The Made to Measure section on the 5th floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building Store is a floor where famous tailors and sartorial houses from Japan and abroad gather together. It is rare to find a place in the world where you can compare brands that are normally isolated entities all at once. This spring, a new name will be added here. The brand name is La Scala. The tailor's name is Nobuhito Yamaguchi. He is an employee working here at Isetan Shinjuku Store.


Mitsukoshi Isetan employs people from diverse backgrounds, but Nobuhito Yamaguchi is particularly unique. A nine-year veteran, he is a full-fledged Isetan employee, yet also works as a tailor. His workshop is located on the 4th floor of Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , where he usually spends his days quietly working with scissors and needles. His background has been covered in previous articles , so I won't go into detail here, but I encourage you to read them if you have the time.

I first met Yamaguchi about 10 years ago. When I was interviewing a prominent designer who had come to Japan from Italy, the interpreter was unavailable due to some mistake on the day of the interview. I frantically searched for someone who could speak Italian, and Yamaguchi, who was in the alteration workshop on the same floor, volunteered, saying, "I can only manage a few greetings." Thanks to him, the prominent designer, who was not good at English, was in high spirits throughout the interview, and the interview was a great success, which speaks volumes about his Italian level. "I can speak it a little better now," he says with a wry smile, and he's standing right in front of me.


I had heard back then that he had the skill to sew everything from start to finish. I also read in an article that he had lived in Milan. Eventually, orders started coming in through word of mouth. Judging from the photos, it appears to be Neapolitan style tailoring, and it seems he frequently traveled to Naples during his time off from work. Eventually, he gained a good clientele and his business got on track. Starting this spring, he has found a sewing factory that is willing to fulfill his earnest request, and he will begin making clothes to order (MTM).

Made-to-measure suits starting from 106,920 yen
*The model in the photo is priced from 248,400 yen
*Delivery: Approximately 5 weeks later

The sizing range is wide, from 40 to 72, and customers can use all the fabrics owned by ISETAN MEN'S . While ordering individual orders from a factory would incur high labor costs, Isetan can leverage economies of scale. The tailoring corner within the department store is also less intimidating than independent tailors, which will be an efficient way to promote Yamaguchi's name. His bespoke suits start at 330,000 yen, but made-to-order suits start at 9000 yen (excluding tax). This should increase the chances of him being chosen by more people looking for a custom-made suit.

When asked what he wanted to do next once his brand became well-known, Yamaguchi replied, "I want to nurture people." He added that even if he continued working as a tailor until he was 80, he would probably only be able to train about 10 apprentices at most. However, with the environment of Isetan, he has the potential to influence and nurture not only apprentices who aspire to be tailors, but also many other people. Clothes sell, his name becomes known, people gather, and people grow. He said that by succeeding in this environment, he wants to send more Japanese tailors out into the world. I was a little taken aback, as I had expected him to say something about "going independent."

Made-to-measure suits starting from 106,920 yen
*The model in the photo is priced from 253,800 yen
*Delivery: Approximately 5 weeks later

He also said it was "frustrating." He believes that the delicate handiwork of Japanese craftsmen should be more appreciated globally. He thinks that while imported brands are the only ones who get recognized, the seamstresses who can do the most delicate work in overseas workshops are undoubtedly Japanese. He also seems to think that the Japanese themselves are the ones who don't properly appreciate Japanese tailors.

Indeed, when you interview people in Italian workshops, you often find an Asian person tucked away in a corner, and when you ask, "Are you Japanese?", they respond with a smile. Although it's difficult for them to work long-term due to obstacles like work visas and wages, Italians know that they possess the skills to do far more detailed work than Europeans or Americans. Yamaguchi apparently traveled to Naples many times with his work in hand to have it reviewed by the tailor he considered his mentor.


I've never heard of a department store selling a brand created by a single employee. It goes against the very business model of department stores. It's an unprecedented approach, but I want to express my respect to Isetan for allowing it and to those who supported him. And I sincerely hope that this brand, which originated at Isetan and is the first of its kind at Isetan, will be nurtured with care. LA SCALA, whose name means "staircase," has taken yet another step forward.

La Scala's official Instagram account is here.

Text: Yasuyuki Ikeda
Photo: Shimpei Suzuki

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Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 5th Floor = Made to Measure
03-3352-1111 (main representative)