80% matchNamu Shop
Curated shop for the same Japanese independent labels
What changes: Retailer with a quieter, minimalist edit
Brand profile
Nepenthes
Japanese apparel company and retailer behind Needles, Engineered Garments and South2 West8, with stores in Japan, London and New York.
TokyoOrigin
UnisexFocus
Workwear / HeritageStyle
$$$Price
2 brands like Nepenthes like Namu Shop, Wallace Street Mercantile →
What to know about Nepenthes
A house of labels, not one
Nepenthes designs and distributes Needles, Engineered Garments, South2 West8 and AiE, so what you see under the name spans several distinct design voices.
American source material, Japanese pattern-making
It started importing US workwear and military surplus in 1988, then rebuilt those references itself: butterfly-embroidered track pants, patchwork and asymmetrical shirting, hunting and fishing gear.
Its stores stock outside brands too
Retail in Japan, London and New York, with the New York shop open since 1998, selling the in-house labels next to other brands.
If you like Nepenthes
80% match
68% matchWallace Street Mercantile
Stocks the same Japanese and outdoor-leaning labels
What changes: Multi-brand boutique, broader European mix
Brand facts
Nepenthes is a Japanese apparel company founded in Tokyo in 1988 by Keizo Shimizu, which began by importing American workwear and military surplus before building its own labels. It now designs and distributes Needles, Engineered Garments, South2 West8, AiE and Nepenthes-branded goods, and runs retail stores in Japan, London and New York. The house aesthetic reworks Americana through Japanese pattern-making: butterfly-embroidered track pants, patchwork and asymmetrical shirting, hunting and fishing gear. Nepenthes New York, open since 1998, sells the in-house labels alongside outside brands.
- Founded
- 1988
- Origin
- Tokyo, Japan
- Price
- $$$
- Focus
- Unisex
- Facts checked
- September 2026
- Styles
- Workwear / Heritage, Streetwear, Gorpcore / Outdoor