First-time visitors to Japanese department stores are likely to be surprised by the brand Jurgen Lehl. Chances are they haven't heard of it although it sounds international and its quiet chic suggests they should have. As well, Jurgen Lehl outlets generally occupy large chunks of prime in-store real estate — at Matsuya's flagship branch in Tokyo's glitzy Ginza, for example, where the label's trademark earth-toned boutique stands proudly alongside Valentino, Stella McCartney and Celine.
Jurgen Lehl, this wide-eyed first-timer may think, could be something like Asics or Olympus — local brands that disguise their Japaneseness behind a foreign- sounding moniker. And it almost is, having been launched and bankrolled by man-made-fiber and textile giant Asahi Kasei Corporation.
But Jurgen Lehl is also a very real person — a 64-year-old German, in fact, who has lived in Japan since 1971. With the help of those at Asahi Kasei and a number of "accidents" along the way, this quietly spoken gent with a passionate concern for environmental issues has become an eponymous presence in fashion circles nationwide.