Understanding Porter, one of the world’s great carry companies.
So Porter eh? In Japan, these guys are the businessman staple – more common than the Burberry check. Yet outside Japan, they seem almost impenetrable to we Gaijin.
Knowing how long it took us to get our heads around it, we thought we’d short cut the process for the rest of you…
Yoshida & Co: This is the mother company. Yoshida & Co was established in 1935, and now has several sub brands.
Porter by Yoshida & Co: Porter emerged from Yoshida & Company in 1962. It is their major brand, with which they still do everything in Japan (design, manufacture, and sell). The gear is built with the principle of “a spirit into each stitch”. The brand is headed up by Susumu Hasegawa (a very cool cat originally from Comme des Garçons). While supposedly their more conservative stuff, they still do some amazing pieces and collaborations.
Head Porter: This is the cooler sub brand, carried only in boutiques & high-end department stores. It was started by Susumu Hasegawa and Hiroshi Fujiwara (of Honeyee and iDiom fame). Like McDonalds Happy Meals, it keeps the brand connected and relevant to the youth.
Hopefully that helps next time you see some bags called Porter, Head Porter or whatever name they run past you with word Porter in it..
Leather
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What are some good places to buy Porter products online, with worldwide shipping?
The Head Porter store has had a recent refresh, including making it much easier for international customers. The store is at: http://www.headporter.co.jp/en/
And while not the official store: http://head-porter.org/home.htm ships worldwide for reasonable amounts (about $30 a bag, with the price table here: http://head-porter.org/formoverseas/shippinginformation.htm). It’s a bit of a maze to navigate, but has a huge range.
Blackbird is a US based boutique with a few great Porter bags: http://www.blackbirdballard.com/Porter_Mens.html
They ship internationally for $40
Monocle shop has a few nice collaboration styles, but at the higher price points: http://shop.monocle.com/travel?limit=15
If anyone else has found a good source, we’d love to hear about it.
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