When I was living in London, I would frequent the MUJI store on Oxford street quite a lot. It was a few steps away from most of the editing suites I booked for my job at MTV and I would love to explore the shelves in this Japanese retailer. MUJI sells stuff you never knew you just had to have. I would walk out with notebooks, pencils, pill cases, cups and at one point a pair of flip flops. Granted; I still wear those today, 8 years later.
Originally MUJI was Mujirushi (no brand in Japanese), a product brand for a Japanese supermarket. They started with about 40 goods, now stocking over 7000 wannahave products. They recently opened doors in New York City and are branching out rapidly.
New York in a Bag
Their items rage from stationery, furniture, linens and household accessories to food items, gadgets and major kitchen appliances.
MUJI position themselves as an affordable high quality brand, keeping the retail prices of products lower than usual other brands by the materials it selects, streamlining its manufacturing processes, and minimising packaging. All adding to their minimalist and stylish appeal.
Paper/Card board fold out MP3 player speakers
The shop on Oxford street was, and I imagine still is, a white and subtle earth tones sanctuary. It stood for the uncluttered life I certainly was not living! Woods, paper, linens, silk, cotton….imagine Ikea without screaming kids and knots and bolds and without the colours and the arrows on the floor. Actually, no, imagine fancy hotels and houses you see in glossy magazines and everything within financial reach!
MUJI store on Times Square in NYC
MUJI now ships to pretty much all over the world from their website!
Home voyeurs.... a peek into homes 