Designed in London and inspired by the streets of Tokyo, Shinjuku Lanes follows the “Slow Fashion” philosophy as well as the Japanese “Wabi-Sabi” which can be translated as “finding beauty in the imperfections of nature”. They craft and offer quality contemporary women accessories to cherish and wear season after season. Their experimental designs and prints are combined with eco-friendly materials. As much as functionality, comfort and durability are key, protecting the planet remains the top priority.  Designer and founder, Jennifer Yamamoto tells us more.

What was the motivation for starting Shinjuku Lanes?

There were two main reasons why I started Shinjuku Lanes. Firstly, I wanted to create accessories that had a minimal impact on the planet but were also fashion-forward and functional. Before launching the brand, I was super excited about the sustainable fashion movement but noticed that accessories were really lagging behind clothing. Vegan accessories were very much at the fore, which is a term that I think has got confused with being eco-friendly, but that resulted in virgin plastic-based accessories flooding the market. The second reason for starting Shinjuku Lanes was a selfish one – I craved creativity that I wasn’t getting enough of in my previous job in healthcare communications, and I realised I could combine my interest in material science – which I studied at university – with my love of art, fashion and design.

What is Shinjuku Lanes ethos?

Shinjuku Lanes creates bold luxury accessories for the modern woman, combining an urban contemporary aesthetic with sustainable materials and functional design. Being mindful of the planet is at the heart of everything we do, from using natural, biodegradable and/or recycled fabrics in our accessories and packaging, to offsetting the carbon footprint of deliveries to customers.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

As someone who’s grown up in London but has Japanese heritage, I love to get inspiration from Tokyo and wider Japan, and combine that with the laidback style seen on the streets of London. Japanese cities have a wonderful way of combining the old with the new, as well as incorporating nature into hyper modern living, so these are elements I love to play with in my designs.

Why is sustainability so important?

I believe as a society, we need to rethink how we make fashion choices because despite the growth of sustainability in the industry, demand for cheap (and therefore poorly made) products has never been higher. We think we need something new every week, instead of asking important questions like: What is this made of? How many uses will I get out of it? How long will it last?
As well as helping us to invest in quality over quantity, making decisions based on these questions reduces the amount of oil, carbon and pollution generated in production, as well as preventing wastage.

Any news you would like to share?

Yes, we are about to launch our first ever tote bag, inspired by traditional Japanese origami and crafted from recycled cotton canvas, recycled vegan leather and recycled nylon. It’s been in the making for the past year and will be available in three colours from the 27th November via this link: Origami Pocket Totes.

Images Courtesy of Shinjuku Lanes.