Could you tell us the origin of the brand name MINOTAUR and its brand concept?

The brand concept is "For one's own identity." It's an apparel line that re-recognizes the universal elements of traditional items and then reconstructs them down to the stitching and details to improve quality such as functionality, toughness, and comfort required for modern daily wear, aiming for higher quality and innovative manufacturing. Each staple item, once incorporated into a coordination, becomes a cherished piece that blends into the wearer's lifestyle.

Just as there are indispensable tools for various environments like outdoors, military, work, and sports, we plan to develop staple items with the motto of "design and functionality essential for daily life." We believe that a comfortable lifestyle, both mentally and physically, is achieved through a commitment to both design and usability.

MUG initially launched with two types of shoes. Why did you start with shoes? Also, could you explain the design concepts behind the moccasin and tennis shoe styles, and why you chose these shapes?

Just as I like clothes and music, I personally really like shoes. I view them as culture and consider them very important.
That's true, there's also the saying, "Style starts from the feet."

Could you explain the design concepts for the two types (moccasin and tennis shoe styles) and why you chose these shapes?

In a word, the basic design concept of the brand is "standard."
Among the many standard shoe styles, these were the shapes I simply "wanted to wear now." However, as a shoe enthusiast, I want to wear not only past classics as basics but also future basics. With that aspiration and the meaning of "learning from the past to understand the future," we expressed MUG's fusion of tradition and innovation.
With that in mind, we chose the moccasin style to embody the fusion of classic and modern, and the tennis shoe style to represent the fusion of sport and luxury.


For the moccasins, you're using Vibram soles, aren't you?

As our concept is "developing staple items with the motto of design and functionality essential for daily life, just as there are indispensable tools for various environments," we intend to use Vibram soles, which we trust for their functionality, as much as possible.

What kind of series do you envision it to be?

We want it to be a communication tool that enriches daily life, sharing people, things, and events that do so through fashion, art, and music with creators from around the world, creating creative time and space.

MUG is just getting started. How do you see it progressing in the future?

We plan to expand into new areas with a broad perspective that transcends age and genre boundaries.

Thank you very much.




Eiichi Izumi
Fashion Director & DJ.

Since 1990, he has worked as an import fashion buyer and director, while also actively organizing numerous events and selecting music. After establishing font co.,ltd in 2003 as a platform for expressing fashion culture cultivated in international environments, he fully launched the fashion brand "MINOTAUR" in 2004 and opened the import select shop "M a shop" in 2005. In recent years, he has launched the product brand "MUG" and the free paper "M a gazine."
He has produced many CDs, including compilation albums directed and selected for a wide range of artists and fashion brands, from German sound unit JAZZANOVA, Kyoto Jazz Massive, and Takuji Aoyagi (Kama aina) to Jacob Jensen, The North Face, and Stussy. His activities have garnered attention from various fields.
He is currently developing "maround," a community website centered around members involved in crossover sound, such as Yoshihiro Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive / Especial records), Italy's leading avant-garde DJ & sound producer Enrico Crivellaro (Neroli / Archive Records), and New York art director Tyler Askew (Rude).

maround website | www.maround.com