THIRD PLACE's COLBO

 

 

Hello. This is Nishiwaki from THIRD PLACE.

 

 

Today I'm going to talk about COLBO.

 

Firstly, the clothing selected at Third Place is composed of 50% Japanese brands and 50% international brands.

Among the international brands, COLBO is one of the core brands of THIRD PLACE.

 

Although we haven't properly introduced it on the blog before, it has already gained many fans in our store, and 50% of the stocked clothes are sold out on the release day.

Many people learn about the brand through social media, and then come all the way from distant places to see what kind of clothes they are, what kind of brand it is, and to experience the atmosphere for themselves.

 

 

So why did I turn my attention overseas, and why COLBO?

I'd like to start by talking about that.

 

 

Before starting THIRD PLACE, I worked at a select shop that mainly focused on domestic brands.

A.PRESSE, COMESANDGOES, COMOLI, DAIWA PIER39, ED ROBERT JUDSON, HERILL, Hender Scheme, is-ness, KAPTAIN SUNSHINE, ROTOL, YOKE.....

 

Since 2014, not all brands, but I had the opportunity to work with many brands from their first season (debut) or shortly after their launch. Looking back, I realize I spent a valuable time during a really good period. I was lucky enough to be mentored (and sometimes harshly criticized, haha) and taught many things since I was around 20 years old.

 

The foundation of my style was built from Japanese brands and has led to my current approach.

Now, I feel that many of these brands have become leading Japanese brands, well-known to everyone, and have grown significantly.

 

And now, these Japanese brands are increasingly challenging themselves overseas.

They are showcasing Japanese craftsmanship and fashion to the world. There's no doubt that Japanese brands have become globally competitive.

 

Naturally, being in such an environment, my perspective also started to shift overseas.

 

 

 

However, I am not a brand, but a shop owner.

From a buyer's perspective, while I appreciated the maturing quality of Japanese brands in recent years, as a buyer, I also started to feel "something was missing."

Please understand this in a very positive way, but everything was almost too good. This is my personal opinion, but looking at the numerous brands now, there are virtually none that I would consider "bad." While I recognize this as an amazing aspect of Japan, as a fashion enthusiast and a buyer, I constantly harbored a desire to discover something "I hadn't seen before."

However, I didn't want to change everything. I was looking for clothing that could "offer something new" to update the clothes and styles I had cultivated and proposed, without disrupting them. At the same time, I believed this would add depth to the style of Japanese brand clothing.

 

That's when I decided to boldly expand my horizons and venture into overseas buying.

 

At first, I didn't have any connections, so I started by gathering information through social media, then sending DMs and emails, asking, "Can you show me your clothes?" I knocked on countless doors.

I saw an incredible number of brands and clothes, so much so that I almost didn't want to see any more clothes, but I aggressively approached various places, so much so that many brands probably thought I was there to challenge them. (laughs)

What I realized after taking action was simply, "The world is vast."

There are truly diverse people and clothes with various cultural backgrounds.

I keenly felt that there was still so much I didn't know. And since I'm the type who gets excited when encountering new things, learning new things became something I really looked forward to.

And as I started going on overseas buying trips twice a year, my acquaintances and friends gradually increased, and I started receiving more information.

 

To make a long story short, it was at that time that I encountered COLBO.

 

Meeting Colbo was a truly significant event.

 

 

COLBO is a New York-based brand established in 2021.

COLBO is derived from the Hebrew word for "department store" — "col" = "all" + "bo" = "in it" —

The founder and designer is Tal Silberstein. Tal previously handled design and branding at HED MAYNER.

Inspired by 1980s Italian design and spiritual aesthetics, many of their items have a relaxed feel yet can be dressed up or down, and they create exquisite expressions from the designer's experiences traveling like a hippie in his home country of Israel and around the world.

 

 

When the brand launched, COLBO opened a shop in New York to express its concept.

Since its inception, Colbo has established itself as a place that offers "good clothes," "delicious coffee," and "a comfortable time."

The shop is also located in the heart of "Dimes Square," a vibrant micro-neighborhood that The New York Times described as "a lively playground where media, fashion, art, and all the other sophisticated cultures of downtown Manhattan intersect." Colbo has become an established "watering hole" where creative people gather.

Orchard Street, where the shop is located, has a radius of 200-300m with shops like Awake, Bode, Kartik Research, and BRUT Vintage, emphasizing the vibrancy of the street. There are also many delicious restaurants like Scar's Pizza, ASOKO Sake Bar where creators gather every night, Sweet Pickle Club which is the most famous pickle shop and used bookstore in NY, and Bufo, creating an area where you can feel the real NY lifestyle. Among these, COLBO is a hub for information dissemination and a community center, always attracting locals and tourists who come to get a glimpse of it.

 

Every week, we host various events, including exclusive pop-ups by local and guest creators, launch parties for magazines and books, and art and design exhibitions.

DJs and friends are invited to spin records, and wine is always served along with snacks by local chefs. It's not uncommon for the crowd to spill out onto the street as the night progresses.

 

In addition to COLBO's collection, the store also carries a curated selection of items from other designers, including Hed Mayner, Camiel Fortgens, Karu, and Adish, creating an atmosphere that is both casual and luxurious. In the past, they also offered limited capsule collections in collaboration with these designers. In the back of the store, carefully selected vintage items from around the world are regularly displayed.

They also stock many Japanese brands, including HERILL and Ernie Palo clothing.

 

Tal himself describes COLBO as a multidisciplinary space that brings together various genres such as fashion, music, art, food, and drinks in one place, offering a sensory experience. It is not just a place to shop, but also a place to discover, relax, and connect.

 

We met them through clothes, but their philosophy on "people and places," "community," and "various cultures" resonated so strongly with THIRD PLACE that I felt there was no other brand I wanted to work with so closely.

 

 

I really like Tal; he always welcomes me warmly.

He keeps up with THIRD PLACE's progress, and even when we don't meet, we exchange messages. It's truly wonderful that he resonates with what we're doing.

( As an aside, he apparently loved Don Quijote when he came to Japan, and he always sings the Donki melody when we meet, haha.)

His generosity and charm captivate everyone he meets, and before you know it, many people gather around him. When he invited me to a party in Paris, the venue overflowed with over 500 people, to the point where the police had to intervene...

 

 

This encounter introduced me to the New York of today.

COLBO at THIRD PLACE.

 

To be continued in the second part.