CCP, or Crazy Character Print, is the Tokyo-born brand that doesn’t work for profit or reach out to stockists, never does sales and discounts, has no trend radar, and a store located far off the beaten track deep into the East of Tokyo. And so, while they have a deeply dedicated fanbase, no one would blame you if you hadn’t heard of them.
Recently their editorial with Sabukaru has put them on the radar for many, but true fans have long adorned CCP’s uniquely elegant genre-less pieces. Not quite cycle wear, but with a definite city cyclist influence.
Since 1996, founder Kijima and his team have created distinctively “round and smooth” pieces — staying well away from “sharp and edgy” pieces, they said in an interview. Initially, rave-wear creators, CCP have always created the garments that they themselves want to wear.
And so, in line with the natural progression of their lives, the locally-manufactured clothes have moved from rave-scene assemblages to cyclist-stroke-city-worker chic.
From dancing to trance and techno every weekend and kitting out the whole rave scene, CCP grew and realised the importance of taking care of their wellness. And then, right before Japan’s bike culture began to boom, Kijima began to ride his bike everywhere.
They got rid of their company car and “did everything from business to commuting by bike”. at the time, no cycling clothing existed, only race-wear. And so CCP jumped on the opportunity — and became both the first ones to create clothing for city-riders and the solution to their own clothing needs.
Today, the brand runs on the same premise — with the designers creating a uniform for urban commuters in Tokyo. In essence, “active and comfortable clothes that [they] want to wear.”
Source: Sabukaru
Recently, a focus on sustainability has seen a focus on “balancing functional materials and sustainable materials and incorporating them into the same garment.”
With CCP, the clothes have always been high-quality, functional, unique, and timeless. And a move towards sustainability is just another reason why we love this brand here at TNC.
Essential pieces from CCP include the Filter Top and the Full Face Parkas which allow for both functional finesse and covid safety (but, believe it or not, were designer pre-pandemic despite the built-in masks!).
Source: Sabukaru
CCP city-ready pieces are now available in Europe for the first time. Shop the collection exclusively via ARYS store.
