Episode 29: Catching Up With Ken Natori
In this episode, Arthur Zaczkiewicz, executive editor of strategic content development at WWD, chats with Ken Natori, president of The Natori Company to discuss current fashion trends, how his 47-year-old brand has evolved and where it is headed. He also shares his thoughts on changes in consumer behavior.
At a time when sustainable practices are demanded by shoppers, Natori said: “There’s been more focus on intentional consumption and considerate consumption, which, to some degree, has reduced consumption overall. But I think for brands like us that focus on quality, the focus is on high-quality products and products that last much longer.”
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Natori went on to say he’s “very proud to be a 47-year-old fashion brand, remain independent and remain family owned. People associate us with our East meets West aesthetic, but they also associate us with high quality and dependability. To that degree, while there may be an overall decrease in the number of units consumed in fashion across everything, I think there’s been a move to brands that are trusted and brands that are known for more dependability and longevity.”
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Bio: Ken Natori is the president of The Natori Company, a designer fashion brand with collections ranging from ready-to-wear, lingerie and sleepwear, to home textiles, fine jewelry, accessories, bath, legwear and fine jewelry. Before becoming president, he ran the company’s e-commerce and licensing businesses, and also helped oversee the finance, public relations and marketing departments. Prior to Natori, Ken worked as both a TV and radio reporter for Bloomberg and in international equities at Lehman Brothers. Ken holds an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s from Amherst College. The House of Natori was founded in 1977 and today is one of the fashion industry’s most recognizable designer brands. Each of the Natori brand collections — Josie Natori, Natori, N Natori and Josie by Natori — is a reflection of the namesake designer’s distinctive, East/West aesthetic.
