In Focus: the ‘Nowartt Down Short Sleeve Jacket’ from norbit by Hiroshi Nozawa AW ‘21
Written by Ali George Hinkins
One of our favourite designers at This Thing of Ours is Hiroshi Nozawa, the creative genius behind his eponymous label, norbit. He’s a bit of an industry veteran in his own right and has been working behind the scenes for decades for some of the leading brands in sportswear and technical clothing. To name a few nails on the board, he helped launch Snow Peak’s apparel line in 2014, as well as holding design positions for Columbia’s Black Label and New Balance Japan. See, some big industry hitters there. Through his work at norbit, Nozawa draws on this years of cultivated expertise and channels that into each product delivering a wholesome fusion of heritage silhouettes and high-performance fabrications.
For its Autumn/Winter ‘21 collection, norbit panders to familiar cues surrounding the themes of Field, Travel and Chill which has resulted in an ensemble of pieces that cater for multiple situations. Some of these include 3L cargo trousers, shirts crafted from wool qauze, fleece pullover tops and, some of our favourites, the ‘Ventilation SS Inner Down Jacket’ made in collaboration with the Japanese art collective, Nowartt.
There are four variants of the Ventilation Side Split Inner Down Jacket in stock at This Thing of Ours- - two with custom prints and one in navy and yellow CORDURA® fabric. We’re particularly enamoured by the two bearing those distinct outdoor-inspired prints, developed in collaboration with the Japanese art and textile collective, Nowartt. Unlike other insulated down vests that can be bulky and misshapen, this number from norbit has been crafted to trace the natural contours of the body with hidden zippers throughout that don’t interfere with the cut. I know we keep talking about the print but the attention to detail is killer; it combines some of norbit’s focal points of outdoors inspiration. Bolstering the reputation of this piece is the Hungarian goose down insulation and water-repellent nylon outer fabric, making the Down Jacket as functional as it is beautiful. There is a choice of either a navy or beige print.
Something we always try to reiterate is that online imagery doesn’t really do these kinds of products justice. So if you’re able to, then come down to our store to browse the latest from norbit - you won’t be disappointed. If not, it is also available from our online store and with extra imagery available on our Instagram page.
