In this sense, we see heritage labels like Barbour sitting alongside performance-driven apparel by Salomon. An interesting combination but one that Eliminator delivers without question.
In all honesty, Eliminator is a store that we could dedicate an entire feature-length article to given the ethos and principles that undermine everything from the buying process to store layout.
Location: 1-8-11 Kichijoji Minamicho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, Yayoi Building 4th floor
Gear Overview: Accessories, Jackets, Footwear
Key Brands: CCP, Salomon, Veilance
Standout Item: Sling Bag
Softs is the definition of a hidden gem but one that has a very well-deserved place on this list.
Housed on the roof of a fairly non-descript building in Kichijoji, Softs has a very no-nonsense manner to them, they do things old school. Just by taking a glance at their Instagram - often the landing page that potential buyers land upon in this age - you’ll find garments from Veilance sitting apprehensively next to vintage band tees. Outside of Japan, we think this would be discounted but in a nation that values such traditional manners, Softs flourishes, supplying us with functional apparel from the likes of CCP and Veilance, as well as footwear from Salomon.
Location: 2 Chome-33-6 Kitazawa, Setagaya City, Tokyo 155-0031, Japan
Gear Overview: Climbing Equipment, Technical Outerwear, Outdoor Furniture
Key Brands: Teton Bros, Arc’teryx, Helinox
Standout Item: Teton Bros Tsurugi Lite Jacket
The truest ‘outlier’ on this list, for want of a better word, is the most function-driven purveyor of practical, useful outdoors products. Many of the stores that we have named before Bozeman Outdoors have carried brands of a non-functional nature but in this case, everything has a purpose - it’s not a spot for posers, sorry.
Functionality is the sole criteria when it comes to deciding what graces Bozeman Outdoor’s digital and physical shelves hence why we see technical outerwear, insulated sleeping packs and climbing equipment. This is definitely the spot to hit up if you’re in Tokyo and need some expert advice from those who have field-tested the gear they sell.
That’s it - for now - on our Functional Store Guide but we will be adding to it in the future, covering other stores that we may have missed as well as exploring other parts of the world. There are a lot of retailers out there excelling in their functional wares that we are yet to discover, but, rest assured, we are already on the hunt.
Text by Ali George Hinkins
