Keizo Shimizu & Nepenthenes
Founded in 1988 as part of designer Keizo Shimizu’s parent company Nepenthes, Needles was initially created to support imported items in the shop and was born after a trademark dispute when Shimizu ceased HOGGS — its initial in-house line. Needles blends the old western and military Americana style with Japanese fabrics and textiles to create a rugged sportwear style. Shimizu found his love for American & Ivy style flipping through the pages of a "Made in U.S.A" catalog as well as the growing popularity of Kensuke Ishizu's magazine "The Men's Club", which helped articulate the do's and dont's of Ivy fashion to a new, Fashion-Forward generation of Japanese youth. Shimizu’s Needles and Engineered Garments have since gained popularity in the United States, through their collaboration with AWGE, as well as the popularity of their store Nepenthenes.