FOCUS IT.] Sixth store in the Harajuku area! The North Face Sphere is now available in the Harajuku area.

Although "right now" may not be the right word, The North Face's momentum over the past few years has certainly been remarkable.

The company's growing support in the fashion scene is well known, as is its development of revolutionary products such as the "Moon Parka," production of uniforms for the Japanese national sport climbing team, and announcement of its long-term vision to increase the percentage of products made from materials with reduced environmental impact to 90% or more, among others. ....

The North Face continues to embody their brand identity of "boldly taking on challenges, even when the path is difficult," and now they have opened their sixth flagship store, "The North Face Sphere," in Harajuku. Why six stores in this area? We will answer this question as well as provide a report on the unique wear customization service offered at this store.

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New location for sports and athletic categories.

First, let's review the five stores located in the neighborhood. Mountain, the oldest and the one that was renovated in 2019, offers performance wear and gear for mountaineering, Standard offers outdoor style for urban dwellers, and Alter offers carefully selected lifestyle items. The lineup continues to be subdivided into "March," which specializes in women's wear, and "Kids," which caters to families in touch with nature.

Sphere" proposes an athletic category that seamlessly connects everyday life and the outdoors. Focusing on daily training as a process to enjoy the outdoors, a wide variety of items specialized for familiar activities such as running, yoga, and fitness will be offered.

1F "ENTRANCE

B1F "TRAINING

2F "RUNNING

Velocity Forward(2 feet left)
Shoes for long-distance use that pursue a balance between lightness and abrasion durability. The semi-rocker bottom provides propulsive power.
Ultra Forward(Right 2 feet)
This ultra-marathon-compatible model uses Vibram Morflex HAE rubber EVA compound, which boasts outstanding durability.

A full range of supplemental food and protein is also available.

The store has seven floors, starting with "ENTRANCE" on the first floor, "TRAINING" on the basement floor, "RUNNING" on the second floor, and "141 CUSTOM" on the third floor, which will be introduced in detail later. The first floor has an atrium, allowing natural light to enter the basement, and the ground floor has a glass wall, so visitors can enjoy shopping in an open atmosphere on any floor.

6F "TERRACE

Further up, the fourth floor is an "OFFICE" for staff, while the fifth floor "EVENT SPACE" hosts conditioning lectures and yoga studio programs on an irregular basis. After lessons, you can relax with a smoothie or juice at the 6th floor TERRACE, which is not usually open to the public.

There is one more element that is indispensable to understanding the Sphere. It is architecture that pursues a natural appearance. The building was designed by the up-and-coming architectural unit "Sawada Hashimura," based on the idea of "what if a building had sprung up in the same place as a tree? This building was designed by the up-and-coming architectural unit Sawada Hashimura based on this idea. The basement is made of earth and the ground floor is made of cypress, with the ceiling height getting higher as one moves to the upper floors. When you visit the building, please pay attention to the appearance of the building itself, which is rational and lean.

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Experience a new service, custom ordering of athletic wear!

Now, let's focus on "141 CUSTOM" on the 3rd floor.

To give a brief explanation, "141 CUSTOM" is a service that allows users to order iconic products from "The North Face" in the color and sizing of their choice. While down jackets and bags are available at some stores, this is the first time that athletic wear has been offered through Sphere. The service will be available only in theGTX TRAIL JACKETand "SWALLOWTAIL VENT JACKET", "SWALLOWTAIL VENT LONG PANTS", "ENDURIS RACING SHORTSThese are four types of running wear such as

Yamamoto, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of HOUYHNHNM's and the most crazy runner in the editorial department, challenged "141 CUSTOM" to create a running outfit of his own. Here is his report!

Yesterday,Simulation on the WebYamamoto is confident of the finished product. First, they checked the color samples prepared in the store. The color samples were gradually refined, and the designer began to think, "This pink is smokier than I thought it would be," or "I think I'll use this color for the logo.

The ordering process started with the selection of items using a simulator on the wall. This time, Yamamoto selected "GTX TRAIL JACKET" and "SWALLOWTAIL VENT LONG PANTS" under the theme of "run home. He had done a thorough simulation, and he pushed the items through the screen without any hesitation.

I didn't know they also have wide silhouettes for jackets. Then I'll make it wide so that midlers can wear it easily." "The inseam of pants can be adjusted by +/- 3cm. ⁉︎

It only took me 5 minutes to customize it and check the result with the store staff. "Perfect! So, we start trying on samples in the same size as our order (black color only).

The jacket is a size L with a wide silhouette, and the pants are a size L with a 3 cm shorter inseam. The North Face running wear was a little tight for my taste. I had the impression that The North Face's running clothes were a little tight, but it's nice to be able to wear them as loose as I like," he says, looking pleased.

Here is the "Yamamoto special order" you are interested in. The pink of the jacket is picked up by the logo on the pants, a technique that shows off an advanced level of skill. The GTX TRAIL JACKET is priced at 41,800 yen and the SWALLOWTAIL VENT LONG PANTS at 17,800 yen. Compared to the stiff inline version, details such as pockets and zippers have been stripped down for light activities, which means that custom orders can be realized at 1.5 times the price range of ready-made products.

Incidentally, it takes about 1.5~2 months from order to completion. If you order at this time of the year, delivery will be in September when the heat eases. Why not order your own one-of-a-kind outfit to motivate you for the fall, the best season for running?