Launched in 2009 by Japanese cultural leaders Hiroshi Fujiwara and Daisuke Murakami – Aoyama, Tokyo based fragrance brand retaW (pronounced Ri-Tu) sets out to create deeply thought-out scents for you to immerse yourself in whether at home or on the go. Drawing heavily on the influence of music and culture, fragrances in the curated retaW line up are often made with a particular musician or record in mind, hinting at the particular notes contained in the scent, for example the Allen scent references British singer Lily Allen – who Hiroshi is known to be a fan of. retaW’s all-encompassing range features candles, hand washes, creams, fabric sprays, room hang tags, shampoos and more for a 360 lifestyle experience. The name retaW (water spelt backwards) was a symbol of Hiroshi and Daisuke wanting the brand to become as much of a part of your daily life and normal as drinking water is. With colognes and perfumes often seen as reserved for special occasions, retaW sets out to flip this, offering a range of thoughtful, not overly powerful scents that can fit into your everyday lifestyle seamlessly. In the same way we dress ourselves each day, retaW can be treated in a similar way to fashion and integrated into your daily life to enhance it.

With a storied presence dating back over 30 years in the industry, Hiroshi Fujiwara is commonly titled as the godfather of streetwear and for good reason. From being involved in the early days of Tokyo’s Harajuku scene in the late 80’s to now working on pivotal multi-brand global projects that touch all areas of contemporary style, street fashion and lifestyle goods – he has done it all. Running alongside fragment designs ongoing projects with brands such as Nike, Converse, Beats by Dre, Starbucks and even Pokemon, retaW is the fragrance arm of Hiroshi’s creative endeavours and often releases retaW/fragment collaborative products from time to time. Because retaW hails from Japan, all products are made in Japan using authentic high end Japanese ingredients, with intense thought and care involved in each step of the process – simply put, this what makes all the retaW fragrances so original. Drawing from Hiroshi’s talents in clothing and design with the help of Daisuke, retaW is able to touch upon 3 of the 5 senses – visual, tactile and scent, to create an all encompassing experience for the user. In addition to the timeless product concept and packaging, retaW’s unique physical retail presence is a place where design and function meet. Their Tokyo store for example, is vividly bright with white tiles and walls allowing for an easy shopping experience with products on offer in industrial style stainless steel display fridges, mimicking the style of a Japanese convini store.

Here at HIP, for our first delivery of retaW in conjunction with the launch of HIP Living, we chose to give our customers a wide range from retaW from the outset. Offering products that touch every room in your home along with your grooming routine, in a selection of staple scents such as Barney (soapy and fresh), Allen (rich floral and lily), Evelyn (citric and musky) and the HIP favourite Natural Mystic (spicy vanilla).

retaW – new to HIP living. Online now.