New design hub in Harajuku district will drive innovative product design and support expanded business growth across Asia-Pacific and beyond
DENVER and TOKYO, Jan. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, today announced the launch of the Tokyo Design Collective (TDC) and new regional office in Tokyo's Harajuku district, internationally recognized as a center of Japanese youth culture and fashion.
The office will be the new home for VF's Dickies®, Timberland®, and Vans® brands in Japan, as well as the newly created TDC team. The mission of the TDC is to reinforce VF's commitment to infusing aspirational Japanese product design and craftsmanship into its iconic global brands.
"Our TDC and brand teams in Japan are incredibly excited about our new home in the heart of Harajuku and the role it will play to drive a global brand halo through what we call our 'Japan for Japan for the rest of the world' strategy,'" said Mitch Whitaker, President of North Asia and Tokyo Design Collective. "We will use this new center to inspire new design concepts that not only connect with the Japanese consumer but will translate and gain traction in other global markets as well."
The TDC will leverage the expertise of an in-house design team in addition to a network of freelance designers, artists, and Japanese brands to develop and promote new expressions of Japanese fashion. It will also serve as a global incubator for talent and inspiration through a "Design in Residence" program that will welcome designers from across VF's global brands to live, work, and co-create together in this internationally recognized hub for Japanese streetwear culture.
The TDC's fully resourced design studio is already engaged in several new projects across VF's brand portfolio, many of which will launch later this year.
"The launch of the new Tokyo Design Collective represents an exciting new chapter in the global expansion of the Dickies brand," said Lance Meller, Global Brand President of Dickies. "We look forward to taking advantage of the incredible design talent and commitment to Japanese craftsmanship these teams will enable, as well as the valuable consumer insights we can capture in this trend-setting market to accelerate growth in Japan and markets around the world."
For accompanying images, please visit: https://vfc.filecamp.com/s/o/eVExi16TggBEcm5D
About VF Corporation
Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world's largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they cherish most through a family of iconic outdoor, active and workwear brands including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland® and Dickies®. Our purpose is to power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. We connect this purpose with a relentless drive to succeed to create value for all stakeholders and use our company as a force for good. For more information, please visit vfc.com.
