Translating roughly to ‘The House of the Seven Seas’, Nanamica is one of the current crop of Japanese brands that really float our proverbial boat. It may be a slightly sweeping statement to say that the Japanese have a knack for attention to detail and well thought out reinterpretations, but that’s certainly what Nanamica do. Merging classic designs with bang-up-to-date technology, Nanamica make jackets that not only look ace, but do a great job of keeping the rain out as well. Just take their Gore-Tex Soutier Collar Coat for example — whilst it wouldn’t look out of place on Robert Mitchum in a black and white daytime TV thriller, it’s actually made from Gore-Tex with taped seams aplenty, meaning it’s fully waterproof and windproof whilst still somehow being breathable. It doesn’t look half bad either. As well as their masterful methods with Gore-Tex, Nanamica are also fairly handy with the wind-proof and breathable super-fabric Pertex, and use it on everything from shirts to varsity jacket linings.
Before starting Nanamica, Managing Director Eiichiro Homma (read our interview with him here) spent 18 years working at the Japanase distribution company Goldwin doing product development for such esteemed outdoor brands as North Face, Helly Hansen and Filson, as well as distributing Henry Llloyd. As well as this he’s also quite handy in the sailing department, so if you were wondering about Nanamica’s outdoor credentials, don’t worry — they certainly know what they’re doing. It’s also worth mentioning that the chaps behind Nanamica are also responsible for the much-lauded, Japan-only North Face Purple Label. Let’s not get too side-tracked though… to keep things brief, Nanamica manage to combine classic shapes with up-to-date tech, making comfortable, rain-ready gear keeping you fully dry without making you look like you’re on a school-trip up Ben Nevis.