Muji Opens in New York
Nov. 22nd, 2007 06:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
randomnessFrom Condé Nast Portfolio, November 19th (http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle/goods/style/2007/11/19/Muji-Opens-in-New-York?TID=alsoin/muji):
Muji
455 Broadway (Between Grand and Howard Streets)
New York, NY 10013
tel: 212.334.2002
N, Q, R, W: Canal St.
Monday thru Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Muji is where I got my RFID-blocking aluminum card case.
They're open today (Thanksgiving) until 9PM, but I think we'll stop by Sunday or something.
The Japanese retailer, known for its minimalist aesthetic and commitment to reducing waste, welcomed shoppers to its 3,200-square-foot SoHo location. This is its first outpost in the U.S.The Wikipedia entry mentions that "The protagonist of William Gibson's 2003 novel Pattern Recognition, being allergic to brands and corporate logos, wears clothing from MUJI."
You can find just about anything you need, except for logos. Muji is short for Mujirushi Ryohin, which roughly translates to "no label, quality goods.” The low-key store design reflects that aesthetic with wood floors and basic aluminum fixtures, and the company has always been driven by a principle of reducing waste through limiting production materials and packaging. A pair of bumblebee-striped slippers, for example, comes with a single tag, and starting in 2008, buyers who utilize the cloth “My Bag” on designated nights will get a 15% discount.
Ironically, at a time when corporations are falling over backward to label themselves as Earth-conscious, Azami plays down the 25-plus years of ecological thinking. “We eliminate waste because from the customer’s point-of-view they don’t want heavy packaging,” he says, “but it was not a conscious, intentional focus on environmental issues.”
Muji
455 Broadway (Between Grand and Howard Streets)
New York, NY 10013
tel: 212.334.2002
N, Q, R, W: Canal St.
Monday thru Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Muji is where I got my RFID-blocking aluminum card case.
They're open today (Thanksgiving) until 9PM, but I think we'll stop by Sunday or something.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 01:29 am (UTC)I am also wearing a hoodie I brought from Muji in the late 90s right now. It's still in very good condition.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 02:02 am (UTC)If they succeed in NYC I hear they're going to branch out. CA can't be far behind.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 04:49 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 05:18 am (UTC)Their global online site lists it for £3.95: http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?V=1&Sec=1&Sub=5&PID=2050
¥472 is $4.38, while £3.95 is $8.18. I figure the markup in NYC will make the final US price closer to $8 than $5, but that should give you some idea.
I've tested it with both CharlieCards and SmartTrip cards; it blocks turnstiles and ticket vending machines quite effectively. Whether it blocks an RFID sniffer is something I haven't tested, but would like to, if someone on my flist has an RFID reader handy. People are making wallets out of wire mesh, anti-static bags, and aluminum foil, so I'd think this would work just fine.
But as I said, I'd like to do a test. I have a *stack* of RFID cards I'd like to examine.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 05:23 am (UTC)For that matter, we should do dinner. Want dinner? ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 02:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 05:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 03:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 05:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 10:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-23 11:35 am (UTC)of COURSe you're going to be in NYC when I'm in MD...
*sigh*
I wonder if they have cases like that big enough to fit an EZPass transponder.